Geography
Study the Earth's physical attributes and its political and cultural features.
About the programme
UCAS Code: BA Combined Honours (Y001)
If you've ever wondered about:
- changes in the environment
- what an organisation like the World Bank does
- the spatial pattern of disease
then you've been thinking about topics in geography. The breadth and flexibility of geography make it an ideal subject to study.
You'll have the opportunity to select modules to shape the type of geography you'd like to study - from human to physical geography.
Stage 1
Students study either 40 or 60 credits from the list below in Stage 1.
Students who wish to follow a Human Geography route through the subject must select GEO1010.
Students who wish to follow a Physical Geography route through the subject must select GEO1020.
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interconnected World (Human Geography compulsory module) | 20 | 1 | |
| GEO1019 | Physical Geography Field course: Landforms, processes and field techniques (semester 2 module amendments are not possible) | 20 | 2 |
| Introduction to Physical Geography (Physical Geography compulsory module) | 20 | 1 | |
| GEO1023 | Environment and Society | 20 | 1&2 |
| GEO1024 | Coasts and Communities: Human Geography Fieldwork | 20 | 2 |
| GEO1025 | Mapping a Changing World: GIS for Geographers | 20 | 2 |
Stage 2
Students study either 40, 60 or 80 credits from the list below in Stage 2.
Human Geography modules (all have the pre-requisite GEO1010):
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Key Methods for Human Geographers (Required for any student who plans to undertake a field trip module, as this is the pre-requisite for all Human Geography field trip modules) |
20 | 1 | |
| GEO2145 | Social and Cultural Geography | 20 | 2 |
| Political Geography | 20 | 2 | |
| GEO2148 | Urban Geography | 20 | 1 |
| Economic Geography | 20 | 1 | |
| GEO2140 |
Research Design and Planning for Human Geographers (Only available to students studying 80 credits in Geography. Pre-requisite for the final year Geography dissertation module) |
20 | 1&2 |
Physical Geography modules (all have the pre-requisite GEO1020):
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO2127 |
Research Design and Planning for Physical Geographers (Only available to students studying 80 credits in Geography. Pre-requisite for the final year Geography dissertation module) |
20 | 1&2 |
| GE02136 | Global Environmental Change | 20 | 1 |
| Key Methods for Physical Geographers (Required for any student who plans to undertake a field trip module, as this is the pre-requisite for all Physical Geography field trip modules) | 20 | 1 | |
| GEO2141 | Geohazards and Risks | 20 | 1 |
Field trips
These modules are available to Combined Honours students who study Geography in a Major (80 credits) or a Joint (60 credits) weighting, there will be 20 credit field course modules available during Semester 2 which involve an overseas field trip during the Easter vacation (March/April 2027). These modules are not available to Combined Honours students who study Geography in a Minor (40 credits) weighting. Please note that places on all overseas field trip modules are capped at 35. There is an (uncapped) field trip based at home.
With regard to financing a field trip, all field trips are subsidised. For some (European) field trips this covers all expenses. For long-haul field trips, students will be asked to pay for some items (e.g. travel).
Students who wish to take an overseas field trip module in 2026/27 need to:
- use the ‘dummy’ code of GEO2222 during module pre-registration via Student Portal (between 29th April and 11th May 2026).
- indicate their field trip preferences using this web form
- This web form will be open from TBC
- Wherever possible, students will be allocated to field courses on the basis of their preferences and are likely to be allocated to one of their first three choices, but this cannot be guaranteed as field course places are limited. The Geography team reserves the right to allocate students to any field course for which a student has the relevant prior learning, if necessary.
- Please note that if a student selects GEO2222 in the Student Portal but does not indicate their field course preferences on the web form by 8pm on May 11th, they will be allocated to an appropriate field course. There will be no further opportunity to influence their field course allocation.
- All field trips are capped at 35, if more than 35 students express an interest then places will be allocated randomly and other students will be placed on other field courses.
Human Geography field trip modules (each capped between 30 and 35):
*All Human Geography field trips have GEO2043 as a pre-requisite*
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO2124 | The creative and knowledge-based economy: Berlin Field Course (pre-requisite GEO2043 and GEO2099) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2232 | City of Crisis, City of Hope: Amsterdam Field Course (pre-requisite GEO2043 and GEO2110) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2235 | War and Memory: Bosnia and Herzegovina Field Course (pre-requisite GEO2043) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2224 | Urban Sustainability: Barcelona Field Course | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2236 | Between Two Unions: Ireland Human Geography Field Course | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2139 | Exploring Everyday Political Geographies in a Divided City: Nicosia Field Course | 20 | 2 |
Physical Geography field trip modules (each capped between 30 and 35):
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO2037 | Ireland Field Trip (pre-requisite GEO2137) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO2233 | Humans vs Nature in the Netherlands (Netherlands Field course) (Pre-requisite GEO2137) | 20 | 2 |
Stage 3
Students study either 40, 60 or 80 credits from the list below in Stage 3.
Human Geography modules:
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local and Regional Development (Pre-requisites GEO2099 or GEO2148) | 20 | 1 | |
| GEO3153 | Geographies of Race and Nation (Pre-requisite: any one of either GEO2103, GEO2145 or GEO2047) |
20 | 2 |
| GEO3161 | Humanitarianism and Health Inequalities (Pre-requisites GEO2110 and GEO2103) | 20 | 2 |
| GEO3162 | Gender, Class and Religion | 20 | 2 |
| GEO3166 | Geographies of Global South Cities | 20 | 1 |
Physical Geography modules:
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO3128 | Polar Environments | 20 | 2 |
| GEO3144 | Mountain Environments | 20 | 1 |
| GEO3147 | Past and Present Climates | 20 | 2 |
| GEO3165 | Rivers, Coasts and Deltas: From Processes to Policy | 20 | 1 |
Dissertation module:
| Module Code | Module Title | Credit Value | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEO3099 | Dissertation (Only available to students studying 80 credits in Geography. Pre-requisites: GEO2043 and GEO2140 or GEO2127 and GEO2137) | 40 | 1&2 |
| HSS3500* | Combined Honours Final Year Project | 20 | 1&2 |
| HSS3099* | Combined Honours Final Year Project | 40 | 1&2 |
*Undertake an in-depth, independent research project with flexibility to select a topic related to one or all your subject areas, and the option to deliver a written or creative output. Supervisors are assigned from the Combined Honours academic team, and you can choose which subject(s) you want the credits to go towards.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about choosing this subject as part of your Combined Honours degree, contact us and we'll be more than happy to help.
Subject adviser
Dr Astrid Wood - School of Geography, Politics and Sociology