Skip to main content
Liberal Arts Advisement & Careers

Geography

Looking Forward

Your Geography degree prepares you for whatever’s next—whether that’s launching a career, continuing to grad school, or using your skills to serve in your community. You’ll leave BYU with tools employers value: experience with GIS, stats, and remote sensing, plus the ability to think spatially, solve problems, and communicate ideas clearly through writing, speaking, and data visualizations.

No matter your path, the major helps you connect big ideas with practical action. You’re equipped to work across disciplines, tackle real-world issues, and make a difference in the places that matter to you—locally and globally.

Resources for Looking Forward
Competencies and Careers
Value of My Degree
Professional Certifications
Grad School

Competencies and Careers

Competencies Developed in the Program
Students in the Geography program can expect to develop strong Communication, Information Literacy, and Cultural Navigation competencies. Want to know more about these professional competencies? Career Readiness

Common Career Fields
-Geography major students can use their degree to pursue careers in many fields. Some of those include: geographer, City or Regional Planner, Cartographer, GIS Analyst, Remote Sensing Analyst, Intelligence, Law, Tourism and Travel, Education/Academia, Sustainability Coordinator, Data Analyst, Conservation Specialist, and Policy Analyst.

Not sure where to start? Explore career fields that match your interests.

Meet with your Advisor!
Do you have a career option in mind, but you’d like resources to help you chart a path toward that goal? Schedule a meeting with Sam Prestwich to explore your goals and next steps.

Contact the Liberal Arts Advisement Center to set up an appointment.

Meet with your Career Director:
Your Career Director can help you get connected to alumni, find companies that are hiring, hone your resume, and strategically look for jobs. Set up an appointment with Amanda Peterson.

Career and Networking
ONet Online: This database helps you explore jobs, find similar jobs under related job titles, search for jobs in specific locations, and connect to professional organizations. Here are a few specific job titles to begin exploring.

Handshake: The ultimate job board for internships and entry-level jobs. Use it to search for jobs, connect with alumni, and research companies.

BYU Connect: Expand your network now and find a mentor! With its ever-increasing database of BYU alumni, BYU Connect can help you find an alum in your field of interest who can help you broaden your perspective, network, and make vital career decisions.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the perfect networking tool; not only can you find jobs on this versatile site, but it can also serve to build and maintain networks, research potential employers, and build your job experience beyond the confines of a normal resume. Creating a LinkedIn profile is not difficult, and can be made easier by following these steps.

BYU Career Services: This office offers many job search resources for your job search, including job and internship fairs, networking events, resume reviews, and online help.

Articulating the Value of Your Degree

What professional competencies have I developed by studying Geography?
Learn more here about the professional competencies that you have and that employers want!

Who can help me create a resume, cover letter, and/or LinkedIn profile that highlights my strengths and skills?
Many people on campus can assist you in creating a resume, cover letter, or professional profile. You can use the Career Studio, your Academic and Professional Development Manager, your Career Director, or career fair prep events.

Who is my career director?
Amanda Peterson. You can contact her here.

Who is my Academic and Professional Development Manager?
Sam Prestwich. You can contact him here.

Professional Certifications

  • BYU Foreign Language Certification
  • Esri Technical Certifications
  • Certifications in ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Online, etc.
  • GIS Career Certification
  • The PreGISP Certification is the ultimate launchpad for emerging GIS professionals, offering a clear pathway to the prestigious GISP® credential. Designed for recent graduates entering the geospatial workforce, this one-time certification validates foundational GIS knowledge, boosts career recognition.

Grad School

Are you considering grad school? Your best resource is your faculty. Reach out to your professors to explore graduate schools, gain the necessary experience, and build a strong application. Faculty contact info can be found on the Geography department website. 

You can also talk with your Academic and Professional Development Manager about grad school. Is it necessary for your career goals? What types of programs should you consider? How can you best prepare for that program? What is your application timeline? Do you need to take an entrance exam? You can talk through all of these questions and more with your advisor.

Grad School Prep handouts
STDEV 318
BYU Pre-Professional Advisement Center
Peterson’s Guide to Grad School

Beyond the Office

I’m not planning on working full-time. How can I use my Geography degree in meaningful ways outside of being employed full-time? Geography doesn’t have to mean a 9-to-5. You can use your skills in creative, flexible, or unexpected ways

Freelance Resources

You can take on freelance, part-time work projects. Sometimes these are called "side gigs." There are lots of ways to put your competencies and interests to work, even if it's part-time or temporary/project-based.
data-content-type="external"

Freelance Jobs | UpWork

Find Remote & Online Work
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="external"

Twine

Freelance Job Search Engine
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="external"

How to Start a Side Hustle

Article to provide information on side hustles
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=

Volunteer Resources

Find part-time volunteer opportunities that help you maintain and build your competencies!
data-content-type="external"

Community Needs

Volunteer Opportunities
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="external"

UServeUtah

Volunteer Opportunities
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="external"

What to Do in Provo

Volunteer Opportunities
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="external"

Volunteer at Thanksgiving Point

Volunteer Opportunities
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=

Manage A Household

Use your degree to effectively manage a household and purposefully raise a family.

Parent Strategies for Improving Their Child's Reading and Writing

Your degree can boost learning outcomes for your kids
  • Model good habits by reading and writing in front of your child.
  • Make reading materials—ones they will truly care about—readily available for your child
  • Talk with your child. Children expand their vocabulary and understanding of sentence structures through conversations with others.
  • Give your child authentic writing tasks to help them find their voice and develop their sense of power

Helping Parents Get a College Education Helps Children Succeed

“European researchers have shown that the positive effects of parental education can be seen as early as age 4 and persist through graduation. Comparing the effects of parental education, socio-economic status, and income over the life course, the same researchers confirm that parental education matters, with maternal education having its strongest effect in early childhood, especially on cognitive development and the associated long-term benefits.”

FAQ's

Links

Exploring the Major
Engaging in the Major
Looking Forward
FAQs