Caution
Copyright © Monash University 1996
ISBN 1320-6222
Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Graduate coordinator: Dr G Dixon
The diverse research interests of the teaching staff and the variety of facilities available afford a wide range of research possibilities to graduate students in human and physical geography and environmental science. In human geography several members have conducted research in aspects of public policy relevant to urban and regional development and environmental considerations. A further strength is in the area of development studies and in the interpretation of changing attitudes to the environment in Australia. Strong research interests in physical geography include geomorphic process studies, palynology, Quaternary ecology, climatology and the reconstruction of Cainozoic environments. Many of the MA and PhD theses already completed have been concerned with research problems in Australia but, depending upon available research funds, fieldwork outside Australia may also be possible.
Mr Frank Fisher, Director (Policy)
Over 150 postgraduate candidates are enrolled in the school which is located within the Department of Geography and Environmental Science. The school's purpose is to educate students about the broad physical and social patterns of environmental change, emphasising the value of understanding the environment through practical projects undertaken within a framework of social and philosophical theory, thereby encouraging an understanding of how environmental action can be achieved. Activities of the school link and integrate knowledge and perspectives derived from the sciences and humanities in relation to socio-geographical environmental processes, environmental policies and environmental management strategies.
Coursework and research involve multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, and there is an emphasis on collaborative team projects. Many projects have been funded by government and private groups.
Applications for the Master of Environmental Science and the Graduate Diploma of Environmental Science programs are sought from people of all backgrounds and disciplines, not only from the sciences. If needed, special assistance is available for graduates in the humanities. This is only a brief introduction to the environmental science programs. Further information and the Graduate School of Environmental Science handbook are available from the department.
KATE BROWN process geomorphology with interests in arid zone landscapes and land management issues.
PETER COCK conserver societies; environmental education; environmental politics and decision making; multidisciplinary team research; environmental psychology.
GALE DIXON geography of Southeast Asia; inter-island and coastal sea trade in Indonesia (Centre of Southeast Asian studies).
DAVID DUNKERLEY fluvial environments and processes; hydrology and process geomorphology of arid regions; paramaterisation and numerical methods in geomorphology (Centre for Catchment Hydrology, Department of Civil Engineering).
FRANK FISHER social construction as environmental science; technology as a social construct; conserver society theory and practice. waste minimisation/clean production (director, Centre for Innovation in Waste Management; Co-director, Graduate School of Environmental Science).
KATHIE GIBSON industrial restructuring; regional development and resources; feminist critiques of economic development.
GEOFF GOLDRICK landscape evolution and soil geomorphology. uplift and erosion as agents of landscapes evolution. soil formation and erosion rates. environmental economics.
JOHN GRINDROD Australian ecological systems, quaternary vegetation and climate history, coastline dynamics and sea-level change, particularly in the tropics.
PETER KERSHAW biogeography; palynology; vegetation and environmental history (director, Centre for Palynology and Palaeoecology).
STEPHEN LEGG historical geography; economic development; environmental policy; forestry and farming; regional history.
CHRIS MAHER urban geography; population mobility; housing markets; urban policy; urban systems development; research techniques. (associate director [research], Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute).
PETER MARDEN economic geography, political geography; and social theory, development studies (Development Studies Centre, Monash Asia Institute).
DAVID MERCER environmentalism; political economy of Australian resources; forestry issues; Aboriginal land rights; environmental policy.
KEVIN O'CONNOR urban and economic geography; national settlement patterns and urban growth; development of Melbourne (Centre for Population and Urban Research; Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute).
JIM PETERSON geomorphology; quaternary studies; environmental thematic mapping and geographical information systems (director, Centre for Geographical Information Systems).
SHARRON PFUELLER community participation in environmental planning monitoring; environment and health; community education; environmental assessment.
JOE POWELL historical geography: studies in pioneer settlement, resource management and conservation in Australia, New Zealand and North America (Australian studies, American studies).
NIGEL TAPPER climatology; pollution effects in urban areas, especially in Indonesia; field applications of computer-assisted pollution source identification (Centre for Dynamical Meteorology, Department of Applied Mathematics).
JIM WHITELAW urban geography; urban systems, telecommunications and future urban form; technology and transport innovations; migration (associate dean of graduate studies, Faculty of Arts).
+ in geography only, or
+ in environment and public policy, or
+ in housing, environment and public policy.
The last two are for students who wish to pursue graduate work in housing and/or environmental issues with an emphasis on public policy and planning.
Note that the department also offers a separate degree, a Master of Environmental Science, some details for which are outlined below.
All three streams of the MA course may be taken over two years full-time or its equivalent part-time. (Actual time limits are detailed in the Regulations, elsewhere in this handbook.)
Depending upon an applicant's qualifications, the course may be undertaken either by coursework (ie by individual subjects), by coursework and thesis, or by thesis alone.
Part I of the Master of Arts course consists of individual subjects and they are described below. (Very highly qualified candidates are not require to enrol in Part I.) The subjects are valued at twelve points each and are taught over one semester. Full-time students enrol in two subjects each semester for a total of forty-eight points in the year. Students should consult the department about the availability of the subjects listed. In some cases students may choose subjects other than those listed for each part of each course, in consultation with the head of the department.
Part II of the MA course may consist of either four twelve-point subjects, or, for suitably qualified candidates, a thesis plus one subject or a thesis alone.
The 100 per cent masters degree (thesis only) entails a thesis of 40-60,000 words in length. If one twelve-point subject plus a thesis are undertaken, this 75 per cent thesis shall be 35-40,000 words in length. Just as individual subjects are offered according to the availability of staff, whether a student is allowed to undertake a thesis is contingent upon the availability of appropriate supervisors. Students electing to write a thesis may be given the option, under certain circumstances, to upgrade their candidature to PhD.
Note that some subjects listed below are offered with the same title but with different code numbers. Students who have completed a subject may not enrol for the subject again under a different code number, with the exception of a `supervised research paper in geography,' which may be repeated.
An applicant with a honours degree with a grade of H2A or H1, or a qualification deemed to be equivalent, may be admitted to either Part I or Part II of the degree by coursework or by research (thesis).
An applicant with a honours degree with a grade of H2B, or a qualification deemed to be equivalent, may be admitted to either Part I or Part II of the degree by coursework.
An applicant without an honours degree or its equivalent can only be admitted to Part I of the degree by coursework.
On the recommendation of the head, an applicant who has qualified with an approved graduate diploma (or its equivalent) in a relevant discipline with credit level grades or better may be admitted to Part II of the degree by coursework or by research (thesis).
The phrase `qualification deemed to be equivalent' means that the head of the department may recommend to the faculty board that an applicant with a tertiary degree and, say, at least five years of relevant full time employment or similar experience be admitted to candidature at a level appropriate to that qualification.
+ Foundation studies are obligatory for candidates with insufficient background in the five areas of study.
+ Core studies are compulsory and provide the integrative elements of the program.
+ Elective subjects are chosen to broaden perspectives, provide background, enable the candidate to pursue specialist studies, complement the candidate's work, and provide personal interest and growth.
Preparation of an individual supervised research paper takes place in parallel with the team project. All team members use the material they have contributed to their project as the basis of their individual paper.
Computer facilities include a number of terminals for accessing the university's mainframes, Macintosh and IBM family personal computers, printers, digitisers, and plotters. Access to AARNet, Internet, Telnet and networked databases such as the Monash University library catalogue system are available. The Geographical Information Systems group within the department runs image processing systems on micro Brian and several GI systems via workstation and PC.
In addition, the department offers technical services including a map and airphotograph library, a drawing office for cartographic and graphic design applications, a photographic section offering a wide range of facilities and workshops for equipment design, fabrication and maintenance. The department also runs a vigorous research publication programme which offers opportunities for the wider dissemination of postgraduate research findings.
+ GYM4820 Seminar in geography
+ plus three other subjects (totalling thirty-six points value) chosen from:
+ GYM4350 Resource evaluation and management
+ GYM4390 Techniques of survey and analysis
+ GYM4410 Ecological systems and management
+ GYM4420 Environmental geomorphology (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM4470 Development and environment in Asia-Pacific and Australia
+ GYM4480 Dilemmas of policy and planning
+ GYM4710 Southeast Asia
+ GYM4840 Directed studies in geography
+ GYM4880 Special topic in geography
+ GYM4900 Supervised research paper in geography
+ GYM5040 Environment and development
+ GYM5050 Advanced studies in Southeast Asia
+ GYM5060 Supervised research paper in geography
+ GYM5120 Law, the environment and the policy process (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5100 Development studies and development planning in an era of global crisis
+ GYM5300 Environmental assessment
+ GYM5330 Science and systems theory
+ GYM5350 Environmental land use planning
+ GYM5370 Environmental decision-making and action
+ GYM5380 Gendered cities (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5390 Housing policy and housing problems
+ GYM5400 Environmental regulation (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM4410 Ecological systems and management
+ GYM5350 Environmental land use planning
plus two other subjects (totalling twenty-four points) from the list below:
+ GYM4115 Environmental law (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM4350 Resource evaluation and management
+ GYM4390 Techniques of survey and analysis
+ GYM4480 Dilemmas of policy and planning
+ GYM4840 Directed studies in geography
+ GYM4880 Special topic in geography
+ GYM4900 Supervised research paper in geography
+ GYM5410 Environment and health (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5040 Environment and development
+ GYM5060 Supervised research paper in geography
+ GYM5100 Development studies and development planning in an era of global crisis
+ GYM5120 Law, the environment and the policy process (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5300 Environmental assessment
+ GYM5330 Science and systems theory
+ GYM5370 Environmental decision-making and action
+ GYM5380 Gendered cities (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5390 Housing policy and housing problems
+ GYM5400 Environmental regulation
+ GYM5410 Environment and health (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ MBA6360 Strategic management in the public sector
+ MBA6370 Public policy process (prerequisite MBA5270)
+ MBA6870 Environmental economics and policy (subject to sufficient numbers; prerequisite: background in economics)
Students accepted directly into Part II are required to complete either a thesis, or a thesis plus GYM5350 (Environmental land use planning), or the following two core subjects (totalling twenty-four points):
+ GYM5410 Ecological systems and management
+ GYM5350 Environmental land use planning
together with any two subjects (totalling twenty-four points) from the above Part II list.
+ GYM5390 Housing policy and housing problems: an international perspective
plus three other subjects (totalling thirty-six points) chosen from the list below:
+ ASM4310 Population and migration
+ ENV3110 Law and the environment
+ GYM4390 Techniques of survey and analysis
+ GYM4480 Dilemmas of policy and planning
+ GYM4840 Directed studies in geography
+ GYM4880 Special topic in geography
+ GYM4900 Supervised research paper in geography
+ LAW4144 Planning law (prerequisite LAW3100 Administrative law) (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ ASM5130 Issues in public policy
+ ASM5620 Power, policy, patriarchy and the state (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5060 Supervised research paper in geography
+ GYM5120 Law, the environment and the policy process (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5380 Gendered cities (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5400 Environmental regulation (proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ GYM5420 Environment and health (Proposed to be offered next in 1997)
+ MBA5270 Public management (quota)
+ MBA6360 Strategic management in the public sector
+ MBA6370 Public policy process (prerequisite MBA5270)
Students who are accepted directly into Part II are required to complete either a thesis, or a thesis plus the core subject GYM5390 (Housing policy and housing problems: an international perspective), or the core subject plus any three subjects (totalling thirty-six points) from the above Part II list.
+ (UA) - Unavailable in 1996
+ [f] - Foundation subject
+ [c] - Core subject
+ [e] - Elective subject
+ ENV5610(4) Intro to economics [f]
+ ENV5620(8) Environmental economy and policy [e]
+ ENV6190(4/6) Introduction to physical science [f]
+ ENV7420(8) Coastal environments [e]
+ ENV8130(8) Environmental assessment [e]
+ ENV8140(12) Science and systems theory [c]
+ ENV8180(4 ) Introduction to social science [f]
+ ENV8190(8) Environmental geomorphology (UA/96) [e]
+ ENV8210(24) Environmental research methodology [c]
+ ENV8270(12) Multidisciplinary organisation [c]
+ ENV8330(8) Environmental land use planning [e]
+ ENV8360(8) Environmental psychology [e]
+ ENV8380(8) Environment and health (UA/96) [e]
+ ENV8390(4) Ecological systems and management [f]
+ ENV8420(2/4) Environmental internship [e]
+ ENV8430(8) Gendered cities (UA/96) [e]
+ ENV8440(8) Environmental decision making and action [c] [e]
+ ENV8450(8) Origins and environmental influence of humans in SE Asia and the Pacific [e]
+ ENV8460(8) Ecotourism [e]
+ ENV8470(8) Individual research paper [c]