Human Geography and Planning major

Human Geography and Planning are the essential disciplines for understanding the complexities of cities and regions and guiding their sustainable development. The course explores the complex processes shaping human environments at a range of scales from global to local. To flourish, human and urban development must grapple with economic transformation, cultural diversity, changing demographic pressures, disasters and sustainability.

The conceptual foundations of Human Geography and Planning, along with the focus on fieldwork, skill development and real-world problems provides a diverse range of career opportunities. Students develop the knowledge and skills to help resolve major urban and regional problems and ultimately have the ability to contribute to the creation of liveable communities, vibrant economies and sustainable places.

The major includes opportunities for domestic fieldwork, and students can participate in international field trips, with recent destinations including Germany, Spain, the United States and Indonesia

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) Explain the complex interplay of environmental, economic, social and political processes that influence the spatial organisation of human activities at a range of scales, from global to local; (2) demonstrate an understanding of human geography as an academic discipline, including awareness of its concepts, history and principal sub-fields.; (3) identify the role of planning systems in shaping the characteristics of cities and regions.; (4) Critically review the geographic and planning methods, policies and approaches used to address urban and regional challenges; (5) apply methods for the investigation and interpretation urban and regional phenomena.; and (6) demonstrate the ability to communicate to specialist and non specialist audiences through multiple channels..

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.

Human Geography and Planning can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

Human Geography and Planning is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • four Level 2 units
  • four Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021; NS = non-standard teaching period

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 GEOG1104 Disasters!
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of at least 6 points from this group:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 GEOG1103 Urbanisation and Sustainability
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (18 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
NS GEOG2202 Reading Landscapes: People and Processes
Prerequisites:
GEOG1103 Coastal Cities: Geographical Perspectives
OR
GEOG1104 Disasters!
OR
GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society
OR
Approval of Unit Co-ordinator
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 GEOG2205 Geographies of Economic Development
Prerequisites:
GEOG1103 Urbanisation
or
Sustainability
or
GEOG1104 Disasters!
or
GEOG1106 Climate Change: Environment and Society;
or
with permission of Unit co-ordinator based on equivalent studies.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 GEOG2206 Population Geography and Planning
Prerequisites:
Either GEOG1103 Urbanisation and Sustainability
OR
GEOG1106 Climate Change Environment and Society
OR
GEOG1104 Disasters!;
or
approval of the Unit Coordinator.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of at least 6 points from this group:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 GEOG2201 Geographic Information Systems
Prerequisites:
36 points of prior study
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil
N/A GEOG2204 International Field Work in Geography
Prerequisites:
48 points of prior undergraduate study at UWA and approval by Unit Coordinator
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (18 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 GEOG3302 Local Places, Global Contexts
Prerequisites:
GEOG2202 Reading Landscapes: People and Processes
or
approval of the Unit Coordinator.
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 GEOG3306 Regional Development and Planning
Prerequisites:
GEOG2205 Geographies of Economic Development
or
ECON2224 Environmental Economics 2
or
approval of the Unit Coordinator.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
PLNG3303 Regional Development and Planning
S2 GEOG3309 Global Inequalities and Population Change: Transformation and Crisis
Prerequisites:
GEOG2205
or
GEOG2206
or
approval of unit co-ordinator
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 GEOG3303 Environmental Policy and Planning
Prerequisites:
Completion of 72 Points Course Enrolment MJD-CONBI Conservation Biology (ID 256)
Or
MJD-NRMGT Natural Resource Management (ID 1237)
Or
MJD-GGRPY Geographical Sciences (ID 1240)
Or
MJD-HGYPL Human Geography and Planning (ID 1550)
Or
MJD-WLCDM Wildlife Conservation (ID 4836)
Or
MJD-ENVDM Environmental Science and Management (ID 4842)
Or
MJD-ENVMT Environmental Management (ID 4847)
Or
MJD-ENGEO Environmental Geography and Planning (ID 4869)
Or
MNR-SAPEP Science and Policy: Environmental Planning (ID 59)
Or
MNR-SPCEU Science and Policy: Climate Change, Environmental Planning and Urban Environments (ID 60)
Or
MNR-ENVST Understanding the Environment (ID 73)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Unit PLNG2203 Environmental Policy and Planning (ID 1313)
S1 GEOG3305 Urban Planning and Design
Prerequisites:
URBD1000 Urban Design
OR
GEOG2205 Geographies of Economic Development
OR
GEOG2206 Social Geography and Planning
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 GEOG3308 Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
Prerequisites:
GEOG2201
or
GEOG2202
or
approval of unit co-ordinator
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil

Choosing your degree-specific major

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Human Geography and Planning degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-HGYPL

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the Human Geography and Planning degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-HGYPL-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .