Explore the impact of humans on our world.

With a broad geographical focus in your first year, this course goes on to teach you how to understand and analyse human impact on the environment, the world around you and all of the factors that affect this.

Through teaching delivered by our internationally recognised academics, you will not only be learning about research but actively taking part as a researcher. In addition to fieldtrips in the UK and Europe, you will also have the opportunity to undertake study abroad, or to complete a work placement allowing you to put all of your recently acquired skills into practise, or to undertake a combination of both as part of a sandwich year.

Throughout the degree you will develop your knowledge and a broad understanding of geography, with a focus on physical geography, in addition to developing intellectual and professional skills and abilities that will benefit your future career or studies.

Why choose Northumbria to study Geography?

Top Department: Geography & Environmental Science is ranked Top 40 in the UK by the Complete University Guide for 2024.

Educational Development: 100% of students studying Human Geography at Northumbria believed that their course had the right balance of direct and indirect study, felt free to express their ideas, opinions, and beliefs and believed their course challenged them to achieve their best work (NSS, 2023).

Research Powerhouse: Geography and Environmental Studies at Northumbria is ranked 2nd for research power in the UK. This is a rise of 39 places compared to 2014.

Quality Teaching: Geography & Environmental Science at Northumbria is ranked top 20 in the UK for Teaching Quality & Student Experience (Times Good University Guide, 2024)

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.

See other similar courses you may be interested in: Geography BA (Hons)

How will I be taught during my BSc (Hons) Geography degree?

BSc Geography utilises a range of teaching and assessment methods and a large part of this course is delivered via lectures, seminars, and practical activities in both the lab and field, to help you master core professional skills.

Annual field trips to destinations in the UK and Europe will further allow you to contextualise key issues and apply your skills in a real-world environment.

How is this course assessed?

Once you have built up your core skillset, assessments will be undertaken via a range of methods including reports, presentations, seen exams,  and posters. Around 70% of your course will be assessed via coursework, with the remaining 30% assessed by exam.

Assessments will develop your communication skills while also testing your grasp of the learning outcomes for each module.

Who teaches the BSc (Hons) Geography course?

Northumbria University’s BSc Geography course is taught by a team of specialist academics who are research active and publishing cutting edge work within physical geography. This expertise feeds directly into teaching and allows you to actively participate in debates that are currently defining the discipline, with those involved in contributing to those debates.

With experts across a range of geography sub-disciplines, our academics’ specialisms include climate change, snow, glaciers, ice sheets, palaeoenvironments, permafrost, sea-level change, coasts, soils, pollution and contamination, hydrochemistry and geographic information systems (GIS). Working alongside a number of professional bodies and organisations, you will be learning from the best.

Our staff will be there to support you though every step of your degree, providing feedback and advice on an ongoing basis

Where will I learn throughout my degree?

Northumbria University offers a range of specialist facilities to support you throughout your degree.

Our Department’s three specialist laboratories – Geography Measurement and Analysis Laboratory, Palaeo and Environmental Research Laboratory and Soil and Sediment Processing Laboratory - allow you to get up close and experiment using state-of-the-art equipment and computational software.  Our extensive field equipment includes a range of portable monitoring and analytical instrumentation (e.g. for meteorological, soil, water and air pollution monitoring).

All of these laboratories allow you to develop and further master your skills, whether you are preparing sediments, soils or biological samples for analysis, modelling your findings using specialist 3D software or utilising specialist statistical packages.

Throughout your course you may also undertake environmental case studies by visiting a variety of regional, national and international locations to practise and implement your investigative field techniques.

How will my BSc Geography degree provide me with the skills needed for my career?

Employability is embedded within BSc Geography from the start, ensuring you leave with skills that are transferrable and applicable to a working environment.

BSc Geography will prepare you for a broad range of careers as employers appreciate the transferable analytical, communication and presentation skills that are acquired throughout this degree.

Graduates go on to work in a broad range of sectors that may include tackling important real world problems in the management of the environment or policy jobs across a wide range of industries. Others may choose to pursue environmental consultancy or Government, graduate training schemes, teaching or further study.

Does Northumbria University offer work placements for Geography?

A work placement is the ideal way to gain experience in your chosen career and will enable you to apply what you have learnt in the lecture theatre and lab in the real world. Typically, students will opt for a year in industry or study abroad between their second and final year.

If you opt to take a placement year during your studies, you will be able to work alongside, and learn from, professionals in the Geography field, building up vital networking contacts and developing key skills such as time management, communication, problem solving and self-management.