Birkbeck’s BSc Geography with Foundation Year gives you the skills and knowledge to understand our changing physical and social environment, and how this impacts on the challenges facing our world in the twenty-first century. Learning from leading researchers in the field, you will discover the multiple connections between space, place, human culture and the physical landscape in which we live, addressing issues such as climate change, the causes and impact of inequalities, and how we live together in an increasingly urban world.

You will learn key geographical skills in your first year and then tailor your degree to your interests, by drawing from a range of option modules in the fields of human, physical, and environmental geography, geographic information systems (GIS) and international development. These modules cover a range of subjects from globalisation to food security, water resources to gentrification, and culture and development to nature conservation. You will also complete a dissertation or a literature review in an area of special interest to you, furthering the development of important skills in data collection and analysis.

Through a mix of classroom and local and international field-based teaching you will acquire theory and knowledge, practical skills, and research and project management experience, all of which will enhance your employability.

Upon successful completion of the Foundation Year, you can automatically progress on to our three-year, full-time, evening study BSc Geography.

• Our Foundation Year programmes will fully prepare you for undergraduate study and are ideal if you returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.
• Our geography teaching is research-led, offering a complete grounding in human, environmental, GIS and physical geography, as well as a wide range of option modules that let you tailor your degree to your interests.
• We offer a range of local and international field trips, exploring a range of themes in human and physical geography.
• Our campus in London offers students the chance to explore one of the world’s great multicultural cities, and access to world-class libraries and institutions like the British Museum and the British Library.
• Birkbeck's professional recruitment service, Birkbeck Talent, can help you secure paid internships and work opportunities to give you the edge in a competitive job market.
• We are proud of our vibrant research culture, powered by a shared passion for learning and intellectual engagement among our academics and students. We have a strong commitment to social justice, which is demonstrated in much of our research.

Graduates pursue careers in the corporate sector, local and national government, planning, policy-making or environmental or development roles.

We offer a comprehensive Careers Service to help you advance your career, while our in-house, professional recruitment consultancy, Birkbeck Talent, works with London’s top employers to help you gain work experience that fits in with your evening studies.