Geography BA

University College London

Bachelor's degree

In London

£ 9,250 VAT inc.

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Description

  • Type

    Bachelor's degree

  • Location

    London

  • Duration

    3 Years

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The Geography BA and BSc share core elements at the start, providing you with a strong geographical foundation on which to build. In year one you take two core modules and four optional modules, one of which can be outside the department. In year two, compulsory modules are supplemented by six optional modules, including field research based courses, selected from a substantial pool. It is now possible to begin focusing on topics such as development geography, environmental and conservation management, urban geography, GIS and climate change. Your dissertation is the main focus of year three. In this, you'll work with a relevant academic to develop an original piece of research on a topic of your choice. In addition you take further optional modules, which may include participation in exchange programmes with universities in Australia, Canada, Europe or Singapore. Fieldwork throughout the programme can take place both in the UK and abroad, and it is also possible to base your dissertation on an overseas project. Recent destinations include Australia, Belize, India, Montserrat and Papua New Guinea. Financial support for overseas fieldwork may be available through expedition funds.

Facilities

Location

Start date

London
See map
Gower Street, WC1E 6BT

Start date

On request

About this course

You will gain a broad range of practical and project management skills, making you attractive to both the public and private sectors in the UK and around the world. We offer a wide range of optional modules and have a particularly low staff-to-student ratio (Guardian University Guide 2018), encouraging individual choice and personal supervision. We are proud of our consistently high research record. You will therefore be working with thinkers at the cutting-edge of developments in their fields. Resources include specialist GIS and satellite image analysis facilities; laboratories; a reference map collection; a dedicated reading room and first-class library facilities.

Having developed skills associated with both the sciences and the humanities, UCL geographers are particularly adept at taking different perspectives on an issue or problem. These skills make our graduates attractive to employers. UCL geographers have a particularly good track record of securing employment after graduation (Guardian University Guide 2018).This may be partly because of the significant project management skills they develop by undertaking their supported dissertation research. Our geographers embark on many careers: from teaching and research to commerce, planning and administration. Their expertise is valuable for environmental and physical planning, surveying, government, industry and the financial sector.

English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required.

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This centre's achievements

2018

All courses are up to date

The average rating is higher than 3.7

More than 50 reviews in the last 12 months

This centre has featured on Emagister for 14 years

Subjects

  • Urban Geography
  • Geographically
  • Geography
  • The Earth
  • Space and Society
  • Environmental Change
  • Human Ecology
  • Human Geography
  • Geography Cultural
  • Historical Geography
  • Development Geography

Course programme

Year 1

Core or compulsory module(s)
  • Thinking Geographically
  • Geography in the Field
Core foundational modules

You will select modules equivalent to 2.0 credits from a range including:

  • Global Events
  • Space and Society
  • The Earth
  • Environmental Change
  • Human Ecology

You may also take one 0.5 credit module taught outside of Geography if you wish.

Year 2

Core or compulsory module(s)
  • Methods in Human Geography
  • The Practice of Geography
Core intermediary modules

You then select 3.0 credits of intermediary modules from the specialised areas below:

Human Geography

Cultural and Historical Geography; Development Geography; Environment and Society; Economic Geography; GIS and Geodemographics; Political Geography and Geopolitics; Urban Geography; Human Geography Fieldclass

Physical Geography

Ecological Patterns and Processes; Environmental Remote Sensing; Geomorphology; Hydroclimatology; Reconstructing Past Environments; Statistics for Environmental Geographers; Physical Geography Fieldclass.

You may also substitute an ancillary module from outside the department, allowing you (as in your first year) to continue developing particular language skills or start to become more specialised.

Year 3

Core or compulsory module(s)
  • Dissertation
Core advanced modules

You take 2.5 credits of advanced modules from the below. You may also attend a field class (0.5 credits), study abroad for a term (1.5 credits), or enrol on the independent study module involving close collaboration with one academic (0.5 credits).

Human Geography

Geographies of Infrastructure; Urban Political Ecology; Global Urbanism; Geopolitical Events; Geography, Culture and Materiality; Postcolonial Geographies of African Development; Mining Social and Geographical Datasets; Gendered Geographies; Advanced Environment and Society.

Physical Geography

Coastal Geohazards; Global Environmental Change; Principles and Practices of Remote Sensing; Managing Freshwaters in the 21st Century; Palaeoclimatology.

Water and Development is an option that spans human and physical geography. You can also take Professional Geography or take a module outside the department.

Your learning

Your timetable will include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical classes and fieldwork. As you progress, the focus shifts to independent and critical learning, with student-led discussions and presentations becoming more important.

Assessment

First-year assessment combines independent coursework completed throughout the year, with end-of-year written examinations. In years two and three, assessment may vary - some modules combine written examinations with independent projects, some assessed solely by written examination. Your dissertation carries significant weight in your final year.

Additional information

Overseas students fee

£24,040 (2018/19)

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Geography BA

£ 9,250 VAT inc.

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