Soil Science and GIS: Great Career
Students can focus on soil ecology, chemistry, physics, conservation, and soil landscapes—mapping the soil attributes of a certain area—among other fields of study. John Graveel, an agronomy professor and director of the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program at Purdue, says job prospects for soil scientists right now are very strong. Job opportunities include working for state and federal agencies, environmental consulting firms, and other groups, like the Nature Conservancy.
… because we’re entering an era of data-driven decision making, “the students who can position themselves to be strong from an analytical and problem-solving perspective are going to have an edge in the market.”
“Soil science students are getting some training in geographical information systems [GIS],” Graveel tells Modern Farmer in a phone interview. (GIS is a computer system that is used for collecting and displaying data as it relates to geographic points on the Earth’s surface.) “It’s hugely in demand right now by consulting firms to have people on staff who know how to do GIS.”Top 5 Things Every Geospatial Professional Should Know
The Disturbed Geographer, Thom Kaye, lists the Top 5 things every geospatial professional should know. I'm not sure they'd top my list but he did note they are more geared to GEOINT in a discussion on Reddit.
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