Skills Developed through a Geography Degree

A background in Geography ensures that you develop the skills and mindset to tackle many different professional challenges.

Core Skills

• An understanding that as global economic, political and environmental processes change, so do the places we live along with our relationship to both immediate and distant environments
• Comprehension of the causes and consequences of some of the most pressing concerns facing humankind today, such as climate change, resource depletion, human migration, globalization, geopolitics, poverty, inequality and vulnerability

Communication, Data Gathering and Organizational Skills

• The ability to present your thoughts clearly and intelligently in written statements and written opinion pieces
• The ability to organize, understand and analyze sources of information and to apply novel forms of technology or new information to different professional settings and tasks
• The ability to learn new information and apply this to professional demands
• The capacity to critically analyze problems, think creatively and make sound decisions while considering different sides of an argument

Management and Teamwork

• The ability to interpret and analyze information presented by peers and efficiently and constructively support or challenge their proposals, theories, ideas and reports in order to achieve a project’s intended and successful end result
• The capacity to lead and interact with a variety of people with different approaches and personal and professional backgrounds
• Skills enabling you to work effectively in group situations, partaking in decision-making, leading and contributing in various capacities to the ultimate success of the team and task
• The ability to debate, persuade, mediate and present your thoughts and opinions to others, as well as the capacity to recognize and incorporate other potential solutions or applications to given problems

Professional Associations and Organizations

Knowing the industry and how to excel in it after receiving a degree are key elements of future success. University study sets up the building blocks you will need to develop and enhance your understanding and knowledge in your career. Being part of a professional organization or network and gaining further insight through training are excellent ways of increasing your knowledge of the field.

• Canadian Association of Geographers
• The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
• National Geographic
• Canadian Council for Geographic Education
• Association of American Geographers
• Geographical Association