Human geography is concerned with the study of people and the communities in which they live, as well as their interactions with urban, rural and biophysical environments. Human geographers investigate issues of power; inequality; and uneven development across space, class, ethnicity and gender in order to contribute to more just and desirable worlds.  

This specialisation will develop your skills in public policy development, urban and regional management, and resource and environmental management. You’ll analyse and synthesise complex environmental, economic, social and political information to enable a geographical understanding of humans, their communities and environments, and the dynamic relationships between them. You’ll evaluate diverse arguments and knowledge to develop geographical ways of understanding contemporary issues. You’ll cultivate skills in reflective research and applied fieldwork, and in interpreting data, as you generate creative insights and evidence-based solutions to contemporary geographic challenges – all transferable to a range of workplaces. 

Key Features

• This specialisation will develop your core skills in theory, research and practice, while retaining flexibility to enable you to pursue your interests in cities, international development, political and cultural geography and human-environment relations. 
• In addition to in-depth study in human geography, you can take mathematics, statistics or coding in your first year to give you the modern foundational skills relevant to future workforce needs. 
• You’ll develop critical analysis skills as you apply theories and concepts to case studies, and to specific spaces, places and environments to address issues of power, inequity and injustice. 
• You’ll improve your proficiency at retrieving, synthesising and communicating information, as well as managing data and drawing on different sources of knowledge. 
• You’ll collaborate with anthropologists, sociologists and other social scientists in social inclusion, as well as with physical geographers in environmental management and climate adaptation. 
• You’ll learn about Indigenous perspectives on contemporary geographic issues, providing you with the skills and knowledge to work with Country in innovative intercultural ways. 
• This flexible specialisation allows you to tailor your studies to your interests by combining units from geography and planning with science units in environmental and geographic sciences, biological sciences, maths, statistics, chemistry and physics. 
• You’ll have the opportunity to focus on the subject areas that most interest you – including cities, international development, political and cultural geography and human-environment relations. 
• You’ll gain skills and experience in undertaking field research, including opportunities for international and remote area fieldwork. 
• You’ll improve your skills in a range of research techniques, which can include fieldwork, survey design, statistical analysis, spatial data analysis, and other forms of qualitative and quantitative analysis. 
• You’ll increase your employability by developing practical skills and knowledge of sophisticated frameworks for research and use across many policy areas. 
• You’ll learn how to apply for scientific-based jobs and prepare for interviews, and develop presentation, project management and other critical skills that you’ll need to secure your dream career.  

• Climate change assessor and planner 
• Community development officer 
• Conservation, heritage and land manager 
• Consultant and project manager 
• Environmental and resource manager 
• Hazard assessment, mitigation and disaster management specialist 
• Health planning adviser 
• Insurance analyst 
• International development and aid worker 
• Journalist 
• Local and regional developer 
• Market researcher 
• Planner (including urban, regional, environmental, social and transport planning) 
• Population analyst 
• Public policy developer 
• Public safety, defence and national security specialist 
• Real estate and land developer 
• Refugee policy adviser 
• Social impact analyst 
• Social policy adviser 
• Social services and welfare officer 
• Teacher (after further study) 
• Tourism and recreation planner 
• Urban and environmental consultant 
• Urban, regional or social planner