Geography - A and AS Levels

Geography - A and AS Levels

What are the main features of this course?
Geography encourages students to understand the issues they will face in their own lives in a global world, such as climate change, poverty and deprivation, global shifts in economic power and the challenge of sustainable resource use. Concepts and processes are studied in the context of real places existing in a range of contexts from local to global. Students will take part in fieldwork in and around Birmingham.
The AS course consists of:
Unit G1 - Changing Physical Environments - Investigating climate change, tectonic change (including earthquakes and volcanoes) and hydrological change.
Unit G2 - Changes in the Human Environment - Investigating population change, and investigating settlement change in MEDCs.
The A2 course consists of:
Unit G3 - Contemporary Themes and Research in Geography. The physical theme will be Climatic Hazards and the human theme will be Development. Candidates also carry out a research enquiry based on their chosen topic set by the board.
Unit G4 - Sustainability: Food, Supply, Water Supply, Energy and Sustainable Cities.

How is the course assessed?
There are two exams for AS, one in January and one in May/June. These consist of structured questions and each paper includes a question on fieldwork. There are two exams for A2. G3 consists of two essays and a question based on the research enquiry. G4 is a decision making exercise.

Who should study this course?
Geography is for those students who wish to understand the environmental and cultural changes that face the rapidly changing world in which we live. The transferable skills which geography fosters are an asset in the complex world of employment today. Since geography encompasses a knowledge of science and an understanding of the arts, it combines well with many other subjects at AS/A level. You should have at least a grade C in English and Maths GCSE and preferably at least a grade C in Geography GCSE.

Where can I go next?
The majority of students go on to higher education to study a variety of subjects which have been introduced at A Level, in more depth at degree level. Geography develops a particularly wide range of skills relevant to employment such as decision making, problem solving, handling data and report writing.

Exam Board:
AQA