LONDON'S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY
Geography (International
Programme) BSc
UCAS code: F801
www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectus/geography
Geography (International Programme) BSc
This is an integrated geography programme
which combines physical and human
geography as well as offering opportunities for
specialisation. You will spend your third year
abroad at an approved university. Those
choosing the BSc may transfer to the BA if their
interests develop in a different direction.
Degree summary
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You will gain a broad range of practical skills enabling you to work
successfully in the public and private sectors in the UK and around
the world.
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We offer a wide range of optional courses and have a particularly low
staff-student ratio, encouraging individual choice and personal
supervision.
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Spend your third year abroad at an approved university, such as the
University of Toronto, Université Paris-Diderot, or Universitat de
Barcelona.
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Resources include: computer clusters, together with specialist
facilities for geographical information and satellite image analysis;
science laboratories; a reference map collection; a dedicated reading
room and first-class library facilities.
The Geography (International) BA and BSc share core elements and it is
your personal interests, and the options you wish to pursue, that should
shape your choice. In your first year you take three core courses and five
options.
In year two, compulsory courses are supplemented by your choice of six
options. It is possible to focus your selection around systematic themes
such as development, environmental management, or social and cultural
change.
You will spend your third year abroad at an approved university. Your
dissertation is the main focus of year four, and you will also take further
options.
Fieldwork in the first and second years is normally UK-based, but some
third-year options include field trips outside the UK, and it is possible to
base your dissertation on an overseas project. Recent destinations
include Australia, Belize, India, Montserrat and Papua New Guinea.
Some financial support may be available through expedition funds.
Your learning
Your timetable will include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical classes
and fieldwork. As you progress, the focus shifts to independent and
critical learning, with student-led discussions and presentations becoming
more important.
First-year assessment combines coursework completed throughout the
year with end-of-year written examinations. In the second and final years,
assessment may vary - some courses combine written examinations with
independent projects, some are assessed solely by written examination.
The dissertation carries significant weight in your final year.
Your career
Having been trained in both sciences and humanities, UCL geographers
are skilled in taking different perspectives on an issue, working
independently to complete a project and adapting to changing
circumstances.
Geographers embark on many diverse careers: from teaching and
research to commerce, planning and administration. Their expertise is
valuable for environmental and physical planning, surveying and
employment in government, industry and the financial sector.
The first cohort of students admitted to this programme will graduate in
2016. First destinations of recent graduates (2010-2013) of the
Geography BSc include:
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Graduate Scheme Buyer, Jaguar Land Rover
Risk Analyst, Mitsubishi UFK Securities International
Brand Development Executive, Heineken UK
Full-time student, MSc in Aquatic Science at UCL
Trainee Chartered Accountant, KPMG
Degree structure
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual courses,
normally valued at 0.5 or 1.0 credits, adding up to a total of 4.0 credits for
the year. Courses are assessed in the academic year in which they are
taken. The balance of compulsory and optional courses varies from
programme to programme and year to year. A 1.0 credit is considered
equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Year One
Compulsory courses
Data Acquisition and Interpretation
Ideas in Geography
Writing and Analysis in Geography
Core foundational courses
You will select 2.5 credits from a range of year one Geography courses
and other undergraduate courses:
Environmental Change
Environmental Systems and Processes
Global Geographies
Human Ecology: Geographical Perspectives
London: A Geographical Introduction
Year Two
Compulsory courses
Methods in Human Geography
The Practice of Geography
Core intermediary courses
Students then select 3.0 credits of intermediary courses from the
specialised areas below:
Human Geography: Cultural and Historical Geography; Development
Geography; Environment and Society; GIS and Geodemographics;
Political Geography and Geopolitics; Urban Geography
Physical Geography: Ecological Patterns and Processes; Environmental
Remote Sensing; Geomorphology; Hydroclimatology; Reconstructing Past
Environments.
In addition students may also take Statistics for Environmental
Geographers or 0.5 credit units from outside of Geography.
Year Three
Year three is spent abroad on either a UCL or Erasmus exchange (1.0
credits).
Final Year
Compulsory courses
Dissertation
Core advanced courses
Students then select up to 2.5 credits of advanced courses from the
specialised areas below. In addition, students may attend a field class (0.5
units), undertake a study abroad term (1.5 units), or enrol for independent
study (0.5 units).
Human Geography: Cultural and Historical Geography II; Development
Geography II; Environment and Society II; Geodemographics and
Population Geography; Political Geography and Geopolitics II; Urban
Geography II
Physical Geography: Coastal and Estuarine Environments; Global
Environmental Change; Principles and Practices of Remote Sensing;
Restoration and Management of Freshwater Ecosystems; Wetland
Environments.
Entry requirements
A levels
A level grades
A*AA
A level subjects
Geography required.
AS levels
For UK-based students a pass in a further subject
at AS level or equivalent is required.
GCSE
English Language and Mathematics at grade B.
For UK-based students, a grade C or equivalent
in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek,
Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL
provides opportunities to meet the foreign
language requirement following enrolment,
further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs
Most students are invited to attend an open day once they have been
made an offer based on their predicted or actual A level (or equivalent)
performance and their potential and aspirations. Our open days include
student-led seminars, a tour of UCL and a tutorial with a member of staff.
Fees
UK/EU fee
£9,000 (2016/17)
Overseas fee
£21,320 (2016/17)
Notes
Details about financial support are available at:
www.ucl.ac.uk/study/ug-finance
Contacts
Contact
Dr Jan Axmacher
Admissions Tutor
IB diploma
Email
info@geog.ucl.ac.uk
IB points
39
Telephone
+44 (0)20 7679 0520
Subjects
A total of 19 points in three higher level subjects
including grade 6 in Geography, with no score
below 5.
Prospectus entry
www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectus/geography
Key facts
Other qualifications
REF
Full lists of all degree programmes and other entry requirements can be
found on our website at: www.ucl.ac.uk/otherquals
81% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3*
(‘internationally excellent’)
Department
Geography
Faculty
Social & Historical Sciences
Undergraduate Preparatory
Certificates
UCL's Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPCs) are intensive
one-year foundation courses for international students of high academic
potential, who are aiming to gain access to undergraduate degree
programmes at UCL and other top UK universities.
For more information see our website: www.ucl.ac.uk/upc
Your application
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at
school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however,
applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United
Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
In the selection process we aim for there to be two-way communication
so both you and the department can make the right choices. In addition to
looking at your qualifications we will also be examining your personal
statement for evidence of your interest in and enthusiasm for geography
and for proficiency in key skills.
PDF Updated: February 19, 2016
Information correct at time of going to press. See website (www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectus/geography) for latest information