From indifference to fascination: Tabitha’s trail to demography at ANU

Demography is the DNA of civilisation. Like strands of life's code, each demographic detail encapsulates the uniqueness of an individual, a community, or a society. Students who undertake a major or minor in demography within the Bachelor of Arts program or as part of a Flexible Double Degreeat the Australian National University (ANU) learn how all these pieces come together to form a dynamic whole - a collective, who over the ages, continue to shape and be shaped by the forces of demography.

An undergraduate degree that incorporates demographic courses provides students with an analytical skillset and an understanding that is in demand and highly valued by a variety of careers, including policy and market research, health and social issue professions, government departments, and international agencies. It facilitates interdisciplinary learning which is critical for understanding complex problems.

Tabitha Thomas found her niche in the harmonious fusion of numbers and humanity -mathematical demography. Writing a paper that dissects how historical population trends influence global population ageing.

But getting here wasn’t a straight-forward journey.

Initially Tabitha enrolled in a Bachelor of Mathematical Sciences discovering “it wasn’t the right fit” adding, “as much as I found it fascinating, I wanted to try my hand at social science, sociology in particular.”

As part of a Sociology Major she was required to take DEMO2002: Population Analysis. Feeling indifferent about the course as she submitted her enrolment.

Tabitha reflects, “I read the course description and thought it looked fine, little did I know that I would soon absolutely love demography. It’s the perfect blend of social theory, quantitative practice and the opportunity to make a difference in the real world. I’m now soon to finish a Bachelor of Arts with a major in demography and minors in maths and applied statistics and plan to undertake an Honours in demography next year followed by a PhD in demography.”

After completing DEMO3002: Demographic Research Internship, Tabitha says, “it was so interesting, I continued to work on the paper even after the course was finished, submitted it to a journal and am now working on a second paper.”

Finding her passion she went on to complete two summer scholarship research programs with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), was runner-up in the 2023 W.D. Borrie Prize (undergraduate division), had the opportunity to present her own research at the Australian Population Association Conference last November and will do so again at the upcoming CEPAR International Conference in July.

“None of this would have been possible without the encouragement and guidance of the School of Demography to which I am incredibly thankful. My experience of studying Demography at ANU will last a lifetime,” she says.

Currently Tabitha is employed at the Australian Government’s Centre for Population and credits the ANU demography courses for preparing her for this role.

“My studies in demography set me up perfectly for my job with the Australian Government’s Centre for Population. Having a solid understanding of demographic concepts meant that I could hit the ground running and contribute my ideas with confidence,” she says.

In choosing to pursue a major or minor in demography at ANU, students are able to begin to reveal the codes that bind us as a collective. These courses set graduates up with the necessary skills and knowledge they can utilise across a vast array of business and organisations desperate for their input.