Applying to Read Geography
Careers and Further Study
For information on career paths and options for further study following an undergraduate degree in geography please visit the Royal Geographical Society website.
There are also options for further study at the School of Geography and the Environment once you have completed your undergraduate degree.
You can read testimonials from past Geography undergraduate students below.
Tom Cebula
Tom Cebula
After completing the BA in Geography and the MSc in Dryland Environments in 2006, I vaguely knew what I wanted from a career: something reasonably creative, something varied and something that did not require me to spend my whole working day in front of Microsoft Excel. I stumbled into the media after some work experience at the BBC and stayed there.
I am now a freelance researcher, working mostly at the BBC, but also for American channels and Channel 4, on 'specialist factual' documentaries - essentially history and science. I have learnt a huge amount about a lot of different things, from astrophysics to anthropology, I have spoken to world experts in disciplines from cancer treatment to forensic investigation and I have even managed to revisit my Geography lectures from 2003 with a series on the history of maps. It's a great job for the curious.
It is also a great creative outlet. Whilst on the job I have learnt to shoot on professional camera equipment and I have spent weeks in the cutting room. Find the right project, and the travel opportunities are great too. Most importantly, the job is self-motivating. Rarely have I got out of bed and not been excited about the day ahead, whether it involves a morning interviewing a submarine archaeologist, a road-trip around Ireland, or a red-eye flight to the Alps to see a 3,000 year-old map carved into the glacially-polished rock.
Rachel Hughes
Rachel Hughes
While at Oxford I particularly enjoyed the climatology option and my dissertation involved investigated the effects of 'moderate' climate change scenario upon 12 European rivers for 2050. Upon graduation I obtained a job as a graduate engineer for WSP Group (offers engineering consultancy service to the built and natural environment) working in the Development and Transportation section working on transport assessment for new housing and retail developments.
However I became more interested in climate change mitigation and how it applies to business and consequently I applied to the MSc in Carbon Management at Edinburgh University, a collaboration between Edinburgh Business School and the School of Geosciences, which provided me with high-level interdisciplinary skills and training in the business, economics and science of carbon management. The programme is designed for economics, business, social and physical science graduates wanting an advanced academic qualification as a launch pad for careers in carbon and climate change management by business.
After graduating from Edinburgh I joined a specialist company in ecological foot printing and carbon accounting and am now a sustainability consultant working for ADAS, a leading environmental consultancy, rural development services and policy advice.
Philip Kent
Philip Kent
After graduating from Oxford in 2006 I spent two years working as a Consultant Analyst in the Energy Practice section of PA Consulting, a management consultancy.
I currently work for the Carbon Team at Gazprom Marketing and Trading, the UK subsidiary of the Russian OAO Gazprom, the world's largest gas producer and exporter. The Carbon Team is responsible for sourcing emission reduction credits that originate from the various mechanisms established following the Kyoto Protocol.
The job involves understanding the global policies established for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as the underlying economics and financial opportunities they create. My specific role involves investing in emission reduction project activities within developing countries and importing the carbon credits that result into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Further Study at the School of Geography and the Environment
The School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford also offers MSc by Coursework, and M.Phil. and D.Phil. research degrees. Many of our undergraduate students choose to study further within the School after completing their degree.
To find out more information about our graduate degrees please visit our International Graduate School or follow one of the links below: