Geography
Geography matters because it is about basic human relationships - between people and the environment, and between people and other people. Ranked among the top geography programmes in the world, the Geography programme at Waikato is the only solely human geography programme in New Zealand.
We offer papers in environmental planning, and geographic information systems as well as in social and cultural geography. A number of the papers have particular emphasis on Māori and feminist perspectives, and the social, economic and political processes that produce them. We'll get you to understand and consider solutions for the world's rapid changes caused by development, tourism, globalisation, environmental degradation, population growth and consumption.
Geography at Waikato goes beyond the classroom and opens you up to numerous career opportunities. Upon graduation, our students pursue careers in urban and regional planning, regional economic development, travel and tourism development, environmental consultancy, as well as the property and housing industry and local government.
Key information
| Study Locations: | Hamilton, Tauranga, Online Papers offered differ by location. The Catalogue of Papers has full location info. |
|---|---|
| Area of Study: |
Study Geography in these qualifications
Study Geography as a specialisation of
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Climate Change
- Bachelor of Communication
- Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences with Honours
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Technology)
- Bachelor of Social Sciences
- Certificate
- Diploma
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts (Applied)
- Master of Management Studies
- Master of Philosophy
- Master of Science
- Master of Science (Research)
- Master of Science (Technology)
- Master of Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
Career opportunities
- Cartographer
- Consultant
- Environmental Manager
- Immigration Policy Analyst
- Researcher
- Urban or Regional Planner
Papers
Available Geography papers
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOGY101 | Sustainable Geographies | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton), 24B (Online) & 24B (Tauranga) |
| An introduction to the rich field of social and cultural geography with links to the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals. A foundation paper for second year papers on contemporary cultural geographies, health geographies, and Maori geographies. | |||
| GEOGY102 | A Planet Under Pressure | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Online) |
| In recent decades humans have become geological agents, changing physical processes of the earth by such actions as burning fossil fuels, expanding cities, altering diets, and extinguishing species. This paper explores the human motivations and actions that find expression in the natural world. In addition to offering descriptions ... | |||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENVPL201 | Introduction to Resource Management | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper is designed to provide students with an introduction to law and policy relevant to the practice of environmental planning and management in Aotearoa-New Zealand. | |||
| GEOGY209 | Health, People, Place | 0.0 | 24B (Online) |
| This paper draws on critical analysis of health, people and place to introduce contemporary developments in socio-cultural geography. Attention is paid to spatial well-being at a range of scales. | |||
| GEOGY219 | Māori Lands and Communities | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to Maori geographical perspectives and examines key events that shape Maori communities and their relationships to land, water and other taonga. | |||
| GEOGY228 | Introduction to Geographical Information Systems and Big Data | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| GIS and big data are revolutionising the application of Geography in the job market. This paper provides foundational knowledge in digital Geography and Geographical Information Systems, which are used at level 3 and postgraduate level. Students will develop confidence in the use of GIS, cartography, and data handling techniques. | |||
| PHILO217 | Environmental Ethics | 15.0 | 24H (Online) |
| A study of ethical questions about the relation of humans to the rest of the natural world, including the attribution of value and rights to the non-human world and ethical issues in environment and development. | |||
| POPST201 | Population Studies | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Online) |
| This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the multidisciplinary field of Population Studies. Students will develop a sound understanding of the demographic drivers of population change and composition, while exploring some of the rich theories and methodological approaches which comprise Population Studies. | |||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALPSS390 | Directed Study | 15.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| This paper allows students from the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology, and Social Sciences to undertake research on a specific topic related to their major or minor under the guidance of academic staff. | |||
| ENVPL300 | Planning in Aotearoa New Zealand | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides students with a practical understanding of the broad range of different types of contemporary urban planning which occurs in New Zealand cities, towns and regions. | |||
| ENVPL302 | Māori Resource Management | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces Maori principles of resource management and examines their relevance to contemporary planning processes. | |||
| ENVPL309 | Urban Spatial Analysis | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper will provide students with hands-on spatial analytical skills for environmental planning practice in an urban context. Students will develop quantitative problem solving and spatial thinking skills applied to real-world problems such as sea-level rise and housing inequality. | |||
| GEOGY301 | Disasters and Development | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| Development has a significant influence on the way in which hazards impact on people, and the occurrence of disasters alters the scope of development. This paper identifies the value of focusing on disaster reduction and sustainable development as part of the same agenda. Addressing the importance of approaching and applying a disa... | |||
| GEOGY309 | Social and Cultural Geographies of Difference | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Tauranga) |
| This paper is a forum for debate in critical geographies of difference. Key concerns are intersections between gender, ethnicity, nationality and other social divisions in relation to place and environment. | |||
| GEOGY328 | Geographical Information Systems | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) & 24A (Online) |
| GIS is used widely in a range of industries and government agencies, and graduates competent in GIS are sort after for employment. This paper is compulsory for the GIS minor and covers all aspects of GIS analysis, including remote sensing and model building. ArcGIS Pro is used in the labs and students have the opportunity to instal... | |||
| PHILO317 | Environmental Ethics | 15.0 | 24H (Online) |
| Do we have moral obligations toward nature? How should human beings treat the natural world? This paper examines questions such as these in light of our current ethical theories. | |||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALPSS500 | Academic & Professional Research & Writing | 30.0 | 24A (Online), 24B (Online) & 24C (Online) |
| In this course, students will gain the skills and confidence to seamlessly transition from study to work. This course works to enhance the 'skills for the future' identified by the World Economic Forum (2020), in order to produce resilient, creative students with strong analytic and critical thinking skills. | |||
| ALPSS590 | Directed Study | 30.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| This paper allows students from the Division of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences to undertake research on a specific topic related to their major under the guidance of academic staff. | |||
| ALPSS591 | Research Project | 30.0 | 24X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga) |
| A research report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical or practice-led investigation (up to 12,500 words maximum). | |||
| ALPSS592 | Dissertation | 60.0 | 24X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga) |
| A research report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical or practice-led investigation (up to 25,000 words maximum). | |||
| ENVPL504 | Plan Making | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper covers the steps involved in plan-making and plan-implementation processes. This includes issues identification; visioning; definition of planning outcomes; development of programmes, policies and actions to achieve vision; and plan-implementation matters. | |||
| ENVPL508 | Plans and Consents | 15.0 | 24X (Block) |
| This paper is designed to provide students with skills and experience in the application of resource management plans and the resource consent process. Students are engaged in experiential learning relevant to the practice of environmental planning and management in Aotearoa-New Zealand. | |||
| ENVPL509 | Urban Spatial Analysis | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper will provide students with hands-on spatial analytical skills for environmental planning practice in an urban context. Students will develop quantitative problem solving and spatial thinking skills applied to real-world problems such as sea-level rise and housing inequality. | |||
| ENVPL510 | Planning Theory | 15.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper discusses the various theories that influence how we plan our world. It will cover issues such as power, justice, governance, politics, neoliberalism, marxism, gender, democracy and environmental racism. | |||
| GEOGY500 | People, Place, Power | 30.0 | 24A (Online) |
| This paper is a forum for debate in geographies of people and power. Key concerns are the intersections between gender, Maori, Indigeneity, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, nationality and other social divisions in relation to geographies of justice. | |||
| GEOGY520 | Human Dimensions of Environmental Change | 30.0 | 24B (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the increasing risks imposed on human communities by global environmental change. The paper establishes a platform for the critical analysis of human-environment relations by introducing students to important theoretical developments including the role of culture-nature dualisms, theories on population-environme... | |||
| GEOGY538 | Automated Spatial Analysis using Geographic Information Systems | 15.0 | 24X (Block) |
| Automated GIS, using programming or scripts, are extremely powerful compared to the 'point and click' environment, and are the most practical method for the spatial analysis of large data sets. GIS professionals are expected have the skills to write their own scripts, as well as execute and manipulate existing scripts. In this pape... | |||
| GEOGY558 | Applied Geographic Information Systems for Research and Planning | 15.0 | 24A (Hamilton) |
| GIS is used widely in a range of industries and government agencies, and graduates competent in GIS are sort after for employment. This paper is designed as an introduction to GIS for graduate students and is co-taught with GEOGY328. It covers all aspects of GIS analysis, including remote sensing and model building. ArcGIS Pro is u... | |||
| GEOGY593 | Geography Thesis | 90.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | |||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOGY800 | Geography MPhil Thesis | 120.0 | 24X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | |||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Points | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOGY900 | Geography PhD Thesis | 120.0 | 24I (Hamilton), 24I (Tauranga), 24J (Hamilton), 24K (Hamilton), 24X (Hamilton) & 24X (Tauranga) |
| No description available. | |||
Scholarships and prizes
New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
For more information about subject requirements please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information. If you have any questions and need more advice contact one of our friendly student advisors phone:
Contacts
School of Social Sciences
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4702
General Enquiries: [email protected]