Human Geography

Why study Human 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 specialism, opportunities and facilities:

• 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.

Our Staff

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

What can I do with a degree in Human Geography?

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

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 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.

Further opportunities

Work Opportunities:

If you are interested in undertaking valuable work experience during your degree, then perhaps our sister course (L703) may be some interest to you. This course combines the identical syllabus as L700, however you will undertake your work placement in-between your second and final year. 

International Opportunities:

If you would like to study abroad during your degree, then our sister course (L704) may be for you. You will have the opportunity to study in any of our partner Universities across the world in- between your second and final year.

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.

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three 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
• economic development
• globalization
• global environmental change.

In your second year you will develop further in:

• computer research skills in preparation for your independent research project
• how to analyse qualitative data sets
• producing maps and other graphical representations of geographical data.

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

In your third year:

• you will undertake an independent research project involving collection, analysis and interpretation of your own data
• you will be allocated your own advisor who will provide guidance
• optional modules as diverse as urbanisation, rural change, and regional policy will enable you to tailor your study to suit your interests.

How will I be taught?

Our courses are taught through lectures, seminars, 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. 

I love it! I have been exposed to a variety of different subject areas and it has allowed me to choose modules to fit with my own interests. The tutors are great, approachable and friendly. I would recommend the course and Aberystwyth to anyone considering doing human geography. Ashley Wilding

I love my Human Geography course because it has made me look at the world around me in a different and more interesting way. I can understand why it is like it is, and what it might look like in the future. It has really opened up my eyes to the different processes which shape our modern society. Rebecca Priest

My course - L700 Human Geography - allows you to look at the world from a different perspective, appreciating the idea of place and the way a sense of place shapes everyday life. I now can sit on a park bench and 'people-watch'; analysing how people act in public spaces, but under the title of ethnography. Human geography takes into account the spatial relations of areas that have not been considered before, or have been taken for granted. It is like looking through a pair of epistemological glasses. Florence Genis