Geography BSc

BSc Geography at Leeds provides you with the knowledge to understand the state of planet Earth and the skills to shape its future. Our course addresses the key themes of natural hazards, climate change and sustainability and opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities worldwide.

At Leeds, we offer you the chance to cultivate your own path, which is why our geography degrees are highly flexible. You can customise your course with optional modules that allow you to specialise in either human or physical geography, or opt for modules from a mixture of both.

The course provides an understanding of fundamental societal needs, and this knowledge, together with the extensive specialist and transferable skills you gain in your degree programme, is what attracts employers to our graduates.

Studying physical geography at Leeds puts you in the centre of some of England’s most exciting landscapes, set in a thriving metropolis and with the Yorkshire Dales on your doorstep. We love getting out to do fieldwork and students undertake field trips both locally and internationally.

Plus, all our geography courses have been accredited by the IBG and are influenced by real-world research, so you’ll always be at the helm of cutting-edge geographical discoveries.

Course highlights

• At Leeds, we've been teaching Geography for over 100 years. You’ll be taught by internationally renowned academics working at the forefront of their fields, who are passionate about the subjects they teach.

• The content of your course is shaped by our world-leading research.

• Fieldwork is a key part of all our geography degrees, where you’ll gain valuable hands-on experience.

• Project work enables you to develop skills as a researcher, asking and answering important questions about the way our world works.

• Throughout your studies you’ll benefit from a structured support system, with a personal tutor who will offer help and advice about your approach to studying and how to become adept at independent learning.

Enhancing your degree

During your time at Leeds, you can decide to study abroad or undertake an industrial placement. Both options take place between years two and three and will extend your studies by 12 months. You will return to Leeds to complete your final year of study.

Programme team

The Programme Leader, Dr Julie Peacock, is a teaching focused lecturer in Plant Ecology and Global Change whose research interests focus on plant life histories and how plants have responded to global climate change, carrying out fieldwork both in the UK and the tropics.

Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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.

Online taster courses

Planet Earth: Understanding and Protecting our Environment is our two-week taster course, delivered via FutureLearn. You will discover the processes of the hydrosphere, the geosphere, and the biosphere and explore the impact of human activity and climate change on our planet. This is a great way to find out what it’s like to study these topics at undergraduate level.

Each year of this programme is designed around a combination of compulsory core modules, as well as opportunities to take optional modules and/or discovery modules across the University so you can choose additional subjects of interest.

Year one

Our first year modules explore:

• the role of volcanos, glaciers and earthquakes in creating our landscapes

• how environments have changed during the history of our planet

• the response of ecosystems to global environmental change

• how interactions between humans and the environment determine the health of our planet

• key concepts, approaches, and knowledge in political and development geography

You will also develop a grounding in the data analysis, writing, computer and laboratory skills that you will need during your degree and beyond.

Year two

Our second year modules build on the themes you explore in year one by developing your knowledge in more depth and teaching the advanced skills you need for your final year. You will be able to choose from modules that explore themes such as natural hazards, the dynamics of the climate system, the future of the biosphere in the Anthropocene and environmental sustainability.

You will learn advanced skills in programming for data analysis, GIS and remote sensing. You will also have a choice of residential fieldwork where you will learn new field techniques and develop and carry out a field research project as part of a group.

Year three

During the final year, you will undertake an independent research project. You will choose your topic, develop your research questions and execute and write up your project with the guidance of a member of academic staff.

Recent dissertation titles include:

• The effect of broad-crested weir geometry on downstream channel hydraulics.

• To what extent does the invasive gecko Hemidactylus frenatus threaten the population of the endemic Phyllodactylus palmeus on Ulila Island, Honduras?

• Investigating the jökulhaup characteristics from proglacial ice-dammed lakes in Greenland.

• Flooded heritage: a GIS analysis of the risks posed to archaeological sites by coastal processes following climate change in the Orkney Islands.

You will also choose from a broad range of modules that include topics such as the challenges of rewilding, the dynamics of the cryosphere, sustainable development in tropical forest landscapes, and management of hydrological systems. You will also have the opportunity to customise your course further by undertaking a work, teaching or research placement and/or take a fieldcourse as one of your final year modules.

Placement/study abroad year

At the end of year two, you can decide if you’d like to complete an industrial placement or study abroad year, which will extend your degree by 12 months.

Fieldwork

Ask any of our students and they will tell you that taking part in field trips is one of the most enjoyable and memorable aspects of the geography programmes at Leeds.

We offer fieldwork opportunities at each level of study and they provide a great opportunity to study a fascinating subject in contrasting environments away from the University. In year one, fieldwork will be UK-based and in years two and three you will have the option to undertake fieldwork overseas.

During field trips you will learn essential fieldwork and team working skills and transferable skills that will prove invaluable to your future career.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Geography BSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Discovery modules

Throughout your degree you will benefit from a range of opportunities to expand your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.

This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages.

Learning and teaching

Laboratory classes, project work and fieldwork allows you to gain first-hand experience investigating and applying material from your lectures and tutorials to real life work situations. Together, they will equip you with in-depth knowledge, key practical skills and transferable skills that will help you secure a graduate job. Our close links with industry also mean that you have direct contact with industry and potential employers from an early stage in your course.

You’ll be assigned a personal tutor to guide you through your studies, and you will receive support from fellow students through our peer mentoring scheme. Peer mentors are students who are on your course, but are in Years two or three. They’ll help you when you arrive at University and throughout your first year. You’ll meet your peer mentors during your first week for a social activity.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Watch our taster lectures to get a flavour of what it’s like to study at Leeds:

• Geographical perspectives of malaria transmission

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessment methods include examinations, individual or group reports and presentations, practical exercises, essays, posters, projects (such as the dissertation) and reflective logs.

Entry requirements

A-level: AAB including one of the following subjects: Biology; Chemistry; Computing/Computer Science; Design and Technology; Electronics; Environmental Studies; Geography; Geology; Life and Health Sciences (Double Award only), Marine Science; Maths/Pure Maths/Further Maths; Physical Education; Physics; Psychology; Science (applied); Sport Science; Statistics.

Offer excludes A-Level General Studies or Critical Thinking.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ): We recognise the value of this qualification and the effort and skills required to undertake it, where an applicant is taking the EPQ this may attract an alternative offer in addition to the standard offer. The EPQ taken with A-Levels, for example, could be ABB with an A in the EPQ.

GCSE: English and Mathematics at grade C (4) or above, or an equivalent English language and Mathematics qualification. We will accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English.

• Access to HE Diploma

  Pass 60 credits overall with 45 credits at Level 3, 30 credits with Distinction and the remaining 15 credits with Merit or above.

• BTEC

  DDD in National Extended Diploma/3 National Extended Certificates in Geography or two relevant subjects. We will accept a combination of BTECs and A-Levels. Please contact us for further information.

• Cambridge Pre-U

  D2, M2, M2 or D3, M1, M2 including one accepted subject.

• International Baccalaureate

  35 points overall, with 16 points at higher level to include 5 points in an accepted subject.

• Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)

  AAAABB/H2H2H2H2H3H3 including one accepted subject.

• Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

  AB in Advanced Highers and AABBB in Highers, or A in an Advanced Higher and AABBB in Highers, or AAAABB in Highers. To include one accepted subject.

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.

Typical Access to Leeds A Level offer: BBB plus a pass in the Access to Leeds scheme.

If you do not have the formal qualifications for immediate entry to one of our degrees, you may be able to progress through a foundation year. We offer a Studies in Science with Foundation Year BSc for students without a science background at A-level and an Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year BSc for applicants who meet specific widening participation criteria.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.0 overall, with no less than 5.5 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

How to apply

Apply to this course through UCAS. The institution code for the University of Leeds is L23. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

We may consider applications submitted after the deadline. Availability of courses in UCAS Extra will be detailed on UCAS at the appropriate stage in the cycle.

Read our guidance about applying and writing your personal statement.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Visit days

If you receive an offer to study with us, we’ll invite you to attend one of our visit days. You’ll have the opportunity to meet our academic staff and students, explore the School and University and find out more about your course and what it’s like to be a student at Leeds.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2022

Fees

UK: See fees section below

International: £23,000 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2022/23 the fee will be £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students for 2023/24 have been agreed by the UK Government and will remain at the current fee level of £9,250. The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the government and may vary if policy changes.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 should be available on individual course pages from September 2022.

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Additional cost information

<p>Because we recognise the value of field experience, the school heavily subsidises or covers transport and accommodation costs for compulsory taught field courses and many optional field trips. You will have to supplement the cost of some optional field trips.</p>

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a graduate job.

University of Leeds students are among the top 5 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2022, High Fliers Research

Studying geography opens up a wide range of exciting careers. Whether your future career plans lie in environmental management, journalism, the financial sector or nature conservation, our degrees are structured to ensure you develop the key transferable skills sought by graduate recruiters, skills such as: team-working, commercial awareness, report-writing, fluency in oral communication and presentation, numerical analysis, IT expertise and investigative skills.

Examples of recent graduate destinations include:

• Environment Agency

• Thames Water

• Tarmac

• WSP

• Leap Environmental

• Leeds City Council

• IBM

• KPMG

Read profiles of our alumni to find out more about where some of our graduates are working.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You will be supported throughout your studies by our dedicated Employability team, who will provide you with specialist support and advice to help you find relevant work experience, internships and industrial placements, as well as graduate positions. You’ll benefit from timetabled employability sessions, support during internships and placements, and presentations and workshops delivered by employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

Visit our Careers and employability page to find out more.

Study abroad

On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. We have over 300 University partners worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America. 

Find out more at the Study Abroad website.

The optional study abroad year takes place between years two and three and will extend your studies by 12 months. You will return to Leeds to complete your final year of study.

Work placements

Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.

Find out more about work experience on the Careers website.

An industrial placement year is a great way to help you decide what kind of career you might like when you graduate. As well as giving you the opportunity to develop your skills, you’ll gain a real insight into working life in a particular company or sector.

With the help and support of our dedicated Employability team, you can choose to undertake a salaried industrial placement year at one of the 100+ companies that we work with. If you decide to undertake a placement year this will extend your period of study by 12 months and, on successful completion, you will be awarded the ‘industrial’ variant in your degree title to demonstrate your added experience to future employers.

Below are examples of placements our students have recently completed:

• Global Supply Chain Planner, Unilever

• Category Analyst, Kantar

• Assistant Transport Planner, RSK

• Ecological Project Assistant, Middlemarch Environmental Ltd

• Water Management Consultant, Atkins

• Biodiversity and Geomorphology Industrial Placement, Environment Agency

• Weather and Climate Analyst, Arcus FM

• Environmental Safety Industrial Placement, EDF Energy

• Data Management Officer, Barnsley Council

• Risk Strategy Analyst, Lloyds Bank

During your industrial placement you will have an industrial supervisor from within the company, plus an academic supervisor who will keep in touch throughout your placement.

Find out more about Industrial placements.