Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Geography)

To be read in conjunction with the program of study requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Specialisations).

The Geography (Honours) specialisation is offered by the College of Science and Engineering.

• Admission requirements
• Course aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study
• Combined degrees

Admission requirements

The minimum requirements for consideration for entry to all undergraduate courses are specified in detail in the University Entry Requirements.

Course aims

This course is one of the few degrees to encompass very different ways of knowing, from the biophysical and social sciences to the humanities. Consequently, it offers an exceptional foundation for developing high quality, resilient, and transferable conceptual, research, analytical, and communication skills. The course allows students to develop and integrate understandings of the natural and social worlds and their intersections, making graduates uniquely equipped to understand and address critical problems facing the world. The honours program extends the foundations gained during undergraduate studies and requires completion of a major research assignment. It also aims to support each student’s development of a range of skills including the capacities to:

• undertake an individual research project in an area of geography, from planning to completion
• apply relevant geographical principles to problem solving as well as to understanding of everyday issues
• select and apply relevant research techniques to a geographical question
• interpret and present information about geography in appropriate ways, including communicating effectively with a variety of audiences in written, graphic, and spoken form
• retrieve, critically analyse, and evaluate information relevant to geography and apply this knowledge to solve problems and add to knowledge
• appreciate the multidisciplinary power of geography and engage positively with people and ideas beyond the discipline
• appreciate the role of geography in society and the ethical issues associated with it
• work independently and take responsibility for updating and adapting their knowledge and skills
• work cooperatively and productively within a team.

Honours prepares students for ongoing professional development, for further studies in geography or another science or non-science based discipline, for a career in a geography-related field, or in other areas where the range of skills and knowledge acquired is needed or desirable.

Learning outcomes 

On completion of the specialisation in Geography, graduates will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of geography as an academic discipline, including awareness of its concepts, history and principal subfields, whilst acknowledging the contested, provisional and situated nature of geographical understanding
• demonstrate a coherent geographical understanding of trends, processes and impacts that shape Australian and other environments and/or societies at different spatial and  temporal scales
• recognise, evaluate and synthesise various views, arguments and sources of knowledge pertinent to solving environmental and social problems
• apply geographical thought and research procedures creatively, critically and appropriately to specific spaces, places and/or environments 
• resolve geographical questions by ethical means, applying evidence-based knowledge and appropriate research techniques, including those associated with field work
• communicate geographical perspectives and knowledge effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences using appropriately selected written, oral and visual means
• work and learn independently and direct their intellectual and continuing professional development as geographers
• contribute effectively as a member or leader of diverse teams working in geographical or multidisciplinary contexts
• appreciate and understand the relationships and connections between different disciplines
• understand the role of science in society, operate within relevant regulatory frameworks and value ethical behaviour in scholarship and professional activity
• be able to plan and execute an individual research project, applying relevant methodologies and knowledge.

Program of study

To qualify for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Geography) a student must complete 144 units, with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study detailed below.

No more than 45 units of First Year level topics may be included in the 144 units for the degree. Topics  designated 'any year' or with no year level specified are regarded as First Year level topics.

Elective topics to complete 144 units may be selected from any offered within the University or, with approval from the College of Science and Engineering, from outside the University, provided any course and prerequisite requirements are met.

Not all topics are necessarily available in a given year.

Upon completion of at least 103.5 units and with a GPA of 5 or more in the last 36 units of study, students may commence the Fourth Year Honours program. Students who do not meet the GPA requirement will exit with the Bachelor of Science (Geography) on completion of 108 units.

Students who have completed 108 units according to the first three years of the Program may choose to exit with the Bachelor of Science (Geography).

Specialisation - Geography - Year 1 topics

36 units comprising:

Core - Year 1 topics

GEOG1001  Environment and Society (4.5 units)
GEOG1002  Human Geography: Geographies of Oppression (4.5 units) 
EASC1101  Earth and Environmental Sciences (4.5 units)
STEM1001  Nature of STEM (4.5 units)
STEM1002  Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (4.5 units)

One of:

MATH1701  Mathematics Fundamentals A (4.5 units)
MATH1121  Mathematics 1A (4.5 units)
STAT1122 Biostatistics (4.5 units)

Elective - Year 1 topics

Plus 9 units of elective topics from across the University where entry requirements are met.

Specialisation - Geography - Year 2 topics

36 units comprising:

Core - Year 2 topics

GEOG2030 Sustainable Development: Concepts and Principles (4.5 units)
GEOG2050 Population Dynamics (4.5 units)
GEOG2142 Environment, Economy and Culture (4.5 units)
GEOG3112 Society and Space (4.5 units)
STEM2001  Remote Sensing for all Disciplines (4.5 units)

Option - Year 2 topics

Plus one of: 

GEOG2712  Asian Regional Development (4.5 units)
GEOG3133 Adapting to Climate Change (4.5 units) 
ENVS2712  Environmental Change and Human Health (4.5 units)

Elective - Year 2 topics

Plus 9 units of elective topics from across the University where entry requirements are met.

Specialisation - Geography - Year 3 topics

36 units comprising:

Core - Year 3 topics

GEOG3040 Environmental Impact Assessment (4.5 units)
GEOG3761 Caring As Country: Indigenous Environmental Management (4.5 units)
STEM2004 Advanced Geographical Information Systems (4.5 units)
STEM3100 Research Project in Science (4.5 units)

Option - Year 3 topics

Plus 9 units selected from:

ENVS3742 Emerging Issues in Australian Environmental Management (4.5 units) 
ENVS3750 Field Studies in Environmental Disciplines (4.5 units)  
ENVS3791 Coastal Environments (4.5 unit)
STEM2003 Airborne Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry (4.5 units)
STEM3003 Modelling in Space and Time, Geostatistics and GIS (4.5 units)

Elective - Year 3 topics

Plus 9 units of elective topics# from across the University where entry requirements are met.

#Students are encouraged to enrol in STEM3001 Science Connect (4.5 units) as a third-year elective.

Recommended electives:

AUST1004 An Introduction to Aboriginal Studies (4.5 units) 
AUST2612 Reconciliation and Indigenous Knowledges (4.5 units) 
HIST1803 'The Lucky Country'? Australia and the World since 1939 (4.5 units) 
HIST2016 Globalisation in World History (4.5 units)
INTR1101 Discovering Asia (4.5 units) 
INTR1102 Modern Asia since 1945 (4.5 units)  
INTR1006 International Relations: An Introduction (4.5 units) 
INTR2003 The Asia-Pacific in the 20th Century (4.5 units) 
INTR2100 Reimagining the Global South (4.5 units) 
POLI2020 Australian Indigenous Politics (4.5 units) 
TOUR2101 Place, Culture and Tourism (4.5 units) 
TOUR2102 Introduction to Tourism Research (4.5 units) 

Specialisation - Geography - Year 4 topics

36 units comprising:

Core - Year 4 topics

ENVS7700A Honours Research Project in the Environment (4.5/22.5 units)
ENVS7700B Honours Research Project in the Environment (4.5/22.5 units)
ENVS7700C Honours Research Project in the Environment (4.5/22.5 units)
ENVS7700D Honours Research Project in the Environment (4.5/22.5 units)
ENVS7700E Honours Research Project in the Environment (4.5/22.5 units)
STEM7001 Honours Research Methods  (4.5 units)

Option - Year 4 topics

Select two of*:

ENVH7711  Environmental Health Concepts (4.5 units)
ENVH7722  Food Safety (4.5 units)
ENVH7731  Sustainable Development -Health Issues (4.5 units)
ENVH7742  Microbiology and Communicable Diseases (4.5 units)
ENVS7701  Coastal Management (4.5 units)
GEOG7721  Population Issues of Developed and Developing Countries (4.5 units)
STEM8004  Modelling in Space and Time, Geostatistics and GIS GE (4.5 units)

*or another topic approved by the Course Co-ordinator, appropriate to a student’s program.

Combined degrees

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Geography) may also be studied in a combined degree program with another Bachelor degree in the College of Science and Engineering where the combination meets the requirements of the credit transfer policy.