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Assistant professor of geography education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant professor of geography. Assistant professors of geography usually study geography, urban planning, or philosophy. 44% of assistant professors of geography hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 54 real assistant professor of geography resumes to see exactly what assistant professor of geography education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant professors of geography are the University of Akron and the University of Akron.

There are also many online assistant professor of geography courses to help get the education required to be an assistant professor of geography.

What education do you need to become an assistant professor of geography?

What degree do you need to be an assistant professor of geography?

The most common degree for assistant professors of geography is bachelor's degree, with 44% of assistant professors of geography earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 31% and master's degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 44%
  • Master's, 31%
  • Doctorate, 13%
  • Associate, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an assistant professor of geography?

You should major in geography to become an assistant professor of geography. 40% of assistant professors of geography major in geography. Other common majors for an assistant professor of geography include urban planning and philosophy.

Most common colleges for assistant professors of geography

Assistant professors of geography often get their degrees at University of Akron, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, and Indiana State University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant professors of geography in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant professor of geography common collegePercentages
University of Akron12.00%
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania8.00%
Indiana State University8.00%
Clark University8.00%
City College of New York of the City University of New York, The4.00%

Best majors for assistant professors of geography

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography40.5%
2Urban Planning7.1%
3Philosophy4.8%
4Business4.8%
5Environmental Science4.8%

Best colleges for assistant professors of geography

The best colleges for assistant professors of geography are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

An assistant professor of geography with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant professors of geography. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become assistant professors of geography.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for assistant professors of geography

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1. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

coursera

Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an increasingly sought after skill in industries from agriculture to public health. This Specialization, offered in partnership with ArcGIS developer Esri, will teach the skills you need to successfully use GIS software in a professional setting. You will learn how to analyze your spatial data, use cartography techniques to communicate your results in maps, and collaborate with peers in GIS and GIS-dependent fields. In the final Capstone...

2. Arctic Meltdown

coursera

This specialization starts with an in-depth look at the physical geography of the Arctic and its key climate features, including the ocean's floating sea ice cover, the Greenland Ice Sheet, and patterns of temperature, precipitation, snow cover and permafrost. We will then learn about the remarkable unfolding changes that are transforming the Arctic environment, how they are related to each other, and cascading impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Attention then turns to the growing...

3. Statistical Problem Solving in Geography

udemy
4.2
(323)

A college level course on how to apply statistics in geography, GIS and environmental science...

4. Travel Management Course (Skill-Based)

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4.3
(396)

#1 Travel Management Course in the Industry .All you need to know to step into the Travel & Tourism Sector...

5. Strategic Management - Capstone Project

coursera

In this capstone project course, we revisit the strategy controversy at e-Types, introduced in the first course in this specialization, Strategic Management, and further analysed in each of the subsequent courses, Strategy Formulation and Strategy Implementation. After revealing, examining, and analyzing what happened at e-Types, we turn to a new set of strategy cases that range in terms of company size, geography, and focus. For your final project, we ask YOU to apply everything you have...

6. Advanced Business Strategy

coursera

Advance your strategic analysis skills in this follow-up to Foundations of Business Strategy. In this course, developed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, you'll learn the tools to analyze strategy across time (competitive dynamics), industries (corporate strategy), geographies (international strategy), and institutions (non-market strategy). Top-ranked faculty will introduce the tools you need to complete a comprehensive evaluation and understand the strategy...

7. Practical QGIS For Spatial Data Analysis: Beginner to Expert

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4.3
(285)

Master Geographic Information Systems (GIS) For Spatial Data Analysis With QGIS: Go from Basic To Expert Level...

8. GIS in QGIS 3 for beginners

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4.5
(608)

Learn QGIS 3 from scratch by solving a real life project...

9. Financial Management Capstone

coursera

The Financial Management capstone will provide a learning experience that integrates across all the courses within this specialization. You will analyze a situation taking the vantage point of a company and develop a financial management plan (for instance, a global company working in a specific geography chosen by students’ region or country of residence, or other consideration). You will design a deliverable to create value from the perspective of potential employers while achieving...

10. Teaching Impacts of Technology: Relationships

coursera

In this course you’ll focus on how “smart” devices have changed how we interact with others in personal ways, impacting how we stay connected in our increasingly mobile society. This will be done through a series of paired teaching sections, exploring a specific “Impact of Computing” in your typical day and the “Technologies and Computing Concepts” that enable that impact, all at a K12-appropriate level. This course is part of a larger Specialization through which you’ll learn impacts of...

11. Complete Python Based Image Processing and Computer Vision

udemy
4.2
(558)

Computer Vision Python : Image Recognition & Manipulation : Deep Learning Computer Vision Python : Image Analysis Python...

12. Start Doing Data Analytics With PowerBI in Under TWO Hours

udemy
4.1
(406)

Microsoft Power BI For Business Intelligence and Data Analytics For Beginners In Less Than 2 Hrs...

13. Introduction to Computer Information Systems

coursera

This Specialization is intended for anyone seeking to learn basic computer skills. Through 3 courses, you will study computer hardware, software, and data safety. You will also learn about digital literacy and productivity tools. These courses will prepare you for a number of jobs within the field of computer information systems...

14. Foundations of Health Equity Research

coursera

Introduces students to the core principles of health equity research. Covers topics such as defining health equity, engaging community and policy stakeholders, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and dissemination of research findings. Content will recognize different geographic, cultural, and social contexts where health inequities occur...

15. Deep Learning Computer Vision™ CNN, OpenCV, YOLO, SSD & GANs

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4.5
(2,202)

2020 Update with Tensor Flow 2.0 Support. Become a Pro at Deep Learning Computer Vision! Includes 20+ Real World Projects...

16. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

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4.1
(314)

For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...

17. Geospatial and Environmental Analysis

coursera

Apply your GIS knowledge in this course on geospatial analysis, focusing on analysis tools, 3D data, working with rasters, projections, and environment variables. Through all four weeks of this course, we'll work through a project together - something unique to this course - from project conception, through data retrieval, initial data management and processing, and finally to our analysis products. In this class you will learn the fundamentals of geospatial and environmental analysis during...

18. Fundamentals of GIS

coursera

Explore the world of spatial analysis and cartography with geographic information systems (GIS). In this class you will learn the basics of the industry’s leading software tool, ArcGIS, during four week-long modules: Week 1: Learn how GIS grew from paper maps to the globally integrated electronic software packages of today. You will install ArcGIS on your computer and learn how to use online help to answer technical questions. Week 2: Open up ArcGIS and explore data using ArcMap. Learn the...

19. PyTorch for Deep Learning and Computer Vision

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4.5
(1,971)

Build Highly Sophisticated Deep Learning and Computer Vision Applications with Py Torch...

20. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS

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4.4
(1,989)

Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant professors of geography

The most affordable schools for assistant professors of geography are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for assistant professors of geography are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for assistant professors of geography.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant professors of geography

The hardest universities for assistant professors of geography to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for assistant professors of geography are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for assistant professors of geography based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant professors of geography

The easiest schools for assistant professors of geography to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant professor of geography without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for assistant professors of geography.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average assistant professor of geography salary by education level

According to our data, assistant professors of geography with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $115,352 annually. Assistant professors of geography with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,153.
Assistant professor of geography education levelAssistant professor of geography salary
Master's Degree$91,153
Doctorate Degree$115,352

Assistant professor of geography education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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