Future of Geography an international perspective

HERODOT conference Liverpool 2008

Future of Geographyan international perspective

Colin Arrowsmith

School of Mathematical and Geospatial SciencesRMIT University

Melbourne, Victoria,Australia

Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences Slide 2 HERODOT conference Liverpool 2008


Issues• Proliferation of ‘new’ subjects at secondary

level• Workload perception• Seen as irrelevant• Absorbed into SOSE• Teachers without geography expertise• Difficulty in defining geography and

(geo)spatial science


Issues (cont)• VCE

– 50,000 students complete• 44,000 English• 24,500 Further Maths• 16,500 Maths Methods• 15,000 Psychology• 11,500 Health and Human Development••• 2,500 Geography


Types of programs

• Geography

• Geospatial Science– Geospatial science– Geoinformatics– Geomatics– Spatial Science


Geography Programs• Adelaide University

– Department of Geographical and Environmental Studies

• ANU– Department of Human Geography– Fenner School of Environment and Society

• Canberra– Faculty of Applied Science/Environmental Science– CRC for Sustainable Tourism

• Central Queensland University– School of Arts and Creative Enterprise

• Flinders University– School of Geography, Population and Environmental Management

• Griffith– School of Environmental Planning


Geography Programs• James Cook University

– School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

• Macquarie University– Department of Human Geography– Department of Physical Geography

• Monash University– School of Geography and Environmental Science

• University of Melbourne– School of Social and Environmental Enquiry

• University of New England– School of Behavioural, Cognition and Social Sciences

• University of NSW– School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences


Geography Programs• University of Newcastle

– School of Environmental and Life Sciences

• University of Queensland– School of Geography, Planning and Architecture

• University of Sydney– School of Geosciences

• University of Tasmania– School of Geography and Environmental Studies

• University of Western Australia– School of Earth and Geographical Sciences

• University of Wollongong– School of Earth and Environmental Sciences


Geospatial Science• Charles Sturt University

– Faculty of Science

• Curtin University– Department of Spatial Sciences

• Queensland University of Technology– School of Urban Development

• Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology– School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences


Geospatial Science• University of Melbourne

– Department of Geomatics

• University of NSW– School of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems

• University of Southern Queensland– Faculty of Engineering and Surveying

• University of South Australia– School of Natural and Built Environments


National impact

• Limited graduates with “spatial awareness”

• Insufficient numbers of graduates in specialist spatial professions


Jobs in Geography• www.careerone.com.au

– “Geography” 46 jobs listed• 14 education• 1 GIS• 1 planning• Rest in sales and accounts

– GIS• 161 genuine GIS jobs

– Surveying• 286 genuine jobs

http://www.careerone.com.au/



Future of geography• Signs of a re-emergence in interest at

secondary level• Will flow to interest in tertiary studies in

geography and (geo)spatial science• Need to promote geography as a

worthwhile study – marketing• Consideration of secondary geography in

university selection










Thank you

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Future of Geography an international perspective