Postgraduate study in Geography
What can you study in Geography?
You can study Geography at postgraduate level in either Faculty of Science or Faculty of Arts programmes.
Postgraduate Geography spans the full range of research interests in the discipline through a wide variety of advanced and specialised courses. These include:
- Physical and biological systems: climatology, hydrology, biogeography, and geomorphology
- Social, economic and cultural change: urban processes, policy formation, globalisation and its effects, political economy, or political ecology, health and well-being, regional and rural spaces
- Environmental management: environmental change, sustainable development, science and society relations
- Geographical Information Science (GIS): mapping and analysing information
Structuring your postgraduate programme in Geography
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Geography
Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BSc(Hons)) in Geography
15 points:
At least 60 points from:
- GEOG 714 Population, Mobilities and Wellbeing (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 719 Geographies of Housing and Urban Change (S2)
- GEOG 725 People, Participation and Development (SS)
- GEOG 738 Future Food and Biological Economies (S1)
- GEOG 745 Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (S1)
- GEOG 746 Applied Coastal Geomorphology (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 750: Environment and Landscape (S2)
- GEOG 761 Special Topic: Monitoring change from space with machine learning (S2)
- GEOG 770 GIS and Spatial Data Handling (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 771 Spatial Analysis and Geocomputation (S1)
- GEOG 774 Advanced Spatial Data Handling (not offered in 2025)
- EARTHSCI 705 Geohazards (S2)
- EARTHSCI 713 Tectonic Geomorphology (not offered in 2025)
- EARTHSCI 732 Reconstructing Environmental Change (S1)
- ENVMGT 741 Social Change for Sustainability (S2)
- ENVMGT 742 Social Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (S1)
- ENVMGT 744 Resource Management (S2)
- ENVMGT 746 Collaborative Environmental Management (S1)
- ENVMGT 748: Coastal Management (S2)
- ENVMGT 749: Ethical Environmental Futures (S1)
- ENVMGT 751: River Management (S1)
- ENVSCI 704 Modelling of Environmental Systems (S2)
- ENVSCI 713 Air Quality and Atmospheric Processes (S2)
- ENVSCI 737 Applied Terrestrial Ecology (S1)
- ENVSCI 738 Water and Society (S1)
Up to 15 points from other approved 700 level courses
30 points:
Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (PGDipArts) in Geography
Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSci) in Geography
15 points:
At least 75 points from:
- GEOG 714 Population, Mobilities and Wellbeing (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 719 Geographies of Housing and Urban Change (S2)
- GEOG 725 People, Participation and Development (SS)
- GEOG 738 Future Food and Biological Economies (S1)
- GEOG 745 Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (S1)
- GEOG 746 Applied Coastal Geomorphology (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 750: Environment and Landscape (S2)
- GEOG 761 Special Topic: Monitoring change from space with machine learning (S2)
- GEOG 770 GIS and Spatial Data Handling (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 771 Spatial Analysis and Geocomputation (S1)
- GEOG 774 Advanced Spatial Data Handling (not offered in 2025)
- EARTHSCI 705 Geohazards (S2)
- EARTHSCI 713 Tectonic Geomorphology (not offered in 2025)
- EARTHSCI 732 Reconstructing Environmental Change (S1)
- ENVMGT 741 Social Change for Sustainability (S2)
- ENVMGT 742 Social Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (S1)
- ENVMGT 744 Resource Management (S2)
- ENVMGT 746 Collaborative Environmental Management (S1)
- ENVMGT 748: Coastal Management (S2)
- ENVMGT 749: Ethical Environmental Futures (S1)
- ENVMGT 751: River Management (S1)
- ENVSCI 704 Modelling of Environmental Systems (S2)
- ENVSCI 713 Air Quality and Atmospheric Processes (S2)
- ENVSCI 737 Applied Terrestrial Ecology (S1)
- ENVSCI 738 Water and Society (S1)
Up to 30 points from other approved 700 level courses
Master of Arts in Geography (Research Masters)
Master of Science (MSc) in Geography 120-point (one-year) research masters
Master of Science (MSc) in Geography 240-point research masters
15 points:
At least 75 points from:
- GEOG 714 Population, Mobilities and Wellbeing (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 719 Geographies of Housing and Urban Change (S2)
- GEOG 725 People, Participation and Development (SS)
- GEOG 737 Policy and Expertise (S2)
- GEOG 738 Future Food and Biological Economies (S1)
- GEOG 745 Applied Fluvial Geomorphology (S1)
- GEOG 746 Applied Coastal Geomorphology (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 749 Climate and Society (not offered in 2023)
- GEOG 750: Environment and Landscape (S2)
- GEOG 761 Special Topic: Monitoring change from space with machine learning (S2)
- GEOG 770 GIS and Spatial Data Handling (not offered in 2025)
- GEOG 771 Spatial Analysis and Geocomputation (S1)
- GEOG 774 Advanced Spatial Data Handling (not offered in 2025)
- EARTHSCI 705 Geohazards (S2)
- EARTHSCI 713 Tectonic Geomorphology (not offered in 2025)
- EARTHSCI 732 Reconstructing Environmental Change (S1)
- ENVMGT 741 Social Change for Sustainability (S2)
- ENVMGT 742 Social Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (S1)
- ENVMGT 744 Resource Management (S2)
- ENVMGT 746 Collaborative Environmental Management (S1)
- ENVMGT 748: Coastal Management (S2)
- ENVMGT 749: Ethical Environmental Futures (S1)
- ENVMGT 751: River Management (S1)
- ENVSCI 704 Modelling of Environmental Systems (S2)
- ENVSCI 713 Air Quality and Atmospheric Processes (S2)
- ENVSCI 737 Applied Terrestrial Ecology (S1)
- ENVSCI 738 Water and Society (S1)
A further 30 points from 700 level courses in a related subject:
120 points:
Prerequisites
Prior to applying to the MSc 240-point research masters in Geography you are required to have completed an undergraduate degree in Geography or Earth Sciences with 45 points at Stage III in Geography.
Courses
Explore the postgraduate courses you can take:
Where can postgraduate study in Geography take you?
Geographers can be found working in a wide range of occupations in an equally wide range of organisations.
Jobs related to Geography include:
- Cartographer
- Department of Conservation officer
- Environmental consultant
- Geographical information systems officer
- International development worker
- Landscape architect
- Planning and development surveyor
- Town planner
- Transport planner
Meet our student
Charlotte Milne is currently studying a Master of Science in Geography and uses drone technology to investigate how the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake has changed the local rivers. We followed Charlotte down to Kaikoura to find out about her research.
Scholarships and awards
Each year we award scholarships and prizes to thousands of students.
Find out about the scholarships you may be eligible for, search available scholarships or begin an application by visiting Scholarships and awards.
Help and advice
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