Specializations in “Jobs in Geography”: 1990–1992*

One way to probe into the direction in which American academic geography is heading is to look at the actual demand for specializations and teaching duties as expressed by the recent jobs offered by colleges and universities. The results of this inquiry for the 1990–1992 period indicate that the most frequently requested courses were GIS, regional geography, and environmental geography. The greatest number of positions were advertised as general physical geographer or human geographer and were in departments without graduate programs. The findings suggest that preparations for the profession of “geography professor” should include the ability both to conduct focused research and to teach a diverse set of courses.     

National and Regional Trends in “Jobs in Geography”: 1980–1993

The number of “Jobs in Geography” advertised in the AAG Newsletter for U.S. faculty positions is analyzed for the 14 academic years from 1979–80 through 1992–93. Results reveal more job opportunities in the latter half of the study period, especially for tenured/tenure track positions as opposed to temporary jobs. The share of available positions open to ranks above the Assistant Professor level is smaller in the early 1990s compared to the 1980s. A distinct decline in faculty openings occurs for 1992–1993. Considerable regional variations in the job market situation are revealed.