Changes in our environment mean we are facing unprecedented societal, economic and political challenges.

With a Master of Geography, you'll become part of the new generation of workers who are tackling these challenges by bridging the gap between the social and natural sciences.

You can specialise in one of three streams – physical, human or integrated geography – and include an optional research thesis if you wish.

You’ll leave with the geography skills needed for jobs in natural resource management, research, urban planning and sustainability locally, or development and policy globally.

Take your skills into the field

Geographers need practical, in-the-field experience, and we offer plenty of opportunities for you to get your hands dirty – in China, East Timor, New Zealand, or around Australia.

Be globally connected

As a geographer, you’ll know how important it is to gain a global perspective. In addition to international fieldwork subjects, we offer the International Internship in Environment – an elective subject that gives you the unique opportunity to complete a placement with an overseas-based environmental organisation.

Take on real-world research problems

You can choose either a coursework-only or a coursework-plus-thesis option.  If you complete a thesis option, you'll leave the course with a significant research project to feature on your CV.

Gain more than just technical skills

We know that soft-skills are important too, which is why you’re able to select from a wide range of high-level professional subjects, including science communication, modelling, business, ethics and more.

The Master of Geography is a 200-point program.

The course can be taken as coursework only, or as coursework with a minor or major research thesis. Depending on the option you choose, this is what your course structure will look like:

You’ll select your elective subjects from the large range on offer, in one of three streams:

• Physical geography
• Human geography
• Integrated geography.

There’s plenty of opportunity to get out into the field, with a number of fieldwork electives on offer, including field classes to China, East Timor, central Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.

If you’d like to gain experience in an environment-related workplace, one of your electives can be a 200-hour international internship in environment.

If you choose the coursework-only stream of the Master of Geography, you’ll complete a geography practical subject that provides masters-level training in desktop, field or laboratory techniques.

If you choose a stream with a research thesis, you’ll work on a real-world geography research question over 12 or 24 months, with the support of an expert supervisor. There’s incredible diversity in what you can study: from flood management in Bangladesh, to love and marriage practices in India, to the politics of climate change mitigation in Australia. Read about potential research projects.

We know that you’ll need professional skills to give you the edge in the workplace, so you’ll be able to select from a wide range of high-level professional subjects, including science communication, modelling, business, ethics and more.

Our graduates go on to work as policy developers, natural resource managers, hydrologists, sustainability specialists, town planners, environmental scientists, and development specialists.

Employers in this field include:

• Government departments of education, agriculture and environment, including Melbourne Water and the Victorian Planning Authority
• Charitable and government aid organisations, including the United Nations
• Consultancy firms, including AECOM, KPMG and EY
• Universities and public research institutions such as the CSIRO.

Technical and professional skills

On graduating from the course, you’ll have a high-level education in physical, human, or integrated geography. Additionally, you’ll have strong professional skills in:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Research planning and literature reviews
• Communication of research
• Project management.

Further study

If you choose a coursework plus research thesis option in the Master of Geography, at the end of the course, you’ll be well-placed to undertake a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).

To be considered for entry, you must have completed an undergraduate degree with a major in a relevant discipline (anthropology, earth, ocean and/or atmospheric science, ecology and evolution

IELTS (academic English Only): 6.5 (no band less than 6.0)
TOEFL Internet-based test: 79 + ; Writing 21; Speaking 18; Reading 13; Listening 13;
Pearson Test of English Academic: 58 + no communicative skill below 50
Cambridge English: Advanced/ Certificate of Advanced English (CAE): 176 + no skill below 169.