Geography is a broad discipline that integrates knowledge from a wide variety of fields to make sense of the world.

Geographers study both the human and physical features of Earth and although they view the world from many different perspectives, the spatial and ecological perspectives are at the core of the discipline.

The spatial perspective examines the whereness of ideas, processes, and events, why they happen where they do, and why we should care about them.

The ecological perspective examines our relationship with the natural world, how it impacts us and how we impact it. The emphasis on an ecological perspective is why geography is considered an environmental discipline.

Register in Geography Courses

Before you can register in a course, you must be accepted into an NIC program. You can study Geography through the following programs, or as an elective from any NIC program:

Career Opportunities

Given the breadth and integrating nature of geography, it is not surprising that geography graduates find work in many different areas. Notably, the ability to work across the physical and social sciences and humanities is a particularly valuable skill given the nature and complexity of the challenges we face today.

Some examples of the many and varied career options for geographers include:

• environmental researcher
• government advisor
• spatial data analyst
• medical geographer
• heritage interpreter
• park naturalist
• urban or community planner
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist
• Climatologist
• Hydrologist
• medical emergency planner
• forestry technician
• resource management specialist
• watershed management assistant
• parks policy analyst
• sustainable tourism specialist
• remote sensing analyst

* Some of these career options may require additional education or training.

Meet the Faculty