Geography

Course Content (including module information)

Our degrees provide fundamental skills and knowledge while allowing students to tailor their degree according to their interests and ambitions. There are three levels, outlined below.

Level 1

Students take a foundation year of Human and Physical Geography modules:

• Dynamic Earth
• Human Geographies of the Modern World
• Processes and Principles of Physical Geography
• Spaces of Development

Modules are delivered through combinations of lectures, tutorials, practical classes and field work, and provide an introduction to the subject and analysis of the inter-connections between global, regional and local scales. Associated essays, practicals and research projects contribute to the overall assessment.

Level 2

Single Honours students take core modules that explore contemporary approaches to geographical enquiry and the acquisition and analysis of geographical information. Students also select options from a range of human or physical geography modules, which include residential field-based modules such as Techniques in Earth Science and Heritage, Culture and Land Use (Malta) and The Mediterranean: Exploring Dynamic Environments (Mallorca).

Level 3

An element of independent study is required at Level 3, where students carry out a supervised research project on a topic that interests them (the dissertation). Students also select other specialised modules, which vary from year to year, but may include:

• Advanced GIS
• Arid Environments
• Geoforensics
• Geographies of Global Finance
• Geographies of Social Movements and Social Conflict
• Geographies of War and Public Memory
• Geography, Science and Society
• Glacial and Periglacial Geomorphology
• Knowledge, Space and Power
• Quaternary Palaeoecology
• Science and Society
• Sea-Level Change: Past, Present and Future
• Spaces of Urbanisation in Emerging Economies
• Urban Landscapes

Assessment (general): The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the Learning objectives of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments. Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction.

Feedback (general): As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and your peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that students, as individuals or as part of a group, have submitted.
• Face to face comment. This may include occasions when students make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment.
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which students can review in their own time.
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once students have reviewed their feedback, they are encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of their work.

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.

Within Geography and Archaeology we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

• Lectures: introduce basic information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers).
• Practicals: where students will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts. Many Archaeology, Geographic Information Systems and Physical Geography modules have associated practical classes, ranging from 3 to 9 hours study per week, depending on the module content.
• E-Learning technologies:Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Queen’s Online. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; IT and statistics modules; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in practicals and project- based work.
• Seminars/tutorials: Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess their own progress and understanding with the support of peers. Students should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups.
• Self-directed study: This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
• Work placements and Field Classes: Students taking ‘Geography at Work’ undertake a work-placement during Level 3 and undertake internal work with the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork (CAF) as part of ‘Archaeological Excavation’ in Year 2. These modules provide significant learning and employability enhancement opportunities.
• Supervised projects: In final year, students will be expected to carry out a significant piece of research on a topic or practical methodology that they have chosen. They will receive support from a supervisor who will guide them in terms of how to carry out research and who will provide feedback on a number of occasions during the write up stage.
• Personal Tutor: Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor during levels 1 and 2 who meets with them on several occasions during the year to support their academic development.