GEOS 1002: Introduction to Geography

GEOS1002 Introduction to Geography
GEOS1902 Introduction to Geography (Advanced)
Dr Mel Neave, Dr Kurt Iveson

Session: July
Classes: 2 lec, 2 hour prac per week
Prerequisites: none
Prohibitions: GEOS1902, GEOG1001, GEOG1002
Assessment: One 2 hr exam, one 2000 word essay, 5 practical reports. Advanced students will complete the same core lecture material as for GEOS1002, but will be required to carry out more challenging practical assignments.


This Unit of Study provides an introductory geographical analysis of the ways in which places and landscapes are produced. The Unit focuses on both the physical and human processes that generate spatial variation and difference, as well as tracing the interactions between these processes. The Unit will begin with an investigation of Earth’s surface features, exploring the distribution of landforms across Earth and interpreting their evolutionary histories. Several landscapes will be examined including those formed by rivers, wind, oceans and glaciers. But physical landscapes evolve under the influence of and affect human operations. Therefore, the Unit of Study will also consider the political, economic, cultural and urban geographies which shape contemporary global society. Each of these themes will be discussed with reference to key examples, in order to consider the ways in which the various processes (both physical and human) interact in the shaping of places. The Unit of Study will also include short field trips to localities surrounding the university to observe processes of spatial change and conflict. The Unit of Study is designed to attract and interest students who wish to pursue geography as a major within their undergraduate degree, but also has relevance to students who wish to consider the way geographers understand the contemporary world.