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Geography BSc (Hons)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Get in touch with us as we may be able to offer you a place for September 2024 through Clearing.

Key Facts

  • UCAS Code

    BSc: F800
    BSc with Foundation: F801

  • Level

    UndergraduateUG BSc (Hons)

  • Duration

    Full Time: 3 years
    Full Time Foundation: 4 years
    Part Time: 4 years

  • Starting

    September

Updated 23/09/2024

Get in touch

For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

UK/EU STUDENTS ENQUIRIES

study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ENQUIRIES

international@northampton.ac.uk
44 (0)1604 892134

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What physical and human factors impact on our environment? How are they being addressed at local, national and international levels? How can we influence change?

Our BSc Geography degree at UON uses small group teaching and one-to-one tutorials to ensure you get individual support from our team of enthusiastic, experienced and research-active academic staff. There is flexibility in the programme, enabling you to specialise in the types of geography that interest you as well as opportunities to attend field trips throughout the degree.

Your learning is assessed through a variety of coursework tasks, designed to help you develop skills to support employability and you will learn how to use industry-standard Geographical Information Systems (GIS). We maintain strong links with employers, and our dedicated career planning module includes a short work placement in your final year to give you practical experience.

Top 10 for Student Satisfaction 

Geography is top 10 for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide Subject League Table 2025.

Top 20 for Geography

The University of Northampton is a top 20 institution for Geography in the Best UK University Guardian League table for 2024 and top 20 for Graduate Prospects in the Complete University Guide Subject League Table 2025.

This BSc Geography degree has been accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Accredited degree programmes contain a solid academic foundation in geographical knowledge and skills, and prepare graduates to address the needs of the world beyond higher education. The accreditation criteria require evidence that graduates from accredited programmes meet defined sets of learning outcomes, including subject knowledge, technical ability and transferable skills.

 

RSB Accredited Programme logo- Blue


Ask a staff member. Senior lecturer in Geography, Faith Tucker, is now available on Unibuddy to answer any questions you may have about this course.

Highlights


  • Small group teaching, enabling us to provide high levels of individual support
  • Assessed through coursework
  • Work placement in the final year, with employability and career planning support incorporated throughout the degree
  • Choice of modules at Stages 2 and 3, enabling specialisation in the areas of the subject that most interest you
  • Opportunities to network with employers and our own graduates through events on campus, online, and our dedicated social networking site
  • Fieldwork and visits, including a UK residential and an optional international fieldtrip
  • Access to industry standard Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Accredited by Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).
  • HP laptop and software included with this geography degree for eligible students (see Eligibility criteria and Terms and Conditions)
  • Guaranteed paid internship with the Northampton Employment Promise.

Entry Requirements


A typical offer to study BSc Geography at the University of Northampton would be:

  • BCC at A-Level or,
  • DMM at BTEC/Cambridge Technical or,
  • Pass (C and above) at T Level

We welcome international applicants and applications from students with a range of non-traditional educational or professional qualifications.

We welcome applications from students with a mix of A levels and BTEC/Cambridge Technical qualifications.

For more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.

If you are an International student and would like information on making an application, please see our How to Apply page.

  • Admission to this geography degree foundation programme is normally:

    • DEE at A Level or,
    • MPP at BTEC or,
    • Pass (D or E) at T Level

    However, we would also like to hear from you if you have professional or industry experience instead, a range of other qualifications or self-developed subject knowledge that relates to the programme you wish to study.

  • All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

    • IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5.5 in all bands
      for study at undergraduate level

    For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

Course Content


  • The BSc Geography degree at the University of Northampton has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG13: Climate Action, SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG15: Life on Land.

    Our Geography BSc degree includes a mix of human geography and physical geography modules. Topics may include climate change, sustainable development, social and economic inequalities, migration, weather, water resource management or, geographies of sport. There is a choice of modules at Stages 2 and 3, with flexibility to enable you to specialise in human geography or physical geography if you wish to.

    Classes, which are supported by online resources, are interactive and include activities and discussion.

    Modules on this BSc Geography degree are assessed through coursework and a small number of in-class tests.  Coursework assignments are varied – there are written assessments (such as reports and essays), research-based and data-analysis tasks, and some verbal assignments (such as group presentations or debates). There are no formal examinations.

    During Stage 1 you will cover six compulsory modules, ensuring you have a solid foundation in key aspects of the subject. These modules cover both human geography and physical geography, as well as exploring key issues such as sustainable development and global inequalities. There are local fieldwork activities too, enabling you to put your learning into practice.

    There are three compulsory modules at Stage 2. These develop your field skills in both human geography and physical geography, provide insights into contemporary issues within the Global North (such as social inequalities and changing urban spaces), and introduce you to the theory and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for storing, manipulating, analysing and visualising data. In addition, you choose three designated modules giving you the opportunity to focus your studies more on human geography or physical geography or keep a balance between the two.

    Employability skills are integrated throughout the degree. A series of career planning workshops at Stage 2 will help you to explore the diverse range of roles available to Geography graduates and provide you with opportunities for networking with professionals in the field.

    At Stage 3 you will choose three designated modules, developing advanced knowledge and understanding of particular topics as well as undertaking research on a geographical topic of personal interest in the Dissertation.

    The compulsory Career Planning and Employability module includes individual careers support, talks from employers, and a mock job application and interview exercise. There is also a 30-hour work experience placement where previous students have been involved with local planning and surveying companies, environmental consultancies, schools and sustainability teams. We will support you in finding a placement that aligns with your own interests.

    Geographic Information Systems (GIS) skills are valued by employers, so we ensure you have access to industry-standard software. You will be introduced to GIS at Stage 1, develop your confidence in using it at Stage 2, and can then enhance your skills at Stage 3. You will also have access to industry-standard equipment for 3D imaging and topographic surveying.

    There are opportunities to do local fieldwork at all stages of this Geography university degree. During Stage 2 there is a residential fieldcourse in the UK, the costs of which are covered in your course fees. Previous destinations have included London and the south-east, the Jurassic coast, and Devon. An optional international study trip may be available, for which there would be an additional cost.

    We want you to feel supported throughout your studies and you will have regular meetings with your Personal Tutor. A Personal Tutor is a member of the teaching team who will help you to develop your academic skills and guide you to relevant support services. You will also be able to meet individually with lecturers to ask any questions you have about classes or assignments.

    Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

      • Module code: GEO1006
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to introduce key concepts within human geography - based around the themesof people, place and movement - providing a basis for more specialised modules at levels 5 and 6. In addition it explores how human geography has changed over time and includes fieldwork.
      • Module code: GEO1013
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to provide an introduction to a range of data collection and analysis methods used in geographical research. Students undertake two projects, enabling them to learn about, use, and evaluate some key research techniques.
      • Module code: GEO1020
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the study of global economic and social inequalities. Focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, students will gain an understanding of theories of economic development, identify key social inequalities, and explore a range of case studies from the Majority Global South.
      • Module code: GEO1107
        Status: Compulsory
        The Physical Environment provides an introduction tothe physical environment of Planet Earth. Students will examine processes which operate in the atmosphere, like the development of clouds and tainfall, those that occur at the Earth's surface, such as weathering and erosion and how, combined with geology and tectonics how these processes interact to produce environments and landscapes.
      • Module code: GEO1108
        Status: Compulsory
        This module provides an overview of the main causes of and responses to a broad range of natural hazards, introduces the key principles, concepts and terminology associated with the analysis of hazard and risk from geophysical events and explains the nature of a range of geohazards using recent case studies.
      • Module code: GEO1110
        Status: Compulsory
        Investigating sustainbillity requires exploring the complex interaction between the economy, society, the environment and politics. Framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals this module explores key issues at a local, national and international scale through research, debate, discussion and project work.
      • Module code: ENV2103
        Status: Designate
        Biogeography combines ecology and geography to help us understand global patterns of biodiversity. `It is the study of distributions of organisms, habitats and biomes, both past and present, and of related patterns of variation over the earth in the numbers and kinds of living things' (Brown & Lomolino, 1998).
      • Module code: GEO2028
        Status: Compulsory
        This module introduces research about a range of contemporary geographical issues in diverse contexts in the UK and Global North. Issues to be explored may include deprivation, social exclusion and changing urban spaces. The module includes UK-based fieldwork.
      • Module code: GEO2030
        Status: Designate
        Effective Transport and Mobility is essential for the operation of all economic sectors and a society with equality of opportunity. Well managed transport systems with good infrastructure aim to avoid negative externalities related to health, the environment and lack of accessibility. In this module we explore the critical historical, geographical, economic and political importnace of transport at a number of scales. There is currently a technologically driven mobility revolution that is not without tension and conflict. In this module students will critically evaluate the requirements of transport in the twenty first century.
      • Module code: GEO2032
        Status: Designate
        The purpose of this module is to provide an introduction to population studies and provide a specific focus on the study of migration. The movement of people will be studied and examples of human migration will include local, national and international case studies.
      • Module code: GEO2037
        Status: Designate
        The purpose of this module is to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for the scientific study of processes, landforms, and deposits, an awareness of how the discipline has developed and an understanding of how geomorphological concepts may be applied to assist in the solution of environmental problems.
      • Module code: GEO2104
        Status: Compulsory
        This module enables students to develop the skills required to safely and accurately conduct fieldwork within physical and human geography. Students will conduct a range of research projects in the field, planning projects, collecting and analysing data, and presenting their findings.
      • Module code: GEO2111
        Status: Designate
        Weather and Climate explores the fundamental processes occurin in the atmospher. We examine the flow of energy, principles of cloud formation and rainfall, the importance of air movement and the development of weather systems such as storms. The module explains why weather and climate varies in time and in space at a number of geographical scales.
      • Module code: GEO2131
        Status: Compulsory
        This module will introduce students to the theory and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for storing, maniplating, analysing and visualisating data. Students will gain experience: (i) using GIS for real world problem solving; (ii) applying GIS processes; and (iii) communicating geographic information to target groups.
      • Module code: GEO3007
        Status: Designate
        The purpose of this module is to provide an opportunity to critically investigate difference and diversity in the geographical worlds of children and young people. Students will explore a range of case studies from the Global North and Global South, review key concepts, and carry out a mini research project.
      • Module code: GEO3031
        Status: Designate
        The purpose of this module is to explore geographical approaches to studying recreational and professional sport at a range of spatial scales. Drawing on a wide range of contemporary and historical sports case studies this module will explore issues including globalization, migration, the body and global mega-events.
      • Module code: GEO3108
        Status: Designate
        Climate change is regarded as the greatest environmental problem. It is a complex scientific topic that can affect all aspects of environmental and human systems. It is essential that debate and policy is driven by informed specialists and not by the media or political agenda. In this module we explore all aspects of the climate change issue.
      • Module code: GEO3124
        Status: Designate
        The purpose of this module is to enhance students? employability through the development of key employability skills. Students participate in career planning activities and reflect on their experiences.
      • Module code: GEO3131
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to enhance students? employability. Students learn about the career opportunities available to Geography graduates, participate in application and interview role-play activities, undertake a short placement, and reflect on their experiences. The module also provides opportunities for students to network with alumni and employers.
      • Module code: GEO3140
        Status: Designate
        The module explores techniques used to document and understand changes occurring at the Earth?s surface with a focus on the role of geospatial technology. In this practical module students learn to use industry-standard survey instruments and software to generate and analyse geographical data.
      • Module code: GEO4008
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is for the student to plan, undertake, report and evaluate an original piece of geographical research. Students choose a geographical topic of personal interest to investigate in depth. Through this the student acquires and develops their subject-specific, analytical, project management and communication skills.
  • At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

    If you join this full-time BSc Geography degree at Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

    Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your geography degree, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

    To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

    *UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

  • The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.

    If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements for BSc Geography we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.

    Featuring a reduced tuition fee in the first year, our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.

  • The Geography department take part in GeoNight, with an activity about geography, sport and climate change; this features issues and case studies studied in our ‘Geographies of Sport’ final year undergraduate module.

  • How will I be taught on the BSc Geography degree?

    Face-to-face sessions are organised as interactive classes with discussion and activities. For some modules on BSc Geography, there are workshops in the laboratory or computer room. Classes are supported by online and technology-enhanced learning to ensure you have the best possible study experience to achieve your potential.

    How many hours per week of teaching/personal tutoring?

    You will typically have 12 hours contact time per week, in addition to 20-25 hours per week of independent study. You are encouraged to meet with staff on a one-to-one basis to get additional study support, and also receive timetabled personal tutor meetings each term.

    How will I be assessed on the Geography degree?

    Each module generally has two items of assessment. Assignments are designed to develop your skills, as well as test your knowledge and understanding. There is a range of written assignments, including reports and essays. You may also be asked to analyse data or reflect on your learning.

    In some written assignments you will be tasked with writing in a style appropriate to a particular audience. Presentations, debates and discussions are used to assess your verbal communication skills. There are no formal examinations, but there are a small number of class-based tests. A detailed set of instructions is provided for every assignment. You are encouraged to meet with academic staff to get one-to-one support.

Fees and Funding


2024/25 Tuition Fees

Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 23/24 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • UK Full Time: £9,250
  • UK Part Time: £1,540 per 20 credit module
  • UK Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250
  • International Full Time: £15,200
  • International Integrated Foundation Year: £15,200

For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.

For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.

  • Our Geography BSc degree includes residential and day fieldwork trips within the UK. These opportunities help you to develop your skills and also visit sites that may be restricted for the general public.

    As well as local area visits, there may be opportunities for overseas fieldwork.

    There is no charge for compulsory field visits within the UK, however the optional overseas trip would incur an additional to be confirmed by your tutor.

    • UK Full Time: £9,250
    • UK Part Time: £1,540 per 20 credit module
    • UK Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250
    • International Full Time: £14,750
    • International Integrated Foundation Year: £14,750

     

Staff


Greg Spellman, Senior Lecturer in Geography

Senior Lecturer in Geography
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology

Greg Spellman
Chris Holt, Senior Lecturer in Geography

Senior Lecturer in Geography
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology

Chris Holt
Catherine Waite, Senior Lecturer in Geography

Senior Lecturer in Geography
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology

Catherine Waite
Ruth Copeland-Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Waste Management

Senior Lecturer in Waste Management
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology

Ruth Copeland-Phillips
Faith Tucker, Senior Lecturer in Geography

Senior Lecturer in Geography
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology

Faith Tucker
Toby Tonkin, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science

Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology

Toby Tonkin

Careers and Employability


Career planning workshops take place in all years of study. In addition, there is a career planning module, which focuses on developing your awareness of jobs you can do with a Geography degree, recruitment processes, and your own subject-specific and transferable skills. The module also includes a short work placement. We work closely with careers advisers to ensure students get one-to-one career guidance and support.

You will have opportunities to network with employers and our own graduates through events on campus, online, and through our dedicated social networking site. This provides you with insights into the wide range of careers university Geography graduates enter.

Our geography degree graduates gain employment in a wide range of sectors such as planning, environment, transport, education, energy, insurance, and local government.

Examples of the roles secured by recent graduates include: Flood and Coastal Risk Management Officer; Sustainability Projects Officer; Graduate Transport Planner; Net-Zero Data Analyst; Geography Teacher; Graduate Planning Officer; Trainee Land Surveyor;  Graduate Geo-Environmental Engineer; Graduate Project Officer; GIS Technician; Researcher.

Facilities


Specialist IT provision and software

You will have access to a range of modern and well-equipped IT laboratories across the Waterside campus. As part of your studies you will also get an ESRI ArcGIS software license to use at home. This will help you develop highly desirable digital skills using an industry-standard Geographic Information System (GIS) for mapping and spatial analysis. As part of your studies, we will also provide you with access to historical and contemporary Ordnance Survey mapping data via the Edina Digimap service.

Field survey equipment

You will learn to use a wide range of field survey equipment throughout your geography degree, mapping changes to our dynamic environment. We will provide you opportunities to use specialist equipment that you may use in your future career. This includes survey-grade Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for precision topographic surveying and a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) for 3D imaging.

Specialist laboratories

You will have access to our Geographical and Environmental Sciences laboratory, allowing you to work on projects alongside our team of active internationally-recognised researchers. Our laboratories are well equipped and include a laser granulometer and gamma-ray spectrometer that you can use for environmental surveys and assessments.

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