MONASH UNIVERSITY FACULTY HANDBOOKS

Science Handbook 1996

Published by Monash University
Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia

Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996


Geography and environmental science

The Department of Geography and Environmental Science offers subjects leading to a major sequence in both physical geography and environmental science, at undergraduate and graduate levels. A description of the discipline and a statement of objectives are contained in the handbook for the Faculty of Arts.

Course structure

A first-year sequence in physical geography is comprised of GES1000 followed by GES1020. A second-year sequence is made up of subjects to the value of at least sixteen points drawn from those listed below. A third-year sequence comprises subjects to the value of at least twenty-four points chosen from those listed below.

It is strongly recommended that students wishing to major in environmental science take a core course sequence comprising two first-year subjects from geography (GES1000 and GES1020) together with two from ecology and evolutionary biology (BIO1011 and BIO1042). Subjects to the value of a further twenty-four points should be drawn from other disciplines such as mathematics, chemistry, geology or physics. At least twelve points should be from one of these disciplines.

At second-year level, it is recommended that students majoring in environmental science take GES2420 and three other four-point subjects in geography along with life science subjects LSC2011 and LSC2022, as the core, together with a further sixteen points from related disciplines.

At third-year level the choice of majoring discipline is left open, but it is recommended that students major in one of the core subjects, or in subjects consistent with that core. It is also recommended that students should become conversant with the social, political and economic context of environmental problems by including in their degree at least some subjects chosen from the human geography range of offerings, particularly GES1040 and GES3350. (See the Faculty of Arts handbook for details.)

Students may major jointly in physical geography and environmental science.

Credit may be given for subjects at other institutions which offer either relevant subjects in environmental science or environmental studies and/or closely allied disciplines.

Geography subject offerings

Available to both physical geography and environmental science streams.

First year

Coordinator: Mr Stephen Legg

+ GES1000

+ GES1020

Second year

Coordinator: Associate Professor Jim Peterson

Prerequisites: GES1000 and GES1020, or permission of head of department.

Students must choose at least four of the following four-point subjects:

+ GES2130

+ GES2150

+ GES2170

+ GES2190

+ GES2210

+ GES2420

Third year

Coordinator: Dr Kathie Gibson

Prerequisites: Sixteen points of second year physical geography or permission of head of department.

Students must choose at least two of the following twelve-point subjects:

+ GES3350

+ GES3360

+ GES3390

+ GES3510

+ GES3530

+ GES3550

Fourth year

Coordinator: Associate Professor James S Whitelaw

Students who have achieved a standard of at least a credit level in the third-year subjects in physical geography or environmental science may enrol for the honours degree. There are three different parts of the honours year course:

+ GES4820

+ GES4840 and

+ GES4860


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