Overview
Are you fascinated by the world, its societies and what the future of our planet looks like? Do you want to learn professional skills that allow you to apply these interests to your career?
On this professionally accredited BA (Hons) Geography degree course, you’ll cover people, communities and cultures, examine conservation, sustainability and economic urban development, and learn how governments, businesses and people develop global systems. You'll also learn professional skills in communication, problem solving, decision making and teamwork.
You’ll emerge with skills that help you understand and engage with the world, and be set for a career in everything from urban or environmental management to teaching.
You could earn more than the average graduate too – 5 years after graduation, female geography graduates earn 11.6% more than a typical female graduate and male graduates earn 2% more than a typical male graduate (Institute For Fiscal Studies, 2018).
What you'll experience
On this degree course, you’ll:
- Study human geography and environmental issues and management
- Use specialist facilities including physical geography laboratories, GIS and photogrammetry labs, laser survey technology, photogrammetry equipment
- Tailor your studies, by choosing modules that match your interests and career ambitions
- Have the chance to experience some of the societies or landscapes you’re studying by doing field work
- Enrich your studies by hearing from guest speakers from public, private and non-profit sectors
- Have the opportunity to learn a language and earn credit towards your degree as part of the University's Institution-Wide Language Programme
Teaching
Teaching methods on this course include:
- lectures
- seminars
- one-to-one tutorials
- workshops
How you're assessed
You’ll be assessed through:
- coursework
- examinations
- contributions to electronic discussion forums
- web page design
- posters
- projects
- presentations
- portfolios
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
- Year 1 students: 50% by written exams, 14% by practical exams and 36% by coursework
- Year 2 students: 20% by written exams and 80% by coursework
- Year 3 students: 7% by written exams, 8% by practical exams and 85% by coursework
Careers and opportunities
To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.
We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and opportunities that will complement your studies and build links with employers and the industry.
After you leave the University you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years as you advance in your career.
What can you do with a Geography degree?
At the end of the course, you'll have many technical and professional skills you can apply to your career. Previous students have gone onto work in areas such as:
- environmental management
- business management
- public services
- teaching
- research
What jobs can you do with a Geography degree?
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- geographical information scientist
- environmental consultant
- spatial analyst
- coastal process scientist
- urban planner
- transport planner
Organisations graduates have gone on to work for include:
- Ordnance Survey
- Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- IBM
- The Environment Agency
You could also go on to study at postgraduate level.
Placement year
After your second year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry.
Previous students have completed work placements at organisations such as:
- The Environment Agency
- Natural England
- The Solent Forum
We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
You can travel overseas for field work in places such as Berlin, Malta, Sicily and Uganda and choose to study abroad at one of our link universities in Poland, Spain or France.
Work experience and career planning
To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course.
We can help you identify placements, internships, voluntary roles and opportunities that will complement your studies and match your ambitions.
