BSc GEOGRAPHY-GEOLOGY
Overview
This integrated programme, run jointly by the School of Geography and the School Earth and Environment, combines the study of physical geography and the earth sciences. No previous knowledge of geology is assumed.
Modules cover areas such as river processes and hydrology, geomorphology, ecology and global change, climate and palaeoclimate, environmental management, sedimentology, stratigraphy, tectonics, palaeoecology and mineralogy. Popular field trip options are also available for each year of the course.
First year
You will be provided with a thorough grounding in the study of physical geography and the earth sciences, with the opportunity to develop both practical and transferable skills through lab work, computer practicals and working in small groups. You will be assigned a personal tutor, who holds regular tutorials in groups of around six, and who also acts as a key point of contact for pastoral support.
If you are not studying Maths at A level, you will have an opportunity to brush up on your skills through a ‘Maths for Earth and Environmental Scientists’ module.
Field trips: Compulsory field trips in Yorkshire, Pembrokeshire and the Lake District.
Second year
Compulsory modules focus on advanced laboratory and mapping skills, as well as research methodology and research skills as preparation for independent study and research in the third year. Small group tutorials provide a forum for discussion, developing skills and preparing for research.
Increased optional module choice allows you to shape the programme to reflect your own specialist interests within physical geography and geology. Optional modules are organised into a series of thematic strands that link modules in the second and third years, developed to reflect the research interests of our staff and to offer a balanced and wide-ranging syllabus.
You can additionally choose to take a Career Preparation for Geographers module, run in conjunction with the University’s Careers Centre, which focuses on career planning and the vocational relevance of your geographical skills.
Field trips: Geology-related field trips to Scotland and Ireland. Optional geography-related field trip to Greece or the Austrian Alps.
Third year
In the third year, you can choose how to allocate your time between geography and geology; you can continue with a 50:50 balance between the two subjects, or opt to specialise more in one than the other. If you choose to specialise in geology, there is also a combination of modules that secures professional accreditation by the Geological Society of London.
Alongside the range of optional modules available, you can choose to undertake a geography dissertation (for those choosing the geography-leaning route), or an independent research project (for those choosing the geology-leaning route). You also have the opportunity to undertake a vocationally-related project with an employer or organisation outside the University, or a teaching placement in a local school, as part of the Workplace Co-operative Project module. Alternatively, the Research Placement module provides the chance to gain new insights into the research activity of the School by working on a project with a member of academic staff.
Field trips: Geology-based field trips to Cyprus (optional) and the Yorkshire Coast and an optional glaciology-related field trip to New Zealand.
Key facts
UCAS course code: FF68
UCAS institution code: L23
Degree awarded: BSc
Duration: 3 years
Typical A level offer: ABB including Geography, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Maths, Physics (grade A should come from Geography or one of the other named subjects).
