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Course options

courseoptionsOur degree programmes have a great deal of flexibility after Year 1. Courses are weighted as full or half units, with students studying four units in each year. In Years 2 and 3, students may choose to study up to one unit in another department. Please note that course availability is affected by staff changes and sabbaticals and not all courses will be available every year.

For single honours Geography students, there are no compulsory courses in Years 2 and 3, apart from Geographical Research and Field Methods (which includes an overseas fieldcourse) in Year 2, and the Dissertation in Year 3. Your personal tutor will help you select the pathway that is appropriate for you, allowing you to study the courses closest to your interests and your career preferences.

Courses with a total value of four course units (cu) are studied each year.

First year

The first year residential field course forms GG1032 (1cu). This is normally of one week duration and is currently located in Nerja, South-east Spain. The course provides an opportunity to explore project design, sampling strategies and data collection. The assessment for this course gives students experience of a range of approaches to data and information presentation techniques, such as oral presentation, a poster and a formal field report.

The techniques course, GG1011 (1cu) is also assessed entirely by coursework, whilst the four lecture courses taken (depending on degree programme) (GG1001 - GG1005, each ½ cu) are assessed by examination. Overall, therefore, the assessment structure for the first year is 50% exam and 50% course work.

Second year

In second year, students also take a course on Geographical research hand field methods (GG2001). This course is also one course unit, a half being assessed by continuous assessment over the first two terms, and a half via a , assessed through a 6000 word research report. This course allows students to evaluate field and analytical techniques in preparation for the Dissertation.

Third year

The third year offers detailed courses on specific areas of geography. Students choose six half unit courses from those being offered, with the option of studying up to 1cu in another department. In addition, you complete a Dissertation (GG3001) (1cu) of up to 8000 words during your third year. The quality of the dissertation is regarded as a particularly important indication of your ability, and its assessment can significantly influence the final class of your degree.

BSc Geography & BA Geography

First year

Physical geography I: Atmosphere, Oceans & the Geosphere

Physical geography II: Biogeography, Ecology & Scale of Change

Introduction to human geography

Geographies of development

Geographical techniques

Geographical research & field methods 1

Second year

Geographical research & field methods 2

3 from:

Soils & water: interactions & management

Geomorphology

Environmental change

Biogeography

Cities: Economies and Ecologies

Cultural geographies

Perspectives on development

or 2 from above and 1 unit from another department

Third year

Independent dissertation

6 x ½ unit geography options  or 4 x ½ unit geography options + 1 unit from another department

Independent dissertation

GGEnvironmental archaeology research project

Independent dissertation

Defending coastal & wetland environments

Tropical savannas: Ecology & management

Tropical land management in a changing environment

Mediterranean landscape & environmental change

Rivers & landscape

Arid Africa: climatic history, people and geomorphology

Holocene river & society

China: climate change, tectonics and people

Climate change

People & the ice age

Mammals in a Changing World

Geographies of commodities

The Caribbean & the makings of the modern world

Geographies of Tourism and Travel

Southern Africa: region in transition

Geographies of Europe and the European Idea

Information & communication technology for development

Geographies of Mobility

Cultures of time and space

Fair trade & ethical consumerism

Advanced media project 

BSc Physical Geography

First year

Physical geography I: Atmosphere, Oceans & the Geosphere

Physical geography II: Biogeography, Ecology & Scale of Change

Introduction to human geography

Geographies of development

Geographical techniques I

Geographical research & field methods 1

Second year

Geographical research & field methods 2

2 from:

Soils & water: interactions & management

Geomorphology

Environmental change

Biogeography

 + 1 other geography option*

or 1 unit from another geography department

Third year

Independent dissertation

4 from:

Defending coastal & wetland environments

Tropical savannas: Ecology & management

Tropical land management in a changing environment

Mediterranean landscape & environmental change

Rivers & landscape

Arid Africa: climatic history, people and geomorphology

Holocene river & society

China: climate change, tectonics and people

Climate change

People & the ice age

+ 2 other geography options* or 1 unit from another department

Human Geography

First year

Physical geography I: Atmosphere, Oceans & the Geosphere

Physical geography II: Biogeography, Ecology & Scale of Change

Introduction to human geography

Geographies of development

Geographical techniques

Geographical research & field methods 1

Second year

Geographical research & field methods 2

2 from:

Cities: Economies and Ecologies

Cultural geographies

Perspectives on development

+ 1 other geography option*

or 1 unit from another geography department

Third year

Independent dissertation

4 from:

Geographies of commodities

The Caribbean & the makings of the modern world

Geographies of Tourism and Travel

Southern Africa: region in transition

Geographies of Europe and the European Idea

Information & communication technology for development

Geographies of Mobility

Cultures of time and space

Fair trade & ethical consumerism

+ 2 other geography options* or 1 unit from another department

BSc Physical Geography and Science Communication 

First year

Physical geography I: Atmosphere, Oceans & the Geosphere

Physical geography II: Biogeography, Ecology & Scale of Change

Geographical techniques

Geographical research & field methods 1

Media communication

Genres of science communication

Second year

Geographical research & field methods 2

Media project

Media case study

2 from:

Soils & water: interactions & management

Geomorphology

Environmental change

Biogeography

Third year

Independent dissertation

Defending coastal & wetland environments

Tropical savannas: Ecology & management

Tropical land management in a changing environment

Mediterranean landscape & environmental change

Rivers & landscape

Arid Africa: climatic history, people and geomorphology

Holocene river & society

China: climate change, tectonics and people

Climate change

People & the ice age

Advanced media project

BSC Physical Geography and Geology

First year

Physical geography I: Atmosphere, Oceans & the Geosphere

Physical geography II: Biogeography, Ecology & Scale of Change

Geographical techniques

Geographical research & field methods 1

Introduction to earth sciences

Foundation geology

Second year

Geographical research & field methods 2

Media project

Media case study

2 from:

Soils & water: interactions & management

Geomorphology

Environmental change

Biogeography

Third year

Independent dissertation (GG3001 or GL3131)

at least 2, but no more than 4 from:

Tropical savannas: Ecology & management

Tropical land management in a changing environment

Mediterranean landscape & environmental change

Rivers & landscape

Arid Africa: climatic history, people and geomorphology

Holocene river & society

China: climate change, tectonics and people

Climate change

People & the ice age

+ at least 2, but no more than 4 from the Geology Department list

NOTE: total of options should equal 3 units

* Choice of other geography options is from the full second year geography list.

Geography, Politics and International Relations 

First year

Compulsory:

Geographical Techniques  Geographical Research & Field Training I  Introduction to Human Geography  Geographies of Development

Two from:

Introduction to Politics & Government  Introduction to Globalisation  Introduction to International RelationsClassic & Contemporary Readings in Politics & International Relations

Second year

Compulsory:

Geographical Research & Field Training II

Three from (including at least one from Geography & one from PIR):

Political Geography

Cities: Ecologies & Economies

Cultural Geographies

European Integration since 1945

Comparative Political Institutions

Political Sociology

Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis

International Relations Theory

Democracy in Britain

Contemporary Political Theory

International Political Economy

Democracy in Britain

Contemporary Political Theory

International Political Economy

The Politics of Migration & Ethnicity

Empire & Decolonization

Issues in Democratic Theory

Third year

Dissertation

Two human geography options

PIR units to value of 1 course unit

Additional human geography &/or PIR units to the value of 1 course unit. 

 

For further course information, please click .


 
 
 
 

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