BSc

Geography (with integrated year in industry)

Geography (with integrated year in industry) Code F803 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

F803

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 96

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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Aberystwyth University’s Department of Geography Earth Sciences is the most established and experienced department of its kind. Aberystwyth University offers you the unique opportunity to study geography in one of the most picturesque locations in Europe and at the same time enhance your employability with our integrated year in industry programme.

Set on the coast of Cardigan Bay and surrounded by a great diversity of beautiful environments, including marine, moorland, mountain and grassland, the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences is uniquely placed to make the most of the stunning landscapes that surround it, providing you with a fabulous variety of fieldwork and recreational opportunities. This degree accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) will equip you with the skills, abilities, and expertise to face and engage with the challenges facing society today.

Course Overview

Why study Geography at Aberystwyth University?

This programme has been accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

As a large dynamic Geography community we are able to offer you an extremely broad range of geographical specialisms, opportunities and facilities:

  • quaternary environmental change
  • current trends in Geohazards
  • urban sustainability
  • regional development
  • political and cultural geography
  • fieldwork opportunities in New Zealand, Crete, New York, and Ireland
  • travel awards available each year to fund your own adventures (up to £400)
  • state of the art teaching facilities with the latest technology to enhance learning
  • fully stocked laboratories with an array of analytical instruments e.g. mass spectrometers and core scanners of which can be used for fieldwork and independent study, abilities and expertise to face and engage with the challenges facing society today. 
Our Staff

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
Work Placement * GSS0260 60

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

Employability is embedded within all courses provided by us. Our degrees provide a solid foundation for a vast array of careers across a range of sectors. In a rapidly shifting global economy, our graduates are adaptable and able to draw on a range of transferable skills, ensuring that they are always in demand. The year spent in industry as part of this degree will, however, provide you with specific skills and experiences that will be directly relevant to particular career paths.

The skill sets include:

  • enhanced mathematical and computational skills
  • effective problem solving and creative thinking skills
  • information technology skills
  • the ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • time-management, organisational skills
  • communication skills both written and oral
  • self-motivation and self-reliance

What can I do with a degree in Geography?

Our graduates have, for example, found employment as environmental consultants, planners, civil servants, surveyors, and in education among many other things.

International Opportunities

Alongside employment experience, independent travel is also acknowledged as a key ingredient in student development. To support this, we offer bursaries to support undergraduate travel. Recent destinations have included Uganda, Madagascar, Peru, Mount Etna and the United States.

DGES has also established Erasmus Exchange Programmes with the University of Bergen, the University of Oulu, Finland, and the University Centre in Svalbard, giving students the unique experience of studying in one of the world’s most extreme environments. We also have strong links with a number of universities in North America, where students can complete their second year of study. In recent years, our Exchange Co-ordinator has overseen placements at Purdue University (Indiana), the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, the University of Montana and the University of Ottawa in Canada.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the four year degree scheme.

In your first year you will be introduced to:

  • key concepts in geographical study
  • issues and techniques in the collection, analysis and presentation of geographical data
  • climate change
  • landscape processes
  • economic development
  • globalization

In your second year you will develop further your:

  • laboratory and computer research skills in preparation for your independent research project
  • skills of analysing quantitative and qualitative datasets
  • knowledge of producing maps and other graphical representations of geographical data;

You will also participate in a residential field trip in the UK or overseas, and can choose optional modules to specialise or simply maintain a broad interest across Geography.

In your third year you will embark on your Integrated Year in Industry.

In your final year you will:

  • undertake an independent research project involving collection, analysis and interpretation of your own data
  • be allocated your own advisor who will provide expert guidance
  • take optional modules as diverse as glaciology, hydrology, volcanic hazards, past climate change, urbanisation, and rural change which will enable you to tailor your study to suit your interests.

How will I be taught?

Our courses are taught through lectures, seminars, laboratory and computer practical classes, small group tutorials, field courses and individual supervision of project work.

How will I be assessed?

We assess our students through a different range of methods. Some modules are assessed in part through traditional exams, but some have elements of coursework. We also have some modules that may require the student to produce practical reports, oral presentations, the design of web pages, production of short films, or contribution to online discussion forums. Some modules, notably the tutorials and field courses are assessed entirely through coursework. 

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 96

A Levels BBB-CCC

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

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-MMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-26

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall

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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