MA Geography Syllabus & Subjects 2025

The MA Geography or Master of Arts in Geography syllabus revolves around the study of the Earth, its physical properties, and the correspondence between humans and the atmosphere. When you study this course program, you will have an in-depth understanding of Geography and its principles. More to that, the MA Geography syllabus and subjects incorporate everything from Geomorphology to Population and Human Development.

Other than that, the two-year course is divided into four semesters. If you qualify in the entrance exams like CUET, CUCET, TISSNET, AUAT, IPU CET, you can secure admission for this course in reputed colleges. You will be taught the MA Geography subjects through a wide range of teaching methods to make the specialisation industry-ready and competitive.

Having a proper idea about your syllabus helps you gain a better idea of the course program. To help you out with the syllabus and subjects, here we have provided you with a list of year-wise syllabus and subjects for MA Geography: 

First Year Syllabus MA Geography

Following is a list of syllabus and subjects that you will be studying in the first year:

• Geomorphology
• Economic Geography
• Nature of Geography
• Quantitative Techniques and Digital Data Processing
• Soil -Water Analysis, Surveying and Field Report
• Climatology and Soil Geography
• Geographical Thought
• Biogeography
• Geohydrology and Oceanography
• Cartographic Techniques and Map Projection
• Thematic Mapping and Geographical Information System
• Historical and Political Geography
   

Second Year Syllabus MA Geography

Following is a list of syllabus and subjects that you will be studying in the second year:

• Regions and Regional Entity of India and West Bengal
• Social, Cultural and Settlement Geography
• Population and Human Development
• Applied Statistical Techniques in Geography
• Regional Planning and Development
• Resource Planning and Development
• Land use Planning and Rural Development
• Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System

In order to provide you with an idea of what you will be studying throughout your course program, we have provided a brief of semester-wise MA Geography subjects:

1st Year MA Geography Subjects

Tabulated below is a listicle of subjects that you will be studying in the first two semesters of your course program:

2nd Year MA Geography Subjects

Tabulated below is a listicle of subjects that you will be studying in the last two semesters of your course program:

Core subjects are those that you will find in the curriculum of every college or university. Here we have provided some of the popular core subjects in the MA Geography:

Climatology: In this subject, you will study plenty of aspects related to climate, including its changes, patterns, and consequences. It covers topics, such as investigating meteorological conditions and environmental phenomena and their multidimensional and temporal interpretations. 

Biogeography: This branch of geography tells you about the distribution of plants and animals across the Earth and the influence of their distribution on physical and biological circumstances.

Geomorphology: With this branch of geography, you will get to explore landforms, their appearance, and their development due to natural approaches like deposition, corrosion, and tectonic movement.

Historical and Political Geography: This subject will guide you and familiarize you with the origins of human beings and early humans and their association with state and regional territories.

Oceanography: In this branch of Geography, you will be acquainting yourself with the world's oceans and seas along with exploring their physical, chemical, geological, and biological characteristics.

Human Ecology and Ecosystem: Basically, this subject explores the intricate relations between human societies and their natural surroundings encompassing physical, biotic, and cultural elements.

Cartographic Techniques: In this subject, you will get to study maps along with that you will also learn the strategies of making maps.

Systematic and Regional Geography of India with special reference to NE India: This subject provides you with a deep understanding of broad and universal facets of geography where you get to discuss the distinctive elements of India and its Northeast region (regional).

Map Projection: With the help of this subject, you get to study the number of ways that are used to turn a spherical Earth onto a flat map. Apart from that, you will also be studying the additional projection types, regulations of map design, and the distortions inherent in any flat replica of a sphere.

Quantitative Techniques and Digital Data Processing: This subject prepares you with the right skills that are used to assess and analyse geographical data with the use of statistical and mathematical procedures. 

Statistical Techniques in Spatial Analysis: In this subject, you will be learning about employing statistical techniques to interpret spatial data, with the medium of recognising patterns, connections, and trends in geographical phenomena.

Human Geography: This subject helps you comprehend the modification of humans and how they get affected by the different aspects of the environment, like resource use, population allocation, and regional civilisations.

Elective subjects are optional and you get to select according to your preference. The elective subjects of the course of MA Geography are as follows:

• Analytical Physical Geography
• Population and Development 
• Techniques and Methods of Regional Analysis
• Geographies of Gender and Development in South Asia
• Regional Geography of World Part I & II
• Geography of Tourism
• Agricultural Geography with special reference to North-East India

In these subjects, you will get practical work experience with geographical tools and techniques. Here we have provided you with a list of practical subjects:

• Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System
• Digital Image Processing
• Geographical Information System
• Cartography
• Applied Climatology
• Field survey 
• Statistical Methods in Geography

The course structure for MA Geography is designed in a way that helps you to enhance your analytical aptitudes, research strategies, analytical aptitudes, and problem-solving techniques. Each year, you will get to study through the methods of regular lectures, projects, and seminars. Here is a brief outline of the course structure for MA Geography:

• IV Semesters
• Core Courses
• Elective Courses
• Practicals
• Seminars
• Guest Lectures
• Conferences
• Field Trips
• Project Work

The main focus of MA Geography is to help students enhance their job-related skills. Instructors implement a number of teaching methodologies to ensure that the students are clued up about major concepts. When you attend the classes you will be taught using the following methods:

• Action Based Learning
• Classroom Based Learning
• Projects
• Seminars
• Regular Lectures

Books are your leading light in order to gain mastery in your subject. When you have access to the right educational resources, you will get a thorough knowledge of your course program. That being the case, you must try to obtain appropriate books that will guide you in gaining proper knowledge. Provided below is a list of some of the popular books that you can consider while pursuing the MA Geography course:

There are various methods of pursuing an MA in Geography. The universities and colleges offer courses in different methods to make them more approachable for everyone. Having said that, it provides you with an opportunity to opt for a course that is convenient and blends well with your schedule. Below we have provided the different learning methods for this course; have a quick look at them:

Full Time

The course duration of a full-time MA Geography program will last for up to two years. If you opt for this course program, you will need to attend the lectures in person at your colleges or universities. More to that, you will be required to complete and submit assignments and go in for an examination at the college campus. Choosing a full-time course can help you get valuable exposure, knowledge, and wisdom. The main reason behind this is that you get to indulge in one-on-one engagement with your instructors and peers where you can easily clear your doubts and get further assistance. In case you are someone who likes direct communication, you must consider enrolling in a full-time course.

Part-Time

If you don't wish to attend regular classes, you can choose the option of part-time classes. In this learning method, you will need to attend your classes on weekends, at night, or through online methods. However, the timings might differ with colleges and the type of course as well. The biggest perk of this learning method is that you get to study along with following your research, work, or any other activities. Most of the people who are employed, opt for this specific course as it becomes easy for them to manage their studies with their jobs.

Distance Learning Program

When it comes to distance learning methods, a lot of colleges offer this option for the MA Geography program. This method is especially for those who are working or those who are unable to afford on-campus classes. In case you are someone who cannot take time off to complete a full-time course, you can decide on the distance learning method for this course program. Through the medium of this method, you can easily carry out your educational aspirations along with your job. Regardless of the methods, you are going to acquire the same amount of knowledge and will be studying the same courses and subjects.

In case you are interested in pursuing an MA in Geography for your postgraduate studies, you must have adequate information about the entrance exams. Across the country, several colleges and universities conduct their own entrance exams to offer admission to students who are interested in pursuing this course program.

You will see that the questions are mainly based on the foundational principles of Geography which you would have studied in your previous classes. Therefore, you can look out for the exam pattern and syllabus of any specific entrance exam and then prepare accordingly. Moreover, the following are some of the popular entrance exams for MA Geography:

• BHU PET (CUET PG) - Banaras Hindu University Postgraduate Entrance Test (Note that the CUET PG score is taken into consideration for BHU admission).
• PU CET PG - Panjab University Common Entrance Test Post Graduate