Welcome to Physical Geography

Students will need to be enrolled by the 10 February otherwise a late fee will apply.

To apply for Physical Geography courses please submit an online application to https://signups.victoria.ac.nz/oes/

The graduate programme in Physical Geography at Victoria is the only such programme offered in New Zealand where students gain a specific degree specialization in Physical Geography. It is taught by some of the leaders in their field and combines cutting edge research and the latest innovations with the core competencies in the understanding of the New Zealand physical environment.

What is physical geography?

Physical geography is the study of the earth's surface features and processes. It aims to explain the geographic pattern of landforms, soils, vegetation, hydrology, coasts, and climate by understanding the processes operating at the surface of the earth. Whereas the physical processes involved link the discipline closely to other earth sciences, the dependence of human activity on physical resources and human impact on the environment also link the subject to geography.

Climatology, hydrology, coastal processes, and geomorphology are among the sub-themes included here. There is a particularly strong focus on those issues important for resource managers in New Zealand such as climate change, landscape stability, water resources, hazard and risk in both the terrestrial and marine systems.

Careers in Physical Geography

An understanding of the physical landscape and its resources is essential to the proper management of the natural environment. Issues of erosion, ground water availability, stream quality, tsunami and climatic and environmental change affect all people to some extent in New Zealand. All these problems are based and driven by the landscape in which they occur. It is because of this that Physical Geography students are in demand in the current job market.

In the last few years the following companies and government institutions have employed our graduates (this is only a brief list as an example - our graduates are spread throughout all sectors in New Zealand and the world).

Crown Research Institutions

• GNS Science
• LandCare
• National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Sciences (NIWA)

Private Environmental Consultancies

• Tonkin and Taylor
• Opus
• URS Ltd
• Geotechnics Ltd
• Geosystems Ltd
• Mighty River Power

National Government

• Climate Change Office
• Ministry for the Environment
• Department of Conservation

Regional and District Councils

• Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
• Napier District Council
• Greater Wellington
• Wellington City Council
• Kapiti Coast District Council
• Department of Conservation
• Auckland Regional Council
• Northland Regional Council