Synergies between geography, planning and vocationalism in curriculum development and implementation

Abstract

Geography curricula are being transformed by the increasing emphasis on skills, employability and professional competencies. In this paper, we contribute to these ongoing debates through reporting and reflecting on one curriculum transformation introduced in response to these pressures: the development of a Bachelor of Planning pedagogically framed within geography at Macquarie University. We explore the ways in which the vocational orientations of a planning degree can be woven through a geography curriculum, and its communication to a cross section of stakeholders. The paper highlights the complexity of implementing vocationally oriented curricula and provides signposts for those considering such a transformation.

Keywords:

• Bachelor of planning
• geography curriculum
• vocationalism
• professional accreditation

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by project funding from the Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University. The authors are grateful for the comments of anonymous referees on earlier versions of the paper.

Notes

1. These were the requirements at the time the BPlan curriculum was developed; however, following a review of planning education in 2009, these requirements have subsequently changed (see PIA, 2010).