INVESTIGATING GEOSCIENCE COMPETENCIES: THE GEOSCIENCE CAREER MASTER’S PREPARATION SURVEY (GEO CAREER MAPS)

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and the Association of American Geographers (AAG) have received funding from the National Science Foundation (grant # 1202707) to investigate the competencies acquired, taught and used by geologists and geographers. Likert-style, online surveys have been administered to Master’s students and faculty at Master’s degree-granting geology and geography programs. In addition, to compare what is being taught and learned in these programs, surveys were administered to non-academic professionals whose highest degree is a master’s in geology or geography. The results of the surveys were compared to the outcomes of recent workforce studies conducted by AGI, AAG, and other organizations that indicate the skills qualifications that geoscience employers seek for entry-level positions across public and private sectors. This information will be used by AGI and AAG to create practical resources for improving career preparation in geoscience master’s programs. This presentation will highlight the outcomes of the Geo Career MaPS survey and provide examples of the career resources developed for departments, recent graduates and early-career geoscientists.