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Career Day

SAVE THE DATE:

2026 MSU Environmental, Energy, Geography, Natural Resources, and Sustainability Career Fair

February 12, 2026  | Time: 1:00-4:00 PM | Location: MUNN Arena
The Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences offers a variety of career and internship support. Many of our faculty, staff, and alumni know people in private industry and government who periodically provide internships and jobs. We also host a Career Day and Job Fair Event every Spring that connects students with internships and potential employers in a wide variety of professional settings.

The primary goal of the event is to promote geography and the kinds of jobs that are potentially available with such a degree. Students make great connections to potential jobs and internships.  

Geography is an exciting field with a wide variety of job opportunities at good pay. Our students work in fields such as environmental consulting, real estate, education, urban planning, forestry, state/national park management, climatology, agriculture, GIS, and many others.

With a degree in geography, you are well-positioned to sell yourself to employers as someone who understands how spatial variables interact in significant ways. Imagine, for example, that you apply for a position as a location analyst for a major retail chain. Although the job announcement doesn’t ask specifically for a “Geographer,” you can successfully compete for that job. Why? Consider the key variables for a new store location, including proximity to a populated area, easy access via highways or major roads, distance from competitors, and the physical characteristics (e.g., soils, wetlands) of potential sites. Who is best suited to analyze those questions? 

That’s right! A Geographer!

Just a few of the exciting career opportunities awaiting our graduates!
  • Environmental Consultant
  • Public School Teacher
  • Purchasing/Logistics Manager
  • Economic Location Analyst
  • Natural Historian
  • GIS Analyst, Real Estate Division
  • Aerial Photo Interpreter
  • Surface Water Analyst
  • Planning Coordinator
  • Cartographer, National Mapping Agency
  • Management
  • Computer Mapping Specialist
  • Air/Water Quality Control Manager
  • Systems Librarian
  • Physical Scientist
  • Public Health Analyst
  • Developer
  • Forestry Technician
  • Earth Scientist
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  • Strategic Planning in Gas & Electric
  • Remote Sensing Specialist, CIA
  • Climatologist
  • Transportation Modeler
  • Land Management
  • Weather forecaster/Meteorologist
  • Real Estate Agent
  • GIS Specialist, in Land Services
  • Battalion Maintenance Officer, U.S. Army
  • Soil Conservationist
  • Peace Corps
  • Department of Natural Resources Specialist
  • Land, Community, Industrial, or Tourism
  • Urban Planner 

More Information About Careers In Geography
Geographer job outlook to 2028: The median pay for Geographers is approximately $61,800-$80,300 per year. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2018).

American Association of Geographers Career Resources

American Geophysical Union Career Resources

GIS Jobs Clearinghouse 

Contact the College of Social Science Career Development Office or MSU Career Services & Placement for more information.

  
Undergraduate application information may be obtained from Michigan State University’s 

Student Resources