Geography (Human)

While Geography combines the earth and social sciences, we appreciate that you may be more interested in the nature and role of people and society, rather than analysis of the physical processes of landscape formation and change.

This award provides a specialist human geography pathway through our Geography programme. You’ll cover a wide variety of human geography themes, building your specialist knowledge.

You’ll graduate with a range of skills that are highly valued by employers. These include scientific techniques and computer skills, as well as people skills like communication, team-work and critical thinking.

Year one
The first year of this course introduces you to the exciting world of Geography at university. You’ll acquire foundational geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. You’ll get a taste of a variety of geographies, and there are plenty of opportunities to do fieldwork, visiting local places such as the Bristol and Bath.

Topics you’ll study include:

• Examining and debating contemporary geographical issues
• Developing practical skills such as computer mapping
• Learning about unfamiliar physical environments and different societies and cultures
• Exploring key issues such as development and sustainability, global food issues or geopolitics
• How to use the technologies, methods, techniques and equipment that geographers need to use.

Year two
This year you’ll continue to explore human geography. Greater emphasis is placed on research methods; you’ll learn a wide range of useful geographical methods and techniques, both in the classroom and in fieldwork settings where you’ll apply your growing mastery of your subject to real-world problems and issues.

Optional topics include:

• Climate change and sustainable societies
• The use of exciting new geotechnologies
• Urban geographies through examining the issues of global cities
• Migration and citizenship
• Field trip to India.

You’ll also start to further explore career options and planning, with opportunities for a work placement or volunteering overseas. We also give you the chance to engage with the Royal Geographical Society and other professional bodies.

Year three
This year you will further specialise in human geography. You’ll develop your skills as an independent scholar by undertaking primary research that will enable you to explore further your geographical interests. Alternatively, you can undertake an extended work placement with a relevant research report.

Optional topics include:

• Development and disasters
• Identities and inequalities in society
• Globalisation
• Environmental justice
• Gender, migration and social diversity.

You can further broaden your studies through a field trip to Barcelona to study historical, cultural and political geographies. There is also the opportunity to undertake a community placement and project as part of your studies.

You’ll experience a variety of different assessment methods throughout your degree. These include essays, project reports, presentations, posters, video clips, fieldcraft 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.

Good teaching is important to us; our graduates highly rate the quality of teaching on the course. In our friendly department you will benefit from small classes, specialist expertise, and up-to-date technologies, including ArcGIS and GPS survey instruments.

You’ll experience lectures and workshop or seminar-based teaching, with small groups to enable discussion about specific topics.

You’ll have the opportunity to study in a wide range of locations around the world. Our students have completed Erasmus+ and Exchange programmes in a variety of countries including Australia, Finland and the USA.

“Field trip opportunities have been brilliant and a really valuable experience”
– Geography graduate, 2015

We’re committed to giving you a relevant, interesting and useful degree; fieldwork is integral to this. There are various field days during modules, as well as residential fieldwork options in the UK and overseas in Years 2 and 3.

You’ll visit places and landscapes such as Avebury, Mendip, the Somerset Levels, the Welsh National History Museum, the Royal Geographical Society in London, and Bristol and Bath. Residential courses currently go to Spain and Northern India. Please note that you’ll have to make a financial contribution towards these residential study visits.

There are opportunities to undertake work placements in your second and third year – this is an excellent way to gain experience in the workplace.

Guest speakers from industry contribute to the learning experience throughout the course. This engagement with potential employers will help you make those all-important career decisions when you graduate.

There are prizes awarded each year in recognition of excellence in the core modules. This culminates with the Geography Project of the Year Award, for the best dissertation.

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for, and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of “with Professional Placement Year” to your degree title.

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

You'll be taught on Newton Park campus, with access to a range of facilities including:

• ‘Natural Laboratory’
  Our location at Newton Park, nestled in a parkland valley setting just outside Bath, is a beautiful and unique 'natural laboratory' in which to pursue environmental education and we make the most of the setting.
  
• Newton Park library
  
• Commons building
  
• Virtual Learning Environment

We have all the latest technologies and learning resources. You’ll have access to IT laboratories with geographical software such as ArcGIS and Idrisi. In addition we have a comprehensive stock of field and laboratory equipment.

Other resources available include Leica Smart Rovers and Laser Scanner, handheld Global Positioning System devices, survey seismograph, Russian and standard sediment corers, teaching microscopes, stream flow meters, particle size analysis kits, digital Schmidt hammers, digital weather station, campus stream gauging station, digital dictaphones, digital video cameras, tablets and laptops.