Geography
Contents
Audio overview for course
Use the ‘play’ button below to listen to the audio.
Introduction
Geography is the study of the way in which people interact with the environment.
Geographers study why the environment comes to be how it is – and how it is changing. This branch of the subject is generally called “physical geography” and it focuses on climate and climate change (eg the notion of global warming), soils, vegetation and biodiversity (a field known as “biogeography”), and the landforms on the face of the earth and the processes that lead to these landforms (everything from earthquakes and tsunamis to rivers and mountain building).
Geographers also study how people use the environment. This branch of the subject is generally called “human geography”. The focus here is on who does what, where, when, why and with what effect. Human geography encompasses the study of why some countries are less developed than others (and what can be done about this), why some regions in otherwise developed nations are less developed than others (and what regional development policy can do about this), and how the nature of the population varies from place to place (such “population geography” including the study of birth rates, death rates, and migration). At the heart of such study is the question of why people live where they do. In Australia’s case, a particular focus is on why so many Australians live in big cities, how the nature of urban life is changing, and the consequences of this metropolitan dominance.
Why study Geography at UNE?
Geography is a very “down to earth subject”, both in what it studies and in the approach it adopts. The emphasis is on what is happening in the real world and how people’s lives are changing.
UNE’s geographers have a long and proud tradition of work in applied geography. There are therefore very close links between Geography and urban and regional planning. It is our view that planners must have a good grounding in Geography.
Geography is fundamental to understanding the world in which we live. All educated citizens need to have a fundamental appreciation of the nature of the environment (there is, after all, only one earth). They also need to understand who is doing what where, when and why – and what the consequences are. We cannot ignore the future and the need to plan for it.
* As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer. However, ... I thought deeply about the matter and concluded it was too difficult a subject. With some reluctance I then turned to physics as a substitute.
Albert Einstein (He was kidding, wasn't he?)* Geography is the study of earth as the home of people.
Yi-Fu Tuan* Geography is the science of places ...
Vidal de la Blache* Geography is the study of the patterns and processes of human (built) and environmental (natural) landscapes, where landscapes comprise real (objective) and perceived (subjective) space.
Gregg Wassmansdorf
Courses
Undergraduate
| Advanced Diploma in Arts |
| Bachelor of Arts |
| Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science |
| Bachelor of Science |
Postgraduate Research
| Master of Arts with Honours |
Postgraduate
Bachelor Honours
| Bachelor of Arts with Honours |
Course data provided by the 2008 Course and Unit Catalogue
Careers
Because of the wide-ranging importance and nature of the discipline, geographers work in a variety of fields in both the public and private sectors. For example, geographers work as town planners, hydrologists, meteorologists, marketing officers and tour guides, environmental scientists and policy advisors.
- Institute of Australian Geographers - Careers
- HI Resource Center - Geography Careers
- University of Melbourne - Geography Careers
- The Place of Geography in Your Career Choice
- Geocareers
Partnerships, Networks and Industry Links
- Urban Ecology Australia (Click on "projects")
- Sustainable tourism
- The Murray-Darling Basin -- integrated catchment management
- Australian Heritage Commission
- Geography in the news
- Weather and global monitoring
- Ten Things You Can Do Right Now To Improve Your Community
- Geography World
- Yahoo Geography Directory
- Geography in Wikipdia
- Geographical Society of New South Wales
- Australian Geography Teachers Association
Contacts
Enquiries about applying for Geography at UNE can be made to:
School of Behavioural, Cognitive & Social Sciences
fax:+(61 2) 6773 3820
Geography
fax:+(61 2) 6773 3030
Help for Students You can find instant answers to many of your questions or contact UNE directly via AskUNE
Future Students may also call 1800 818 865 |
