Geography training prepares students for a wide variety of career paths. Geographers think spatially, can examine problems from local and global perspectives, and can synthesize information from disciplines such as computer science, the physical sciences, and the social sciences. These abilities make students with geography training attractive to potential employers in business, government, education, and non-governmental organizations.
Engineering firms seek graduates with a sold background in geographic information systems, remote sensing, and programming. Consulting firms seek students with strong geographic and writing skills. Our alumni work for many private sector companies in Maryland and Virginia.
Local, state, and federal government agencies hire many geographers. Graduates with training in geospatial technology, planning, and demographic research are in particular demand. We have alumni working for most Maryland counties and for the State of Maryland. In addition, we have alumni working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Library of Congress, and various defense agencies.
Geography is increasingly important in K-12 education. The demand is growing rapidly for people who are qualified to teach Advanced Placement Human Geography and Advanced Placement Environmental Studies.
Geography graduates provide essential skills that enable non-governmental organizations to carry out programs. For example, geographers may create maps that are needed by the organizations. Some of our graduates are working with non-governmental organizations that are endeavoring to eradicate malaria and other diseases in Africa.
Internships provide many benefits to students. They help students connect classroom theory to practice, gain valuable professional experience, and develop professional networks. Most of our students complete at least one internship. Recent interns have worked for the Baltimore County Office of Information Technology, the Urban Resources Initiative, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the Library of Congress.
Once you have secured an internship, you need to decide whether or not you want to receive credit. If you opt for credit, you need to take the following steps:
All forms listed above must be submitted for you to pass the course with a D. Beyond that, your internship grade is based on three components: the mid-semester evaluation (25%); the final evaluation (65%), and the final paper (10%).
The final paper is optional in that you do not need to submit it to get a passing grade in the course. Nevertheless, it does count 10% of your grade. The final paper should provide a careful assessment of the work you did at the internship and how it related to your internship learning plan. The paper should address whether the work you actually did matched the tasks/strategies that were described in the learning plan, and whether that work allowed you to meet the learning objectives outlined in the plan. The final paper may be in the form of a final reflective essay or a weekly journal.