Geography Career Night is Wed., Feb. 7th, 5:00-7:00pm
Join a panel of alumni and professionals for a night dedicated to kickstarting your career. We'll be meeting in-person on Wed., Feb. 7th, at 5pm in the Stuckert Career Center on campus. Bring your resume to workshop with a career counselor and get a new professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile. Then stay for a panel discussion with alumni from UK Geography, discussing their career path after graduation:
Sean Conway graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2015 with a BA in Geography. Starting his geospatial career at NV5 Geospatial, he spent 8 years progressing from a Geospatial Tech to the role of Orthoimagery Technical Domain Expert and Software Developer. In 2023 he was approached by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for a position in their St. Louis, MO facility where he is currently a Photogrammetrist in their Precise Imagery Division. 
Sandra Martinez (she/her) is currently working with the Riley-Decker Company under it's subsidiary The Job Center where she helps outgoing, talented individuals find jobs that fit their needs and skillsets. She serves as The Job Center's UPS Adminstrator meaning she's the liason between the internal Job Center team and the UPS account management team and ensures both teams communicate and collaborate seamlessly. Equipped with the analytical skills gained through her Geography degree, she's able to maintain and improve internal processes at The Job Center to ensure her team's workflow is effective and efficient.
Benjamin Mills, an accomplished legal professional and educator, began his education at the United States Military Academy and has made significant strides in his career since graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Kentucky in 2017. Following his undergraduate education, Mr. Mills continued at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. While at law school, he completed a judicial externship for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, an experience that afforded him extensive engagement in advanced legal research and writing.
Ellie Wellman graduated from UK in August of 2022 with a B.A. in
Geography and a minor in Mapping and GIS. During the summer of 2022, she worked as an intern with the Kentucky Geological Survey to aid with a sinkhole mapping project. After graduation she began working with NV5 as an Orthographic Imagery Technician and has been working at NV5 for a year and a half.
Geography: the Science of Place and Space
Geographers ask where things are located on the surface of the earth, why they are located where they are, how places differ from one another, and how people interact with the environment. A major in geography analyzes and explains the location of and interrelationships between human and physical features of the earth’s environment. Geographers also examine how and why features and their locations change over time, with particular interest in the many impacts of these changes on both people and natural settings.
Geography is, therefore, both a social and a physical science. Because its fundamental subject matter is people and their environments, the discipline serves as an effective bridge between the physical and cultural worlds. Majors in geography build solid academic foundations that draw from and interrelate with areas of study from the natural, social and behavioral sciences, humanities, computer science, design, and communication. The Department of Geography has developed three major tracks: environment, mapping & GIS, and cities & societies. Undergraduate geography degrees include a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree; graduate degree include the Master of Arts degree and Doctor of Philosophy degree.
What skills does studying geography develop?
- aptitude for understanding current local and global issues
- knowledge of the influence of humans on the environment
- spatial analysis
- geographic information technologies
- international and global perspectives on environmental, social, cultural, economic, and political issues
- interdisciplinary collaboration
Undergraduate education requirements:
https://geography.as.uky.edu/geography-undergraduate-program.
Graduate education requirements:
https://geography.as.uky.edu/geography-graduate-program.
Geography Career Opportunities
A degree in geography is useful for students wishing to pursue a postgraduate education as well as enter such careers as earth and environmental sciences, economic development, environmental management, international trade, transportation analysis and planning, diplomacy, government administration from local to federal levels, market analysis, urban and regional planning, research, teaching, cartography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and private business. Other occupations include but are not limited to the following:
- international area specialist
- business site selection
- cartographer
- GIS analyst
- environmental scientist
- geoscientist
- teacher
- environmental planner
- natural resource manager
- geographer
- geopolitical analyst
- hydrologist
- intelligence analyst
- land use planner/analyst
- marketing analyst
- urban/regional planner
- community developer
- technical writer
For more information about career opportunities, contact the UK Stuckert Career Center.