Geography courses

Geography Postgraduate Adviser

All students who are intending to enrol in the Geography Postgraduate Programme are encouraged to consult the Geography Postgraduate Adviser over their selection of courses:

Doctor Mark Dickson
Room HSB 432
Phone: +64 9 373 7599 ext 88329
Email: m.dickson@auckland.ac.nz

Entry to Geography postgraduate courses by students outside the School of Environment

Other than ENVSCI 701, all Geography postgraduate courses are available for entry by students not in the Geography postgraduate programme. They may be taken for credit in another degree but they cannot be cross credited towards a postgraduate degree in Geography.

Permission to enrol is required from both the Geography Postgraduate Adviser (to check general prerequisites) and, most importantly, from the individual course coordinator. While applications from outside students are generally welcomed, because of content or restrictions on numbers, some courses, may not be able to accommodate any extra students. In addition it should be noted that in the guidance to selection of courses, certain Geography courses are listed as expected or useful. While these give some indication of linked courses, they should be regarded as equivalent to prerequisites or corequisites. The important point is that you should discuss your possible acceptance into the course with the listed course coordinator.

Postgraduate Thesis and Dissertations

GEOG 789: Honours Dissertation | A & B | 30 points:
students must enrol in A & B

GEOG 796: Masters Thesis | A&B | 30 points:
students must enrol in A & B

Timetable information

Please be aware timetable information provided below is for general guidance and times are subject to change. While we endeavour to keep this as up to date as possible, students should NOT base their enrolment on the timetable information provided below. All students must check on SSO (Student Services Online) as this contains the latest and most accurate timetable information.

Visit Student Services Online

Students will consider multiple ways of knowing and understanding research in a broader context and in relation to disciplinary specific examples. Students will be challenged to critically analyse ways of understanding and thinking and use this knowledge to: assemble and represent information, perform analyses and predict outcomes, validate or critique the process, and communicate or question findings.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: TBA
Format: weekly lectures and tutorials
Points: 15
Assessment: 100 % coursework
Prerequisites: none
Programme: this course is required for the following programmes: Environmental Management, Environmental Science, Geography, Geographical Information Science, Geology and Applied Geology
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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Examines globalising economic and institutional processes, localising forces and practices of economic and institutional actors in the creation and scaling of new spatial arrangements, connections and networks. In 2012 the course emphasises agglomeration, city and region innovation ecologies, scaling up strategies and building economic development leadership capabilities. The course is closely aligned to the Schools ‘Globalising Processes’ and ‘Urban Dynamics’ research themes.

This course is taught in: Second Semester, City Campus (S2 C)

Coordinator: Richard Le Heron
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% final examination
Prerequisites: none
Restriction: GEOG 724
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme
Timetable S2 C: Check SSO

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Contemporary geographic perspectives on society and culture, focusing on a review of traditional and new cultural geographic approaches to the constructions of place and environment, ethnicity, gender and identity.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Hong-key Yoon
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% final examination
Prerequisites: no formal prerequisite, but an understanding of material to at least a C+ standard in stage 3 papers in human geography will be assumed
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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An exploration of the changing nature of human populations, the dynamics of human mobilities, the determinants of health status and evolving modes of health care provision.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Robin Kearns
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% final examination
Prerequisites: no formal prerequisite, but an understanding of material in Stage III coures in human geography will be assumed
Restriction: GEOG 725 and GEOG 726
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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'Development' is place-dependent and takes place at a range of scales. This course considers economic, socio-cultural, geopolitical and environmental transformations of nations, regions, communities, and emerging or post-foundational political spaces focussing on examples from Pacific, Asia and New Zealand.

This course is taught in: Second Semester, City Campus (S2 C)

Coordinator: Nicolas Lewis
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% final examination
Prerequisites: none
Restriction: GEOG 721
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme
Timetable S2 C: Check SSO

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The theory, application and interpretation of the output of a range of Quaternary paleoenvironment reconstruction tools including geomorphological data, dendroclimatology, microfossil indicators of change and environmental isotopes with a focus on New Zealand and the SW Pacific. Dating tools used to constrain the timing of the events will also be considered

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Paul Augustinus
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% final examination
Prerequisites: none
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme
Timetable S2 C: Check SSO

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Investigates contemporary understandings, issues and strategies relating to the development of biological economies and food networks in the context of the globalising food economy. Addresses transformations in agro-food complexes and questions of nature-society relationships to do with 'sustainable' and 'resilient' food production and consumption.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Nicolas Lewis
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% final examination
Prerequisites: none
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme and an approved course for the Environmental Management programme
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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Catchment-scale perspectives are used to analyse spatial and temporal variability in river forms and processes. River responses to human disturbance are placed in a longer-term evolutionary context. Prospective 'river futures' are appraised, linking principles from geomorphology and hydrology to provide a physical platform with which to frame management applications (especially river rehabilitation options).

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Gary Brierley
Format: one 2-hour lecture each week for the first four weeks in addition to field trip
Points: 15
Assessment: 100% coursework
Field trip: a 7–10 day field trip to various rivers in either the North or South Island (23-30 April)
Prerequisites: no formal prerequisite but final year undergraduate experience in a related field required
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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An advanced study of the driving mechanisms and associated processes that shape coastlines. The course uses and explores the morphodynamic concept as an integrating theme. Lecture topics examine wave hydrodynamics; surfzone circulation; fluid-sediment interactions and larger scale morphodynamics. Using sandy beach systems as the starting point we branch out to consider the dynamics of other coastal settings (e.g. gravel beaches, estuaries, coral reefs) and examine approaches to model coastal behaviour.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Mark Dickson
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week, plus one 7-day field trip (15-21 April)
Points: 15
Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% final examination
Prerequisites: no formal prerequisite but an understanding equivalent to GEOG 351 is assumed
Programme: this is one of the core options for both the Geography and Applied Geology programmes
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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Coastal communities are commonly perceived to be threatened by coastal change. The coast is the most dynamic landform on earth and the coastal zone is host to 80% of the world’s population. This combination of dynamic physical and human landscapes poses unique management challenges. This course explores the dimensions of vulnerability in a coastal setting. It recognises that vulnerability is a function of physical coastal dynamics, the history of human occupation and ultilisation of the coast and governmental decision making. We examine methods to determine vulnerability of and risk to coastal settlements and evaluate the policy and regulatory frameworks used to manage risk to coastal communities. National and international examples are used, from both developed and developing countries, to highlight key coastal vulnerabilities.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Susan Owen
Format: one 2-hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 100% coursework
Prerequisites: none
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme and an approved course for the Environmental Management programme
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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An examination of inter-relationships between climate and society. The sensitivity of selected biophysical and human activity systems to climate will be investigated and the actual and potential impacts of climatic variability and change investigated. Impact themes will vary from year to year, but are likely to be drawn from hydrology and water resources, agriculture, human health, ecosystems, and energy.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Anthony Fowler
Format: one 2 hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 50% coursework, 50% final examination
Prerequisites: no formal prerequisite but an understanding equivalent to GEOG 332 is assumed
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geography programme and an approved course for the Environmental Management programme
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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Approaches and challenges to analysing spatial data. Specific techniques covered will include measures of spatial autocorrelation, geographical regression, point pattern analysis, interpolation, overlay analysis, and an introduction to some of the newer geocomputation methods such as neural networks and cellular automata.

This course is not offered in 2012

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Acquisition of airborne imagery, very high resolution satellite imagery, ground penetrating radar data, and LiDAR data. Geospatial data referencing, geometric and thematic accuracy of geospatial data, image classification and accuracy assessment, multitemporal data analysis, integrated processing of images using GPS and GIS data.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: Jao Gao
Format: one 2-hour lecture per week, plus one hour labs
Points: 15
Assessment: 60% coursework, 40% final examination
Prerequisites: no formal prerequisite but an understanding equivalent to GEOG 317 is assumed
Programme: this is one of the core options for both the Geographic Information Science and Geography programmes
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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Introduction to field of cartography, drawing contrasts with new approaches to geovisualisation facilitated by information visualisation and statistical graphics. Human perceptual and cognitive systems as related to visual displays. Principles of sound perceptual and cognitive map design. Planning, creation and delivery of cartographic and visualization-based projects. Review of emerging and future trends in this fast-changing field.

This course is taught in: Second Semester, City Campus (S2 C)

Coordinator: Pip Forer
Format: one 2-hour lecture per week and one 2-hour lab per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 60% coursework, 40% final examination
Prerequisites: none
Programme: this is one of the core options for the Geographic Information Science and Geography programmes, and an approved course for the Environmental Management programme
Timetable S2 C: Check SSO

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Spatial databases, spatial data structures and algorithms and converting and handling spatial data. Introduction to programming (in Python). Principles of object- and component-oriented architectures including details relating to ArcGIS as an example. Open source and open standards, web-mapping as a case-study.

This course is taught in: First Semester, City Campus (S1 C)

Coordinator: TBA
Format: one 2-hour lecture per week
Points: 15
Assessment: 100% coursework
Prerequisites: no formal prerequisite but 15 points from GEOG 317-319, or equivalent is assumed
Programme: this is one of the core options for both the Geographic Information Science and Geography programmes
Timetable S1 C: Check SSO

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