Career Options

Geography is one of the oldest Earth Sciences. The early intellectual history of Geography was dominated by the contribution of the explorers and travelers, kings and emperors and universal scholars and polymath. Ever since its institutionalization in the mid-19th century the discipline witnessed to paradigm shifts and various trends including the quantitative revolution, behaviouralism, humanism, radicalism, feminism, post-modernism etc. This has continuously redefined the nature of the subject and broadened its scope. Thus, the inherent dualism in the discipline grown out as two broader branches of the discipline such as physical and human geography. This has expanded the horizons of geographical enquiry both at the methodological and philosophical levels. This vastness provide myriads of opportunities and challenges for every students who chose this pastures for their career. This column is an attempt to broadly map the career option for geography graduates in India. This is not an exhaustive list but a fragmented route map for the young geographers to fill in over time through their life and achievements. 

Career Option in Physical Geography

Study of the natural environment is an essential part of geography. Physical geography constitutes the natural environmental science of the Earth’s surface (Matthews and Herbert, 2008). Geomorphology, which deals with the landforms, Pedology- the soil, Climatology- the atmosphere, Hydrology and Oceanography- the water sphere, EnvironmentalGeography- ecosystem and glaciology- the cryosphere are the major sub-branches of physical geography. Students with interest in physical and natural science can navigate through this domains in their higher studies at postgraduate levels. Some of the areas they can explore includes:

·         Soil Specialist

·         Water Resources Specialist

·         Climate Change Analyst

·         Climatologist

·         Natural Hazards Management and Analysis

·         Environmental Management and Consultancy

·         Ecological Risk Assessor

Career Option in Human Geography

Human geography is concerned with the ways in which people occupied the surface of the Earth: the patterns of settlement that emerged, the human landscapes that evolved, the movements of human populations that occurred, and the ‘order’ that became apparent (Matthews and Herbert, 2008). It includes sub-fields such as regional planning and development, economic geography, social geography, urban geography. Some of the possible avenues for future career options include:

·         Urban and Regional Planner

·         Demographer

·         Geographer/Cartographer with Census of India

·         Policy Consultants and Researcher

·         Spatial Analysis Consultant

·         Psephologist

Cartographer

Maps are the integral tools of geographers. It is useful in presenting the distribution of physical features, population and their movements, natural resources, economic activities and, international and national boundaries etc. Cartography deals with art and techniques of map making. Therefore, cartographer is required by almost all organization ranging from news agencies, government offices, private firms, research organization for capturing and representing spatial patterns and distribution. After graduating in geography students can undertake postgraduate taught courses offered by foreign universities of enroll for diploma courses in Cartography offered by various Indian universities.

Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing

The introduction of GIS and Remote Sensing into the field of Geography through the second wave of quantitative revolution has transformed the discipline in a significant manner. GIS is widely used to acquire, manage, display, and analyze spatial data in digital form. Thus the GIS and Remote Sensing techniques are used widely in contemporary spatial decision making process both at the government and corporate sector. Though fundamental training in GIS and Remote Sensing are imparted at the graduate level, but students can specialize in this field in their master programs or undertake certificate programs to enhance expertise in these techniques. There are universities/institutions in India and abroad offering these courses. The following are some of the career opportunities for the interested students in this field.

·         Geospatial Analyst and GIS Engineer

·         Remote Sensing Analyst

·         Digital Cartographer and Mapping Expert

Other Opportunities

Geography offers a number of opportunities in teaching at all levels of the education system. Being a core academic subject at the school level, a graduate or post-graduate in Geography along with a B.Ed degree makes one eligible for working as a Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT) or Post Graduate Teachers (PGT). After qualifying UGC NET examination, a post-graduate is eligible for working as a professor at the college or university levels.

With its broader perspective and synthesizing nature geography is rich in possibilities. With the advancements in globalization and the emergence of a post-industrial society geographers can contribute immensely to the travel and tourism industries. Given their training and proficiency in landscapes and cultural studies, geographers can join professions such as tourist guides, trekking guide, travel manager, etc.

Moreover, geography forms a significant portion of the syllabus of various competitive examination conducted by government of India and state government from time to time. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts various examination such as Civil Services examination, Assistant Commandant in Central Armed Police forces, Director for Planning Department etc. for selection of candidates for group A posts through all Indian competitive examination etc. usually one fourth of the syllabus of these examinations are from geography. Geography is one of the most popular optional paper in Civil Services examination (mains).

Officers in Indian defense (Army, Navy, Air forces) are selected through Combined Defense Service examination, conducted by UPSC, twice every year. Geography graduates have more advantages in this sector as well, as they have special training in maps reading, terrain, locations, direction and use of compass etc. Army Educational Corps (AEC) which is teaching wing of Indian Army, appoints post-graduates in Geography in officer cadre for the purpose of geographical training of recruits of combat wing of Indian army.

The graduates in geography along with acquiring geographical knowledge at a theoretical level also attains basic practical skills in various tools and techniques. These techniques are increasingly important for understanding our complex world. The wide range of themes covered in geography course inculcate broader perspective to student. This interdisciplinary nature of geography is a value addition to enhance the employability of the geography. As long as geography is everywhere, geographers are ought to be everywhere. 

• April 30, 2021: Talk on 'CAREERS IN GEOGRAPHY' by Dr. Kiran Bhairannavar, Dept. of Geography, University of Delhi. CLICK HERE