Department of Geography, Environment and Population

We teach courses that build work skills and knowledge about environmental management and processes. We focus on human-environment interactions at local to global levels and address the world’s greatest challenges; we explore how the world can cope with an ever-expanding population, what future cities should look like, and how climate change will impact ecosystems and human society.

Our courses also offer opportunities to work with, and learn about Indigenous peoples and their connection to the environment, food security, global international migration and ethics.

All our courses develop student knowledge and skills to investigate and recommend responses to real-world environmental problems. We offer a fabulous international study tour on sustainable cities and run field trips focussing on how environments can be rehabilitated.

Study Geography, Environment and Population

The Department of Geography, Environment and Population academic staff lead national and international research programs.

Our research focuses on ageing, housing, population, environmental management, mobility, tourism, climate change to Indigenous resource management, biodiversity conservation, water quality, environmental change and sustainable agricultural development.

We are associated with two research centres, the first being the Centre for Housing, Urban and Regional Planning which comprises a network of researchers, academics and other practitioners whose shared vision is to undertake high quality housing, urban and regional research and disseminate their findings for the betterment of society.

The second the Hugo Centre for Migration and Population Research is an international research hub dedicated to addressing the global challenge of population change.

The Adaptation, Community Environment (ACE) Research Network, hosts research and activities that focus community engagement with environmental issues, specifically adaptation to climate change.

Geography staff and students work in over 30 different countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, USA, and in Antarctica. Geography staff have been successful in a number of national and international grant schemes including the Australian Research Council (Discovery and Linkage), the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Network (NCCARF), the Ford Foundation, the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.