University Of Venda Geography Department

University Of Venda Geography Department, The Department of Geography and Geo-Information Sciences is one of the five departments in the School of Environmental Sciences. The other departments of the School are: Hydrology and Water Resources; Mining and Environmental Geology; Ecology and Resource Management and Urban and Regional Planning.

Within the School, the niche of the Department is its emphasis on the analysis of spatial organisation of both the human and the physical environments. The processes that influence this organisation are analysed as the basis of understanding major issues in the environment in all the disciplines relevant to the School.

The Department’s major focus is spatial science providing mapping services, education and training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS), Surveying and Geomatics. The Department serves the School, the University and the northern region (Vhembe District) of the Limpopo province and South Africa as a whole.

Three-year undergraduate, Honours, Master’s and Ph.D. degree programmes are offered. The main objective of the undergraduate programme is to provide students with a strong background to work as environmental and geo-information scientists.

The structure of the modules that constitute the programme provide for a broad based introduction to major world environments and associated techniques in the first year. In the second year students are introduced to theoretical thrusts and methodology. In the third year students begin to specialize. Masters and doctoral programmes are mainly geared towards research and applied work.

Students are also prepared to pursue career areas in line with the South African education policy that puts emphasis on career-oriented training and one that combines knowledge with skills training. Tourism Geography, Rural Development Planning, Population and Demography, Industrial and Settlement Studies, Applied Geomorphology, Climatology, Biogeography, Geography and Geo-Information Science are specific fields of study.

For more information contact the Head of Department:

Mission

To offer training & tertiary education in Physical & Human geography, & Geographical Information Sciences, while actively engaging in research & community work in order to respond to the development needs of the region, nation & southern Africa.

Vision

To be a centre of excellence in tertiary education in Geography & Geo-information Sciences in South Africa & to contribute to sustainable rural & regional development of southern Africa.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Programmes” tab_id=”1473337278684-1e55c073-e404″][vc_column_text](with Geo as major)

B.EnvSc

B.EnvScH(GEO)

M.EnvSc

PhD (GEO)

Programmes under Development: Bachelor in Disaster Risk Science; Diploma in GIS & Remote sensing

Undergraduate Modules

CODE	MODULE TITLE	PREREQUISITE(S)
GEO 1541*	Integrated study of major world environments 1
GEO1520	introduction to cartography, mapanalysis and aerial photograph interpretation	.
GEO 1641	Intergrated study of major world environmental 2
GEO 1620	Element of remote sensing and geomatics
GEO 2541	Spatial organisation of society	GEO 1641
GEO 2542	Quantitative and Qualitative	GEO 1520
GEO 2641	Patterns and processes in physical geography	GEO 1541
GEO 2642	Themes on the geography of Africa
GEO 3541	Geography of South Africa	GEO 2642
GEO 3542	Geomorphology	GEO2641
GEO 3543	Biogeography	GEO 2641
GEO 3544	Population and Demography	GEO 2541
GEO 3545	Settlement and Industrial Development	GEO 2541
GEO 3641	Remote sensing and Geographic Information System A	GEO 1620
GEO 3642	Climatology	GEO 2641
GEO 3643	Geography of Tourism	GEO 2541
GEO 3644	Rural Geography and Development	GEO 2541
GEO 5520	General Research Methodology : GEO 5520
GEO 5521	Geographic Thought and Methodology
GEO 5522	Advanced Quantitative and Qualitative Research techniques: GEO 5520
GEO 5720	Research project and Report/ Dissertatio (both semesters)
GEO 5620	Applied Geomoorphology	GEO 3542
GEO 5621	Applied Climatology	GEO 3542
GEO 5622	Applied Biogeography	GEO 3543
GEO 5623	Sustainable Tourism, Tuorism policy and management: GEO 5623	GEO 3543
GEO 5624	Land tenure and Rural land Use	GEO 3644
GEO 5625	Advanced Population dynamics And Demography: GEO 5625	GEO 3644
GEO 5626	Urbanisation and Rural studies	GEO 3542
GEO 5627	Geographic Infirmation system and Remote Sensing	GEO 3641
GEO 6990	Research and Dissertation
GEO 7990	Research and Thesis
*all GEO modules are compulsory for studens who are taking geography as a major. Student who are taking GEO as an additional should take two continuous modules at each level.

Research Interests: Applications of PGIS/GIS/RS in Flood Risk; Gully extraction; Modelling Soil Erosion; Cross-border Trade & Green economy.

Tel: +27 15 962 8593
Email: [email protected]
Office: F026, School of Environmental Science Building[/persons][persons photo=”2389″ name=”Professor A. Musyoki” job=”Professor”]Qualifications: PHD (Howard University. Washington DC); Masters (Ohio University, Athens Ohio); Bachelor of education (Nairobi University, Kenya).

Research interests: Environment and development, climate change and green economy, Land reform and rural development, Gender and development

Tel: +27 15 962 8586
Email: [email protected]
Office: F021, School of Environmental Science Building[/persons][persons photo=”3744″ name=”Professor B.D.O. Odhiambo” job=”Professor”]Qualifications: PHD (geography): University of Waterloo Ontario, Canada; MSc (Geology): University of Nairobi; Postgraduate Diploma (geomorphology) I.T.C Netherlands; Bachelor of Science (Hon): University of Nairobi, Kenya; Certificate of Achievement in remote sensing, Toulouse, France.

Research interests: Environmental Biogeochemistry, GIS and Remote Sensing, Exploration of economic mineral deposits using biogeochemical and geobotanical techniques.