Geography

We take an integrated approach to Geography; you’ll gain an understanding of both the human and physical aspects of the subject. As your curiosity, abilities and career plans evolve, you can choose to specialise in the aspects of Geography – whether physical or human – that interest you.

The best Geography university courses are characterised by meaningful partnerships between students and staff. We’re a small, accessible team and we take the time to get to know you. Research – at the cutting edge of diverse topics such as global challenges, migration, identities and citizenship – underpins our teaching.

Our rural campus is in itself a natural laboratory that gives you the opportunity to use your growing skills, alongside state of the art equipment (GIS, satellite data and Geotechnologies), to investigate the world on your doorstep.

You’ll graduate with a range of skills that are highly valued by employers, from scientific techniques and computer skills to people skills such as communication, teamwork, independent research, data collection, fieldwork and critical thinking.

Year one
In your first year, you’ll acquire foundational geographical knowledge, understanding and skills. You also get a taste of a variety of geographies, and benefit from plenty of fieldwork opportunities to local sites such as the Mendips, Somerset Levels and Bristol.

Year two
Start to specialise in your geographical interests. Greater emphasis is placed on research methods; you’ll learn a wide range of useful geographical techniques, both in the classroom and in fieldwork settings.

You apply your growing mastery of your subject to real-world problems and issues. The history of Geography forms a core part of the course, and we also give you the chance to engage with the Royal Geographical Society and other professional bodies as we help you begin to map out potential career paths.

Year three
Continue to specialise. Develop your skills as an independent scholar by undertaking primary research that will enable you to demonstrate the theoretical and practical aspects of your geographical interests.

There’s a huge variety of topics to choose from for your dissertation, and throughout it, you’ll benefit from one-to-one tuition and expert guidance.

You’ll experience a variety of different assessment methods throughout your Geography degree. These include essays, project reports, presentations, posters, video clips, fieldcraft assessments, reflective items and time-constrained tests and examinations. These will give you a rich and diverse skill set, designed to be of real benefit in pursuit of your career goals.

Good teaching is important to us; our graduates highly rate the quality of teaching on the course. In our friendly department you’ll benefit from small classes, specialist expertise and up-to-date technologies, including ArcGIS, GPS survey instruments, campus river gauging and digital ‘met’ stations.

Our rural site is a superb natural laboratory where you’ll learn a range of scientific techniques including field sampling and the use of laboratory instruments for sediment and water analysis. You’ll also learn social scientific techniques e.g. surveys and landscape interpretation.

Lectures, workshops and seminar-based teaching within small groups enables discussion about specific topics.

• Environment, People and Place
• Geographical Skills
• Global Development
• Conservation Biology
• Questioning Society
• Visualizing the 21st Century World
• Sustainability in Life and Work

• Contested Geographies: Histories and Debates
• Geographical Research Methods
• Geomorphology and Environmental Hazards
• Climate and Society
• Geographical Fieldwork
• Geotechnologies for Society and Environment
• Spatial Development Planning: A Global Perspective
• Migration: Identity, Belonging, Citizenship and Security
• Social Problems, Social Divisions, Social Justice
• Crime, Law and Society
• Environmental Management
• Work Placement
• Professional Placement Year

• Geography Dissertation
• Advanced Geographical Fieldwork
• Identities and Inequalities
• Coastal and River Management
• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Culture, Risk and Environmental Justice
• Community Engagement

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, the Netherlands and the USA.

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 two and three.

You’ll visit places and landscapes such as Mendip, the Somerset Levels, the Royal Geographical Society in London, and the Jurassic Coast of Dorset. Residential trips currently go Northern India (year two) and Barcelona and the Lake District (final year specialist options). Please note that you’ll have to make a financial contribution towards all of these residential study visits.

There are opportunities to undertake work placements in your second year – this is an excellent way to gain experience in the workplace. Students have worked with local organisations such as Send a Cow, African Initiatives, Local Planning authorities, environmental organisations and the National Trust.

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 at our 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 cultural heritage site and ‘natural laboratory’ in which to pursue environmental education.
• Bath Spa Observer – developed in the University to collect environmental data about the natural systems that make up our campuses.
• Newton Park library
• Commons building
• Virtual Learning Environment
• Writing and Learning Centre
• Specialist resources
• English Language Unit.

We have the latest technologies and learning resources. You’ll have access to IT laboratories with geographical software such as ArcGIS. 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.