Global Development and Sustainability

Studying Development and Sustainability at Bath Spa University, you’ll examine relevant geographical concepts and apply geographical methods and techniques to real-world problems. You’ll learn principles in physical and human geography throughout your degree, which you’ll apply to the study and solving of development issues.

The course is designed so you can specialise in areas of particular interest, by choosing specific modules. There is a strong vocational focus to the course, with opportunities to undertake an extended work placement, a volunteer placement and an industry-relevant project.

Year 1
The first year of this course introduces you to the theories and realities of development and sustainability issues globally. You’ll acquire the foundational geography skills to equip you to develop your interests and skills in these fields.

Beyond these compulsory elements, you’ll have a choice of modules covering a range of topics, which may include:

• social and economic inequalities
• development organisations and structures
• migration
• social exclusion
• economics and globalisation
• global food issues
• activism
• international education

Year 2
This year you acquire more specialist knowledge and skills in relevant topics and research methods relevant to professional practice.  Your research skills are developed through an extended research project where you will apply your growing mastery of your subject to real-world problems and issues.  You will also start to further explore career options and planning, with opportunities to do a work placement or volunteering overseas.

Optional topics include:

• environmental hazards
• climate change and society
• the use of geotechnologies
• migration and citizenship
• education and development

The field trip to India offers a unique opportunity to explore development and sustainability themes in a real-world context. On this trip you will examine environmental hazards and development, wellbeing and social inequalities, and the legacy of colonialism.

Year 3
This year you’ll specialise your interests further. You’ll develop your skills as an independent scholar by undertaking primary research that will enable you to demonstrate the your academic and transferable skills. 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
• business enterprise
• managing sustainability
• international education
  

An optional field trip to Barcelona examines urban regeneration, social inequalities and urban sustainability. 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, 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.

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 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. Fieldwork helps you to put your learning into practice and gives you experience of working in teams and in unfamiliar environments.

There are various field days during modules as well as residential fieldwork opportunities overseas, currently to Northern India, Zambia and Spain. Please note that you will 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 Excellence in Global Development and Sustainability Prize, recognising the best overall performance in the compulsory modules in the final year of study.

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.

Newton Park Campus – ‘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

VLE

We have all the latest technologies and learning resources and GDS. You’ll have access to IT suites with geographical software including ArcGIS.