Geography BSc
Bachelor's degree
In London
Description
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Type
Bachelor's degree
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Location
London
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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 and it is your personal interests, and the options you wish to pursue, that should shape your choice. In your first year you take two core modules and four optional modules, one of which can be outside the department.
In year two, one compulsory module is supplemented by 3.5 credits of optional modules, including field research-based courses, chosen from a substantial pool. At this point it is possible to begin focusing on topics such as environmental and conservation management, remote sensing, geomorphology 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.
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Start date
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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 an exceptionally wide range of optional modules and have a particularly low staff-student ratio (Guardian University Guide 2018), encouraging individual choice and personal supervision. We are proud of our research record which has been consistently high. You will therefore be working with thinkers at the cutting edge of developments in their fields. Our physical geography resources include specialist computing facilities for geographical information and satellite image analysis and world-class science laboratories enabling soil, water and microscopic analysis.
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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Subjects
- Physical Geography
- Geographically
- Geography
- Space and Society
- Earth
- Environmental Change
- Human Ecology
- Coastal Geohazards
- Global Environmental Change
- Human Geography
Course programme
Core or compulsory module(s)
- Thinking Geographically
- Geography in the Field
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 take one 0.5 credit module taught outside of Geography if you wish.
Year 2
- The Practice of Geography
You then select 3.5 credits of intermediary modules from the specialised areas below. To qualify for the BSc, 2.5 of these credits must be in Physical Geography.
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
- Dissertation
You will 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 learningYour 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
£24,040 (2018/19)
Geography BSc