Studies & Degrees in Geography
Geography Study Programs
Geography is the study of the Earth and of how its land, features and inhabitants are distributed. It is usually divided into two halves. Physical geography deals with the natural environment: landforms, climate, soils, natural hazards, water and plants. Human geography looks at people and places, and often draws on economics, environmental studies, health, culture, society and politics. A third strand, shared by both, is method: cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, spatial statistics and qualitative analysis.
Geography is also a field subject. According to the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), students plan, carry out and report on fieldwork in a range of environments, and they learn to work with data and technologies such as GIS. A degree normally starts with general courses and becomes more specialised in the later years.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree. The length depends on the country. In England the BSc Geography of the University of Southampton lasts 3 years; students cover both human and physical geography, and begin a research project in the second year that they finish in the final year. In Scotland the University of Aberdeen lists its MA in Anthropology and Geography, an undergraduate degree, at 48 months. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits; the Universidad de Oviedo, for example, teaches the Grado de Geografía y Ordenación del Territorio (geography and spatial planning).
- BA or BS. In the United States the same department often offers both. At Penn State the BA in Geography emphasises the social and behavioural side of the subject, and the BS focuses on its environmental and technical perspectives. Students usually choose a track as well: The University of Texas at Austin lists cultural geography, earth science, sustainability, geographic information science, landscape ecology and biogeography, and urban geography.
- Joint degrees. Geography has links with the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities, so it is often combined with another subject, such as anthropology, economics, geology, history or planning.
- Master's degree and doctorate. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits and give access to the doctorate. Elsewhere, many master's programmes specialise in GIS, planning or environmental management. Binghamton University offers accelerated programmes that combine the bachelor's and a master's degree in 5 years.
Where to study geography
SpainExchange lists 312 active schools for geography. Most are in the United States (99), Spain (38) and the United Kingdom (36), followed by Canada (17), France (14), Brazil (11), Germany (9) and Chile (7). Examples in Spain are the Universidad de Oviedo, the Universidad de Cádiz and the Universidad de Navarra. In the United Kingdom the list includes the University of Southampton, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Westminster and Anglia Ruskin University; in the United States, Penn State, The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin, San Diego State University and Binghamton University. The University of the Fraser Valley in Canada, Avignon Université in France and the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia are further examples.
Programmes are normally taught in the language of the country: Spanish in Spain and Latin America, English in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia, French in France. Not every school on the list has a full geography degree; some teach it within a broader programme, so check the course list of each school.
Careers
The Royal Geographical Society puts it this way: there is no such thing as a geography job; rather there are multiple jobs that geographers do. Graduates work in urban and regional planning, environmental and water management, GIS and mapping, transport, market analysis, teaching and research. Binghamton University describes its geography major as preparation for graduate study and for careers in public and private planning agencies.
The job title "geographer" itself is rare. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 1,500 geographers in the United States in 2025, 64% of them employed by the federal government, and projects a decline of 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 100 openings a year. It notes that a bachelor's degree is the usual minimum, and that geographers outside the federal government may need a master's degree in geography or GIS. Most geography graduates therefore work under other job titles.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a geography degree take?
It depends on the country. An official bachelor's degree (grado) in Spain has 240 ECTS credits, the BSc Geography at the University of Southampton lasts 3 years, and the University of Aberdeen lists 48 months for its MA in Anthropology and Geography.
What is the difference between a BA and a BS in geography?
The emphasis. At Penn State, for example, the BA stresses the social and behavioural aspects of geography, and the BS its environmental and technical perspectives.
What is GIS and will I learn it?
GIS stands for geographic information systems: software used to store, analyse and map data linked to places. It is part of most geography degrees, alongside cartography, remote sensing and spatial statistics.
Do I need a master's degree to work as a geographer?
Not always. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, geographers typically need at least a bachelor's degree, and some jobs require a master's degree or a doctorate.