You may still have many questions about what to major in or what career to pursue. It is not unusual for students to switch majors at least once as an undergraduate.

Confused about a Career?

How do you decide? To begin with, many careers in business, government and civic organizations do not require studying for a specific career. Rather, how well you can write and think is important to them. Many programs in social sciences and humanities open up the doors to a wide variety of careers, In most beginning professions you learn to specialize on-the-job.

Geography studies exciting issues.

One of these interesting areas of study leading to exciting careers is GEOGRAPHY. It is our experience that it is important to find out what you are interested in studying and then by pursuing these interests develop your career.

In Geography, you can pursue interests in:

Geography can lead to careers as:

Some examples of recent employment by graduates of CSU's Geography Program:

What is Chicago State's Geography Department like? The Geography curriculum starts with the "state of the world" and how a geographer looks at it. The next few courses build up your background in environmental issues; in cultural and economic issues; and in basic geographic skills like mapreading, aerial photo interpretation, and the basic use of data such as you would find in the census. Finally, you may begin to truly specialize in a particular part of the world, in urban of environmental geography, or in mapmaking and geographic analysis. Underlying all these courses are a top-notch faculty and brand new equipment. Classes are small. Faculty are graduates from North America's outstanding geography departments. They are available to counsel and discuss your future including admission to graduate schools. The department employs tutors and organizes student study groups. Many Geography majors have internships for credit with government agencies, community and civic organizations. The department features a state-of-the-art map and geographic information system laboratory. An extensive map library also serves as a federal repository of USGS topographic maps. How do students become involved in local issues? The Geography Department also has a Neighborhood Assistance Center where faculty and student interns work closely together to serve communities through special technical assistance projects. Neighborhood Assistance Center projects are often coordinated with the Geography program. Community problems in economic development, historic preservation, environmental justice, and traffic analysis are recent projects involving students with neighborhood and civic organizations and industrial commissions. What can students do outside the classroom? One of the important ways of meeting other students is through the Geography Department's student club, the Geographical Society. The Geographical Society holds monthly meetings and socials with slide shows by students and faculty. Students and faculty tour throughout the Great Lakes and Midwest region. The club has also toured and regularly attended professional geography meetings hosted by the Association of American Geographers and the National Council for Geographic Education throughout the United States. The members also plan and participate in special events commemorating National Geography Awareness Week, Black History Month, and Earth Day. B.A. in Geography Required Courses - 21 Credit hours Includes: Physical Geography (Natural Environment), Geography of the World Economy, Conservation of Natural Resources, Cartography and Graphics (Maps and Charts), Geographic Data Analysis, Geography of the U.S. and Canada, Urban Geography. Elective Courses - 21 Credit hours Includes: Weather and Climate, Cultural Geography, Geography of Africa, Geography of Latin America, Geography of Japan, Geography of Europe, Geography of The Soviet Union, Neighborhood Development, Real Estate, Urban Planning, Remote Sensing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)