The Geography-Planning degree at the University of Reunion (UR) allows the acquisition of many skills required for understanding the issues of development and planning of territories, environment and ecological transitions as well as the management and enhancement of heritage in island and continental environments.

In addition to disciplinary knowledge, students acquire practical skills and master various tools in order to develop maps, carry out geostatistical analyses, conduct field surveys and perform territorial diagnoses.

Educational goals : 

The educational objectives of the training are to:

• To provide students with precise and varied knowledge about the geography of Réunion, the territories of the Indian Ocean, France, Europe, and different parts of the world, at different scales.
• Develop their ability to write, understand and structure information given in various formats (texts, maps, images, data, digital content, etc.), exercising critical thinking in many fields (urban, cultural and social geography, environmental geography, tourism geography, geography of risks, etc.)
• To introduce them to the professions of research and teaching, as well as to offer a solid foundation for preparing for competitive examinations for the territorial civil service (editor, attaché, territorial engineer, etc.) and for joining companies in different sectors (planning, tourism, consulting)

The pedagogical approach involves practices that encourage the involvement of numerous professionals, incentive-based (second year of Bachelor's degree) and mandatory (third year of Bachelor's degree) internships, and active field trips. It is based on student support (with numerous mechanisms: tutoring, success programs).

Training opportunities: 

The Geography-Planning course falls under the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (LSH) on the Saint-Denis (Le Moufia) university site.

This Bachelor's degree is in line with the educational orientations and priorities of the institution, which consist of promoting success for all, developing research in service of society, strengthening career guidance and professional integration in line with the needs of the territory, and finally promoting a leading university on the Asia-Africa axis within the Indo-Pacific region.

It attracts multidisciplinary profiles wishing to acquire territorial expertise applied to ecological transition, risk management, geopolitics and heritage enhancement, particularly in island areas (of the Indian Ocean and the "greater" Indian Ocean) and within bordering states (South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, India…).

Geography undergraduates can personalize their studies by choosing course units (UEs) each semester. They can opt for a disciplinary/multidisciplinary track (general geography UEs for in-depth study or exploration of other disciplines), a track more focused on spatial planning (with specialized UEs), or a track preparing them for teaching certification exams, in conjunction with the History department (for the 2nd level exams).^nd degree).

While remaining grounded in a specific field and developing professional skills, students in the Geography and Planning Bachelor's program can also explore interdisciplinary academic approaches. With a focus on broadening their horizons, the program has been designed to integrate with other programs at the same level. This integration is facilitated through shared course units with Information and Communication and Social Sciences programs, as well as elective courses.

The training offer promotes student success with success mechanisms (such as educational tutoring), the consolidation of centers of scientific excellence around sustainability and transitions through associated educational content and finally the strategic positioning of the UR in the regional environment by its attractiveness and the key issues it addresses.

This degree program allows students to acquire numerous skills relevant to our times. It fosters a critical understanding of major issues related to land-use planning and development, the environment, risks and transitions, regional and international geopolitics, and the management and enhancement of heritage resources. In addition to disciplinary knowledge, students acquire practical working methods. They master various tools in the fields of cartography, field surveys, and territorial assessments.

Both island and continental worlds are explored in terms of their specific characteristics and their interconnections. Due to its cross-disciplinary nature, the main career opportunities for graduates of the Geography degree include a wide range of professions related to planning and the environment; teaching and research; and culture, tourism, and heritage.

Total hours worked: 1500 hours

The content of the curriculum reflects a progressive approach to acquiring both knowledge and skills:

• In the first year (L1), a discovery of what Geography offers and an introduction to different basic methodologies;
• in 2. ^e year (L2), a deepening knowledge and the acquisition of new specific skills are offered;
• in 3. ^e year (L3), a improvement and territorial expertise (particularly in land-use planning) are offered.

The teaching units are divided, over the three years, between "Fundamental and transversal" units (whose themes are transversal to all courses, for example teachings on data, images and ethics or on the professions of geography), "Disciplinary thematic knowledge" units (addressing major themes of geography such as natural resources, heritage, migrations, risks, geopolitics or globalization), "Tools and methods" units (becoming professionalizing modules in L3, such as those relating to graphic semiology, cartography or Geographic Information Systems - GIS) and finally Transversal units (relating to foreign languages, writing and oral skills or even opening units).

The course also offers, each year, a "Territory Project (P2T)" module which combines a territorial project (diagnosis and territorial development), teamwork, geographical information research in the field (documentary research, surveys, etc.) and oral presentation.

The skills acquired during this training are in line with those of the RNCP record

Internships are mandatory in the third year of the Bachelor's degree program. They are optional (and encouraged) in the second year. In the third year, they are scheduled for the second semester, totaling 70 hours.

Registration fees are set annually by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space and are available on our institution's website: Register at the University of Reunion

Candidates must demonstrate a strong interest in the challenges of ecological transition, territorial development and public action.

The expected outcomes consist of:

• Analytical and synthesis skills
• Curiosity of mind
• Rigour and methodical approach to work
• Cross-referencing information
• Writing and interpersonal skills
• Team work
• A strong taste for imagery and iconography
• Fieldwork (numerous outings are offered)

• Grades from 11th and 12th grade in History-Geography, French and Modern Language 1
• Baccalaureate grades
• Overall average in the first and final years
• Grades obtained in the early French baccalaureate exams
• Future prospects report and teacher evaluations on first and final year report cards
• Motivated training project

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

150 seats

The success rates are:

• For first-year students: approximately 50%, however, this only applies to those initially enrolled. Calculating this rate based on serious and diligent students, the success rate is closer to 60-65% (based on students actually present).
• For L2: approximately 70%
• For L3: approximately 80%

The survey data provided by the Directorate of Guidance, Training for Professional Integration & Entrepreneurship (DOFIPE) are monitored by the teaching team, in conjunction with the teaching services of the UFR LSH.

The time to find the first job is 8 to 16 months. Student satisfaction with the program is good (rated 7,1/10). Significant efforts are being made to improve the alignment between graduates and employment. Firstly, the program actively pursues professional development measures (professional speakers, active field trips, and enhanced technical and methodological skills). Secondly, mandatory internships (at the Bachelor's and Master's levels for those continuing their studies, particularly in the Master's program in Geography, Planning, Environment and Development – ​​GAED) provide valuable experience in the local professional environment, thus facilitating job placement. All these initiatives are proving successful.

The prospects for Master's programs are great on the island, with a majority of students going towards the Master's program in Geography, Planning, Environment, Development (GAED) at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

A minority flow exists towards the Masters City and Urban Environments (VEU) and Risks and Environment of the UFR Sciences of Man and Environment (SHE), as well as towards the Master Resources and Natural Risks of Tropical Environments (RNET) of the UFR Science and Technologies (ST).

Finally, the Master's in Teaching, Education and Training Professions (MEEF) also attracts some students graduating from their Bachelor's degree each year.

Other students are opting for a specialized master's degree in metropolitan France (Geopolitics, GIS, etc.).

The sectors of activity and types of employment targeted by this training correspond to those listed in the RNCP record

Among the career opportunities for graduates of the Geography degree are jobs related to planning, the environment, development, teaching, culture, tourism and heritage.

Among the main professions targeted by the Geography and Planning degree are:

• Careers related to planning include: planning project manager, local development officer, local government official, and project manager in a local authority. These are complemented by jobs requiring mastery of conceptual and technical tools for spatial analysis.
• Jobs related to the environment and transitions: National Forestry Office (ONF), parks and natural areas, environmental protection associations.
• Careers related to teaching and research: primary school teacher, history and geography teacher, individual trainer, researcher, teacher-researcher, research office, consulting firm.
• Jobs related to culture, tourism and heritage: heritage animator, neighborhood animator, cultural mediator, cultural affairs officer, event organizer.

The course units included in the training program are aligned with all of these career opportunities. The region's needs have therefore been identified, and the training program addresses these needs through its conceptual content and established methodological and technical protocols.