Apply for Geography Major (BA)

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MJRU-GEOGR

Geography

Undergraduate major

Analyse opportunities and threats that arise from urbanisation, globalisation and climate change.

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Course outline
  • ATAR

    ATAR

    Minimum ATAR 70
  • Qualification
    Geography Major (BA)
  • Credit

    Credit

    200
Course outline

Select your preferred degree

This course belongs to multiple degrees. Select the single degree or double degree below to see the application deadlines.

Course outline

Outline

Outline

Geographers are social and environmental scientists who help improve our understanding of the world. They're interested in the convergence of people and the environment, and in our relationships with urban, rural, regional and remote spaces.

In this course you will gain the skills to address issues such as climate change, growth of cities, bushfires, food security and changing communities.

During your studies you'll explore migration changes, social movements and contests over space and place. You'll develop analytical and practical fieldwork skills, such as interviewing and surveying, mapping, participant observation and statistical analysis, recording field notes and writing demographic reports.

You'll also learn spatial analysis and mapping using ARCGIS and other software.

Throughout the course you'll apply your learning to local environments during fieldtrips within Perth, Fremantle and the Wheatbelt.

You'll also benefit from our strong links with local communities and industries, as well as our Sustainable Livelihoods program with Papua New Guinea.

Geography is offered as part of the Bachelor of Arts. You can enhance your studies with a second major or choose from a range of elective units that support your career goals.

When coupled with Economics you can complete this major as part of our Bachelor of Arts or our Bachelor of Commerce. Your choice will determine your core units.

You can also study this major as part of a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce double degree.

What jobs can the Geography lead to?

Careers

  • Bushfire management consultant
  • Community development officer
  • Demographer
  • Environmental assessor
  • Secondary school teacher*
  • Landcare advisor
  • Natural resource manager
  • Regional development coordinator
  • Spatial analyst
  • Sustainability officer.

* Requires an additional teaching qualification.

Industries

  • Disaster management
  • Education
  • Environmental assessment
  • Government
  • International development
  • Natural resource management
  • Regional planning and development
  • Sustainability.

What you'll learn

  • apply interdisciplinary concepts and methods to understanding the environmental, social and economic aspects of development and change; extend the boundaries of knowledge about climate change
  • think creatively to generate innovative solutions to economic, social and environmental challenges
  • access, evaluate and synthesise information from various disciplines and integrate in order to assess human and environmental outcomes
  • communicate effectively for the development of policy solutions that support sustainable development
  • use of current technologies when applied to finding information and making decisions about sustainable development
  • utilise lifelong learning skills and strategies for understanding the impact of change on human activities and the ecology
  • describe the global context of the need for a change to sustainable development; explore best international practices for finding solutions; apply these concepts within a regional/local environment.
  • recognise the importance of cultural diversity, including indigenous perspectives, in understanding and responding to environmental and social challenges
  • work both independently and in teams to find effective policies and ethical solutions to environmental and social issues; show leadership as a professional practitioner or collaborator.

Why study Geography

Get the Curtin edge

Curtin has a proud history in human and physical geography developed over 50 years. Backed by this solid foundation, we will ensure your learning is comprehensive and applicable to current and future challenges.

Highly ranked course

Curtin is ranked in the top 200 in the world for the subject of Geography (QSWUR by Subject 2023).

Work experience

You’ll engage with organisations including the Bureau of Meteorology, Canning River Eco Education Centre and Southeast Regional Centre for Urban Landcare, and undertake field trips within Perth, Fremantle and the Wheatbelt region.

The Geography course emphasises experiencing what you are taught in class. I had the opportunity to travel to a remote Indigenous community in the Pilbara to conduct research on Indigenous employment. I also visited Papua New Guinea for six weeks, through a New Colombo Plan scholarship. Both were amazing experiences that gave me insight into different cultures and ways of living.

Stephanie Harris

Admission criteria

What you need in order to get into this course. There are different pathway options depending on your level of work and education experience.

Select an option that best suits you:

You’re considered a high school leaver if you:

  • Completed year 12 in Australia or overseas in the past two years, or
  • Completed TAFE or VET studies in the past two years.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 70

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Geography ATAR.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

StepUp Entry

StepUp Entry

Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.

Alternative pathways

  • UniReady

    If you don’t meet our minimum admission criteria, the UniReady Enabling Program can help you qualify for entry into a range of undergraduate courses.

  • Certificate IV + English Competency

    The certificate IV is the minimum requirement for university entry. It qualifies you for entry to Curtin courses with a 70 ATAR. You must also meet English language proficiency.

  • Indigenous applicant

    If you’re an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant who hasn’t met Curtin’s minimum admissions criteria, the Centre for Aboriginal Studies offers bridging courses that are tailored to help you gain entry into this course.

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Written English and either verbal or quantitative

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

How others gained admission

View the ATAR breakdown to see the low, median and high ATAR scores of students who started studying this course recently.

To see the other pathways students have taken, see the pathway breakdown.

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you with to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.

In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

You’re considered someone with work and life experience if:

You have left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.

How we define ‘experience’
‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.

Pathways

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Written English and either verbal or quantitative

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 70

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Geography ATAR.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you with to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.

In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

You’re considered someone who studied at TAFE or have done an apprenticeship if:

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

Pathways

  • TAFE entry

    AQF Certificate IV - Separate evidence of English language proficiency is required; or AQF Diploma; or AQF Advanced Diploma.

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Written English and either verbal or quantitative

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 70

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Geography ATAR.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you with to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.

In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

You’re considered someone who has recently left university if:

Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This may include applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It may also include applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.

Curtin course switcher criteria

Our admission criteria for minimum entry apply to Curtin course switchers. For information on how to meet Curtin's minimum entry requirements, please see our admission criteria web page.

Higher education course switcher criteria

Our admission criteria for minimum entry apply to other higher education course switchers. For information on how to meet Curtin's minimum entry requirements, please see our admission criteria web page.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 70

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 70

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    English ATAR, Literature ATAR or English as an Additional Language/Dialect ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    Geography ATAR.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course

Applicants are required to choose one of the Bachelor of Arts majors when applying. If you with to study a double major, you elect the second major once you have been accepted into the course.

In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

Unsure what option suits you?

We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of university admission. Choose the support you need from the options below.

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool
Credit for recognised learning (CRL)

Use your experience to get credit towards your degree

Finish your course sooner with credit for your previous study or work experience.

Fees and charges

Please view the Bachelor of Arts degree for indicative fees.

Looking for more detail on the course structure?

View course structure

How to apply

Please review information on how to apply for the campus of your choice

Frequently asked questions

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  • The offering information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.

    The information on this page may be subject to change. In particular, Curtin University may change the content, method or location of delivery or tuition fees of courses.

    While Curtin uses reasonable efforts to ensure that the information provided on this page is accurate and up to date, errors and omissions sometimes occur. Curtin makes no warranty, representation or undertaking (expressed or implied) nor does it assume any legal liability (direct or indirect) for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information.

    View courses information disclaimer.

  • Curtin course code: MJRU-GEOGR
  • Last updated on: 27 March 2024

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