Programme Specification Template
1. Awarding Institution/Body
2. Teaching Institution
3. Recognition by Professional
Body.
4. Final award and level of
qualification
5. Modular Scheme or other
6. Programme title (name on
certificate)
7. UCAS code
8. JACS code
9. QAA subject benchmark
statement(s) where relevant
10. Date of initial validation
11. Date of revision
University of Gloucestershire
University of Gloucestershire
NA
BSc Hons
UMS
Geography Single Honours
F800
Geography
May 2008
August 2009
12. External and Internal reference points
The educational aims and outcomes of the programme have been written with
reference to the following reference points.
12a) EXTERNAL
The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ);
The QAA Benchmark statement (Geography);
Further details for the above are available at the relevant website:
www.qaa.ac.uk
12b) INTERNAL
University of Gloucestershire UMS regulations;
University of Gloucestershire LTA strategic framework including PDP and Skills,
Sustainability Policy, AWP and Student Charter.
Further details for the above are available on the University website
13. Main educational aims of the programme
The main educational aims of Geography Single Honours are to provide students
with opportunities to:





Develop a curiosity about social and physical environments at a range of
scales from the local to the global;
Develop Geographical understanding through fieldwork and other forms of
experiential learning;
Understand the significance of scale and the relationships between
environments at a variety of scales;
Develop a progressive and critical understanding of the evolution,
significance and distinctiveness of place and environment;
To explore and reflect upon different ways of understanding place,
environment and the relationships between places and environments at
different scales;
1




Understand the significance of spatial linkages in social and physical
processes;
Critically reflect upon the position of Geography within the natural and
social sciences;
Explore the relevance of Geography, as an integrated discipline, to a
range of real world issues;
Develop specialist knowledge and understanding in Human and / or
Physical Geography.
14. Programme outcomes – the programme provides opportunities for students
to achieve and demonstrate the following learning outcomes (all learning
outcomes will be covered in compulsory modules unless otherwise indicated):
14a) Knowledge and understanding of:
1. The ways in which place is constituted and remade by a range of
physical, environmental, biotic, social, cultural and economic
processes and an awareness of the role of space-specific
characteristics on these processes.
2. Spatial variations in the distributions of a variety of human and
physical phenomena and the explanations that underpin these
dynamic patterns.
3. The reciprocal relationships between the human and physical aspects
of environments and landscapes.
4. The significance of spatial and temporal scale on human and physical
processes, their interactions and the operation of these processes at a
variety of scales from the local to the global.
5. The importance of change to interpreting the human and physical
environments, including past patterns of change operating on a variety
of different timescales and an awareness of the value of this in
considering future patterns.
6. Patterns, processes, interactions and change in the physical world as
systems that operate at a variety of spatial scales and that both affect
and are affected by human activity.
7. Patterns of inequality at a variety of scales and a range of
interpretations of the processes creating and remaking these patterns
of inequality and difference.
8. The potential applications of geographical knowledge, understanding,
concepts, techniques and expertise to the resolution of a range of
issues facing the Earth and its people.
9. A range of analytical and observational strategies from both the natural
and social sciences.
10. The key methodologies employed in the analysis and interpretation of
geographical information of a variety of types and derived from a
variety of sources.
11. The diverse ways that the human and physical world is represented
through maps, cultural texts, visual images and digital technologies.
12. The dynamic, plural and contested nature of the discipline and its
position within a range of the natural and social sciences.
2
14b) Intellectual/ thinking skills – students able to:
13. Progressively take responsibility for their own learning and critically
reflect upon their learning.
14. Abstract and synthesise information from a variety of sources.
15. Critically evaluate the value and worth of different sources of information
and evidence, including a variety of texts and data.
16. Assess the relative merits of contrasting theories, explanations,
perspectives, policies and courses of action.
17. Develop reasoned arguments and make decisions informed by their
analysis and interpretations of a variety of texts and data.
14c) Subject specific/Practical and professional skills – students able to:
18. Plan, design and execute a piece of rigorous research or enquiry and
including the production of a final report.
19. Critically evaluate the appropriateness of a range of different research
strategies.
20. Undertake effective fieldwork (with due regard for health and safety, risk
assessments and ethical guidelines).
21. Work safely within scientific laboratories, with an awareness of
standard procedures (core).
22. Collect, synthesise, analyse and interpret different types of
geographical evidence.
23. Prepare effective maps and diagrams using a range of appropriate
technologies.
24. Employ a variety of social survey and interpretative methods for the
collection and analysis of information from the human world (core).
25. Employ a variety of technical and laboratory-based methods for the
collection and analysis of spatial and environmental information (core).
26. Recognise and accommodate moral and ethical dimensions involved
in the research process.
14d) Transferable/key skills – able to:
27. Learn and study effectively using a variety of different learning strategies.
28. Communicate ideas effectively and present written and oral arguments
cogently and coherently for different audiences.
29. Show proficiency in field and laboratory skills (both scientific and
computational) (core).
30. Demonstrate effective numeracy, statistical and computational skills.
31. Demonstrate competency in a range of informational technology skills
(including databases, email, spreadsheets, word processing and WWW).
32. Show skills of spatial awareness and observation.
33. Demonstrate effectiveness in a variety of interpersonal situations
including groupwork and recognising, respecting and accommodating the
viewpoints of others.
34. Retrieve and handle information from a variety of sources effectively.
3
15. Teaching, learning and assessment – the teaching, learning and
assessment strategies and methods used in the programme to enable learning
outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated.
15a) Teaching and learning methods
Knowledge and understanding (1 – 12) is acquired via a wide range of teaching
and learning contexts. The teaching and learning methods that students will
experience include: lectures, seminars, presentations, tutorials, small group
teaching formats, directed reading and library use, laboratory practical classes
(both scientific and computational), fieldwork, a range of student centred and
student-led learning opportunities and guided independent study. Throughout all
levels there will be an emphasis on active learning methods. Students will also
obtain reflective knowledge and understanding through seminar discussions and
dissertation study. A range of research methods will be presented and
discussed.
Intellectual / thinking skills (13 – 17) are acquired via seminars, presentations,
tutorials, small group teaching formats and fieldwork, a range of student
centred and student-led learning opportunities and guided independent study.
Subject specific/Practical and professional skills (18-26) are developed through a
series of stand alone research methods, techniques and fieldwork modules at
levels I and II and the integration of environmental laboratory and investigative
methods within Physical Geography option modules at level II. At level III these
are developed to a high level through dissertation study, the opportunity for
further guided independent learning through the Subject Elective module and the
further opportunity to study Geographical Information Systems. Compulsory
modules at levels II and III focus specifically on ethical and moral issues involved
in approaches to a range of real world issues.
Transferable / key skills (27 – 34) are explicitly addressed at level I with a
dedicated skills module. Research methods, techniques and fieldwork
modules at levels I and II explicitly address the development of transferable /
key skills 29-31. These are applied at a higher level through the Dissertation
and through opportunities for further guided independent study at level III. In
addition transferable / key skills are embedded within subject modules and
are articulated learning outcomes of all modules.
15b) Assessment
The course contains a balance and wide range of assessment types. There is
a bias in terms of weight of assessment towards certain areas, most notably
‘coursework standard’. This is in part a reflection of the breadth of this
category that encompasses common assessment types such as essays and
reports. Assessments reflect the learning outcomes of modules and are
designed to ensure that students have achieved the intended learning
outcomes of individual modules. Fuller details of the assessment for each
module can be found within module descriptors. The balance of assessment
within the course reflects the emphasis on active and enquiry based learning
4
and the importance of developing students’ skills for employability and life
long learning. Within pathways through the course there is progression in
assessment in terms of the challenge they set students, with a greater
emphasis on critical evaluation at level III, for example, and in the nature of
assessment.
16. Current Programme Map
The Geography Single Honours Course Map can be found online.
17. Programme Overview
The programme is offered in the following modes of study: Full-time, Part-Time.
Staged awards are available within this programme of study. Students may
enter, interrupt or leave a programme at the end of each Level. The language of
study is English.
17a) Structure, key features and modules
This section of the programme specification should be read with reference to
section 16, the programme map. Modules may be compulsory, core or optional
and may have specific pre-requisites.
Students who study single honours Geography will receive an education that is
relevant to a range of key issues facing the world in the twenty first century that
are broadly centred around sustainability and inequality. These are studied at a
range of different spatial and temporal scales and through a number of different
dimensions, for example, by looking at, environmental change and the impacts of
globalisation. This is embedded within a broad Geographical education that
addresses a range of themes central to the study of both Human (urban, rural,
development, social and cultural geography) and Physical Geography (ecology,
hydrology and Quaternary science). This is built around a strong integrative
spine that emphasises the interactions between Human and Physical Geography
and the application of an integrated perspective within the subject.
Level I introduces the basic skills and concepts of Geography. There are four
compulsory modules (total 90 Cats). This includes one compulsory double
module that introduces the key themes in Human Geography and one that
introduces the key themes in Physical Geography. The remaining compulsory
modules include a single PDP module focussed on the development of key
research and field skills with both a Human and a Physical Geography choice of
field destinations, and a module that introduces students to a range of mapping
and data representation techniques. The level also contains a set of three core
modules focussed on basic laboratory, data analysis/presentation and social
research skills, from which students elect two modules.
Level II introduces the importance and application of an integrated Geography
perspective through a compulsory double module that considers both historic and
contemporary threats to civilisation. Fieldwork skills are also further developed
through a compulsory overseas fieldwork module that offers both Human and
Physical Geography destinations and which develops PDP. The research
5
methods training that students receive at level I is developed at level II through
the integration of Physical Geography laboratory and investigative methods
within three Physical Geography option modules and through three discreet
research methods modules. These modules cover qualitative methods
(GEO208), quantitative methods for natural science students (GEO209) and
quantitative methods for social science students (GEO210). Students select
either GEO209 or at least one from GEO208 and GEO210. Key subject content
is delivered through two Human Geography option modules and three Physical
Geography option modules. The history of Geography as a dynamic, plural and
contested discipline is also introduced to students through these modules as the
specific issues they investigate are situated within this broader epistemological
context. Students also have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and
skills in Geographical Information Systems that is introduced through a dedicated
module at this level. These modules are complemented by a range of options
from cognate disciplines.
Level III single honours Geography students will write a dissertation. This is a
major indicator of Honours ability; the course places great emphasis on this
independent piece of work and draws upon it as the final element of PDP. In
addition students will take the compulsory module Global Futures. This is the
capstone module for the course and explores a range of key issues facing the
Earth and its people and critically addresses the role of Geography in addressing
these issues. While exploring and stressing an integrated perspective within
Geography, the design of the module and its assessment accommodates those
students who identify themselves as predominantly Human or Physical
Geographers through their selection of modules at this and in previous levels.
Students are also required to select the remainder of their level III programme
from a suite of both Human and Physical Geography option modules, a subject
elective module, an advanced Geographical Information Systems module, a work
placement module and a range of modules from cognate courses that build on
themes introduced earlier in the course. The work placement module offers the
opportunity to acquire work experience that will utilise and develop students’
existing practical and theoretical skills. The subject elective module allows
students the further opportunity for guided independent learning. The subject
elective opportunities are dynamic and will change each year to reflect staff
availability and interests. This module also offers the potential for staff and
students to develop research links with external organisations and agencies
where such opportunities arise and are appropriate.
The following modules are compulsory for Geography single honours students:
GEO103: Earth Systems and Processes; GEO104: Living in a Globalised World;
GEO107: Introductory Fieldwork; GEO110: Mapping; GEO201: Threats to
Civilisation; GEO207: Fieldwork; GEO301: Global Futures and GE333/GEO331
Dissertation.
An active learning approach is embedded throughout the degree and students
are encouraged to take progressive responsibility for their learning through
enquiry-based learning that begins at level I. The relevance of the degree and its
application to real world issues is reflected in the presence of two volunteering
and employability modules at level II and students have the opportunity for work
6
based learning at level III. At levels II and III students are able to identify
themselves as predominantly Human or Physical Geographers, however,
compulsory modules at these levels ensure that students remain exposed to an
integrated Geography perspective.
A degree in Geography has traditionally equipped students for a wide range of
careers. Teaching and careers in local authorities and planning have been
popular destinations for Geography graduates for some time. In recent years a
series of sectors have opened up in areas such as commercial laboratory
research, sustainable transport, climate change and urban regeneration that are
recruiting specifically from Geography and other environmental disciplines. The
subject content of the course and the skills development through an emphasis on
relevance and active learning reflects these recently emergent sectors. In
addition Geographical Information Systems is a rapidly expanding area both in
terms of the numbers of sectors in which it is being applied and in terms of the
numbers of graduates recruited to it. Geographical information systems is
embedded from levels I to III in the course. Students also have the opportunity to
gain academic credit for volunteering and work experience through options at
level II in volunteering and employability and a work placement option at level III.
Sample Pathways
In addition to an integrated Geography spine, the course is designed to offer a
number of pathways that emphasise various aspects of Human and Physical
Geography. These will be defined in part through students’ choices of
assessment within individual modules. These include:
Development Geography
Level I – Living in a Globalised World
Level II – Threats to Civilisation; International Fieldwork (Uganda for example);
Contemporary Urban Issues; Rural Change
Level III – Global Futures; The Postcolonial World
Cultural Geography
Level I – Living in a Globalised World
Level II – International Fieldwork (Belfast, Barcelona, for example);
Contemporary Urban Issues; Rural Change; Qualitative Methods
Level III – Place, Culture and Identity
Rural Geography
Level I - Living in a Globalised World
Level II – International Fieldwork (Uganda for example); Rural Change
Level III – The Country and the City: Policy Perspectives; Place Culture and
Identity
Urban / Social Geography
Level I - Living in a Globalised World; Introductory Fieldwork (London)
Level II – International Fieldwork (Belfast, Barcelona, for example);
Contemporary Urban Issues
7
Level III - The Country and the City: Policy Perspectives; Place Culture and
Identity
Geography and Crime
Level I - Living in a Globalised World; Introductory Fieldwork (London)
Level II – International Fieldwork (Belfast, Barcelona, for example);
Contemporary Urban Issues
Level III – Global Crime; Crime, Harm and the Environment
Human Geography Research Skills and Techniques
Level I – Introductory Fieldwork; Investigating Society; Mapping
Level II – International Fieldwork; GIS; Qualitative Methods; Quantitative
Methods Social Sciences
Level III – Advanced GIS; Dissertation; Subject Elective
Quaternary Science
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II - Ice Age Earth; International Fieldwork (Swiss Alps or equivalent)
Level III - Climate Change; Global Futures; Subject Elective
Ecology
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II - Biogeography; International Fieldwork (France or equivalent)
Level III - Palaeoecology; Subject Elective
Hydrology
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II – Fluvial Hydrosystems; International Fieldwork (Swiss Alps or
equivalent)
Level III – Sustainable Rivers: Science and Management; Global Futures;
Subject Elective
Geomorphology
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II - Ice Age Earth; Fluvial Hydrosystems; International Fieldwork (Swiss
Alps or equivalent)
Level III – Sustainable Rivers: Science and Management; Subject Elective
Physical Geography Research Skills and Techniques
Level I – Introductory Fieldwork; Mapping
Level II – International Fieldwork; Quantitative Methods Natural Sciences; GIS
Level III - Dissertation; Advanced GIS; Subject Elective
17b) Credit and award requirements
Overall award requirements:
Take 360 CATS with 120 CATS at each Level
Pass 300 CATS with 210 CATS at Levels II and III
Achieve 30% in the remaining 60 CATS for them to be condoned
8
For the named Course:
Take at least 270 CATS from the Course map
Pass at least 240 CATS from the Course map with at least 75 CATS at each Level
Pass compulsory and core modules from Course map
18. Additional information
Further information on Assessment; Quality Assurance including Evaluation;
Disability and Learning support provision; Criteria for Admission/Recruitment and
Careers can be found at the University website.
The National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) provides details of
comparative information on all Higher Education programmes.
9
Programme Specification Template
1. Awarding Institution/Body
2. Teaching Institution
3. Recognition by Professional
Body.
4. Final award and level of
qualification
5. Modular Scheme or other
6. Programme title (name on
certificate)
7. UCAS code
8. JACS code
9. QAA subject benchmark
statement(s) where relevant
10. Date of initial validation
11. Date of revision
University of Gloucestershire
University of Gloucestershire
NA
BA Hons; BSc Hons
UMS
Geography Joint Honours
Various
Geography
May 2008
August 2009
12. External and Internal reference points
The educational aims and outcomes of the programme have been written with
reference to the following reference points.
12a) EXTERNAL
The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ);
The QAA Benchmark statement (Geography);
Further details for the above are available at the relevant website:
www.qaa.ac.uk
12b) INTERNAL
University of Gloucestershire UMS/PMS regulations;
University of Gloucestershire LTA strategic framework including PDP and Skills;
Sustainability Policy, AWP and Student Charter.
Further details for the above are available at the University website
13. Main educational aims of the programme
The main educational aims of Geography Joint Honours are to provide students
with opportunities to:





Develop a curiosity about social and physical environments at a range of
scales from the local to the global;
Develop Geographical understanding through fieldwork and other forms of
experiential learning;
Understand the significance of scale and the relationships between
environments at a variety of scales;
Develop a progressive and critical understanding of the evolution,
significance and distinctiveness of place and environment;
To explore and reflect upon different ways of understanding place,
environment and the relationships between places and environments at
different scales;
10




Understand the significance of spatial linkages in social and physical
processes;
Critically reflect upon the position of Geography within the natural and
social sciences;
Explore the relevance of Geography, as an integrated discipline, to a
range of real world issues;
Develop specialist knowledge and understanding in Human and / or
Physical Geography.
14. Programme outcomes – the programme provides opportunities for the
student, to achieve and demonstrate the majority of the following learning
outcomes. The programme outcomes achieved will vary depending on the
modules selected. It is not anticipated that joint students will be expected to
achieve them all:
14a) Knowledge and understanding of:
35. The ways in which place is constituted and remade by a range of
physical, environmental, biotic, social, cultural and economic
processes and an awareness of the role of space-specific
characteristics on these processes.
36. Spatial variations in the distributions of a variety of human and / or
physical phenomena and the explanations that underpin these
dynamic patterns.
37. The reciprocal relationships between the human and physical aspects
of environments and landscapes.
38. The significance of spatial and temporal scale on human and / or
physical processes, their interactions and the operation of these
processes at a variety of scales from the local to the global.
39. The importance of change to interpreting the human and / or physical
environments, including past patterns of change operating on a variety
of different timescales and an awareness of the value of this in
considering future patterns.
40. Patterns, processes, interactions and change in the physical world as
systems that operate at a variety of spatial scales and that both affect
and are affected by human activity.
41. Patterns of inequality at a variety of scales and a range of
interpretations of the processes creating and remaking these patterns
of inequality and difference.
42. The potential applications of geographical knowledge, understanding,
concepts, techniques and expertise to the resolution of a range of
issues facing the Earth and its people.
43. A range of analytical and observational strategies from the natural and
social sciences.
44. The key methodologies employed in the analysis and interpretation of
geographical information of a variety of types and derived from a
variety of sources.
45. The diverse ways that the human and / or physical world is
represented through maps, cultural texts, visual images and digital
technologies.
11
46. The dynamic, plural and contested nature of the discipline and its
position within a range of the natural and social sciences.
14b) Intellectual/ thinking skills – students able to:
47. Progressively take responsibility for their own learning and critically
reflect upon their learning.
48. Abstract and synthesise information from a variety of sources.
49. Critically evaluate the value and worth of different sources of information
and evidence, including a variety of texts and data.
50. Assess the relative merits of contrasting theories, explanations,
perspectives, policies and courses of action.
51. Develop reasoned arguments and make decisions informed by their
analysis and interpretations of a variety of texts and data.
14c) Subject specific/Practical and professional skills – students able to:
52. Plan, design and execute a piece of rigorous research or enquiry and
including the production of a final report.
53. Critically evaluate the appropriateness of a range of different research
strategies.
54. Undertake effective fieldwork (with due regard for health and safety, risk
assessments and ethical guidelines).
55. Work safely within scientific laboratories, with an awareness of
standard procedures (core).
56. Collect, synthesise, analyse and interpret different types of
geographical evidence.
57. Prepare effective maps and diagrams using a range of appropriate
technologies.
58. Employ a variety of social survey and interpretative methods for the
collection and analysis of information from the human world (core).
59. Employ a variety of technical and laboratory-based methods for the
collection and analysis of spatial and environmental information (core).
60. Recognise and accommodate moral and ethical dimensions involved
in the research process.
14d) Transferable/key skills – able to:
61. Learn and study effectively using a variety of different learning strategies.
62. Communicate ideas effectively and present written and oral arguments
cogently and coherently for different audiences.
63. Show proficiency in field and laboratory skills (both scientific and
computational) (core).
64. Demonstrate effective numeracy, statistical and computational skills.
65. Demonstrate competency in a range of informational technology skills
(including databases, email, spreadsheets, word processing and WWW).
66. Show skills of spatial awareness and observation.
67. Demonstrate effectiveness in a variety of interpersonal situations
including groupwork and recognising, respecting and accommodating the
viewpoints of others.
12
68. Retrieve and handle information from a variety of sources effectively.
15. Teaching, learning and assessment – the teaching, learning and
assessment strategies and methods used in the programme to enable learning
outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated.
15a) Teaching and learning methods
Knowledge and understanding (1 – 12) is acquired via a wide range of teaching
and learning contexts. The teaching and learning methods that students will
experience include: lectures, seminars, presentations, tutorials, small group
teaching formats, directed reading and library use, laboratory practical classes
(both scientific and computational), fieldwork, a range of student centred and
student-led learning opportunities and guided independent study. Throughout all
levels there will be an emphasis on active learning methods. Reflective
knowledge and understanding is also obtained through seminar discussions and
dissertation study. A range of research methods will be presented and
discussed.
Intellectual / thinking skills (13 – 17) are acquired via seminars, presentations,
tutorials, small group teaching formats and fieldwork, a range of student
centred and student-led learning opportunities and guided independent study.
Subject specific/Practical and professional skills (18-26) are developed through a
series of stand alone research methods, techniques and fieldwork modules at
levels I and II and the integration of environmental laboratory and investigative
methods within Physical Geography option modules at level II. At level III these
are developed to a high level through dissertation study, the opportunity for
further guided independent learning through the Subject Elective module and the
further opportunity to study Geographical Information Systems.
Transferable / key skills (27 – 34) are explicitly addressed at level I with a
dedicated skills module. Research methods, techniques and fieldwork
modules at levels I and II explicitly address the development of transferable /
key skills 29-31. These are applied at a higher level through the dissertation
and through opportunities for further guided independent study at level III. In
addition transferable / key skills are embedded within subject modules and
are articulated learning outcomes of all modules.
15b) Assessment
The course contains a balance and wide range of assessment types. There is
a bias in terms of weight of assessment towards certain areas, most notably
‘coursework standard’. This is in part a reflection of the breadth of this
category that encompasses common assessment types such as essays and
reports. Assessments reflect the learning outcomes of modules and are
designed to ensure that students have achieved the intended learning
outcomes of individual modules. Fuller details of the assessment for each
module can be found within module descriptors. The balance of assessment
within the course reflects the emphasis on active and enquiry based learning
13
and the importance of developing students’ skills for employability and life
long learning. Within pathways through the course there is progression in
assessment in terms of the challenge they set students, with a greater
emphasis on critical evaluation at level III, for example, and in the nature of
assessment.
16. Current Programme Map
The Geography Joint Honours Course Map can be found online.
17. Programme Overview
The programme is offered in the following modes of study: Full-time, Part-Time.
Staged awards are available within this programme of study. Students may
enter, interrupt or leave a programme at the end of each Level. The language of
study is English.
17a) Structure, key features and modules
Students who study joint honours Geography will receive an education that is
relevant to a range of key issues facing the world in the twenty first century that
are broadly centred around sustainability and inequality. These are studied at a
range of different spatial and temporal scales and through a number of different
dimensions, for example, by looking at, environmental change and the impacts of
globalisation. This is embedded within a broad Geographical education that
addresses a range of themes central to the study of both Human (urban, rural,
development, social and cultural geography) and Physical Geography (ecology,
hydrology and Quaternary science). This is built around a strong integrative
spine that emphasises the interactions between Human and Physical Geography
and the application of an integrated perspective within the subject.
Level I introduces the basic skills and concepts of Geography. There is one
compulsory module (Introductory fieldwork) and two sets of core modules. The
first set consists of two double modules, one that introduces key themes in
Human Geography and one that introduces key themes in Physical Geography.
Students are required to select at least one from these two modules. This allows
students to identify themselves as either a predominantly Human or Physical
Geographer from level I if they so wish. The second set of core modules
introduces subject specific skills, methods and techniques. Students select at
least one from a choice of three that offer the opportunity to develop basic skills
of social research, laboratory work and / or data handling. One further optional
module is introducing students to a range of mapping and data representation
techniques.
Level II advances fieldwork skills through a compulsory overseas fieldwork
module that offers both Human and Physical Geography destinations and which
develops PDP. The research methods training received at level I is developed at
level II through the integration of Physical Geography laboratory and investigative
methods within three Physical Geography option modules and through three
discreet research methods modules. These modules cover qualitative methods
14
(GEO208), quantitative methods for natural science students (GEO209) and
quantitative methods for social science students (GEO210). Students are
required to select at least one module from GEO208, GEO209 and GEO210. A
range of option modules is available including the double module ‘Threats to
Civilisation’ that considers both historic and contemporary threats to civilisation,
two Human Geography options and three Physical Geography options. These
modules deliver key subject contents and also explore the history of Geography
as a dynamic, plural and contested discipline as the specific issues they
investigate are situated within this broader epistemological context. Students
also have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in Geographical
Information Systems that is introduced through a dedicated module at this level.
These modules are complemented by a range of options from cognate
disciplines.
There is one compulsory module at level III (Global Futures). This is the
capstone Geography module and explores a range of key issues facing the Earth
and its people and critically assesses the role of Geography in addressing these
issues. While exploring and stressing an integrated perspective within
Geography, the design of the module and its assessment accommodates those
students who identify themselves as predominantly Human or Physical
Geographers through their selection of modules at this and in previous levels. At
Level III joint honours Geography students may also elect to take the Geography
dissertation. This is a major indicator of Honours ability; the course places great
emphasis on this independent piece of work and draws upon it as the final
element of PDP. This is a core module, if students do not elect to take the
Geography dissertation they must take an equivalent dissertation type module
from their other subject. Students may chose the remainder of their level III
Geography programme from a suite of both Human and Physical Geography
option modules, a subject elective module, an advanced Geographical
Information Systems module, a work placement module and a range of modules
from cognate courses that build on themes introduced earlier in the course. The
work placement module offers students the opportunity to acquire work
experience that will utilise and develop their existing practical and theoretical
skills. The subject elective module allows students the further opportunity for
guided independent learning. The subject elective opportunities are dynamic and
will change each year to reflect staff availability and interests. This module also
offers the potential for staff and students to develop research links with external
organisations and agencies where opportunities arise and are deemed
appropriate.
The following modules are compulsory for Geography joint honours students:
GEO107 Introductory Fieldwork; GEO207 International Fieldwork; GEO301
Global Futures.
An active learning approach is embedded throughout the degree and students
are encouraged to take progressive responsibility for their learning through
enquiry-based learning that begins at level I. The relevance of the degree and its
application to real world issues is reflected in the presence of two volunteering
and employability modules at level II and students have the opportunity for work
based learning at level III.
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A degree in Geography has traditionally equipped students for a wide range of
careers. Teaching and careers in local authorities and planning have been
popular destinations for Geography graduates for some time. In recent years a
series of sectors have opened up in areas such as commercial laboratory
research, sustainable transport, climate change and urban regeneration that are
recruiting specifically from Geography and other environmental disciplines. The
subject content of the course and the skills development through an emphasis on
relevance and active learning reflects these recently emergent sectors. In
addition Geographical Information Systems is a rapidly expanding area both in
terms of the numbers of sectors in which it is being applied and in terms of the
numbers of graduates recruited to it. Geographical information systems is
embedded from levels I to III in the course. Students also have the opportunity to
gain academic credit for volunteering and work experience through options at
level II in volunteering and employability and a work placement option at level III.
Sample Pathways
In addition to an integrated Geography spine, the course is designed to offer a
number of pathways that emphasise various aspects of Human and Physical
Geography. These will be defined in part through students’ choices of
assessment within individual modules. These include:
Development Geography
Level I – Living in a Globalised World
Level II – Threats to Civilisation; International Fieldwork (Uganda for example);
Contemporary urban Issues; Rural Change
Level III – Global Futures; The Postcolonial World
Cultural Geography
Level I – Living in a Globalised World
Level II – International Fieldwork (Belfast, Barcelona for example); Contemporary
urban Issues; Rural Change; Qualitative Methods
Level III – Place, Culture and Identity
Rural Geography
Level I - Living in a Globalised World
Level II – International Fieldwork (Uganda for example); Rural Change
Level III – The Country and the City: Policy Perspectives; Place Culture and
Identity
Urban / Social Geography
Level I - Living in a Globa World; Introductory Fieldwork (London)
Level II – International Fieldwork (Belfast, Barcelona for example); Contemporary
Urban Issues
Level III - The Country and the City: Policy Perspectives; Place Culture and
Identity
Geography and Crime
Level I - Living in a Globa World; Introductory Fieldwork (London)
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Level II – International Fieldwork (Belfast, Barcelona or equivalent);
Contemporary Urban Issues
Level III – Global Crime; Crime, Harm and the Environment
Human Geography Research Skills and Techniques
Level I – Introductory Fieldwork; Investigating Society; Mapping
Level II – International Fieldwork; GIS; Qualitative Methods; Quantitative
Methods Social Sciences
Level III – Advanced GIS; Dissertation; Subject Elective
Quaternary Science
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II - Ice Age Earth; International Fieldwork (Swiss Alps or equivalent)
Level III - Climate Change; Global Futures; Subject Elective
Ecology
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II - Biogeography; International Fieldwork (France or equivalent)
Level III - Palaeoecology; Subject Elective
Hydrology
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II – Fluvial Hydrosystems; International Fieldwork (Swiss Alps or
equivalent)
Level III – Sustainable Rivers: Science and Management; Global Futures;
Subject Elective
Geomorphology
Level I - Earth Systems & Processes
Level II - Ice Age Earth; Fluvial Hydrosystems; International Fieldwork (Swiss
Alps or equivalent)
Level III – Sustainable Rivers: Science and Management; Subject Elective
Physical Geography Research Skills and Techniques
Level I – Introductory Fieldwork; Mapping
Level II – International Fieldwork; Quantitative Methods Natural Sciences; GIS
Level III - Dissertation; Advanced GIS; Subject Elective
17b) Credit and award requirements
Overall award requirements:
Take 360 CATS with 120 CATS at each Level
Pass 300 CATS with 210 CATS at Levels II and III
Achieve 30% in the remaining 60 CATS for them to be condoned
For the named Course:
Take at least 135 CATS from the Course map
Pass at least 120 CATS from the Course map with at least 30 CATS at each Level
Pass compulsory and core modules from each Course map
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18. Additional information
Further information on Assessment; Quality Assurance including Evaluation;
Disability and Learning support provision; Criteria for Admission/Recruitment and
Careers can be found at the University website.
The National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) provides details of
comparative information on all Higher Education programmes.
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