Call for Applications
Teaching Assistant Positions
Department of Geography and Planning
Queen’s University, Kingston, ON CAN K7L 3N6
In accordance with the collective agreement between Queen's University and Teaching Assistants (PSAC Local 901) applications are invited from qualified individuals for teaching assistant positions. TAships are filled according to Group Preferences set out in the Collective Agreement between Queen’s University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
Responsibilities
Teaching assistant duties include but are not limited to grading assignments, attending lectures and tutorials in person, office hours with students, and answering emails. More specific expectations will be covered at the beginning of the term.
GPHY 101 Human Geography
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human and/or Physical Geography, Human Geography Preferred
Class Time(s):Monday, 3:30–5:30 pm
Tutorials:
Tues, 8:30-10:00; 10:00–11:30; 11:30-1:00; 1:00-2:30; 2:30-4:00; 4:00-5:30
Weds, 8:30-10:00; 10:00–11:30; 11:30-1:00; 1:00-2:30
Thurs, 8:30-10:00; 10:00-11:30
Description: This course takes a place and space-based approach to key social issues of our time involving energy, nature, economy, food, racism, spatial justice, cities, and colonialism. We will analyze the movements of people and things and work to understand how we make and remake the world by our actions. The unique feature of this course lies in its active grounding of global issues in local and hands-on fieldwork. You will learn about where you are here in Kingston just as you learn about our changing global context.
GPHY 101 Human Geography
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human and/or Physical Geography, Human Geography Preferred
Class Time(s): Mon, 3:30-5:30
Tutorials:
Tues, 8:30-10:00; 10:00–11:30; 11:30-1:00; 1:00-2:30; 2:30-4:00; 4:00-5:30
Weds, 11:30-1:00; 1:00-2:30
Thurs, 8:30-10:00; 10:00-11:30; 2:30-4:00; 4:00-5:30
Description: This course takes a place and space-based approach to key social issues of our time involving energy, nature, economy, food, racism, spatial justice, cities, and colonialism. We will analyze the movements of people and things and work to understand how we make and remake the world by our actions. The unique feature of this course lies in its active grounding of global issues in local and hands-on fieldwork. You will learn about where you are here in Kingston just as you learn about our changing global context.
GPHY 102 Physical Geography and Natural Resources
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical and/or Human Geography, Physical Geography Preferred
Class Time(s):Mon, 2:30-3:30; Tues 4:30-5:30; Thurs 3:30-4:30
Tutorials:
Weds, 8:30-9:30; 9:30-10:30; 10:30-11:30
Thurs, 11:30-12:30; 12:30-1:30; 1:30-2:30
Fri, 8:30-9:30, 9:30-10:30; 10:30-11:30; 11:30-12:30; 12:30-1:30; 1:30-2:30
Description: This course introduces the major concepts studied in physical geography and natural resources. The processes and interrelationships between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere, particularly at, or near the Earth's surface, are investigated to serve as a basis for understanding the nature and distribution of natural resources.
GPHY 207 Principles of Biogeography
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Weds, 1:00-2:30; Fri 11:30-1:00
Practicums:
Mon, 11:30-1:00; 1:00-2:30; Thurs, 11:30-1:00; Fri, 1:00-2:30
Description: An examination of ecological and earth system processes that affect the dynamics of organisms, their spatial patterns and their variability in time.
GPHY 208 Surface Processes, Landforms, and Soils
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Weds, 1:00-2:30; Fri, 11:30-1:00
Labs: Mon, 8:30-11:30; 11:30-2:30
Description: Explores the structure of, and physical processes responsible for the development of landforms and soils. Understanding these systems is directly relevant to environmental planning, hazard and risk assessment, geology, and surface processes on other planets. Topics include weathering, volcanic, tectonic, mass wasting, glacial, and fluvial processes.
GPHY 215 Field Studies in Physical Geography
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Mon, 9:30-10:30; Weds, 8:30-9:30
Labs: Mon, 11:30-1:30; Tues, 11:30-1:30
Description: This course will introduce students to field methods and techniques used in wide variety of physical geography and related environmental fields. The emphasis will be on hands-on application of field sampling, measuring and mapping approaches.
GPHY 227 Cities: Geography, Planning and Urban Life
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Class Time(s):Thurs, 11:30-1:00
Tutorials: Fri, 8:30-10:00
Description: The city from a geographical and planning perspective. Topics include origins of urbanism; mega; migrant, and global cities; urban competitiveness; land use planning and design; suburbanization and sprawl; new urban identities and culture; retailing transport; public space; private and temporary cities; urban poverty; politics and governance; sustainable urban futures.
GPHY 227 Cities: Geography, Planning and Urban Life
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Class Time(s): Mon, 1:00-2:30
Tutorials: Weds, 11:30-1:00
Description: The city from a geographical and planning perspective. Topics include origins of urbanism; mega; migrant, and global cities; urban competitiveness; land use planning and design; suburbanization and sprawl; new urban identities and culture; retailing transport; public space; private and temporary cities; urban poverty; politics and governance; sustainable urban futures.
GPHY 228 Geographies of the Global Political Economy
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Class Time(s):Mon, 1:00-2:30
Tutorials: Weds, 4:00-5:30 (x 2)
Description: This course examines how geographers understand the global economic system. Topics include globalization, regional economic integration, transnational production and marketing strategies of firms, new patterns of consumption, the rise of the service economy, and work and employment in the new economy.
GPHY 229 Place, Space, Culture, and Social Life
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Class Time(s):Mon, 10:00-11:30; Weds, 8:30-10:00
Description: The role of place and space in understanding how social identities (gender, sexuality, race, nationality, class) are constructed and contested. Topics include the spaces and meanings of the body, home, work, leisure and consumption, cultural landscapes, constructions of nature, globalization and issues of knowledge, power and imperialism.
GPHY 230 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Class Time(s):Tues, 8:30-10:00; Fri, 10:00-11:30
Description: Introduction to histories, concepts, principles and practices of urban and regional planning. Examines how diverse residents of communities are involved in plan preparation, technical analyses behind the plans, implementation tools and guiding infrastructure investment. Includes international precedents but focuses on Canadian community planning.
GPHY 240 Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Geography
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Class Time(s): Mon, 11:30-1:00; 1:00-2:30
Labs: Thurs, 2:30-4:00; 4:00-5:30
Description: Qualitative research in human geography seeks to investigate the complex phenomena of people and place including individual experience, social processes, and human environments. This course covers the entire research process from the definition of a research problem, research design, data collection, and analysis and attends to related issues of power, subjectivity, and ethics. Students will develop practical skills for qualitative data collection and analysis through weekly in-class activities. Over the semester, students will develop and refine a research proposal with feedback from the teaching team and their peers.
GPHY 242 Remote Sensing I: Remote Sensing of the Environment
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Geographic Information Science, ArcGIS, Remote Sensing, ENVI
Class Time(s):Tues, 11:30-1:00; Fri, 1:00-2:30
Labs: Tues, 2:30-5:30; Weds, 2:30-5:30; Thurs, 11:30-2:30
Description: The physical principles and practices of collecting, analyzing and interpreting various remote sensing data from the visible, infrared, and microwave regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are examined. In addition, the display, enhancement and interpretation of various digital remote sensing data, from airborne to satellite scales, is emphasized.
GPHY 243 Geographic Information Science
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Geographic Information Science, ArcGIS
Class Time(s):Weds, 10:00-11:30; Fri, 8:30-10:00
Practicums: Mon, 11:30-1:30; Tues, 8:30-10:30; 11:30-1:30; 2:30-4:30
Description: An introduction to the basic principles, techniques and applications of Geographic Information Science. Students will learn concepts of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), georeferencing, vector and raster-based models and the nature of geospatial data.
GPHY 247Introduction to Statistics
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Geographic Information Science
Class Time(s):Mon, 10:30-11:30
Labs: Mon, 1:00-2:30; Tues, 1:00-2:30
Description: An introduction to the analysis of data from real life situations. Covers study design, descriptive and inferential statistics. Topics include probability, t-tests, regression, Chi-square tests, analysis of variance. Emphasis is in the foundation of statistical inference and practical application of statistical methods using statistical software.
GPHY 250 The Geography of Canada
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Class Time(s): Mon, 6:30-9:30
Description: A regional examination of how economic, political, cultural, and environmental factors shape relationships between land and people in Canada. Emphasis on geographical patterns of development and on the analytical and historical roots of public policy.
GPHY 312 Watershed Hydrology
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Weds, 1:00-2:30; Fri, 11:30-1:00
Labs: Tues, 2:30-5:30; Weds, 2:30-5:30
Description: The course examines the processes that govern the flow and dissolved load in surface waters. Assignments focus on hydrological and hydrochemical data analysis and problem solving. Field projects emphasize hydrological monitoring techniques and methods used to collect and analyze the chemical composition of water samples.
GPHY 314 Climate Change
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Mon, 1:00-2:30; Weds, 11:30-1:00
Tutorials: Tues, 8:30-9:30; 10:30-11:30: 1:30-2:30
Description: The study of historical and current climate change, projected future climates emphasizing the effects of global warming, impacts of climate change, and the role of humans as agents of climatic system change.
GPHY 315 Advanced Field Measurements and their Analysis
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Mon, 11:30-1:00; Thurs, 1:00-2:30
Labs: Mon, 3:30-5:30; Fri, 2:30-4:30
Description: Introducing advanced techniques in environmental field measurements including the design and deployment of automatic weather stations and customized sensors, and geophysical techniques. Practical work involves the design and implementation of a field experiment, and an introduction to R programming as powerful tool for data analysis.
GPHY 318 Advanced Biogeography
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Tues, 11:30-1:00; Fri, 1:00-2:30
Description: An examination of the distributions of plants and animals on global, regional and local scales, their causes and significance.
GPHY 319 Contemporary Energy Resources
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Class Time(s):Mon, 2:30-4:00; Thurs, 4:00-5:30
Description: Fossil and renewable energy resources are reviewed through a geographic lens. Energy supply and demand are discussed in terms of the global energy sector. The environmental, economic, and social impacts of conventional and renewable energy options are considered, as are policies used to drive a transition in our energy mix.
GPHY 333 Markets, Environments and Societies
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Class Time(s):Weds, 1:00-2:30; Fri, 11:30-1:00
Description: This course examines the spatial relations (politics, social relations, ecosystems) that shape market exchange and the functioning of economies. We will explore attempts to create markets out of social and environmental 'things' that resist commodification from carbon to care as well as the connections between markets and other aspects of life.
GPHY 334 Geographies of Growth and Decline
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Class Time(s):Mon, 1:00-2:30; Weds, 11:30-1:00
Description: This course explores how the growth-focus of capitalist society has led to the widespread assumption of growth and territorial stigma of decline. We will examine how social, economic, environmental, cultural, and political processes at the local, national, and global level shape and reinforce distinct geographies of growth and decline.
GPHY 336 Geography, the Environment, and Human Health
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Class Time(s):Tues, 6:30-9:30
Description: Examines the relationship between human health and built, physical, and social environments. Focus is influence of local environmental conditions on population health outcomes within the North American urban context. Policy and programming options for improving local conditions are explored.
GPHY 337 Regional Development and Planning
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Class Time(s):Tues, 4:00-5:30; Thurs, 2:30-4:00
Description: Focus on regional planning and development processes, policies, and theories. Explore methods of regional analysis. Assessment of regional planning and development strategies and policy instruments used primarily in Canada with case examples from other international locations.
GPHY 342 Remote Sensing II: Digital Image Processing
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Geographic Information Science, ArcGIS, Remote Sensing, ENVI
Class Time(s):Tues, 8:30-10:30
Practicums: Thurs, 8:30-10:30; Fri, 8:30-10:30
Description: This course represents an extension of GPHY 242, with an in-depth examination of image processing techniques for information extraction. Topics include remote sensor technology, image enhancement, classification, change detection, radiometric and geometric correction and sources and applications of remote sensing data.
GPHY 346 GIS and Modelling for Environmental Applications
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Geographic Information Science, ArcGIS
Class Time(s):Tues, 11:30-1:30
Practicums: Weds, 9:30-11:30
Description: Study of the techniques of Geographic Information Systems and their applications in solving physical and environmental problems. Topics include data representation and models, spatial interpolation, raster-based analysis and modeling, surface models and terrain analysis, data visualization, temporal analysis, error and accuracy, and other algorithms and analytical procedures.
GPHY 351 Geographies of Indigenous and Settler Relations
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Class Time(s):Tues, 1:00-2:30; Thurs, 11:30-1:00
Description: An overview of selected elements of the geographies of Aboriginal peoples in Canada with a focus on the relationship between Indigenous peoples and their environments, urbanization and culture change, and colonialism.
GPHY 365 Geography, Development, and Environment in the ‘Third World’
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Class Time(s):Tues, 10:00-11:30; Thurs, 8:30-10:00
Description: The geographical implications of the incorporation of the Third World into the global economy. Emphasis will be upon issues relating to both the physical and human environments in reference to development, ecological alteration, cultural change, and spatial readjustment.
GPHY 367 People and Place in the Changing Arctic
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Class Time(s):Weds, 10:00-11:30; Fri, 8:30-10:00
Description: This course examines contemporary issues in the Arctic with an eye to environmental, economic, political, and social change. Students will use academic, popular, and filmic resources to examine subjects from human and physical geography, including climate change, Indigenous rights, international relations, food security, and industrial development. Students will gain in-depth understandings of the diversity of Arctic regions and develop skills to incorporate this critical thinking into their research, perspectives, and arguments.
GPHY 368 Environments and Society
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography
Course Time(s):Mon, 2:30-4:00; Thurs, 4:00-5:30
Description: A critical evaluation of the changing relationships between nature and society.
GPHY 370 Special Topics in Human Geography: Planning Sustainable Cities
Term: Fall 2026 (on campus)
Qualification: Human Geography, Planning
Course Time(s):Tues, 11:30-1:00; Fri, 1:00-2:30
Description: TBA
GPHY 415 Advanced Analysis of Earth Surface Processes
Term: Winter 2027 (on campus)
Qualification: Physical Geography
Course Time(s):Mon, 2:30-5:30
Description: A fourth year Honours capstone project course exploring a contemporary geographic issue by integrating advanced knowledge and skills in physical geography and geographic information science. Focus will be on integration of field and laboratory methods, and how they are used to explore contemporary geographic or environmental issues.
Contract Hours
The hours in the TA contract will be determined based on the actual course enrollment.
To Apply
The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen’s University is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, racialized persons, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons and such other groups as may be designated by legislation.
The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs.
Application Process
The process of assigning qualified graduate students to these positions is outlined in the Collective Agreement between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC 901) and Queen’s University. Remuneration will be in accordance with the Collective Agreement, and appointments are subject to funding or enrollment criteria. Applications will be reviewed, and positions allocated in reference to candidates’ teaching and academic experience as it applies to the course subject field and in reference to the candidates’ priority for a Teaching Assistantship as specified by the Collective Agreement.
If you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship listed above, please complete the Teaching Assistant Application Form.
In addition, please note that you will be required to upload your CV and transcript (unofficial Queen’s transcripts are okay for Queen’s students).
For any questions, please contact:
Kristina Fennell
Graduate Program Advising Coordinator, Hub 1, GPPL Lead
Queen's University
Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B410
Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
Application Deadline
Submit your application and supporting documentation no later than July 14, 2026. Only those applicants who will be offered a teaching assistantship will be contacted.
Geography and Planning Teaching Assistant Positions [PDF 117 KB]