Program Overview

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Geography BA

Course Overview

Are you passionate about creating a sustainable future for our world? If so, then our BA/BSc Geography course is perfect for you.

We'll dive into topics like climate change, globalisation, and our relationship with the earth. Moreover, you'll gain skills to analyse data related to the world in which we live.

With many fascinating and inspiring optional modules to choose from, you'll have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice on field trips both in the UK and overseas. You can choose to analyse the impact of humans on the world's physical and built environments. You can explore the development of the global economy or solve geospatial problems. The choice is yours.

You'll have the option to spend a semester studying abroad or to spend a year on placement in industry. Our partner institutions are based in locations such as Canada, Europe and the USA or at our campuses in China or Malaysia.

You’ll study at our 300 acre, environmentally sustainable University Park campus; our largest, award-winning campus set around a lake in extensive greenery.

At the end of this course, you'll have the knowledge and skills you need for your professional career. Join us in working towards a more sustainable and just future and make a difference in the world.

Why Choose This Course?

• Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)
• Field trip opportunities in the UK and overseas refine your practical skills
• Study abroad opportunities in locations such as Canada, Europe and the USA
• Access to a range of facilities including dedicated laboratories, computer room and a geographical map collection - all located within the geography building
• Study at our environmentally sustainable campuses, which have won many awards including the prestigious Green Flag Award
• Gain real experience with our placement and internships programme
• Be taught by world-leading experts in their field

Key Information

• UCAS Code: L700
• Duration: 3 years full-time
• Fees: £28,200 per year (£9,535 for UK undergraduate students)

Entry Requirements

• A Level: AAB
• IB Score: 32 points overall or 665 in 3 HL certificates
• GCSE: Maths and English grade 4 (C) or above
• Excluded Subjects: General studies, and critical thinking
• Additional Entry Requirements: Please note: Applicants whose backgrounds or personal circumstances have impacted their academic performance may receive a reduced offer. Please see our contextual admissions policy for more information.

Alternative Qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.

Consequently we treat all applicants with alternative qualifications (besides A levels and the International Baccalaureate) on an individual basis, and we gladly accept students with a whole range of less conventional qualifications including:

• Access to HE Diploma
• Advanced Diploma
• BTEC HND/HNC
• BTEC Extended Diploma

This list is not exhaustive. The entry requirements for alternative qualifications can be quite specific; for example you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification.

Language Study

You may be able to choose to study a language as part of this degree.

Learning another language can open career opportunities around the globe and enriches your CV. It could also help you in your studies by being able to access learning materials in other languages.

If you are planning to travel or work abroad it will help you to broaden your cultural understanding.

Our Language Centre offers many languages, and you may start as a beginner or at a more advanced level.

Module Information

Year One

• Careers Skills for Geographers
• Exploring Human Geography
• Geographical Field Course
• Interpreting Geographical Data
• Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• Planet Earth: Exploring the Physical Environment
• Tutorial
• Global Challenges

Year Two

• Dissertation Preparation
• Research Tutorial
• Techniques in Geography
• Cultural and Historical Geography
• Earth Observation
• Economic Geography
• Living with Hazards
• Patterns of Life
• Political Geography
• Rivers in the Landscape
• Rural Environmental Geography
• Urban Geography

Year Three

• Dissertation in Geography
• Advances in Remote Sensing
• Animal Geographies
• Critical Human Geography
• Environment, Development and Livelihoods
• Environmental Modelling
• Fashion and Food
• Freshwater Management
• Geographies of Money and Finance
• Global Climate Change
• Health Geographies
• Landscape, Culture and Politics
• Third Year Geography Field Course
• Tropical Environments in the Anthropocene

Teaching Methods

• Field trips
• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Computer labs
• Labs

Assessment Methods

• Dissertation
• Essay
• Examinations
• Field books
• Lab reports
• Presentation
• Project work

Careers Overview

Geography graduates are very popular with a diverse range of employers who appreciate the personal and transferable skills they offer.

You'll gain valuable skills including data analysis and statistics, field work techniques, and quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Our first-year Careers Skills for Geographers module includes guest lectures from organisations such as the Royal Geographical Society, and a programme of career networking events.

Graduate Destinations

Our graduates go on to a wide range of careers. Some enter roles that have a direct correlation to their degree, including conservation and heritage protection and land surveying. Others utilise their transferable skills in sectors such as management consultancy, PR, marketing and financial services.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for organisations such as the British Geological Survey, Capita, Historic England, Network Rail, Swiss Re, Teach First, and Tesla Motors.

Average Starting Salary and Career Progression

85.70% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Social Sciences secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £29,197.