Applied Geographical Sciences

A new award for a new era in GeoTechnology!

This new BSc course brings together staff expertise, geographic concepts and theories, with the latest software and equipment, to enable you to use digital geographic information to understand the world in which we live.

Be part of the fast-moving and exiciting Geotechnology sector and learn how to collect, analyse and use digital geographic data. Use these skills to understand a range of physical and social phenomena, including environmental hazards, crime mapping, public health planning, and managing urban, river and coastal environments.

Gain real-world, professional skills, including the use of ArcGIS software, 3-D terrestrial laser scanning, and high accuracy global positioning technologies. 

Why study Applied Geographical Sciences?

If you are interested in investigating your own neighbourhood and the wider world using maps, satellite images and aerial photography and other digital data then a degree in AGS will be of interest to you.

Every time you ask the question “where is..?” you are thinking spatially. Spatial thinking is a common element in all Earth Systems sciences such as Geography, Geology, Geo-physics, and Environmental Studies but recently it has been incorporated into important social and economic areas such as Town and Country Planning, local government and community asset management, retail location analyses, marketing and Customer Relationship Management, Epidemiology (mapping disease) and Criminology, all of which have a spatial element.

Geographic information technology (Geotechnology) is changing the ways we share information and conduct business. In every type of organisation and in every part of our lives, Geotechnology helps people to do a better job and make a difference. Today, it is a multibillion-dollar industry employing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

This course will enable you to gain the knowledge and skills expected by employers in the geosciences sector, plus that all-important geographical context.

Course structure

You will study geographical concepts and principles in both physical and human geography strands in all three years of your degree to allow you to gain the knowledge, skills and understanding of the fundamentals of thinking and working spatially.

Fieldwork is an integral part of your learning and underpins our commitment to a relevant, interesting and useful degree. Fieldwork helps you to put your learning into practice in the 'real' world, and gives you experience of working in teams and in unfamiliar environments. There are various field days during modules, as well as residential fieldwork options in the UK and overseas in years 2 and 3. At present, the overseas field destinations include Barcelona, Southern Spain and Northern India.

Modules

During your degree, you will take a combination of compulsory and optional modules. The optional modules at all levels enable you to personalise your own degree and specialise further in areas in which you are particularly interested. The degree includes a number of practical based modules focusing on the use of software and equipment, as well as a work placement with a relevant oragnisation of your own choice.

Here is a list of compulsory and optional modules for 2012-13. Please note that this list is indicative. Some modules may be replaced from year to year in response to, for instance, changes to staffing and expertise,  vocational developments, national or university policy and student demand.

Level 4 (first year)

Foundations in Geography(compulsory)   The principles of human and physical geography, applied to tectonics,  climate, rivers and coasts and to how society actively constitutes places, movement and identity. Blend your knowledge with useful skills.

Earth Observation: an Introduction (compulsory)   We introduce satellite and aerial imaging in theory and practice. Learn how to collect data using satellite navigation techniques and consider their value to today’s society and economy.

Introduction to Physical Landscapes  (either this module or Society, Space and Welfare are compulsory) The focus is geomorphology, the form of the landscape and the ancient processes that created it. Add the more recent actions of water, ice and wind and then identify the landforms that are produced. 

Society, Space and Welfare The focus is on the relationship between society and space, through analysis of welfare provision and social protection. Explore how social problems and needs are identified, and examine the development of the British health, education, housing and other welfare systems that have collectively become known as 'the welfare state'.

Development and Sustainability   Poverty, inequality, resource depletion and environmental stress challenge people and shape places all over the world. Explore one of the key geographical questions of today: can global development be sustainable?

Managing Data An introduction to the use of numeric tools and the interpretation of data. Computer workshop sessions are included to help you to use the power of computers to reach solutions to numeric problems, and extend and develop your ability in using Excel.

Public Health Nutrition Study the patterns of dietary disease and their occurrence in human populations. The role of diet in a number of Western diseases will be studied, alongside developments in public health that have influenced the patterns of disease in the UK.

Level 5 (second year)

Geography and Geographers: Investigating Environment and Society(compulsory)   Learn the key knowledge, skills and methods necessary to successfully write your own research project in third year, and go on to build your information-gathering skills in your future career.

Digital Cartography (compulsory)   Explore the frontiers of digital mapping and the information systems behind the maps.  The skills you acquire will reflect technological and conceptual advances in the Geomatics industry, and be highly valued by that industry as a consequence.

Geosciences Industry Experience (compulsory)  You will experience the day-to-day operations of a firm or organisation  in the Geosciences field relevant to your learning to date. This will involve identifying and preparing for a short work placement in the UK and reporting in a structured format at the end.

Global Climate Change  Climate change is the most contentious and actively debated environmental topic of our time. Explore the science, causes, consequences and future policy options, as well as the politics of climate change.

River and Coastal Systems   Investigate river catchments and coastal systems, with particular focus on movements of water and sediment within, and between, them.  You will learn about the interactions of erosion, transport and deposition to better understand the links between energy dynamics and geomorphology. 

Environmental Hazards   Earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and landslides afflict many world regions. Study the physical processes that trigger these and similar events and learn how professionals can predict, prevent or manage them.

Geographical Fieldwork   Take part in a detailed field investigation of current themes in human and physical geography within a distinctive setting in the UK or overseas. Gain fieldwork skills and undertake research projects during a residential field trip. The current study areas include Merseyside, the Lake District, and Northern India.

Sustainable Communities   The goal of development should be a society that lives ‘well’, but does so sustainably.  Explore the concepts of community, sustainability and wellbeing and ask how they can be achieved for different people and places across the globe. 

Criminology and Criminal Justice   Explore concepts and methods of researching the social and spatial dimensions of the crime debate. In what ways do culture and the media inform our understanding of crime? To what extent is the process of criminal justice influenced by politics?

Project Management  Learn the fundamentals of project management and thereby acquire valuable vocational skills and experience. You are trained to evaluate and co-ordinate projects of all kinds to ensure that outcomes are delivered, on time and to budget.

Information and Operations Management Business environments are changing faster than ever before. Global business operation, decentralisation of large local business groups, and off-shoring, are influencing operations management; and information systems (IS) applications are widely used in all kinds of daily business activities. Students should not only understand operations management but information systems applications because the two are increasingly interlinked.

Level 6 (third year)

AGS Dissertation (compulsory)  This is the culmination of your BSc degree. Demonstrate you can apply the knowledge and skills you have gained in an original project. A wide range of subjects are tackled each year, assisted by the breadth of staff expertise, specialist literature and technical resources.

Survey Practice (compulsory)   This is a practical module enabling higher level use of professional survey techniques and data (topographic and socio-economic). It will develop and extend your skills in digital survey design, data collection, discovery, retrieval and processing in image and map formats.

Development and Disasters (compulsory)  Investigate the causes of, and responses to, natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. You will acquire valued skills in the collection and analysis of geographic data that can be used to understand these events and coordinate the response. This includes mapping areas affected by disasters and understanding the effects of these events on the development of the area.

Climatology   Trace the many processes constituting the climate system, how they affect each other and how the climate is monitored through the use of remote sensing. Learn how to analyse and communicate climate information.

Coastal and River Management    The management of rivers and coasts is vital for environment and society.  Study current challenges such as water resources, erosion and sedimentation, climate change and recreational pressures.  Explore and critique options for remedies and management, and recommend solutions. 

International Field Work  In an overseas setting, gain a geographical sense of ‘place’ by designing and delivering a team field project on a theme such as urban, historical, tourism, coastal, environmental or applied geography.  Currently the destination is Barcelona, Spain.

Community Engagement   You will learn about social or environmental action through undertaking appropriate voluntary work. We will support you to find a volunteer place. You will undertake or have already completed some recognised basic training in your chosen field.

Enterprise: Creating a Business This module is designed to give the opportunity to create, develop and manage a business idea. During the module you will create a formal Business Plan. This will be presented to a professional panel as an assessment element of the module.

Course assessment

You will experience a variety of different assessment methods throughout your degree. These include essays, industrial project reports, scientific project reports, presentations, posters, field-craft assessments, reflective items, time-constrained tests and examinations. These will give you a rich and diverse skills learning experience, be of real benefit in the search for a good career, and be useful in your professional activities.

Each module will have a different set of assessment items, and not all will include an examination. These assessment items enable you to demonstrate that you have achieved the learning outcomes.

A key feature of the AGS degree is the opportunity to gain real-world professional skills through the use of industry-standard software, and industry-leading equipment. You will be trained in small groups to use 3-D terrestrial laser scanning equipment and high-accuracy global positioning technologies, as well as more coventional tachymetric survey equipment. The latest version of ArcGIS provides the medium of analysis and visualization, in maps, graphs and images.

In addition, you will learn a range of scientific techniques, including field sampling and the use of laboratory instruments for sediment and water analysis. Through the degree you will also develop 'people' skills such as communication, team work and critical thinking - skills that are highly valued by employers.

Teaching methods

Throughout your degree, you will experience a range of learning environments and methods of teaching. These include 'traditional' lectures with a maximum of approximately 90 students, small seminars where topics are discussed between approximately 20 students, practical exercises in laboratories, small tutorials, and fieldwork outside the classroom.

Fieldwork is central to the Bath Spa learning experience and most modules have a field day. You will have the opportunity to visit places and landscapes such as Mendip, Bristol, the Somerset Levels, the Royal Geographical Society in London, the Lake District, the Dorset Jurassic Coast, Spain and Northern India.

Teaching quality excellence

We are proud of the quality of our teacing in Geography at Bath Spa. During your degree you will taught by experienced, specialist staff, who undertake research in their specific areas of expertise, as well as into the learning and teaching of different aspects of geography.

Subject tutors regularly attend Professional Development Workshops that inform curriculum development and we regularly attend academic and commercial conferences. We subscribe to industry societies and their journals, such as Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society (RSPSoc), American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), the British Cartographic Society (BCS), GIS Professional, GIM International.

Application method

Full-time applications are through UCAS

Course enquiries

Want to know more about Applied Geographical Sciences at Bath Spa? We have Open Days and Visit Days throughout the year. If you can't make any of those, we are also happy to arrange individual visits for you to have a look around at the facilities and ask any questions you may have. You can get in touch using the contact details adjacent. We hope to see you here soon!

Please contact Dr Rebecca Schaaf, Subject Leader for Geography:

r.schaaf@bathspa.ac.uk.

Telephone: (01225) 876336.

Entry requirements

260-300 UCAS tariff points with a minimum of 80 points in Geography or a related subject.

We welcome applications from mature students with an Access to HE qualification. If you have non-standard qualifications we will consider any prior learning and professional experience in your application.

Career opportunities

There are various career opportunities available to BSc AGS graduates, from careers in natural resource management, disaster management and public service provision to careers in business, marketing and retail. This course aims to give you the practical training in the latest technologies and provide you with vocational and problem based learning to give you the best chance of securing a good career. In designing this new course for you, we have listened to what employers in the geospatial industry want and we have included those things in our modules.

In addition, a compulsory work placement is included in the award, and guest speakers from industry contribute throughout the course. Work placements provide an excellent opportunity for you to gain some experience in the workplace, and will stand you in good stead for making those all-important career decisions when you move into the world of work.

In 2012, employers such as Channel Coastal Observatory. The Environment Agency, Bristol Water and The Geomatics Group have recruited graduates from this course. Students have also gone into roles including Coastal Process Scientist, Data Asset Manager and GIS Technician.

What students say...

This course started in 2011, therefore we do not yet have information on student experience and achievement on completion. However, students on similar awards in Geography have found the work placement experience to be particularly beneficial. This is what some of our recent graduates have said about their placements:

“My work placement was very useful in that it helped shape my idea of which direction I felt I was going and also to be able to use some of the skills I had learnt at Uni – a must for any student”

“For my work experience I spent a week with GetMapping PLC. As I was with the aerial surveyors I got good hands-on experience of survey planning and survey platforms. This was really useful when undertaking my final year module in Aerial Remote Sensing”

“My placement at the Landmark Information Group was extremely beneficial as it provided me with an opportunity to experience GIS in the workplace. A work placement is an excellent way to start gaining contacts in your specialised field – it has been one of the highlights of my course!”

“I spent my work placement and then various vacations working in the GIS team at Capita Symonds. The majority of the work done is GIS-based with some remote sensing. Tasks vary from basic mapping to web-based GIS tasks. If you prefer to work solely in GIS then this is the perfect job, working in a fun team and gaining a wide knowledge in the GIS world”