Degree Type: 

Master of Arts

Department: 

Department of Geography and Regional Planning

Programme Duration: 

3 years (Standard Entry)

Modes of Study: 

Regular

About Programme: 

The specific objectives are to:

  • Empower students to develop affinity for and understanding of the increasing global inter-dependence of peoples and cultures;
  • Develop in students skills and attitudes that will enable them participate in solving the problems of their communities, countries and the world at large;
  • Enable students adapt to knowledge gained in decision-making roles in society which require local, national and international perspectives and competence;
  • Enable students achieve personal and professional growth within geographic education; and
  • Enable students to acquire skills and perspectives for life-long learning.

 

Target group The programme targets various strands of people: young academics wishing to enhance their knowledge; professionals working in the civil/public services as well as with non-governmental organisations (NGOs); and managers of utilities and services.

Entry Requirements: 

Candidates applying for each of the programmes must have at least a Second Class Lower Division degree in Geography or related disciplines including Economics, Sociology, Development Studies, Business Management, Agriculture Science, Mathematics, Statistics and Biological Sciences. Applicants would also have to pass an interview to be conducted at the Department.  

Programme Structure            Students have two academic years to complete the programme. However, those who opt to do part-time will be given an additional year. The first year of the programme would be used for course work which covers two semesters while the second year is devoted to the research component where students prepare a thesis based on an approved topic.

Goal / Aim / Objectives: 

The Master of Arts programme in Geography is to produce middle-level graduates with the requisite knowledge and skills to think and analyse geographic issues critically in the competitive global world.

 

The specific objectives are to:

  1. Build the capacity of students to critically analyse multi-disciplinary geographic issues in the globalizing world; 

  1. Develop the skills of students to undertake independent research to inform public policy; and

  1. Equip students with the relevant skills to enable them participate in decision making processes at the local, regional and national levels. 

Career Opportunities: 

The main aim of the postgraduate programmes in Geography and Regional Planning is to provide students with the necessary tools to think critically and function independently in a globally competitive world.

Programme Structure

Level 800

First Semester

GEO 803: Research Methods
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To equip students with the knowledge and skills to conduct research in the field of Geography.

Content 

This course fundamentally exposes students to the processes involved in research. These include philosophy of social science research, conceptualization of a research problem, data collection and instrumentation, techniques in fieldwork, data analysis and presentation of results. Models and modelling of geographic phenomenon are also treated.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, fieldwork, individual and group presentations and discussions.

GEO 821: Theories and Practice Of Regional Planning
3 Credit(s)

.

Geo 831: Histroy of Geographic Thought
3 Credit(s)

This course focuses on the evolution and development of geography from the classical times to the modern age. Some of the issues to be covered are the Dark Ages and its effects on the spread of geographical knowledge, renaissance and geography, the quantitative revolution and geographical thought, contributions of Islamic scholars and new paradigms in geography.

GEO 833: Geospatial Techniques
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To equip students with the knowledge and skills in using computers in managing spatial data that has been generated from geographic phenomena.

Content

The main focus of this course is to equip students with ideas to use computers in managing spatial data generated from geographic phenomena. Topics include: geographic data types; spatial data models; databases, data integration, structures for organizing geographic data in GIS; and, coordinates and projections; principles and concepts in remote sensing, image classification and interpretations, satellite platforms etc. Emphasis is on proper coding procedures, identification of variables, entry of data and results, and interpretation of outcomes. There would be laboratory sessions to allow students gain hands-on experience with the application of GIS.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, laboratory exercises, fieldwork, individual and group presentations.

GEO 834: Qualitative Research Methods
3 Credit(s)

The course emphasises the use of qualitative methods and techniques to produce descriptive data which students must be able to interpret employing rigorous and systematic methods of transcribing, coding and analysis. Furthermore, students learn various methods of qualitative data collection such as conducting interviews, focus group discussions, content analysis of visual and textual materials, observations and immersion and oral history. 

Second Semester

GEO 806: Fieldwork and Seminars
3 Credit(s)

The main focus of this course is on planning for fieldwork, preparation of field instruments and how to conduct surveys using specific locations/populations as case studies. The course is in two parts. The first part deals with developing students’ ability to design and use field instruments. The second part involves equipping students with skills in data management, preparation of reports, and presentation of results at organised seminars. 

Objective: To build the capacity of students to conduct field survey and seminars, and skills to write academic reports on data collected from the field.

GEO 823: Strategic Development and Project Planning
3 Credit(s)

.

GEO 826: Quantitative and Statistical Methods
3 Credit(s)

The course equips students with adequate knowledge on the quantitative and statistical tools currently applied in Geography. Emphasis is on the understanding of the tools as well as their application to geographical phenomena. A substantial number of models, conceptual frameworks and descriptive and inferential techniques useful in geographical studies will be covered. This course provides an introduction to quantitative methods used by geographers to analyze and interpret geographic data and solve geographic problems. Topics include descriptive statistics, hypothesis formulation and testing, sampling strategies, correlation, regression, and spatial patterns. Examples will be drawn from temporal and spatial relationships in physical and human geography. Through this course, students will have a basic understanding of quantitative methods used by geographers and will be able to analyze and interpret geographic data and solve geographic problems from the statistical perspective.

Objective: To equip students with quantitative and statistical techniques to analyse geo-spatial data. 

GEO 832: Modern Geographic Thought
3 Credit(s)

This course focuses on the exploration of key issues related to the theoretical positions and debates that have affected Geography in recent decades, including imperialism, development theory, environmental determinism, regionalism, quantitative revolution, historical materialism, and feminism. 

Objective: The objective is to enhance students’ knowledge on issues in contemporary geographic thought.