Students studying in Social Sciences Building

What can I do with my studies?

Potential occupations

Universities studies lead to multiple occupations. Furthermore, certain professions require talent, special aptitudes, additional skills and experience beyond degrees themselves. By targeting a profession, it can make decisions easier during your schooling, throughout your job search and, finally, when choosing among job offers. The choices can change over time based on academic, personal, and professional paths and on the knowledge of occupations and of the labour market.

In order to list your choices, visit the Job Bank Canada website and, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, view job postings, wages, employment prospects and other important information that can help you make a decision. If need be, additional and complementary information can be found via two online career exploration tools (Careercruisingand Choices Planner)* also designed to facilitate your career advancement. The occupations found below are examples derived from the National Occupational Classification.

Geoscientists and oceanographers

  • Geologist
  • Geophysicist
  • Glaciologist
  • Hydrogeologist
  • Hydrographic surveyor 
  • Hydrologist
  • Ice specialist
  • Mineralogist
  • Seismologist
  • Volcanologist

Managers in natural resources production and fishing

  • Gas field operations manager
  • Oil and gas fields production manager
  • Oil well drilling manager

Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers

  • Environmental consultant

Technical occupations related to museums and art galleries

  • Museum interpreter

Architecture and science managers

  • Scientific research department  manager
  • Scientific research director
  • Government
  • Private sector
  • Scientific research companies

Other professional occupations in social science, n.e.c.

  • Archaeologist

College and other vocational instructors

  • College teacher

Conservators and curators

  • Museum curator

Volunteer opportunities

In addition to providing an opportunity to apply theories and knowledge learned during your university studies outside the classroom, in real world situations, volunteering is a way to help the community and its many organizations. The Community Service Learning also allows students to contribute to their community by participating in projects that are related to their program of study.

Potential employers

The following examples of employers can offer internships or employment opportunities related to students’ program of studies. 

  • Canadian Intellectual Property Office
  • National Defence and the Canadian Forces
  • National Research Council Canada
  • Natural Resources Canada
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
  • Anachemia
  • Barrick
  • De Beers
  • Ontario Clean Water Agency
  • The McGraw-Hill Companies
  • Xstrata
  • Edumicro
  • Hydro Québec
  • Tembec
  • ADI
  • AECOM
  • Cameco
  • Canadian Natural
  • Chevron
  • Cimarron
  • ExxonMobil Canada
  • Imperial Oil
  • Kulczyk Oil Ventures
  • Levelton
  • Nexen

Professional organizations

Examples of professional organizations, presented by location, provide essential information on professional development opportunities and networking activities, the examples can also provide access to publications and job opportunities.

  • Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists & Geophysicists of Alberta
  • Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists & Geophysicists of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut 
  • Association of professional Geoscientists of Ontario - APGO
  • Atlantic Geoscience Society
  • Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists
  • Canadian Geomorphology Research Group
  • Canadian Geophysical Union
  • Canadian Geotechnical Society
  • Canadian Society of Exploration
  • Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
  • Geophysicists - SCEG
  • Canadian Tectonics Studies Group
  • Geological Association of Canada
  • Geological Survey of Canada
  • Mining Association of Canada 
  • Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada 
  • The Partnership Group for Science and Engineering 
  • American Association of Petroleum Geologists
  • American Geosciences Institute
  • Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences - AAPS
  • European Geophysical Union
  • Geological Society of America - GSA
  • Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society - GRSS
  • International Airborne Geophysics Safety Association - IAGSA
  • International Union of Geodesy & Geophysics
  • The Geological Society
  • The Paleontological Society