Geography
Study the Earth's physical attributes and its political and cultural features.
About the programme
UCAS Code: BA Combined Honours (Y001)
If you've ever wondered about:
- changes in the environment
- what an organisation like the World Bank does
- the spatial pattern of disease
then you've been thinking about topics in geography. The breadth and flexibility of geography make it an ideal subject to study.
You'll have the opportunity to select modules to shape the type of geography you'd like to study - from human to physical geography.
You'll get training in all aspects of modern geography, emphasising the application of geographical knowledge to the problems of the economic, social and physical environment.
Geography is offered by the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology. Discover an active social calendar and sports activities avilable with the Geography Society
Stage 1
Students study either 40 or 60 credits from the list below in Stage 1.
Students who wish to follow a Human Geography route through the subject must select GEO1010.
Students who wish to follow a Physical Geography route through the subject must select GEO1020.
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO1010 | Interconnected World (Human Geography compulsory module) | 20 | 1 |
| GEO1019 | Physical Geography Field course: Landforms, processes and field techniques | 20 | 2 |
| GEO1020 | Introduction to Physical Geography (Physical Geography compulsory module) | 20 | 1 |
| GEO1023 | Environment and Society | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO1024 | Coasts and Communities: Human Geography Fieldwork | 20 | 2 |
| GEO1025 | Mapping a Changing World: GIS for Geographers | 20 | 2 |
Stage 2
Students study either 40, 60 or 80 credits from the list below in Stage 2.
Human Geography modules (all have the pre-requisite GEO1010):
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO2043 |
Key Methods for Human Geographers (Required for any student who plans to undertake a fieldtrip module, as this is the pre-requisite for all Human Geography fieldtrip modules) |
20 | 1 |
| GEO2145 | Social and Cultural Geography | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO2047 | Political Geography | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO2148 | Urban Geography | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO2099 | Economic Geography | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO2140 |
Research Design and Planning for Human Geographers (Only available to students studying 80 credits in Geography. Pre-requisite for the final year Geography dissertation module) |
20 | 1&2 |
Physical Geography modules (all have the pre-requisite GEO1020):
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO2127 |
Research Design and Planning for Physical Geographers (Only available to students studying 80 credits in Geography. Pre-requisite for the final year Geography dissertation module) |
20 | 1&2 |
| GE02136 | Global Environmental Change | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2137 | Key Methods for Physical Geographers (Required for any student who plans to undertake a fieldtrip module, as this is the pre-requisite for all Physical Geography fieldtrip modules) | 20 | 1 |
| GEO2226 | Glacial Environments (Recommended Co-requisite GEO2137) | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO2229 | River Catchment Dynamics |
20 | 1 |
| GEO2141 | Geohazards and Risks | 20 | 1 |
Fieldtrips
These modules are available to Combined Honours students who study Geography in a Major (80 credits) or a Joint (60 credits) weighting, there will be 20 credit field course modules available during Semester 2 which involve an overseas field trip during the Easter vacation (March/April 2025). These modules are not available to Combined Honours students who study Geography in a Minor (40 credits) weighting. Please note that places on all overseas field trip modules are capped at 35. There is an (uncapped) fieldtrip based at home.
With regard to financing a fieldtrip, all fieldtrips are subsidised. For some (European) fieldtrips this covers all expenses. For long-haul fieldtrips, students will be asked to pay for some items (e.g. travel).
Students who wish to take an overseas fieldtrip module in 2025/26 need to:
- use the ‘dummy’ code of GEO2222 during module pre-registration via Student Portal (between 30th April and 12th May 2025).
- indicate their field trip preferences using this web form
- https://forms.office.com/e/N9qLVkdTKr
- This web form will be open from Wednesday 30th April at 9:00am and close at 8:00pm on Monday 12th May
- Wherever possible, students will be allocated to field courses on the basis of their preferences and are likely to be allocated to one of their first three choices, but this cannot be guaranteed as field course places are limited. The Geography team reserves the right to allocate students to any field course for which a student has the relevant prior learning, if necessary.
- Please note that if a student selects GEO2222 in the Student Portal but does not indicate their field course preferences on the web form by 8pm on May 12th, they will be allocated to an appropriate field course. There will be no further opportunity to influence their field course allocation.
- All fieldtrips are capped at 35, if more than 35 students express an interest then places will be allocated randomly and other students will be placed on other field courses.
Human Geography fieldtrip modules (each capped between 30 and 35)
*All Human Geography fieldtrips have GEO2043 as a pre-requisite*
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO2124 | The creative and knowledge-based economy: Berlin Field Course (pre-requisite GEO2043 and GEO2099) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2232 | City of Crisis, City of Hope: Amsterdam Field Course (pre-requisite GEO2043 and GEO2110) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2235 | War and Memory: Bosnia and Herzegovina Field Course (pre-requisite GEO2043) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2224 | Urban Sustainability: Barcelona Field Course | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2236 | Between Two Unions: Ireland Human Geography Field Course | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2139 | Exploring Everyday Political Geographies in a Divided City: Nicosia Field Course | 20 | 2 |
Physical Geography fieldtrip modules (each capped between 30 and 35)
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO2037 | Ireland Fieldtrip (pre-requisite GEO2137) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2233 | Humans vs Nature in the Netherlands (Netherlands Field course) (Pre-requisite GEO2137) | 20 | 2 |
Stage 3
Students study either 40, 60 or 80 credits from the list below in Stage 3.
Human Geography modules:
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO3102 | Geopolitics (Pre-requisite GEO2047 or GEO2103 or GEO2110) | 20 | 1 |
| GEO3114 | Local and Regional Development (Pre-requisites GEO2099 or GEO2103) | 20 | 1 |
| GEO3153 | Geographies of Race and Nation (Pre-requisite: any one of either GEO2103, GEO2110 or GEO2047) |
20 | 2 |
| GEO3159 | Migration, Bordering and Solidarities | 20 | 2 |
| GEO3161 | Humanitarianism and Health Inequalities (Pre-requisites GEO2110 and GEO2103) | 20 | 1 |
| GEO3162 | The Politics of Difference and Identity (Pre-requisites: any of either GEO2110 or GEO2047) | 20 | 1 |
| GEO3166 | Geographies of Global South Cities | 20 | 2 |
| GEO3167 | Geographies of Housing | 20 | 2 |
Physical Geography modules:
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO3128 | Polar Environments (Pre-requisite GEO2137) | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO3147 | Past and Present Climates (Pre-requisite GEO2137) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO3165 | Rivers and Deltas (Pre-requisites GEO2137) | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO3144 | Mountain Environments | 20 | 1 |
Dissertation module:
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO3099 | Dissertation (Only available to students studying 80 credits in Geography. Pre-requisites: GEO2043 and GEO2140 or GEO2127 and GEO2137) | 40 | 1&2 |
| HSS3500* | Combined Honours Final Year Project | 20 | 1&2 |
| HSS3099* | Combined Honours Final Year Project | 40 | 1&2 |
*Undertake an in-depth, independent research project with flexibility to select a topic related to one or all your subject areas, and the option to deliver a written or creative output. Supervisors are assigned from the Combined Honours academic team, and you can choose which subject(s) you want the credits to go towards.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about choosing this subject as part of your Combined Honours degree, contact us and we'll be more than happy to help.
Subject adviser
Dr Soudeh Ghaffari - School of Geography, Politics and Sociology