Geography

The term ‘geography’ was conceived in Ancient Greece; a rough translation would be ‘to describe the earth’. This provides a hint as to the huge scale of the discipline, encompassing far more than the recital of the capitals of Europe and drawing pictures of ox-bow lakes. Geography can be divided into two major areas and geographical work often involves the relationship between them: the human, incorporating aspects of sociology, economics, history and statistics; and the physical, which involves physics, chemistry and biology.

Even though not many people describe themselves as geographers, geography is a very useful subject that offers many career options. Geographers work to understand the nature of the world and how environments and societies are changing over time, in order to plan for a better future. Geographers can be involved in tasks as diverse as drawing maps, planning aid budgets for third world countries, carrying out national surveys, and monitoring levels of pollution. There are many links between geography and the worlds of environmental science, urban planning, social science and economics.

Education

There are a number of options for students hoping to study Geography at third-level. You can study Geography on its own, in association with other related subjects such as Planning and Environmental Policy, or choose Geography as an optional subject as part of a general arts or science degree. The CAO points required for these courses range from about 350 to 450.

Pure Geography concerns itself with both physical and human geography, while scientific or arts-based courses are more likely to focus on physical or human geography respectively. Physical geography subjects include Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Climatology, Biogeography, Meteorology, Geomorphology and Earth Chemistry. Human geography topics include Economic, Social, Political, Environmental and Historical Geography, as well as subjects such as Population, Urbanisation and Globalisation. A mix of both subject areas is not uncommon, but students often specialise in one by the final year of their course.

Practical classes form a large part of any geography course. Laboratory work, projects and fieldwork all help you develop skills in collecting information and analysing results.

Options After Qualification

Not many people can be classified as full-time geographers, but geography graduates have many options when thinking about possible careers. The mix of social awareness and scientific skills can be very useful and graduates can find work in research, economics, public and urban planning, tourism, natural resources (mining, exploring, developing), the civil service, media, academic research and IT sectors.

The Work

As geography is such a wide-ranging field we are just presenting a few examples of where geography graduates may choose to work. People with geography qualifications can work for businesses, organisations or government agencies on projects concerning the environment. They may study phenomena such as land use, pollution and climate change to better plan and organise human interaction within their city or country.

Geography graduates can also work as town, urban or local planners for government departments or local authorities. They carry out site appraisals, draw up planning briefs, coordinate projects and enforce planning controls. Projects can vary in scope and size from large-scale strategic planning to local domestic household issues. They can also work for builders and property developers helping to design plans for large developments.

Geography graduates can work for governments or organisations researching and finding answers to social or physical problems. They can perform research into concerns such as unemployment and youth delinquency and plan methods to address the situations.

Meteorologists study the earth's atmosphere, climate and weather systems. They use high-tech computers to interpret data collected by satellite, radar, and remote sensors, which they use to forecast the weather and examine the likely effects of long-term climate change or other developments.

Geologists study the earth’s crust, its history and formation, and its composite elements such as rock, minerals, water, oil and precious metals. Their work involves laboratory and fieldwork, using computers to test and analyse the samples they gather, and is very important for mining, engineering and hydrological activities.

Personal Qualities & Work Environment

Geography can be attractive to students who enjoy a mixture of arts and science subjects. Students need relatively good literacy and numeracy, have good communication skills and work well as a member of a team. A large degree of technical and IT skills are often required for geographical work.

Geography graduates can find themselves working in a variety of different environments from science labs to county council offices and field research sites, both close to home and abroad. Tools range from average PCs to the latest laboratory technologies.

The Money

Salaries for geography graduates vary wildly depending on the career. For example, environmental officers might start on €25,000 a year, which will improve with experience and success.

The Jargon

GIS (Geographic Information System): A computerised programme that is capable of capturing, managing and analysing spatial information, e.g. how many robberies occur in a defined area.

Cartography: The study and practice of making maps

GPS (Global Positioning System): Using satellites for navigation, vital these days in map-making and land surveying

Job Titles

Geography Teacher
Geologist
Planner
Meteorologist
Environmental Scientist

Further Resources

Geographical Society of Ireland
Department of Geography
University College Dublin
Belfield
Dublin 4
Web: www.geographical-society-ireland.org

National Geographic Society
Web: www.nationalgeographic.com

Central Statistics Office
Skehard Road
Cork
Phone: 021 453 5555
Web: www.cso.ie 
Email: information@cso.ie 

Ordnance Survey Ireland
Phoenix Park
Dublin 8
Phone: 01 802 5300
Web: www.osi.ie

Met Éireann
Glasnevin Hill
Dublin 9
Phone: 01 806 4200
Web: www.met.ie