Human Geography programs in Ontario
46 programs across 18 campuses, with published admission ranges starting at 65%. Sorted by the range each one publishes, lowest first, so you can see where you land.
Programs
46
Campuses
18
Lowest range
65%
What this leads to
The picture for human geography as of 2026-08-17, not a description of this particular program.
Human geographers work in urban, regional and environmental management, planning and policy making, strategic communications and education. GIS specialists develop databases and systems to store and access geospatial data.
In its favour
- High employment rates: SFU reports over 95% of geography graduates are employed.
- Starting pay is reasonable: graduates earn $45,000-$50,000 in BC, with GIS specialists averaging $67,708 nationally.
- Active job market in Canada: over 400 human geography positions and 2,500 geography jobs currently listed across job boards.
- GIS and remote sensing skills increasingly valuable as cities and governments adopt AI-powered spatial analysis tools.
Worth knowing
- No specialized credential required: unlike geologists, engineers, or surveyors, geographers don't have professional licensing, so employers often want GIS skills or a related specialty to hire you.
- Routine data work is being automated: AI now handles land cover classification, feature digitization, dataset cleaning, and standardized spatial analysis faster than humans.
- Entry-level roles increasingly expect technical skills: employers prioritize programming, machine learning, and advanced GIS software—not just human geography knowledge.
- Geographic data collection and analysis tasks that don't require human judgment are becoming lower-value work, pushing starting positions toward either technical roles (if you code) or generalist roles (if you don't).
How AI is changing this work
AI excels at identifying spatial patterns and analyzing trends—machine learning can detect land use changes and predict demographic shifts faster than human analysts. Routine GIS work like digitizing, cleaning datasets, and generating standard reports is prime for automation. But automation reduces demand for routine tasks while enhancing opportunities for specialization in urban planning, environmental modeling, and remote sensing. The honest version: AI will replace the grunt work, not the thinking. You need advanced skills—GIS, coding, statistics, or deep domain knowledge in planning or environmental work—to stay valuable. If you graduate with just a geography degree and assume you'll do traditional GIS work, you'll be competing against tools that are cheaper and faster.
Where this came from (6 sources)
- 1. Career Pathways - Department of Geography - Simon Fraser University
- 2. Jobs in Geography (With Primary Duties and Salaries) | Indeed.com Canada
- 3. 2,553 geography jobs in Canada, August 2026 | Glassdoor
- 4. 25 Best human geography jobs in canada (Hiring Now!) | Workopolis
- 5. 1000+ Human Geography jobs in Canada
- 6. Careers in Geography, Geomatics, and Planning | Vancouver Island University | Canada
All 46 programs
- 65%AlgomaGeography (BA 3 year)
- 65%AlgomaGeography (BA 4 year)
- 70%Saint PaulÉtudes de Conflits (Baccalauréat ès arts spécialisé) (4 ans)
- 70–75%TMUArts and Contemporary Studies (Co-op Available)
- 70%LakeheadArts One (Thunder Bay)
- 70%NipissingBachelor of Arts
- 70%NipissingBachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Commerce
- 70%NipissingConcurrent Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education Intermediate/Senior
- 70%NipissingConcurrent Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education Junior/Intermediate
- 70%NipissingConcurrent Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education Primary/Junior
- 70–75%TMUEnvironmental and Urban Sustainability (Co-op available)
- 70%WindsorEnvironmental Science/Environmental Studies
- 70%TrentForensics and Arts
- 70–80%OttawaGéographie (4 ans)
- 70–80%OttawaGéographie physique et géomatique (4 ans – majeure)
- 70–75%TMUGeographic Analysis
- 70–80%OttawaGeography (4 years) (French Immersion Stream is available)
- 70%TrentGeography (BA)
- 70%LakeheadGeography and the Environment (includes Environmental Science and Studies) (Thunder Bay and Orillia)
- 70%Trent (Durham)Honours Arts
- 70–80%OttawaPhysical Geography and Geomatics (4 years) (French Immersion Stream is available)
- 70–75%TMUUndeclared Arts (First Year Studies Only)
- 73–80%U of T (Mississauga)Chemical and Physical Sciences
- 73–80%YorkCities, Regions, Planning (BES - Co-op available)
- 73–77%Laurier (Waterloo)Geography (BA and BSc)
- 73–77%BrockGeography (BA)
- 73–77%BrockGeography (BSc)
- 73–80%YorkGlobal Geography (BA, Co-op available)
- 73–77%YorkInternational Development Studies (BA- Co-op available)
- 73–80%York (Glendon)International Studies & Business Administration (iBA/BBA Dual Degree)
- 73–80%U of T (Mississauga)Social Sciences
- 73–77%YorkSustainable Environmental Management (BES)
- 73–80%YorkUndeclared Major (BA)
- 75%CarletonBachelor of Arts (BA) – Non-Honours (3 years)
- 75%CarletonGlobal and International Studies
- 77–80%WaterlooClimate and Environmental Change (Regular/Co-op)
- 77–87%YorkConcurrent Bachelor of Education: Environmental and Urban Change (BEd)
- 77–80%WaterlooEnvironment, Resources and Sustainability (Regular/Co-op)
- 77–80%WaterlooGeography and Environmental Management (Regular/Co-op)
- 80–87%Queen'sEarth and Environmental Science Pathway
- 80%OttawaEnvironmental Geoscience (4 years) (French Immersion Stream is available)
- 80–87%McMasterSocial Sciences I
- 83–87%McMasterEnvironmental and Earth Sciences Gateway
- 83–87%WaterlooGeography and Aviation
- 87–93%WaterlooSystems Design Engineering (Co-op Only)
- —Trent (Durham)Arts and Business
Other subjects
- Business Studies 203
- Interdisciplinary Studies 187
- Computer Science 135
- Education Studies 117
- Environmental Studies 116
- Psychology 109
- General or Integrated Engineering 104
- Law & Criminology 101
- Media and Communication Studies 98
- Economics 95
- Biological Sciences 92
- Others in Subjects Related to Medicine 92
Ranges are what universities publish, not guaranteed cutoffs. Work out your top 6 to see which of these you actually clear.