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Students and lecturer working with the flume

Geography BSc(Hons)

  • Intro
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
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    criteria
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    and costs
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Intro

Our accredited Geography BSc(Hons) examines crucial contemporary issues including the climate crisis and human impacts on the environment, global sustainability and the circular economy.

Focused on physical and environmental geography, you’ll also cover elements of human geography featured on our BA(Hons) giving you a broad foundation in the subject. You can tailor the course to your career aspirations through your module choices.

Learning with our team of active researchers you’ll build on knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and the lab through field work. Field trip locations include the inspiring South Downs, Sicily and an optional trip to Brazil.

The option of a work placement year and visiting lecturers from industry will give you a feel for what the working world is like. Alongside this you’ll also develop transferable skills in presentation and teamwork – all helping you to get career-ready.


Open days

Book your place:
Moulsecoomb campus open day

Open days are the best way to find out about your course, the campus where you'll be based, and get a feel for the University of Brighton.

Book your place

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code F800

Full-time 3 years
With placement year 4 years
Part-time 4–6 years

Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). 

Apply now with UCAS for 2023

In geography and environmental studies, 100% of our research impact is assessed as outstanding or very considerable in terms of its reach and significance in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

Course content

Course structure

This Geography degree course allows you to develop a programme of study that matches your interests and career ambitions. You will be able to follow a broad combined syllabus with elements of physical, human and environmental geography, or to focus on areas such as geomorphology, landscape change, environmental hazards and environmental management.

Teaching methods consist of lectures, practical classes, fieldwork and seminars, but real-world experience is at the heart of the curriculum. As such you will experience a field trip to Sicily in your second year. This practical fieldwork component allows you to apply your knowledge to real-world concerns.

You have the option to enrol on this course part-time, giving you more flexibility in the way you choose to study.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Students working on a boat during a field trip to NI

Year 1

The first year introduces key themes in physical, human and environmental geography, with core modules that cover the physical forces of landscape change, the impacts of environmental change on the physical and human environments and the human modification of environmental processes.

Modules

Core modules

  • Fundamentals of Physical Geography

    This module provides a theoretical and practical introduction to azonal (tectonic, climatic, hydrological, fluvial, coastal, slope, aeolian, and biogeographical) and zonal (glacial and periglacial) physical geographical systems. You will examine the ways in which these systems interact with and influence human activities, both at the present day and over archaeological timescales.

  • Global Environmental Challenges

    This module introduces pressing global environmental challenges which you'll explore through natural science and social science case studies. The module focuses on scientific, social, economic and political aspects of current and past environmental issues and examines how some of the issues may be addressed through interdisciplinary management and mitigation.

  • Human Geography

    This module provides a critical introduction to key themes in human geography. You will develop an appreciation of geographical concepts such as nature, space, place and scale through consideration of geographies of global political-economic change, past and contemporary cultural geographies and geographical imaginations, and social geographies of everyday life.

  • Academic Learning and Field Skills

    This module will introduce you to academic study skills, fieldwork skills and transferable skills for geography and environmental sciences. The module will support you in how to learn at university, and in particular, with learning independently. You'll also take part in a residential field course where you will learn field data collection and analysis techniques, methodology design and how to present research findings.

  • Statistical and Spatial Data Analysis

    This module introduces techniques used to analyse geographical and environmental data in both the academic and professional worlds. You'll develop the skills and abilities needed to display data graphically and visually, and to assess patterns/relationships through statistical testing, and geospatial display and analysis. You'll become a competent user of statistical software to support and hone your skills, and in the use and application of geospatial/remote sensing data and associated geographical information systems (GIS) software packages.

Options*

  • A Brief History of Earth

    Explore the evolution of the Earth and its climatic and environmental change over time. You will examine key concepts in the academic disciplines of geology, quaternary science and archaeology, enabling you to understand deep time trajectories alongside more recent climatic and environmental changes, through to the modern epoch of the Anthropocene.

  • Cities and Social Change

    Explore key concepts, debates and issues in urban geography. The module is an exploration of the character and history of selected modern cities from across the world, examining the conflicts and contradictions inherent in the social experience of the cities and the policies and interventions linked to resolving their problems. We investigate concerns around inclusivity and equity as they impact diverse social groups and will explore the interrelationships between urban development and social change.

  • Introduction to Ecology and Conservation

    This module will introduce you to key concepts and principles in both ecology and conservation science – illustrated with case studies. The links between ecology and conservation and also between theory and applied research are emphasised

  • Past Landscapes and People

    This module introduces key concepts surrounding past societies and the way they viewed, interacted with, and changed their environment. You will explore the techniques and theories that archaeologists use to engage with the past, and how the subject of archaeology interacts with physical and human geography. You will explore human impacts on past environments and put how the modern landscape has been created through the human activities into context. 

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Students carrying out fieldwork at the beach

Year 2

In your second year of your Geography degree you can choose modules across physical, environmental or human geographies or choose to specialise in physical or environmental geography. Fieldwork includes a trip to Sicily. 

Modules

  • Professional Practice for Global Challenges
  • Research and Field Skills

Option modules*

  • Earth Surface Processes
  • Ice Age Earth
  • Human Origins and Evolution
  • Ancient and Prehistoric Societies
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Climate Change
  • Sustainable Futures
  • Critical Digital Geographies
  • Social Justice in Everyday Spaces
  • GIS and Remote Sensing: Principles and Practice

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Dr Chris Carey with four students in front of stone circle

If you start this course in September 2023, from your second year you'll be able to choose a specialist subject to focus on and have that reflected in the degree title that you graduate with. Subjects you can specialise in are archaeology, geoscience, or remote sensing and GIS. Find out more in the Applying for 2024 section below.

Placement year

A placement year offers you a great opportunity to:

  • build knowledge of real-world businesses and organisations
  • develop existing skills and discover new ones
  • make contacts in industry and commerce
  • increase your confidence
  • improve your time management.

In recent years, our students have been successful in competing for nationally advertised positions with the Department for Energy and Climate Change, Transport for London and the Field Studies Council.

Other students have secured placements with environmental firms and consultancies, a multi-national telecommunications company and a renewable energy research centre in Spain.

Male student surrounded by computer screens

Final year 

The focus for your final year is your independent dissertation. You will work closely with an expert academic to investigate a topic of your choice, applying the research methods and analytical skills covered in the first two years of your course. 

Option modules enable you to tailor your programme of study to support your dissertation and your future career aspirations.

During the Geography BSc(Hons) degree you also have the opportunity of fieldwork in Brazil.

Modules

  • Dissertation

Option modules*

  • Tectonic Geomorphology
  • Rivers, Coasts and Wetlands: Assessment and Management
  • Humans of Ice Age Britain
  • Dynamic Landscapes
  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • The Frozen Planet
  • Water, Sanitation and Health
  • Atmosphere, Weather and Climate
  • Waste Management and the Circular Economy
  • Geographies of Genders and Sexualities
  • Political Ecology: Contested Environments
  • Confronting Coloniality and Racism: Political Geographies of Territory and Security
  • Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing
  • Community Engagement
  • Research Field Skills, Brazil

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Students and technician using drone equipment in the lab

Meet the team

Dr Laura Evenstar, course leader

We operate an open-door policy so that, at any time, a student can pop in for a chat about any personal or academic issues they are facing. As a personal tutor, for any of my students that feel they need some extra support, I provide weekly or monthly catch up sessions, to discuss anything from time management to report writing.

I love watching how our student come out of their shell over the time they study with us. My favourite classes to teach are the final years sessions when the students are comfortable with you as a lecturer and happy to questions what you are teaching them or even mock your jokes!

Read more about Dr Evenstar

Laura Evenstar (1)

Professor David Nash, Professor of Physical Geography

I am a physical geographer with teaching and research interests at the interface of geomorphology, climatology, history and archaeology.

I like to use as many real world examples as possible to put teaching into context, because I think everything can be really abstract. I like to illustrate with plenty of visuals and also information from latest research papers as well as from my own projects. I try to encourage students to read extensively and take a critical approach, for example in the Climate Change module students consider the views of climate change sceptics, a really useful approach for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of current climate change arguments.

Read more about Professor Nash

David-Nash

Find out about the rest of the course team

  • Prof James Ebdon
  • Dr Georgios Maniatis
  • Dr Norman Moles
  • Dr Carl Bonner-Thompson
  • Dr Matthew Brolly
  • Dr Kevin Wyche

Student views

Aimee Clark

"My time at the University of Brighton showed me why people say that university is the best time of your life.

"I am now seconded out to Transport for London through an environmental consultancy. I am working on workplace travel planning with central London businesses to reduce car use. The best bit about my job is doing something that is making a difference to carbon reduction."

Anthony Easthorpe

"Studying at the University of Brighton enabled me to develop a thorough understanding of key geographical theories, and the open-door policy adopted by tutors helped to create a relaxed environment.

"The wide range of modules and the ability to put learned techniques into practice in well-equipped laboratories and residential and overseas field trips further enriched the entire learning experience."

Our latest news

Brighton researchers to explore better sourcing of vital rare earth elements needed in battle to decarbonise

Brighton researchers to explore better sourcing of vital rare earth elements needed in battle to decarbonise

University of Brighton researchers have received a £799,950 grant to explore more efficient and less damaging ways to source vital rare earth elements.

Research into marine littering from abandoned fibreglass boats

Research into marine littering from abandoned fibreglass boats

Steady progress is being made on a collaborative community project steered by the University of Brighton.

A taste of student life at our Applied Science and Engineering residential summer school

A taste of student life at our Applied Science and Engineering residential summer school

Our on campus residential summer school is open for applications from year 12 students who are thinking about applying to science and engineering courses at university.

A study visit to Bexhill’s urban greenspaces

A study visit to Bexhill’s urban greenspaces

Geography and environmental sciences students taking the specialist urban geography module Cities & Social Change recently travelled to Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex to learn about coastal towns in transition.

Read more from our blog

Careers

Professional accreditation  

Our Geography BSc(Hons) is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society with IBG. This is independent recognition that the knowledge, skills and other attributes expected of high-quality geography graduates are delivered by our course.

Graduating from an accredited course can also lay the foundation for professional registration as a Chartered Geographer if you choose to embark on a career in a geography-related field.

RGS IBG accredited programme

Prepare for your career 

In your career you need a combination of knowledge, skills, personal qualities and relevant experiences – and you’ll get all of this from your degree.

Apply your learning and consolidate your geographical scientific knowledge and skills in the lab and in the field.

Strengthen transferrable skills in time management, group working, communication, presenting, designing solutions and software skills. All of which help to prepare you for your career.

Learn with staff who are active in research and consultancy, you’ll build your specialist research skills and gain more in-depth knowledge in the areas that interest you most.

Gain real-world, related experience and make a difference getting involved with community groups and voluntary organisations.

Placement 

Taking an optional placement year offers lots of advantages.

You get to:

  • apply your learning to real-life situations and challenges
  • develop your existing skills and gain new ones
  • explore career options, helping you think about what you don’t want to do as well as what you do
  • boost your confidence, time-management and organisational skills
  • make contacts while working in a professional environment
  • come back for your final year more focused, more organised and more confident.

Work-related experience 

The Community Engagement option module in your second year is a great way to gain valuable skills and experience a different way of learning. You get to complete a practical project with a local community or voluntary organisation, such as the Green Centre in Brighton, that reflects your academic interests.

Volunteering is another way to develop your skills and gain practical work experience while contributing to the wider community.

Student volunteers gardening

Facilities for learning 

You will gain valuable, hands-on experience in our specialist labs and using our field equipment, including:

  • Environment and Public Health Lab
  • Soil and Water Analysis Labs
  • Soil and Sediment Analysis Lab
  • Hydraulics Lab
  • Environmental Simulation Lab
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy facility
  • Air quality lab
  • School of Applied Sciences computer suites running GIS and other professional software
  • Equipment for field-based geophysical surveying
  • Field collection equipment
Geography lab 360 image

Professional links 

Research informs our teaching, helping our students to think and learn like professionals. You will learn with Brighton-based researchers who are tackling global issues such as sustainable riverine management and air quality. Our research spans Environment and Public Health, Society, Space and Environment, and also includes the Centre for Spatial, Environmental and Culture Politics and the Centre for Aquatic Environments.

Guest lectures from industry experts and our own graduates enhance your learning, giving you valuable insights into real-world working environments as well as networking opportunities.

Graduate destinations 

Our Geography graduates have gone on to careers in organisations including the Environment Agency, Southern Water, Low Carbon Europe, GIS consultancies. They are working in roles such as GIS officer, environmental consultant, energy consultant, sustainability manager, performance analyst, archaeologist, heritage manager, and planning and development surveyor.

Further study 

We have opportunities for further study at postgraduate level in this field:

  • Environmental Assessment and Management MSc (PGCert PGDip)
  • Geographical Information Systems and Environmental Management MSc (PGDip)
  • Water and Environmental Management MSc (PGDip)

Supporting your employability 

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

Coloured background with the words Be More, Connected, Skilled, Employable

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–BCC (120–104 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

International Baccalaureate
26 points, to include three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or above.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language, maths and science.

Foundation degree/HND/HNC
60% in international foundation. Applicants with an HND or foundation degree may be considered for year 2 entry.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

Don’t meet these entry requirements?
Our Geography BSc with integrated foundation year provides an extra year of study at foundation level if you do not have the academic qualifications or experience needed for entry to this course.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

Graphic with the text 'Potential + possibility'

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 15,300 GBP

If you choose to take the professional placement (sandwich) year offered on this course you will pay a reduced fee during this year. Our fee for the professional placement year is £1,410 for UK students and £2,180 for international students. This fee may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Applied Sciences in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

  • Where required:
    • all students are provided with a laboratory coat, safety glasses and log book.
    • a budget to cover laboratory consumables and equipment for your final year project is included in the fees for all students.
    • access to key subject journals and subject specific databases is provided, as well as a site licence for industry-standard chemical drawing software.
    • essential instruction booklets (laboratory handbooks) are provided, as is project poster printing and thesis binding. However, you should budget for books, printing and stationery for personal study.
  • For our ecology and conservation courses there are compulsory field trips for which you should budget up to £200. There are also optional field trips for which you may choose to budget up to £2,700. You may also need to buy appropriate clothing for outdoor use.
  • DBS checks for MPharm students are included in the fee.
  • Costs for MPharm placement travel is reimbursed up to a specified amount depending on location of placement.
  • The independent mapping project is a mandatory part of the Geology BSc(Hons) involving independent fieldwork that is undertaken in the summer between years 2 and 3. The cost of this fieldwork is not included in the fee, and you will need to meet this additional cost yourself.
  • Travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips, but you’ll need to provide your own food and drink.
  • Optional placements and day trips may include additional costs. This will vary depending on where and how long the field trip is but you should budget approximately £1,500.
  • Some students require specialist outdoor equipment and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) and should budget up to £100.
  • If you choose to take an optional paid placement you’ll be expected to cover your own travel, accommodation, food and drink.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses. Find out what free software is available from the University of Brighton.
  • In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but students may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you'll find new Students' Union, events venue, and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Two people walking past Mithras halls

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

  • Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
  • Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Relaxing in halls

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Mithras halls room with a view

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Students talking in a social area

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Students playing frisbee

Applying for 2024  

New for 2024

From 2024 this course will change its structure. You'll study six core modules in your first year, helping you to develop a strong foundation of knowledge and skills that you'll draw on for the rest of your degree.

From year 2 you'll be able to focus your studies on one of three specialist subjects and to have that reflected in the degree that you graduate from. Or you can choose to stick with the Geography degree and study a broad range of subjects chosen from option modules.

Students starting in 2023 will also be able to choose the specialist pathways from year 2.

  • Geography with Archaeology BSc(Hons)
  • Geography with Geoscience BSc(Hons)
  • Geography with Remote Sensing and GIS BSc(Hons)

The course described here is in the final stages of development and may change. Check back for the latest information.

Year 1

Core modules

  • Global Environmental Challenges
  • Fundamentals of Physical Geography
  • Academic Learning and Field Skills
  • Statistical and Spatial Data Analysis
  • Human Geography
  • A Brief History of Earth

Year 2

Year 2 is when you'll decide whether to follow one of the specialist pathways, or to stay with the broad geography degree. You'll take two or three core modules depending on your choice of pathway, and then choose from the option modules. 

Core modules

Geography

  • Professional Practice for Global Challenges
  • Research and Field Skills

Geography with Archaeology

  • Professional Practice for Global Challenges
  • Research and Field Skills
  • Ancient and Prehistoric Societies

Geography with Geoscience

  • Professional Practice for Global Challenges
  • Research and Field Skills
  • Earth Surface Processes

Geography with Remote Sensing and GIS

  • Professional Practice for Global Challenges
  • Research and Field Skills
  • GIS and Remote Sensing: Principles and Practice

Options*

  • Earth Surface Processes**
  • Human Origins and Evolution
  • Ancient and Prehistoric Societies**
  • Climate Change
  • Sustainable Futures
  • Ice Age Earth
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Critical Digital Geographies
  • Social Justice in Everyday Spaces
  • GIS and Remote Sensing: Principles and Practice**

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

** If not taken as a core module

Placement

A placement year offers you a great opportunity to:

  • build knowledge of real-world businesses and organisations
  • develop existing skills and discover new ones
  • make contacts in industry and commerce
  • increase your confidence
  • improve your time management.

In recent years, our students have been successful in competing for nationally advertised positions with the Department for Energy and Climate Change, Transport for London and the Field Studies Council.

Other students have secured placements with environmental firms and consultancies, a multi-national telecommunications company and a renewable energy research centre in Spain.

Final year

Core modules
All students undertake the dissertation. If you've chosen a specialist pathway your dissertation will focus on that subject.

Geography

  • Dissertation

Geography with Archaeology

  • Dissertation (archaeology topic)
  • Humans of Ice Age Britain

Geography with Geoscience

  • Dissertation (geoscience topic)
  • Dynamic Landscapes

Geography with Remote Sensing and GIS

  • Dissertation (remote sensing/GIS topic)
  • Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing

Options*

  • Humans of Ice Age Britain**
  • Dynamic Landscapes**
  • Waste Management and the Circular Economy
  • Geographies of Genders and Sexualities
  • Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing**
  • Community Engagement
  • Rivers, Coasts and Wetlands: Assessment and Management
  • Environmental Impact Assessment
  • The Frozen Planet
  • Water, Sanitation and Health
  • Atmosphere, Weather and Climate
  • Political Ecology: Contested Environments
  • Confronting Coloniality and Racism: Political Geographies of Territory and Security
  • Research Field Skills, Brazil

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

** If not taken as a core module

Specialise in archaeology

Studying geography with archaeology is an opportunity to explore geographical issues like climate change and global sustainability alongside the changing relationship between human societies and their physical and social environments . You’ll investigate human impacts and reactions to changing climates through time, examining archaeological and environmental issues and developing the skills needed for archaeological research and environmental reconstructions.

The Ancient and Prehistoric Societies module in year 2 examines how and why small and mobile groups of hunter-gatherers developed into large, sedentary populations that began to control the landscapes and environments that they lived in. You’ll consider the origin of farming, the development of urbanisation, the advent of metallurgy, and how complex society developed in the Bronze Age and Classical Societies.

Specialise in geoscience

Geoscience and geography are closely related fields that focus on the study of the earth's surface, natural resources and the environment. Combining these two disciplines means you’ll explore the processes that shape our planet, including weather and climate patterns, land formation, natural disasters and resource management.

The Earth Surfaces Processes module in year 2 begins your focus on geoscience principles by exploring why landscapes look the way they do and what causes them to change. You'll become familiar with erosion and deposition processes, and the landforms and sediments that shape our coasts, rivers and aeolian (wind-blown) environments. You’ll explore the interaction between beach and dune systems and learn how beaches, estuaries and river systems are formed. And the module introduces important techniques used by scientists to describe these environments including land surveying, mapping, particle size/shape analysis and stratigraphical surveying.

Specialise in remote sensing and GIS

Geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing are ways of analysing the Earth’s surface. GIS enables us to collect geographical data like maps and satellite images and to understand patterns and relationships between features such as buildings, roads and terrain. Remote sensing uses satellites, radar and drones to collect data that can be used to create models of the Earth’s surface and to study the environment over time. Both technologies are used in many fields including environmental science, urban planning, disaster management and agriculture.

You’ll explore the principles of GIS and gain expertise in collecting, storing, analysing and presenting data. You'll develop your understanding of the physical forces of our changing landscape, and human interaction, along with the environment and socially diverse views of the world.

Your specialist subjects begin with the GIS and Remote Sensing: Principles and Practice module in year 2. You’ll develop the knowledge and skills to analyse data from radar and satellite, and gain an understanding of spatial and digital computing, data handling and problem-solving. By applying GIS tools to practical real-world scenarios, you’ll become confident in using GIS and remote sensing to analyse and present information that applies to geographical and environmental problems.

Stay in touch

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Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Statistics

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

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Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

Programme specification

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‹ ›

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