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Master of Geography (MC-GEOG) // Course structure
About this course
Contact
Currently enrolled students:
- General information: https://ask.unimelb.edu.au
- Contact Stop 1
Future students:
- Further information: http://science.unimelb.edu.au/
Coordinator
Associate Professor Russell Drysdale
Course structure
Master of Geography is a 200 point program. The course can be taken under one of three following structures:
Coursework only
- Discipline Core (25 pt)
- Geography Practical (12.5 pt)
- Discipline electives (137.5 pt)
- Professional Skills subjects (25 pt)
Coursework plus minor research thesis
- Discipline core (25 pt);
- Discipline electives (100 pt)
- Professional skills subjects (25 pt)
- Minor research thesis (50 pt)
Coursework plus major research thesis
- Discipline core (25 pt);
- Discipline electives (50 or 62.5 pt)
- Professional skills subjects (12.5 or 25 pt)
- Major research thesis (100 pt)
Subject options
Discipline Core subjects
All students must take both of the following:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG90018 | Contemporary Geographical Thought | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90029 | Research Methods in Geography | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Additional Discipline Core
Coursework-only students must also take the following:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG90028 | Geography Practical |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Discipline Electives
Students must complete Discipline Electives subject from within one of three geography streams:
- Physical Geography;
- Human Geography;
- Integrated Geography.
Note: At least 12.5pt of field classes is strongly recommended; students are permitted to take up to two 300-level subjects.
Physical Geography Stream
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG30021 | The Disaster Resilient City | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30022 | Riverine Landscapes: Hydrology & Ecology | No longer available | |
| GEOG30027 | Local Sites, Global Connections | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90004 | Climate Change Politics and Policy | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90005 | Environmental Politics and Policy | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90015 | Environmental Impact Assessment | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90014 | Environmental Risk Assessment | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FOOD90034 | Sustainable Food Production | Semester 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90003 | Integrated River & Catchment Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90022 | International Internship in Environment |
Summer Term (Off Campus)
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
25 |
| GEOG90024 | Coastal Landforms and Management | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| GEOG90026 | Global Climate Change In Context | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90027 | Biogeography and Ecology of Fire | Summer Term (Off Campus) |
12.5 |
| GEOM90006 | Spatial Data Analytics | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90002 | Climate Science for Decision-Making | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90019 | Indigenous Land Management | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| GEOG90025 | East Timor Field Class | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| ENST90034 | Adapting to Climate Change | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90002 | Social Impact Assessment and Evaluation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| DEVT90003 | The Political Ecology of Development | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30030 | Spatial Modelling for Nature and People | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30033 | Arid Australia Field Class | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90020 | Participatory Risk Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FOOD90041 | The Politics of Food | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Human Geography Stream
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG30019 | Sustainable Development | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30021 | The Disaster Resilient City | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30022 | Riverine Landscapes: Hydrology & Ecology | No longer available | |
| GEOG30024 | Africa: Environment, Development, People | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30027 | Local Sites, Global Connections | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| DEVT90003 | The Political Ecology of Development | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90004 | Climate Change Politics and Policy | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90005 | Environmental Politics and Policy | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90002 | Social Impact Assessment and Evaluation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90015 | Environmental Impact Assessment | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90014 | Environmental Risk Assessment | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FOOD90034 | Sustainable Food Production | Semester 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90020 | Participatory Risk Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90021 | Conservation and Cultural Environments | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90022 | International Internship in Environment |
Summer Term (Off Campus)
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
25 |
| GEOM90006 | Spatial Data Analytics | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90002 | Climate Science for Decision-Making | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90019 | Indigenous Land Management | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| GEOG90025 | East Timor Field Class | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| ASIA90016 | China and the Environment | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90034 | Adapting to Climate Change | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30029 | Geographies of Migration | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| UNIB30002 | Global Health, Security & Sustainability | No longer available | |
| GEOG30031 | Law Space: Geographies of Justice | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| GEOG30028 | Mobile Worlds | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FOOD90041 | The Politics of Food | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Integrated Geography stream
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG30019 | Sustainable Development | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30021 | The Disaster Resilient City | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30022 | Riverine Landscapes: Hydrology & Ecology | No longer available | |
| GEOG30024 | Africa: Environment, Development, People | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30027 | Local Sites, Global Connections | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| DEVT90003 | The Political Ecology of Development | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90004 | Climate Change Politics and Policy | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90005 | Environmental Politics and Policy | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90002 | Social Impact Assessment and Evaluation | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90015 | Environmental Impact Assessment | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| EVSC90014 | Environmental Risk Assessment | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FOOD90034 | Sustainable Food Production | Semester 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90003 | Integrated River & Catchment Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90020 | Participatory Risk Management | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90021 | Conservation and Cultural Environments | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90022 | International Internship in Environment |
Summer Term (Off Campus)
Semester 1 (Off Campus)
Semester 2 (Off Campus)
|
25 |
| GEOG90024 | Coastal Landforms and Management | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| GEOG90026 | Global Climate Change In Context | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90027 | Biogeography and Ecology of Fire | Summer Term (Off Campus) |
12.5 |
| GEOM90006 | Spatial Data Analytics | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90002 | Climate Science for Decision-Making | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG90019 | Indigenous Land Management | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| GEOG90025 | East Timor Field Class | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| ASIA90016 | China and the Environment | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90034 | Adapting to Climate Change | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30030 | Spatial Modelling for Nature and People | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30033 | Arid Australia Field Class | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ATOC90017 | Advanced Past Climates | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| GEOG30029 | Geographies of Migration | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| UNIB30002 | Global Health, Security & Sustainability | No longer available | |
| GEOG30001 | Coastal Landforms and Processes | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| FOOD90041 | The Politics of Food | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Professional Skills subjects
Coursework only and Coursework with minor research thesis students much complete 25 points of the listed Professional Skills subjects.
Coursework plus major research thesis students can complete between 12.5 to 25 points of the listed Professional Skills subjects.
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAST90045 | Systems Modelling and Simulation | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| SCIE90005 | Ethics and Responsibility in Science | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| MAST90007 | Statistics for Research Workers | Winter Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MAST90072 | Data and Decision Making | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| ENST90034 | Adapting to Climate Change | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| AGRI90075 | Research Methods For Life Sciences | Semester 1 (Online) |
12.5 |
| BUSA90403 | Business Tools: Money People & Processes | September (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MKTG90022 | Commercialisation of Science | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MGMT90171 | Leadership in Science | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SKIL90004 | Project Management in Science | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MGMT90031 | Project Management |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LING90002 | Academic English for Graduate Studies |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| LAWS90203 | Science & AI: Legal & Ethical Challenges | Not available in 2026 | 12.5 |
| HPSC40016 | History and Philosophy of Science | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS70068 | Environmental Law | June (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| MAST90044 | Thinking and Reasoning with Data | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SCIE90012 | Science Communication | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| SCIE90013 | Communication for Research Scientists |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| GEOM90007 | Information Visualisation | Semester 2 (Online) |
12.5 |
Research Project
Note: Students taking either the ‘50-pt Research Project plus 150 pt coursework’ or ‘100-pt Research Project plus 100 pt coursework’ option can only enrol in their first research project subject: (i) once they have presented the program coordinator with evidence of having obtained the agreement of a member of academic staff to supervise their project; and (ii) if they have either already completed, or are enrolled concurrently in, GEOG90029 Geography Methods.
International students on a 2-year full-time study visa can normally only take the ‘50-pt Research Project plus 150 pt coursework’ or ‘coursework-only’ option. Permission to take the ‘100-pt Research Project plus 100 pt coursework’ option may be granted in exceptional cases if the student can provide evidence to the program coordinator of having obtained the agreement of a member of academic staff to supervise their project AND the student can arrive on campus in time to commence the classes for GEOG90029 Geography Methods (a Summer Semester intensive subject run in February).
Students taking the ‘coursework-only’ option can only enrol in GEOG90028 Geography Practical if: (i) they have notified the program coordinator in the previous semester that they intend to enrol in this subject; and (ii) they have completed, or are enrolled concurrently in, GEOG90029 Geography Methods. There is no research project for students taking the coursework-only option
Coursework plus minor research thesis:
Students wishing to undertake the 50-pt research project pathway must attain a WAM of at least 75 or, obtain permission from the Master of Geography coordinator.
The minor thesis (50 pt) will be taken over the final two semesters of enrolment, beginning the Monday of the first semester of research project enrolment (semester 1 or 2) and continuing until the end of the final semester of research project enrolment. The research project work continues over summer or winter breaks, minus annual recreation leave of 4 weeks. For how long and at what time within the enrolment the actual period of leave is to be taken needs to be negotiated with a student's supervisor.
The thesis will be due for submission by the end of the formal examination period of the final semester of research project enrolment (usually the fourth semester of the student’s M Geography candidature), if an earlier date is not specified. The assessment requirements below are applicable to the entire 50-point Research Project. All assessment pieces are individual tasks:
- A 4,000 word written research proposal modelled on a research grant application style, due by week 8 of the first semester of research project enrolment. 12.5% of final project mark.
- A 20 minutes oral research proposal seminar due by week 8 of the first semester of research project enrolment. 12.5% of final project mark.
- A 20 minute research results seminar due week 11 of the second semester of research project enrolment. 12.5% % of final project mark.
- A 12,500-word thesis by the end of the formal examination period of the second semester of research project enrolment. 62.5% of final project mark.
Students select their research project load in consultation with their project supervisor and the program coordinator, and must enrol in at least 12.5 points of research project per semester except in extraordinary circumstances (e.g. supervisor being on sabbatical leave) where permission of the program coordinator is given. Therefore, in each semester students must be enrolled in one of the subjects listed below (all of which are offered in both semesters):
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG90030 | Geography Minor Research Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| GEOG90031 | Geography Minor Research Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| GEOG90032 | Geography Minor Research Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| GEOG90033 | Geography Minor Research Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
Coursework plus major research thesis:
Students wishing to undertake the 100-pt research project pathway must attain a WAM of at least 75 or, obtain permission from the Master of Geography coordinator.
The major thesis (100pt) will be taken over four consecutive semesters and will begin on the Monday of the first semester of research project enrolment (semester 1 or 2) and continue until the end of the final semester of research project enrolment. The research project work continues over summer and winter breaks, minus recreation leave of 4 weeks per year. For how long and at what time within the enrolment the actual period of leave is to be taken needs to be negotiated with a student's supervisor.
The thesis will be due for submission at the end of the formal examination period of the final semester of research project enrolment (usually the fourth semester), if an earlier date is not specified. The assessment requirements below are applicable to the entire 100-point Research Project. All assessment pieces are individual tasks:
- A full literature review of 5,000 words, due at the end of the first semester of research: value 12.5% of final project mark
- A research 4,000 word proposal modelled on a research grant application style, and research proposal seminar, due by week 4 and week 11 respectively of the second semester of research: value 12.5% of final project mark
- A 20 minute research results seminar due week 11 of the final (fourth) semester of research project enrolment. 12.5% of final project mark.
- A 25,000-word thesis by the end of the formal examination period of the final (fourth) semester of research project enrolment. 62.5% of final project mark.
Students select their research project load in consultation with their project supervisor and the program coordinator, and must enrol in at least 12.5 points of research project per semester except in extraordinary circumstances (e.g. supervisor being on sabbatical leave) where permission of the program coordinator is given.
EXAMPLE:
- GEOG90036 Geography Research Project pt1 (12.5pts)
- GEOG90040 Geography Research Project pt2 (12.5pts)
- GEOG90045 Geography Research Project pt3 (25pts)
- GEOG90051 Geography Research Project pt4 (50pts)
Therefore, in each semester students must be enrolled in one of the subjects listed below (all of which are offered in both semesters):
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEOG90036 | Geography Research Project Part 1 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| GEOG90040 | Geography Research Project Part 2 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
| GEOG90045 | Geography Research Project Part 3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
25 |
| GEOG90046 | Geography Research Project Part 3 |
Semester 1 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Extended) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| GEOG90050 | Geography Research Project Part 4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
37.5 |
| GEOG90051 | Geography Research Project Part 4 |
Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Parkville)
|
50 |
Last updated: 19 November 2025