Careers & Employability

‘What will you do with your degree’ is a question Geography students are often asked. The wide range of skills developed through our Geography programme really does mean that the world is your oyster…

Our Geography degrees develops a wide range of skills that are demanded in the work place. Some of the specialist skills that we develop, such as the proficiency in the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) has proved especially useful for those based in local authority planning departments or working for public bodies such as Transport for London, the Health Service and the Environment Agency.

The degree programmes make good use of Kent for field exercises; these develop team skills, observation and survey skill, and make the learning of geography a stimulating hands-on experience. Much of the fieldwork integrates other skills such as map and air photo interpretation and field sampling techniques (e.g. for soils, biodiversity), all useful for students seeking careers in areas such as environmental consultancy and interpretation.

Our alumni have entered a vast range of careers in both the public and private sectors, whilst some have continued their education through following a PGCE programme to become a teacher, or postgraduate study/research at Masters or PhD level.

In our programme, there are a number of direct opportunities to increase your employability as a student:

Student internships

A range of paid internships are available to our students which offers you the chance to collaborate with us on important research.

Mapping and the media

Michael Boorman investigated the ways in which maps present geopolitics in the news media. During his internship he studied a range of newspapers to examine how maps affect readers’ perceptions of key issues such as the conflict in Ukraine and resource conflicts in the South China Sea. Read more about Michael's internship.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Understanding and being able to use GIS effectively is a key employability skill for most Geographers. GIS is embedded in a number of modules throughout the degree programme and we offer two specialist GIS modules in the second and third years. These provide you with a key understanding of both the theoretical and practical elements of using GIS and remote sensing. You will have the opportunity to use ESRI ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, QGIS and other open-source GIS programmes.

Placement module

From 2017, second year undergraduates will be able to take an optional ‘Placement’ module, which will enable work-place skills to be developed. This module will also provide the opportunity for students to:

Try out possible career options
Gain expertise and experience in a particular role/occupation
Apply academic subject knowledge in a work setting
Develop practical, work-related skills such as project management, decision making, negotiating skills and teamwork
Network with potential employers
Learn about graduate employment and enhance your employability.

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Careers & Employability

Student internships

Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Placement module

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