Geography BSc(Hons)

How this course is delivered

Students have a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that keeps everyone safe, connected and involved in university life. Lots of opportunities are provided to interact and engage with lecturers and other students. The balance between online and on-campus learning varies by module, and in response to the external environment.

Course structure

The 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.

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 Issues

  This module introduces pressing global environmental issues 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 will introduce you to a variety of techniques utilised in both the academic and professional world for the analysis of geographical and environmental data. Emphasis is placed on developing skills and abilities to graphically/visually display data and assess patterns/relationships through statistical testing, and geospatial display and analysis. The module will introduce you to and allow you to become a competent user of statistical software.

Options*

• The Earth and Ocean System

  In this module you will explore and discuss the four ‘spheres’ of the Earth system: the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, and how they interact to produce the stratigraphic record of Earth history.

• Urban Geography

  This module will introduce you to key concepts, debates and issues in the sub-discipline of urban geography. It aims to provide you with detailed knowledge of the character and history of selected cities and urban settlements, drawn from both the Global North and the Global South, and their place within wider systems. Case studies of cities, towns and urban settlements seen as exemplifying social, cultural, economic and political processes of urban change and patterns of urbanisation will be explored.

• 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.

Year 2

In your second year 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
• Research Design and Analysis with Dissertation Planning
• Geography Fieldwork, Sicily

Option modules*

• Earth Surface Processes
• Ice Age Earth
• Human Origins and Evolution
• Prehistoric and Ancient Societies
• Environmental Pollution
• Climate Change
• Sustainable Development
• Social and Cultural Geography
• GIS and Remote Sensing: Principles and Practice
• Community Engagement
• Palaeoenvironments

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

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.

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.

You also have the opportunity of fieldwork in Brazil.

Modules

• Dissertation

Option modules*

• Tectonic Geomorphology
• Aquatic Environments
• Humans of Ice Age Britain
• Geographies of Heritage
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• The Frozen Planet
• Water, Sanitation and Health
• Atmospheric Environment
• Waste Management and the Circular Economy
• Gender, Sex and the Body
• Political Ecology: Contested Environments
• Territory, Power and Security
• Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing
• Community Engagement
• Research Field Skills Course, Brazil

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

Meet the team 

Dr Chris Carey, course leader

I have over 15 years’ experience working within the archaeological and environmental sectors with a particular focus on human environmental dynamics in the Holocene, archaeometallurgy and prehistory.

Through teaching I want students to share my passion for human interaction with the environment, especially in prehistory. To facilitate this many of my modules involve fieldwork. The modules I teach on include Ice Age Earth, Prehistoric Societies of Europe, Earth Surface Processes and Statistical and Geospatial Data Analysis. Through studying these modules I hope students find a different perspective and gain new insights into prehistoric societies, climate change and human-environment interaction.

Prof 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.

I am strongly committed to fieldwork and in addition to UK and overseas field courses, I like to make use of the local area for teaching. For example, we visit the cliffs at Peacehaven as part of the module Ice Age Earth, where students have the opportunity to examine the impacts of past periglacial processes on chalk landscapes.

Podcast: Prof Nash talks about his research the origin of the giant sarsen stones at Stonehenge that made headlines worldwide, as well as the climate crisis.

Dr Annie Ockelford, principal lecturer

I am primarily interested in the discipline of fluvial geomorphology with particular emphasis on how periods of unsteadiness, such as floods, affect the dynamics of fluvial environments using both field and experimental approaches. I regularly use my research findings to support outreach events run for schools, for the public at science festivals, and for specialist interest groups.

I focus on using my research to inform my teaching and I use a variety of different teaching methods to engage my students. I am particularly keen on using the research facilities, such as the hydraulic flumes we have at Brighton, to run practical sessions where students can design and run their own experiments to collect data for analysis and subsequently compare their own data with current research outputs. I am also interested in how students learn within the geoscience discipline and have a current project looking at how augmented reality can be used to support teaching and learning.

Podcast: Dr Ockelford discusses her research on rivers and floods and how she shared her research findings with MPs and governmental organisations in Westminster

Find out about the rest of the course team

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

Dr Chris Carey

Professor David Nash

Dr Annie Ockelford

International requirements and visas

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

Visas and immigration advice

Course fees

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 £1,330 for UK students and £2,100 for international students. This fee may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

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 Environment and Technology are listed here.

• Travel and accommodation costs are included for all mandatory taught residential field trips, but you’ll need to provide your own food and drink.
• Where taught residential field trips are optional, a contribution will be required towards travel and accommodation. This will vary depending on where and how long the field trip is but you should budget approximately £1,500.
• 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.
• 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 through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further 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.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2021–22.

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.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

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