WITH growing demand from students for areas of study deemed relevant to the career options on the market, some traditional areas of study are seen as not having as much relevance in today’s society. One such area is the study of geography, and questions are often raised about what exactly one can do with a geography degree.

Museum curator and lecturer Dr Sherene James-Williamson said given the fact that geography is used to help with the understanding of global processes which affect the world today, the study area is still relevant.

“The myth is often that geography is merely the studying of maps and the weather and that in geology we only study rocks,” she said.

But issues including international migration, the impact of the global economic crisis, globalisation, urbanisation, risk and disaster management, food security, development, as well as climate change, are all global processes which affect the world and whose understanding geography is used to help with.

“Geography can be described as a spatial science as it processes the human and physical environment within the context of places and regions and can differentiate based on culture, politics, economy, landscapes, and environments around the world. Hence the use and production of maps,” Dr James-Williamson explained.

Some universities link geography with other areas at the undergraduate level to make their academic programmes more versatile. The University of the West Indies, Mona, where Dr James-Williamson lectures, for example, offers a degree in geography and geology, while other institutions link it to other areas in the social sciences.

Why does a degree in geography make sense?

Geography is one of those areas of study that is believed to help with the development of transferable skills that are relevant to several careers. These skills include the ability to conduct research, to analyse and make assessment, as well as to conduct field work. The study of geography also allows for the opportunity to study many environmental and social problems affecting contemporary society.

“Persons who are passionate about landscapes; how interconnected the world is, and how communities function and develop; the environment; how and why the world is changing; economic and social inequality, sustainability and managing the world’s future; and the placement of business, factories and industries as well as the decision-making process and global discourse, should consider geography as a field of study,” said Dr James-Williamson.

Where in Jamaica can you pursue a degree or courses in geography?

University of the West Indies, Mona, Northern Caribbean University, Shortwood Teachers’ College, Mico Teachers’ College.

What are the jobs available for persons with a geography degree?

A degree in geography could lead to a career in areas such as land and water management, urban and transport planning, environmental consultancy, housing and social welfare, tourism, agriculture, environmental consultancy, landscape architecture, demography, surveying, research and academia. Those with a degree in this area usually go on to become urban or population geographers, urban and regional planners, geomorphologists, economic geographers, cultural geographers, biogeographers, climatologists, hydrologists, teachers/lecturers/researchers, laboratory scientists/technologists, GIS technicians, analysts and developers.

Some famous people with geography degrees

Dr Omar Davies, Prince William, Michael Jordan, Mother Teresa.