BSc (Hons) in Geography

• Study at the University for Sustainability and Social Justice. Learn about the climate emergency and responding to it, how the natural world interacts with today’s changing society and how we can plan for the future
  • Geography is a subject valued by employers and graduates have high employability rates. The course prepares you for a variety of potential career paths.
  • Experience a wide range of teaching and learning methods, including fieldwork, class seminars and workshops, laboratory and IT sessions and independent research.
  • Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

From glaciers to megacities, geography is the study of the earth’s processes, both natural and human. As a subject, it has the capacity to take you almost anywhere, and field exploration is a major component of the study. Our course explores some of the most pressing issues facing the planet in the 21st century: climate change, pressures on the natural world and society and how these can be mitigated and managed.

The course takes a hands-on, practical approach. You could be advising imaginary governments on globalisation, population growth, resource shortages, geopolitical instability and managing natural hazards. You could be planning and carrying out a day surveying a site subject to sea level rise and erosion threats, or gathering samples from the field to analyse past climates. We are set on the edge of the South Downs National Park half an hour from the coast and an hour by train from London. We are perfectly placed to make the most of the diverse and beautiful landscapes that surround Winchester, for both fieldwork and recreation.

Each year of study has a distinctive emphasis. In Year 1 you receive a broad introduction to geography and geographical issues. You receive detailed teaching on the climate emergency, consequences for society and responses. In Year 2 , you are encouraged to develop your geographical practice through specialised modules including the option for international fieldwork, laboratory and technology-based elements. An international study abroad semester is available. Skills development (geodata analysis and GIS) and ‘cultural agility’ (the ability to understand and work across cultures and environments) are emphasised strongly.

By the final year, you are ready to apply your expertise to understand complex geographical problems through original research and to understand the potential external impacts of your work. You will engage in critical thinking and more complex data analysis, building on your studies to date. A third-year project enables you to work alongside our highly respected research staff and showcase your skills to employers.

This combination of solid world knowledge and awareness of impact produces well-rounded, confident graduates ready to enter a variety of growing areas of employment in government, science and industry.

Accreditation

This programme has been 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.

The University of Winchester empowers students to reach their full potential and make a difference in the world. Set in Winchester, a beautiful, quintessential English city with a rich heritage and vibrant contemporary culture, the university’s friendly and compact campuses give students the benefit of city and campus living. We are well situated with excellent transport links allowing you to reach London or the coast in an hour, and Southampton Airport is just a 10-minute train journey away.

The university offers a selection of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees that are taught across our five faculties:

• Faculty of Business and Digital Technologies: A modern, forward-thinking faculty offering a range of disciples including Accounting, Economics, Business Management, Computer Science and Marketing.
• Faculty of Education and the Arts: Has a long and established history of providing high-quality degrees, and is home to the Institute of Education, Department of Education and Childhood Studies, Department of Performing Arts, and School of Media and Film.
• Faculty of Health and Wellbeing: Outstanding degrees that are committed to progressing health and well-being for all life. The faculty includes Nursing, Physiotherapy, Social Work, Animal Welfare and Sports degrees.
• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Passionate about what makes us human, we offer research-led teaching and outstanding support in Anthropology; Archaeology; History; Psychology; Social Sciences including Politics and Geography; Philosophy; English and Creative Writing.
• Faculty of Law, Crime and Justice: Bringing together the department of Law and the department of Policing, Criminology and Forensics, the faculty uses an interdisciplinary approach to offer a dynamic range of degrees that offer the use of specialist facilities.