Geography BSc(Hons)

Course in brief

Our accredited Geography BSc(Hons) examines crucial contemporary issues such as the impacts of climate and environmental change, and global sustainability, which are central to the study of geography.

Focused on physical and environmental geography, the course also covers some elements of human geography featured on our BA(Hons) to give you a broad foundation in the subject.

The course also develops your employability, transferable skills and practical learning through a combination of geographical scientific study, scientific skills, communication skills, IT and quantitative skills, group working abilities, and personal organisation and development.

Trips to Greece and Sicily and locally in Sussex provide opportunities for fieldwork; natural attractions include Seven Sisters and the South Downs, along with freshwater rivers and both saline and semi-saline estuaries. You will have the opportunity to undertake a year’s placement allowing you to build experience and develop a network of professional contacts.

If you achieve the required standard in year 2, you can choose to progress directly to the third year of the Geography MGeog and study towards a masters-level qualification.

This programme is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

UCAS code F800

Full-time 3 years
With placement year 4 years

Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

Our next open day for this course will take place in the autumn. Register your interest now and we will let you know when you can book your place.

Apply now with UCAS

Start in 2018: how to apply

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBC–CCC (112–96 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

A-Levels must include Geography.

We will generally make you an offer if your predicted grades are at the top of this range. If your predicted grades are towards the lower end of this range we may still make you an offer if you have a good GCSE (or equivalent) profile or relevant non–academic achievements.

International Baccalaureate
28 points, to include three subjects at Higher level with geography or a science-related subject.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or above. Level 3 units must include geography or environmental science.

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.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country

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 institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

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 field trips to Greece in your first year and Sicily in your second. This practical fieldwork component allows you to apply your knowledge to real-world concerns.

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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. Fieldwork includes a trip to Greece.

Modules

Fundamentals of Physical Geography
Global Environmental Issues
Human Geography
Academic Learning and Field Skills
Statistical and Spatial Data Analysis

Option modules*

The Earth and Ocean System
Urban Geography
Introduction to Ecology and Conservation

*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

Earth System Processes
Practicing Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences
Research Design and Analysis with Dissertation Planning
Geography Fieldwork, Sicily

Option modules*

Ice Age Earth
Human Origins and Evolution
Prehistoric and Ancient Societies
Environmental Pollution
Climate Change
Biogeography
Sustainable Development
Social and Cultural Geography
GIS and Remote Sensing: Principles and Practice
Basic Expedition Leadership
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.

Geographical Information Systems MSc _004

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*

Oceans and Coasts
Aquatic Environments
Humans of Ice Age Britain
Geographies of Heritage
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Management: Air and Waste Management
Cold Environments: Land systems, Processes and Environmental Change
Water, Sanitation and Health
Gender, Space and Embodiment
Political Ecology: Contested Environments and Development
Territory, Power and Security
Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing
Community Engagement
Research Field Skills Course, Brazil
Evolution of Life

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

Course statistics

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats enable you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Unistats data on their website.

Programme specification

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

Programme specification

These charts give an indication of how much time you will spend on different activities at each level of the course, and an indication of the balance of assessment by coursework, and written and practical exams. For courses with option modules, actual proportions will depend on the modules you choose.

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 above). You can find out also about the range of support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Overall workload

Assessments

Careers and employability

A degree in geography from Brighton could lead to work as a GIS officer, asset systems manager, environmental energy consultant, public health officer, teacher, insurance assessor or government administrator. It also prepares you for postgraduate research and study.

Employers of our graduates include Bristol City Council, the Japan Exchange & Teaching Programme (JET), Philip Morris International, The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Blue Arrow, DEBRA (an epidermolysis bullosa charity) and Southern Water.

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,040 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 £1,230 for home students and £2,000 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 2018–19.

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/EU 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- 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 in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. 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. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus. Subjects taught here include architecture, business, computing, construction, engineering, geography, product design, law and pharmacy.

On campus you will find professional-standard facilities including a flight simulator, trading room, design and digital media suites and specialist research laboratories, alongside the library, student centre, a nursery, fitness facilities and Students’ Union. There are excellent public transport links.

The Big Build
A major transformation of our Moulsecoomb campus begins in summer 2018. By summer 2020 there’ll be 400 student bedrooms in new halls of residence (with another 400 by summer 2021), a new academic building and a new Students’ Union and fitness facilities – all created with sustainability, inclusivity and community in mind.

As the development grows it will provide many exciting learning opportunities for our students, ranging from live projects, placements and internships with the companies involved to guest lectures and site visits.

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Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. We recommend Unihomes and House Share when you’re balancing learning with placements, shifts and other commitments, because they give you more choice and flexibility.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Moulsecoomb campus map

Find out more

Geography news

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Our next open day for this course will take place in the autumn. Register your interest now and we will let you know when you can book your place.

Ask a question about this course

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

01273 644644

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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."