Major Overview

Description

Geographical Sciences is the science of place and space, standing at the intersection of natural and social sciences. Geographers study the Earth's landscapes, peoples, places and environments, and how these interact. Understanding and providing solutions to environmental problems and the Worlds big issues requires an understanding of the complex space-time interactions of water, climate and the interdependence between human activities and the natural, economic and cultural environments.

The Geographical Sciences major provides you with these insights, focusing on the major challenges facing our planet including climate change, population growth, urban expansion and megacities, natural disasters and environmental conservation. The major incorporates a wide range of opportunities to develop career relevant skills including GIS usage, data collection and analysis, as well as professional communication skills encompassing policy briefs, consultancy reports and oral presentations.

The course includes overnight domestic field trips throughout the major.

The single major is structured in a way that allows students to include enriching optional elective Geography courses that includes overseas fieldwork units (past destinations includes: Bali, Barcelona, Seattle and Japan), and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL).

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. apply geographical concepts as in understanding change in human and physical environments.
  2. explain the geographical causes and consequences of major environmental and social issues, including climate change, land degradation, urbanisation and sustainability.
  3. apply methods for the investigation and interpretation of spatial processes and patterns in physical and human environments, including the use of GIS and Remote Sensing.
  4. communicate geographical perspectives and knowledge effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences using appropriately selected written, oral and visual means
  5. generate, create and produce effective knowledge, and apply practical and technical skills to resolve geographical challenges and questions.
Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

Mathematics Methods ATAR (or equivalent or higher), or Mathematics Applications ATAR with a mathematics unit taken in the first year. Students without ATAR mathematics will take two first year mathematics units.

Courses

Geographical Sciences can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (18 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 GEOG1104 Disasters! None
S1 GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society None
S1, S2 SCIE1104 Science, Society and Data Analysis
Co-requisites
MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
or MATX1721 Mathematics Foundations
or SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists or equivalent
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
Bridging units

Bridging units must be successfully completed within the first 48 points of study.
Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Methods ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1721 or SCIE1500, (SCIE1500 is recommended).
Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher are required to complete MATH1720 and either MATH1721 or SCIE1500, (SCIE1500 is recommended).

Note: MATH1721 should be taken if also considering majors or minors that require it for progression to level 2 (e.g. Maths, Physics, Chemistry or Computer Science):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of less than 50] or with permission
Incompatibility
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of 50 or greater] or Equivalent or higher
S1, S2 MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods
Prerequisites
Mathematics Applications ATAR
or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or Mathematics Methods ATAR (with a scaled score of less than 50) or equivalent
Incompatibility
MATH1001 Mathematical Methods 1
and MATH1002 Mathematical Methods 2 and
MATH1011 Multivariable Calculus
or MATX1011 Multivariable Calculus
and
MATH1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods
or MATX1012 Mathematical Theory and Methods
and
STAT1520 Economic and Business Statistics
or STAX1520 Economic and Business Statistics
S1, S2 SCIE1500 Analytical Methods for Scientists
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Subject Mathematics Applications
or MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
or MATX1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Incompatibility
ATAR Subject(s) ATAR Mathematics Methods
and Unit(s) MATH1721 Mathematics Foundations: Methods (ID 5108)
or MATX1721 Mathematics Foundations

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ENVT2220 The Climate System None
S2 ENVT2251 Hydrology and Water Resource Management
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one EART1105 Dynamic Planet
or ENVT1104 Environmental Science and Technology
or GEOG1103 Urbanisation and Sustainability
or GENG1014 Earth Systems Engineering
or GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society
or prior approval
S1, S2 GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisites
36 points of prior study
S2 GEOG2202 Reading Landscapes: People and Processes
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society
or GEOG1104 Disasters!
or GEOG1107 Human Inequality in the Anthropocene
or GEOG1103 Urbanisation and Sustainability
or prior approval

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (24 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ENVT3306 Coastal Conservation and Management
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
SCIE2204 Marine Systems
or GEOG2202 Reading Landscapes: People and Processes
or permission of the unit coordinator
S1 GEOG3300 Advanced Spatial Analysis
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
S2 GEOG3301 Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one Unit(s) GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
S2 GEOG3303 Environmental Policy and Planning
Prerequisites
Enrolment in
MJD-CONBI Conservation Biology
or MJD-NRMGT Natural Resource Management
or MJD-GGRPY Geographical Sciences
or MJD-GSSCI Geographical and Spatial Science
or MJD-HGYPL Human Geography and Planning
or MJD-APHGY Applied Human Geography
or MJD-WLCDM Wildlife Conservation
or MJD-ENVDM Environmental Science and Management
or MJD-ENVMT Environmental Management
or MJD-ENGEO Environmental Geography and Planning
or MNR-SAPEP Science and Policy: Environmental Planning
or MNR-SPCEU Science and Policy: Climate Change, Environmental Planning and Urban Environments
or MNR-ENVST Understanding the Environment
and Successful completion of
72 points in your chosen degree
Incompatibility
Unit(s) PLNG2203 Environmental Policy and Planning