BA in Geography

BA in Geography, the study of the earth and its lands, features, inhabitants and phenomena, is one of the specializations of Bachelor of Arts (BA) undergraduate course of three years which is divided into 6 semesters. The course curriculum explores not only the geographical features of the earth but also its features and population. Enrolled aspirants to the course are taken to annual field trips to observe and analyse field data for stimulating awareness of the environment. They are also trained on cartography and report writing through presentations on thematic atlases and field reports. 

 

Students with the capability of and interest in analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, critically interpreting data and text, developing reasoned arguments, numerical skills, team-work, planning skills, presenting oral and written arguments and information, communication and technology, are best suited for the course. The eligibility criteria that need to be satisfied by the aspirants for applying to the course are:

·      A 10+2 or equivalent qualification in the Arts stream from a recognized educational Board. Students have to secure 45% of marks to obtain entry requirements for this course.

·      Qualification of a relevant entrance exams and a round of interview as part of the admission process of some institutes offering the course.

Some colleges conduct entrance exams like:

·      LPU-NEST

·      GATA

·      GVSAT                

 

Geography is the study of the earth, including aspects such as land, topography, attributes, people and phenomena. Subjects covered in the discipline are Environment and Ecology, Fundamentals of Remote Sensing and GIS, Statistical Techniques, Spatial Analysis, Advanced Physical Geography, Contemporary Human Geography, Computer Aided Mapping, Thematic Atlas, Spatial Economic Systems, Natural Resource Management, Political Geography, Agricultural Geography, Social Geography of India, Urban Settlement System, Regional Development, Cultural Geography, Hydrology and Water Resource Management, Environmental Impact Assessment, Geography of Landscape, Demography and Population Policy, Health, Environment and Society, among others.

 

Procedure for admission to the course varies from institute to institute. Aspiring candidates have the option of applying through any of online and offline modes. Some institutes conduct their own entrance exams for admission. There are some institutes which offer direct admission on the basis of the candidate’s merit, based on which a cut-off list is prepared for prospective finalists.

 

Successful graduates of the course are professionally recruited as Urban and Regional Planners, Remote Sensing Specialists, Researchers etc.  They are also hired in research agencies meant for environmental issues, population studies and rural development, in the teaching profession at universities, colleges, schools and coaching institutes. Fieldwork is an essential part of the curriculum, aimed at developing students’ practical skills, hands-on experience, useful in fields like commerce, transport and tourism, business, law and finance sectors.

Upon successful completion of the course, graduates are lucratively hired both in private and public sectors few are described below:

·      Geographer: Geographers are responsible for studying the features and its inhabitants of the Earth and Land. They gather geographic information through maps, field observations, satellite imagery, photographs, and censuses. They use both qualitative and quantitative methods. They also create and modify diagrams, graphs, maps, or other visual representation of geographic information. They will present their findings and write reports on it.

·      Forest Manager: Forest managers are responsible for managing woodlands and forests and the activities such as reservation, timber production, and recreation. They will advise clients on forestry practice and provide the contract services, and establish the new forests. They also conduct research in areas like pathology, silviculture, tree entomology and development. They also monitor existing forestry and protect the forests from illegal issues.

·      Demographer: Demographers are responsible for conducting the statistical examination of the distribution, composition, and transition of the human population. These professionals monitor patterns in population, such as consequences and causes of the rise and fall of migration, mortality rates, or fertility. They also examine the collected data and travel from place to another to get accurate information.

·      Cartographer: Responsible for developing and producing maps, presenting complex information as diagrams, charts and spread sheets, and conventional maps.

·      Coastal Zone Manager: Responsible for protecting, conserving, and managing coasts and coastal resources, involved in management decisions, for proper use of resources.

·      Land Use Analyst: Responsible for organizing and designing plans for land use, evaluating population numbers, environmental and economic factors, normally working with land developers and public officials to establish a cost-effective, salubrious, and ethical habitat.

·      Landscape Architect: Responsible for meeting with clients, engineers, and building architects to understand the project, and for preparing site plans, specifications, and cost estimates. They also help in preparing graphical representations of proposed plans using computer -aided design and drafting software.

·      Development Surveyor: Responsible for overseeing property developments from empty plots of land to fully operational buildings, and for evaluating development plans, taking into consideration a range of legal, social, financial and environmental factors.

·      Zoning Investigator: Responsible for receiving and acting on zoning and nuisance complaints including any required investigations, writing notices and for maintaining logs with the status of each complaint.

 

Now that we had understood what the BA Geography course is, we had also heard of the term BSc Geography. So, let’s go through what are the major differences: 

 

	BA Geography	BSc Geography
Focus	Human Geography: Developments, Population, Political, Economic and Social Aspects.	Physical Geography: Rivers, Rocks, Coasts, Glaciations, Mountains, Core and much more.
Training	Humanities and Social Sciences	Physical and Natural Sciences
Eligibility Criteria	Students can be a pass from any stream from a recognised board and should have secured a minimum of 45%.	Students should have done their PCB or PCM in Science stream from a recognised university and should have secured a minimum of 55%.
Admission Criteria	Admission through Merit or Entrance Exam	Admission through Entrance Exam.
Jobs Offered	Journalism, Geographer, Demographer, Travel and Tourism, Rural Development, NGO, Tourism Industry.	National Parks, Cartography Centres, Environmental Agencies, Urban Planning Agencies, Teacher, Professor, Research, Analyst, Environmentalist.

 

The major difference between the two is the area of focus, while a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Geography guides a student down more of a Humanities and Social Science role, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) guides students down physical and natural sciences which then branches on to various sub-fields in Geography. Geography is one fascinating subject and be it either course one selects, the outcome is that one gets to learn more about the planet that we live in.