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TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a Subject > University Courses > Geography Degree

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Contents 1 Introduction 2 Course Structure 3 Admissions 3.1 Academic Requirements 3.2 UCAS Form & Personal Statement 4 Life as a Geography Student 5 Graduate Destinations and Career Prospects 6 See Also

Introduction

Geography is the study of how the world affects people. The discipline is split up into two main areas, Human Geography and Physical Geography. The areas are very different but link perfectly together. Human Geography is the geography of people; it looks at the world in a social and economic sense. The 4 main concepts of Human Geography are, place, landscape, space, and location. During the degree you will be looking at each concept and seeing how important it is to everyday life. Physical Geography looks mostly at the world and how its processes affect the people use living on it. The main aspects looked at are the atmosphere and the water cycle, Earth Surface Environments and Glacial Processes and Landforms. You take Geography as one whole subject or choose to specialise in one of the main areas.

Course Structure

Course structures at different universities can vary wildly, and there is no clear cut structure that all universities offer. However, one typical format [based on observations by user Crisps, a current third year geographer] is as follows:

In first year, topics wil mainly be a refresher of A-Level topics, such as fluvial geomorphology [rivers], arid geomorphology, glaciology, meterology, natural hazards, soil science, biogeography, and so on. First year geography provides an introduction to these subjects before more detailed studies in forthcoming years. You may also be intoduces to fieldwork as well as conducting fieldwork reports and basic statistical techniquies that will become vital to your dissertation.

Second year modules involve more detailed exploration of these topics studied at first year level, as well as introducing laboratory work, as well as guidance into choosing your own dissertation title. Fieldwork/research for the dissertation is normally carried out in the summer vacation between second and third year.

The third year will normally involcve dissertation write up, as well as the introduction of more specialist modules. These could be practical based subjects such as GIS, Remote Sensing, Fluvial Modelling, to name a few. Detailed explorations of geomorphology, climate change, natural hazards, and soi science are all available. However, in the second and third year, most universities offer a wider degree of choice when it comes to modules, whereas in first year many modules are compulsory in order for students to get a wide ranging introduction before choosing more specialist modules in forthcoming years.

Assessment will normally consist of a variety of methods: essays, exams [which can be multiple choice, short answer, or essay based or a combination of some of these factors], fieldwork/practical/laboratory reports, oral presentations, poster presentations, group presentations. etc.

Many universities allow you [or require you] to take human geograophy modules in the first year, as many do not think that it is covered in enough detail at A Level. As at most institutuions your first year does not count towards your degree, you can either not take any further human geography modules, or if you are on a huiman geography degree sceme, change to a physical one.

When applying, make sure you have a look at the modules database of that university to see what modules they offer, and how much flexibility they allow between human and physical. Some will not allow you to take human modules on a physical scheme and vice versa, although you should be able to change degree schemes in first year pretty easil. Others have compulsory modules on both sides of the spectrum, to allow you to gain an insight into both before commiting to one.

Admissions

Academic Requirements

Here we have an alphabetical list of entry requirements for geography degrees. Below that the unis are grouped by similar grade requirement. The numbers in [] brackets are the 2005 Sunday Times League Table Rankings for the unis. Over time offers change, so please update the list if there are any errors/changes.

• Aberdeen, CCC/CDD [37]
• Aberystwyth, 300 points [49]
• Bath Spa 200 –240 points [65]
• Bangor 240-300points [52]
• Birmingham, ABB 300 / 320 points [23]
• Brighton 240 points [56]
• Bristol AAB (A in Geog) [8]
• Cambridge AAA [1]
• Canterbury Christ Church 160 points [82]
• Coventry 240 points [76]
• Derby 140-200 points [114]
• Dundee 240 points [38]
• Durham AAB – ABC [9]
• Edinburgh BBB - for Masters pref Science A levels [12]
• Exeter 300 points A in Geog [25]
• Glamorgan 180 points [80]
• Glasgow, BBC /CCC [30]
• Gloucestershire 200-260 [98]
• Greenwich 220 [115]
• Hertfordshire 180-220 [71]
• Hull, BBC [36]
• Kings College London, BBC [13]
• Kingston 240 points [70]
• Lancaster BBB [28]
• Leeds, ABB / BBB [31]
• Leicester, BBB 260 –320 points [22]
• Liverpool, 300 points [29]
• Liverpool John Moores 180 –240 points [89]
• Loughborough, BBC [15]
• LSE BBB [4]
• Manchester ABB [18]
• Manchester Met 200 points [75]
• Newcastle, ABB – BBB [26]
• Northampton 160 –200 points [103]
• Northumbria 240 points [54]
• Nottingham AAA / AAB [11]
• Oxford AAA / AAB [2]
• Oxford Brookes normally asks BBC or BCC may take CCD [53]
• Plymouth 280 points [61]
• Portsmouth 240 points [74]
• Queen Mary, 280 points [34]
• Queens, Belfast BBC BCC [39]
• Reading, BBB [35]
• Royal Holloway, ABB (320) [27]
• St. Andrews ABB, [14]
• Sheffield ABB / BBB [24]
• Southampton AAB-ABB (A in Geog) [17]
• Staffordshire 160 –240 points [79]
• Stirling (BSc Env Gg) CCD [43]
• Sussex, BBB [20]
• Swansea. 300 points [42]
• UCL AABe -ABCe [5]
• University of Central Lancs 200- 240 points [73]
• Univ of Chester 260 points [82]
• UWE 200-280 points [62]
• Wolverhampton 160-220 points [113]
• Worcester 140 points [100]

• Cambridge AAA -Interview [1]
• Oxford AAA / AAB - Interview [2]
• Durham AAB – ABC - occasional interview [9]
• Nottingham AAA / AAB [11]
• Bristol AAB (A in Geog) [8]
• UCL AABe -ABCe (A/S not always required) - Interview [5]

• Birmingham, ABB 300 / 320 points [23]
• Newcastle, ABB – BBB [26]
• Manchester ABB [18] NOW AAB
• Royal Holloway, ABB (320) [27]
• St. Andrews ABB, [14]
• Southampton AAB-ABB (A in Geog) [17]

• Aberystwyth, 300 points [49]
• Edinburgh BBB - for Masters pref Science A levels [12]
• Exeter 300 points A in Geog [25]
• Lancaster BBB - BBC [28]
• Leeds, BBB [31]
• Leicester, BBB 260 –320 points [22]
• LSE BBB [4]
• Reading, BBB [35]
• Sheffield BBB [24]NOW ABB
• Sussex, BBB [20]
• Kings College London, BBC [13] NOW BBB
• Hull, BBC [36]
• Loughborough, BBC [15]

• Glasgow, BBC /CCC [30]
• Queens, Belfast BBC BCC [39]
• Oxford Brookes normally asks BBC or BCC may take CCD [53]
• Aberdeen, CCC/CDD [37]
• Stirling (BSc Env Gg) CCD [43]

Universities asking points (first one converted to help)

• Liverpool, 300 points (BBB equivalent) [29]
• Swansea. 300 points [42]
• Plymouth 280 points [61]
• Queen Mary, 280 points [34]
• Bangor 240-300points [52]
• Univ of Chester 260 points [82]
• Dundee 240 points [38]
• Brighton 240 points [56]
• Coventry 240 points [76]
• Kingston 240 points [70]
• Northumbria 240 points [54]
• Portsmouth 240 points [74]
• Greenwich 220 [115]
• UWE 200-280 points [62]
• Bath Spa 200 –240 points [65]
• University of Central Lancs 200- 240 points [73]
• Gloucestershire 200-260 [98]
• Manchester Met 200 points [75]
• Liverpool John Moores 180 –240 points [89]
• Glamorgan 180 points [80]
• Hertfordshire 180-220 [71]
• Northampton 160 –200 points [103]
• Canterbury Christ Church 160 points [82]
• Staffordshire 160 –240 points [79]
• Wolverhampton 160-220 points [113]
• Derby 140-200 points [114]
• Worcester 140 points [100]

UCAS Form & Personal Statement

Life as a Geography Student

As a Geography student you will have a variety of coursework tasks to complete over the course of the degree. Some of these will be individual based but many involve components of group work or may be entirely composed of group work. There may also be a number of field trips etc. As a result, Geography at university is well known to be a sociable subect, in which you very quickly get to know the other people on your course.

Depending on the modules you choose, or are allocated, you will have a varying amount of lecture/ contact time and personal work to do. If you take mainly physical geography modules, you will have more contact hours in the form of labs etc, whereas human geographers tend to have a greater number of reading hours to complete with generally less leture time.

Some universities also have tutorials in which you discuss in a small group with a lecturer more difficult and current issues in geography.

Life as a geography student is about combining social factors and coursework and lecture time in order to develop useful skills that can be applied in the 'real' world of work.

Graduate Destinations and Career Prospects

See Also