Opportunities & Careers

The Jackson School’s strong industry ties combined with the current high demand for geologists create excellent conditions for students seeking challenging careers and a range of professional options.

The school’s network is vast, with more than 5,000 alumni in a range of positions around the globe. Between professors, advisors, research scientists, and alumni, the school has connections to all of the country’s major research institutions, energy firms, environmental consulting firms, and geoscience-related government agencies. In many cases the ties are directly to CEOs, directors of exploration and production, and current or former directors of national agencies in the U.S. & abroad.

Jackson School graduates pursue careers in fields similar to those of their peers but with a higher proportion going into oil and gas. In a typical year, about 45 percent find jobs in exploration and production of oil and gas, 20 percent in the environmental industry, 10 percent in mining-related work, 10 percent in government agencies, 2 to 5 percent in academia, and the rest in other fields.

Faculty, alumni, and staff serve as excellent resources for career advice, as do research scientists at the Bureau of Economic Geology and Institute for Geophysics, who are often actively engaged with industry. As one of the largest and most highly ranked degree programs in the geosciences, the school is an ideal place to launch any geoscience career—in industry, government, or academia.

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