geography
People, Places and the Environment
YOUR PLACE IN THE WORLD
GEOGRAPHY is a blend of social and environmental
sciences concerned with the relationships between people
and their surroundings. It is a far-reaching subject which
gives you the potential to develop interests in areas
important to people and communities all over the world.
By studying Geography, you could, for example, become
involved in anything from designing new parks and gardens
to monitoring pollution levels, developing strategies for
the tourist industry, or mapping the spread of the latest
influenza outbreak.
The additional skills you’ll gain in information gathering,
data analysis and critical assessment will serve you well no
matter what career you choose.
“The thing I like about Geography is that it isn’t narrow in its outlook. It acknowledges that politics, economics, history and culture play a role in any aspect that you are studying.”
Saira Omar BA(Hons)
Otago
UNIVERSITY OF
DIVISION OF
HUMANITIES
www.otago.ac.nz/humanities
0800 80 80 98 www.otago.ac.nz
txt 866 [email protected]
Why study Geography?
Geography is about global, social and
environmental change, making it increasingly
relevant to the world today and tomorrow.
You will be able to gain an understanding
of the interactions between human and
environmental systems and prepare yourself
for travel by becoming knowledgeable
about the world.
Geography provides a bridge between
the arts and sciences, addressing
pressing issues of the day. These include
environmental change, management of
water, soil, air and biological resources,
vegetation and landscape transformation,
regional inequalities, restructuring of the
global economy and culture; governance;
community engagement; gender relations;
rural and urban sustainability; urbanisation;
planning; natural hazards and many more.
Background required
There are no subjects you have to have in
order to study geography – you don’t even
have to have studied it at school.
Careers in Geography
The future really is wide open with a
qualification in Geography. Graduates
enjoy an unusually large number of career
opportunities.
Central Government You might take on
a position with central government, where
you could work for any one of a number of
departments. This work includes researching
and creating reports and developing and
monitoring policy, and can relate to areas
such as the environment, tourism, agriculture
and the economy, to name a few. Because
of their ability to look at things from an
international perspective, geographers are
also sought after in departments such as the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade where
travel opportunities are plenty.
Anthony George, currently studying for
his PhD, is someone involved in just such
work. Anthony’s professional engagement
with poverty reduction strategies began
with the Ministry of Planning in St Lucia,
after he completed a BSc in Sociology
at the University of the West Indies.
After two years of coordinating poverty
reduction programmes he pursued a
Masters on ‘Poverty Reduction in St Lucia’
at the University of Wales. His current
PhD study investigates six of the poorest
communities in St Lucia and Dominica,
examining conceptions, analyses, strategies
and alternative community pathways. It
challenges current poverty frameworks
and development thinking in the Caribbean
while highlighting the importance of diverse
economies, local cultures, social movements
and relations of mutual support in the
communities’ efforts to improve their living
conditions and quality of life.
Local Government and Public Agencies
There are also jobs available for qualified
geographers in local government and
specialised public agencies, including
geography
April 2009
People, Places and the Environment
the planning and conservation sections of
Regional Councils, Regional Health Authorities
and District Councils. Make a difference to
your local community by becoming involved
in projects like improving pollution levels in
waterways or identifying new areas for business
development.
You can also take on a wide range of work
for private companies, such as marketing
and marketing research, impact assessment,
publishing, international trade, the tourism and
air transport industries, planning and resource
consultancy.
Geography at Otago
At Otago, Geography may be taken as the
major subject for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) or
for the Bachelor of Science (BSc). In addition
many students enrol for undergraduate papers
in Geography while pursuing other studies,
including Law, Commerce, Planning, Botany,
Geology, Surveying, Physical Education, Tourism
and Education.
profile
SHELLEY MacDONELL
BSc (Geography (Hons)), PhD
Studying geography is not where Shelley
MacDonell thought she would end up after high
school – after all, she had been a science and
maths student. However, after taking the first
year Physical Geography paper she was hooked!
By combining her interest in the environment
with mathematics, Shelley was able to measure
and model melting and drainage on an Antarctic
glacier as part of her PhD thesis. This work
has enabled a better understanding of the way
glaciers in Antarctica produce and route water,
which is critical for reducing the uncertainties
surrounding sea-level rise predictions from
Antarctica.
Shelley believes that she could not have done
her research in any other department.
The undergraduate programme in Geography
provides a firm grounding in the social,
economic and physical aspects of the
environment. The study of Geography falls into
three main areas:
“That’s the beauty of geography, it’s such an
integrated subject, you are able to combine
skills from different disciplines, and approach
problems with a whole system view. Without
my background in geography it would have
been difficult to integrate the climate, hydrology
and glacier principles required for my research.”
Human Geography in which students study
theoretical frameworks and contemporary
issues surrounding economic, social, cultural
and political geography, as shown in urban, rural,
development and regional contexts.
Now that she has finished her PhD here at
Otago, she is off to tackle icy questions in other
parts of the globe. First up is a postdoctoral
research position in Chile where she will work
on glacier hydrology in the Andes.
Physical Geography in which students study
various environmental topics, which together
make up the fundamentals of this branch of
the discipline: geomorphology, climatology,
biogeography and hydrology. Each is investigated
in terms of process, resource potential and
sensitivity to human interference.
Environmental Management in which students
gain a theoretical and practical understanding
of environmental processes, such as climatology,
geomorphology, biogeography, hydrology and
soil science. This area incorporates sustainable
development, integrated resource management,
and environmental planning and policy.
This area of study allows both BA and BSc
Geography students to mix papers from across
the discipline to build an applied environmental
management programme within the Geography
degree. It is also possible to take Environmental
Management as a Bachelor of Applied Science
(BAppSc) degree. Graduates go on to work
in district and regional councils, and elsewhere.
Some enter the Master of Planning programme
and qualify as professional planners.
Geography papers are taught in a range of
ways. Students attend lectures and tutorials,
and are also introduced to the basics of social
and environmental science through fieldwork
and practical courses in research methods.
Further Study
The Department offers an Honours
programme. Postgraduate studies include the
Master of Planning, Master of Arts, Master of
Science, postgraduate diplomas, and a strong
PhD programme.
For questions about Geography
Tel 0800 80 80 98
Email [email protected]
www.otago.ac.nz/geography