BA

Welsh / Geography

BA Welsh / Geography Code LQ75 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

LQ75

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 104

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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The BA Welsh / Geography degree scheme at Aberystwyth University offers you a unique experience to study two fascinating subjects in one of Britain's most beautiful places. Situated on the Cardigan Bay coast and surrounded by a wide variety of beautiful landscape, including the sea, moorland, mountains and grassland, Aberystwyth is the ideal place to be inspired as you study the language and literature of Wales alongside the geography of the country. On the Welsh modules of this degree, you will be introduced to attractive and interesting subjects that are relevant to our way of seeing Wales and the world through the medium of Welsh. The BA Welsh / Geography degree will offer you variety within both disciplines which is sure to keep you engaged and challenge you to make the best of your time in Aberystwyth, along with offering you exciting career opportunities in the future.

Course Overview

Welsh and Geography are quite different subjects but they complement each other. Aberystwyth offers a unique place in which to make the best of the beautiful landscape that surrounds it, and it provides a wonderful variety of opportunities for field work and leisure.

The staff that teach on this course are experts in a variety of fields. As well as the core modules that you have to study, you will be able to choose from a wide variety of interesting subjects in both departments.

There is an interesting variety of individual courses available in the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies, which reflect our lecturers' recent research interests. From the history of our literature and contemporary literature, and women’s studies and sexuality studies, to creative writing and scriptwriting, Welsh registers and dialects, and translating and adapting, there will be plenty of subjects to interest and challenge you. This degree course offers first and second language pathways and the Department has a lively Welsh social life.

The Geography modules of this degree will focus on human and physical geography in the main, but you will also have an opportunity to look at the subject from different aspects such as history, the economy, culture, society and science. You will be part of a large, dynamic department. A large variety of subjects are offered, from river catchment processes, and glaciology to civic sustainability and political and cultural geography. As well as the large range of subjects, there will be opportunities to undertake field work in Wales, the UK and abroad, and there is also an opportunity to win money towards one of your own adventures.

We have excellent facilities here in Aberystwyth, such as fully equipped laboratories with a variety of analysis tools, the latest technology to enrich the learning, and excellent libraries. In addition to that, it is very easy to get to the National Library of Wales with its wonderful collections of literary, audio and visual resources from the University campus.

Our Staff

All academic staff in the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies are research active scholars and experts in their chosen fields of study, including the study of languages and literatures as well as creative writing.

Department of Geography and Earth Science: lecturers are all qualified to PhD level or working towards a PhD.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Place and Identity GS14220 20

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Concepts for Geographers GS20410 10
Geographical Perspectives on the Sustainable Society GS28910 10
Placing Culture GS22920 20
Quantitative Data Analysis GS23810 10

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Everyday Social Worlds GS33320 20
Memory Cultures: heritage, identity and power GS37920 20
Modern British Landscapes GS36220 20
The Global Countryside: Geographical and Sociological Perspectives GS36820 20
The psychosocial century GS30020 20
Urban Risk and Environmental Resilience GS37520 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Employability is an integral part of all the courses that we offer. During the course you will develop a host of transferable skills - skills that are highly valued by employers. Here are some examples:

The skill sets include:

  • researching and analysing data
  • creative thinking and effective problem solving
  • the ability to work independently
  • time management and organisational skills, including the ability to work to tight deadlines
  • the ability to convey ideas and communicate information in a clear and organised way, both in writing and speech
  • self-motivation and self-dependency
  • teamwork, and being able to discuss concepts in groups, discussing a range of ideas and reaching consensus
  • solid information technology skills
  • advanced mathematical and computing skills.

What can I do with a degree in Welsh / Geography?

Our graduates have secured jobs in areas as varied as: education, translation, publishing, town planning, surveying, the media, the civil service, environmental consultancy, the police.

The research and analytical skills that you will develop during the course will also provide a solid grounding for postgraduate study and for a career in academia.

What opportunities are available while you study?

Learn more about the different opportunities that our Careers Service offers.

Enhance your career opportunities with GO Wales and our Year in Employment Scheme which are run by our Careers Service.

International Opportunities

Along with the experience of the work world, independent travelling is also acknowledged as a key element of student development. To support it, we offer bursaries to help with undergraduate travel.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

In your first year you will learn how to critically look at poets and writers from 1900 until today; learn about the main tendencies of the Welsh literary tradition and critically appreciate a selection of individual texts; explore figures from Welsh literature in poetry and prose; get introduced to transferable skills while studying language and literature that will be helpful to you for preparing written assignments and develop more general skills; study the registers of the language along with the features of standard Welsh; discuss the contemporary world in Welsh in order to strengthen your oral skills; and develop written skills and your understanding of Welsh grammar.

On the Geography modules you will explore the broad theme of living with global change where you will be introduced to the main geographical and environmental challenges that humanity faces and the way in which they are dealt with and managed. Change and conflict will also be themes in the first year, and the way in which geographers and social scientists have understood and examined civic and rural spaces, the relationships between them, the conflicts that arise when changes happen and the strategies for co-habiting in a positive way. Lastly, you will get to grips with identity, exploring the complications around identity relations that constitute places and how those relations are imbued with relations of power. 

In your second year you will nurture your ability to write proficiently and correctly in Welsh and to speak it eloquently, and you will continue with the first year module that looks at the registers of the language along with the characteristics of standard Welsh, including spelling conventions, literary forms, the mutations and idioms. In addition, you will have an opportunity to develop linguistic and practical skills that will be advantageous to you in the bilingual professional workplace in Wales.

On the Geography modules you will learn how to design research and will develop field work skills. You will receive dedicated support to develop your research skills, learning how to craft research questions and design the strategies that will be the foundation to the research. You will also be introduced to GIS systems and will gain practical experience with presenting, discussing, analysing and interpreting spatial data.

In your final year you will continue to work on developing your skills in writing correct Welsh of a high standard and being able to speak eloquently. Apart from that, you will be free to choose from a wide range of other modules in both subjects. See the Modules tab for further information. At the same time you will undertake an independent Geography research project, drawing on the information learned during the second year and following the usual process for carrying out research - from choosing an appropriate subject to writing the final report.

How will I be taught?

On the Welsh modules you will be taught through a combination of traditional lectures, seminars and other innovative teaching methods. In the seminars, the groups are smaller and the atmosphere more informal, to foster open discussion. On the Geography modules you will be taught in lectures, seminars and practical classes in laboratories or on computers, tutorial classes in small groups, field courses and one to one for the project work.

How will I be assessed?

We will assess students through a range of methods. Some modules will be assessed partly through traditional examinations, but others will have elements of course work. We also have modules that can ask students to draft practical reports, give oral presentations, design webpages, produce short films or contribute to online forum discussions. Some modules, specifically the tutorials and field courses are assessed through course work entirely.

Personal Tutor

A personal tutor will be allocated to you for the duration of your degree course. The tutor will be able to help you with any problems or queries that you may have, whether academic or personal. You are welcome to contact your personal tutor at any time if you need assistance.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 104

A Levels BBB-BCC to include B in Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-DMM, plus B in A level Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

International Baccalaureate:
30-28, plus B in A level Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall, plus B in A level Welsh 1st or 2nd Language

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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