Geography with a Year Abroad BA/BSc (Hons)

Program Overview

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Geography with a Year Abroad BA/BSc (Hons)

Overview

This course is available in Clearing for 2025 entry.

Level

• Undergraduate

UCAS Code

• F810

UCAS Points

• 112

Start Date

• Oct 2025, Oct 2026

Duration

• 4 years

Location

• Exton Park, Chester

UK Fees

• £9,535 per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

International Fees

• £14,450 per year for a full-time course* (2025/26)

Available with:

• Human Geography (Pathway)
• Physical Geography (Optional Specialist Pathway)
• Natural Hazard Management (Optional Specialist Pathway)

Accreditations

• Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society

Course Summary

Studying Geography with a Year Abroad gives you the opportunity to spend the year between your second and final year studying at a partner institution abroad. You can choose from a wide range of courses, universities and country destinations, so that you can combine extending your subject knowledge with travelling and cultural immersion in a part of the world that really interests you. Geography with a Year Abroad is a four-year course option, that sits within our core three-year course – the modules you study in your first, second and final years will be the same as those taken by peers on the three-year option.

Our Geography degree, ranked in the top 20 in the UK for Geography (Guardian League Table 2025) and accredited by the Royal Geographical Society, equips you with the knowledge and skills to tackle pressing global challenges such as climate change, social inequality, and resource insecurity by offering a unique blend of hands-on learning, international experiences, and practical skills. Voted first for Learning Opportunities and Organisation and Management (NSS 2024), our course provides the opportunity to explore and understand the issues and environments you care about.

At the University of Chester, our proximity to the natural, social and cultural landscapes on our doorstep enables us to incorporate fieldwork throughout our course so that you can explore key geographical issues first-hand. You’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in hands-on fieldwork in North Wales and gain international perspectives through opportunities in vibrant locations like Almeria (Spain), Barcelona (Spain), and Naples (Italy). In the field and in the classroom, you will develop essential transferable and technical skills including in GIS, remote sensing, big data analysis, social science research methods, critical thinking and problem-solving. These skills are extended at the end of Year 2 through formal workplace experience gained via a core work-based learning module.

Our Geography BA/BSc (Hons) degree provides the ultimate flexibility. You can choose to maintain a combination of human and physical geography modules throughout your course, or you can specialise by selecting one of our named pathways in Human Geography, Physical Geography, or Natural Hazard Management, ensuring your course is completely aligned with your interests and career goals. At the end of your course, your final degree award is determined by your choice of pathway or the balance between human and physical modules - more human geography modules will lead to a BA, more physical geography modules will lead to a BSc. Whichever route you choose, you will be learning in an environment rated in the top 10 in the UK for Academic Support, Assessment and Feedback, and Learning Resources (NSS 2024).

Why You'll Love It

Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society

Our accreditation by the RGS confirms that our course meets the highest standards of excellence. You can be confident that your degree will equip you with the knowledge and skills for the career you want.

Shape your own path

Spend a year studying abroad in a country that fascinates you, extending your geographical understanding through cultural immersion and independent travel.

Understand your impact

Explore locations in the UK and overseas, developing your analytical skills to understand human impact on people and places.

Optional Specialist Pathways

A specialist pathway is your opportunity to further tailor your studies to become an expert in your chosen field. Our pathways provide you with specific modules and opportunities to enable you to tailor your studies towards areas you are passionate about and to have that reflected in your degree title.

When applying for this course with a specialist pathway, it is important to search for and submit your application for 'Geography BA/BSc (Hons)'. Your chosen pathway will be confirmed post-application, and this will be the award that you complete your studies with i.e., Geography (Human Geography) BA (Hons); Geography (Physical Geography) BSc(Hons); and Geography (Natural Hazard Management) BSc (Hons). If you choose to study this course without a pathway, your award on completion will be Geography BA or BSc (Hons), depending on the modules studied.

Human Geography pathway

Physical Geography pathway

Natural Hazard Management pathway

What You'll Study

Foundation Year

• Term 1: Introduction to Humanities and Social Sciences
• Term 2: Global Issues, Cultures and Texts
• Term 3: Applied Programming and Data Science

Year 1

• Changing The World (20 Credits) Core
• Global Hazards and Risk (20 Credits) Core
• Earth and Environment (20 Credits) Core
• People and Places (20 Credits) Core
• Researching Environments (20 Credits) Core
• Sustainable Development: Foundations for Sustainable Futures (20 Credits) Option
• Language Option (20 Credits) Option

Year 2

• Geographical Research: Methods and Geomatics (40 Credits) Core
• Experiential Learning (40 credits) Option
• Work Placement (40 credits) Option
• Society and Space (20 Credits)
• Geopolitics (20 Credits)
• Environmental Change: Minutes to Millennia (20 Credits) Option
• Dynamic Earth (20 Credits) Option
• Resilient Communities (20 credits)
• Dynamic Earth (20 credits)

Year 3

• Going Places: Dissertation (40 Credits) Core
• Geospatial Data Science (20 Credits) Core
• Exploring Places: Field Experience (20 Credits) Core
• Earth’s Climate: Trends and Tipping Points (20 Credits)
• Catchment to Coast (20 Credits)
• Excluded Peoples (20 Credits)
• Sustainable Futures: From Theory to Action (20 Credits) Option
• Hazards in a Warming World (20 credits)
• Catchment to Coast (20 Credits)

How You'll Learn

• The majority of teaching takes place in lectures, tutorials and fieldwork
• You will be assessed in a variety of ways
• Be part of a learning community, contributing to and learning from your peers and tutors
• This course is designed around in-person study

Who You'll Learn From

• Professor Ruth Healey
• Dr Daniel Bos
• Dr Rebecca Collins
• Dr Katharine Welsh
• Dr Andrew Miles
• Dr Namrata Bhattacharya-mis
• Dr Graham Wilson
• Dr Dami Akosile
• Professor Derek France
• Dr Philip Marren
• Dr Amanda Williams
• Dr Jane Bevan

Entry Requirements

• Home Students
  • UCAS points: 112 points
  • GCE A Level: Typical offer – BCC-BBC
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma: DMM
  • International Baccalaureate: 28 points
  • Irish / Scottish Highers: Irish Highers - H3 H3 H3 H3 H4 Scottish Highers - BBBB
  • Access requirements: Access to HE Diploma, to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above
  • T Level: Merit
  • OCR Cambridge Technicals: OCR Extended Diploma: DMM
• International Students
  • Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study.
• Foundation Year
  • UCAS points: 72 points
  • GCE A level: 72 points overall, including grade D in A level
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma: MMP
  • International Baccalaureate: 24 points
  • Irish / Scottish Highers: Irish Highers: H4 H4 H4 H4 H4 Scottish Highers: CCDD
  • Access requirements: Access to HE Diploma – Pass overall
  • T Level: T Level: Pass (D or E on the core)
  • OCR Cambridge Technicals: OCR Extended Diploma: MMP

Fees and Funding

• Home Students
  • £9,535 per year for a full-time course (2025/26)
• International Students
  • £14,450 per year for a full-time course* (2025/26)
• Additional Costs
  • Students will require suitable clothing for fieldwork, including good quality waterproofs and walking boots.
  • Depending on student demand and route, there is an opportunity to attend an international fieldtrip at Level 6. Current destinations are Barcelona (Spain), Almeria (Spain) and Naples (Italy). The cost of these field trips varies. Students may be asked for a financial contribution towards international fieldwork costs.

Where You'll Study

• Exton Park, Chester
• The location
• Modern learning resources and library
• Fitness facilities
• Student Services
• Chapel, chaplaincy and multi-faith spaces
• Accommodation
• Catering

Your Future Career

• Job Prospects
  • The knowledge, skills and understanding you will gain during the course will allow you to pursue a wide range of careers.
  • Our graduates work in professions across a range of sectors, including environmental management, consultancy, teaching, town planning, renewable energy, sustainability, flood risk management and surveying.
• Careers Service
  • The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.