Occupation · SOC 25-1064
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in geography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Median wage
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Projected growth
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Annual openings
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per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
407 mapped
Core skills
InstructingWritingSpeakingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningActive LearningLearning StrategiesComplex Problem Solving
Knowledge areas
English LanguageGeographyEducation and TrainingHistory and ArcheologyMathematics
Technology & tools
Document management softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareComputer based training softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareGeographic information system
Representative tasks
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as urbanization, environmental systems, and cultural geography.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Supervise students' laboratory and field work.Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.Perform spatial analysis and modeling using geographic information system techniques.Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.Maintain geographic information systems laboratories, performing duties such as updating software.Participate in campus and community events.Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.Act as advisers to student organizations.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Course syllabi and assignment handouts — draft and organize under faculty mentorship for undergraduate geography sections at a research university.Foundational lecture content on urbanization and environmental systems — prepare and deliver with structured notes to small undergraduate cohorts in a supervised teaching role.Current geography literature and peer-reviewed journals — read and summarize to stay abreast of disciplinary developments during an early faculty or postdoctoral appointment.Student assignments and short-answer papers — evaluate and return with written feedback following departmental grading rubrics in a postsecondary classroom setting.Classroom examinations — compile and administer according to course policies, escalating grading decisions to supervising faculty when edge cases arise.Student attendance records and grade entries — maintain accurately in the institution's learning management system as required by departmental administrative standards.Geographic information system software — apply at a basic level to illustrate spatial concepts during introductory lab sessions under senior faculty guidance.Classroom discussions on cultural geography topics — participate in facilitating with structured prompts, progressing toward independent moderation under observation.Word processing and document management tools — use to produce course materials and correspondence consistent with departmental formatting expectations.Research data and disciplinary findings — begin collecting and organizing in support of a faculty mentor's project, developing foundational scholarly habits in an academic geography department.
developing
Undergraduate and graduate course syllabi — design independently, aligning learning objectives with departmental curriculum standards and student needs across multiple geography sections.Lectures on topics such as cultural geography, environmental systems, and geospatial analysis — prepare and deliver with consistent clarity and engagement to mixed undergraduate and graduate audiences.Original research manuscripts — draft and revise for submission to peer-reviewed geography journals, incorporating reviewer feedback within an active faculty research program.Student papers and project-based assignments — evaluate with calibrated, criterion-referenced feedback that promotes critical thinking in a postsecondary geography course.Midterm and final examinations — compile, administer, and grade with partial delegation to teaching assistants, maintaining assessment integrity across course sections.Professional conferences and disciplinary workshops — attend and engage regularly to integrate emerging geographic scholarship into course content and personal research agenda.Classroom discussions on complex spatial and societal topics — facilitate with targeted questioning strategies that encourage student analysis beyond surface-level responses.Geographic information system and map creation software — apply routinely in course instruction and research to produce spatial analyses and instructional visualizations.Student grade records and required institutional reports — maintain and submit accurately on schedule using the university's administrative information systems.Active learning strategies — deploy across varied lesson formats, adapting instructional approaches to student comprehension levels and course modality in a postsecondary environment.
proficient
Advanced topical lectures integrating geospatial technology, quantitative methods, and theoretical frameworks — develop and deliver autonomously to graduate seminars and upper-division courses at a research university.Multi-course curriculum — design and revise across undergraduate and graduate levels, ensuring coherent scaffolding of geographic knowledge domains and transferable skills.Peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and electronic scholarly media — produce and publish independently, advancing knowledge within a specialized geography subdiscipline.Complex student research projects, theses, and dissertations — evaluate with expert judgment, providing substantive mentorship that guides graduate students through non-routine scholarly challenges.Comprehensive examination programs — architect, administer, and assess at the program level, delegating components strategically to teaching assistants while preserving academic standards.Emerging developments in geography — synthesize continuously from literature, conferences, and collegial networks, translating new knowledge directly into instructional and research practice.Seminar-level scholarly discussions — initiate and moderate on contested geographic problems, drawing on social perceptiveness to balance participant dynamics and deepen intellectual inquiry.GIS platforms and analytical or scientific software — apply at an expert level to conduct original spatial research and teach advanced geospatial methods to graduate students.Interdisciplinary problem sets integrating geography, sociology, mathematics, and environmental science — construct and guide students through, modeling complex problem-solving in an academic research context.Student performance data and institutional assessment records — analyze systematically to identify learning gaps and refine course effectiveness across an entire geography program.
advanced
Departmental or programmatic curriculum vision — articulate and lead, shaping the strategic direction of geography education across multiple degree levels at a postsecondary institution.Research agendas in geography — establish and lead at a programmatic or center level, securing external funding and guiding teams of junior faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate researchers.Scholarly publications, edited volumes, and funded research portfolios — produce at a level that defines or advances a subdisciplinary conversation within the national and international geography community.Faculty pedagogical development — mentor and evaluate junior colleagues in instructional design, assessment practice, and scholarly writing within a research-intensive geography department.Academic conference programs, journal editorial boards, and professional association committees — lead or serve in governance roles that shape disciplinary norms and standards.Institutional policies on academic standards, assessment integrity, and curriculum approval — influence and draft through faculty governance bodies and administrative partnerships.Innovative instructional methodologies integrating geospatial technology, field-based learning, and digital scholarship — champion and institutionalize across the department to elevate teaching quality.Cross-institutional and interdisciplinary collaborations in geographic research and education — initiate and sustain, negotiating partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and peer universities.Strategic enrollment, resource allocation, and program accreditation processes — advise senior administration using data-informed judgment grounded in deep knowledge of geographic education needs.Emerging societal challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and geopolitical shifts — translate into publicly engaged scholarship, policy briefs, and media contributions that extend the university's influence beyond the academy.
Also known as
49 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Human Geography ProfessorEducation And Training Apprentice (Air Force 3F231)USMA, Professor of History (Army 47K)ProfessorEducation And Training Superintendent (Air Force 3F291)Human Geography Faculty MemberPhysical Geography ProfessorUSMA, Professor of Law (Army 47E)Geography InstructorUSMA, Professor (Army 47A)Instructor, Academic (Social Science) (Navy 3254)USMA, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Army 47D)Education And Training Helper (Air Force 3F211)USMA, Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership (Army 47L)InstructorCollege Faculty MemberUSMA, Professor of Mathematical Sciences (Army 47N)Education and Training Journeyman (Air Force 3F251)Cultural Geography Faculty MemberAssociate ProfessorUSMA, Professor of Military Instruction and Ethics (Army 47U)LecturerUSMA, Professor of Army War College (Army 47W)USMA, Professor of Physical Education (Army 47S)USMA, Professor of Army Cyber (Army 47V)USMA, Professor and Associate Dean (Army 47Q)Geography Faculty MemberCartography TeacherGeography ProfessorFaculty Member, College or UniversityEducation And Training (Air Force 3F2X1)Geographic Information Systems Professor (GIS Professor)College ProfessorUSMA, Professor of Foreign Languages (Army 47G)USMA, Professor of Social Sciences (Army 47J)Geospatial InstructorUSMA, Professor of Physics (Army 47H)Cartography ProfessorUSMA, Professor of English (Army 47C)Assistant Professor