More than 80 universities offer over 1,400 geography-related degrees. There are lots of great options and it is important to spend time to think through what is the best option for you.
You can apply to up to five courses through UCAS. In making your choice, there are many factors you need to take into account. Our guidance below on choosing a geography course may help you make your choice - see our top tips!
-
Once you have decided what factors are most important to you, use our Directory of university geography courses to find out all the information you need
-
Compare courses and universities using key information sets and other degree comparison tools (see some of these at the end of this page)
-
Look at university websites and search for materials on YouTube. There is a wealth of information to help you 'get a feel' for the programme
Key questions to consider
You should think about all these questions as you look at geography courses – this will help you to find the course that is right for you:
What aspects of geography do you want to study (e.g. human/physical)?
-
Interest should be your main motivating factor. Geography at university is different to geography at school, so you might think you are a human geogapher and end up loving physical geography.
-
The content of degrees which have the title ‘Geography’ may vary widely between universities, but most programmes will share common elements in the first year.
-
Most geography degrees, whether designated BSc (Bachelor of Science) or BA (Bachelor of Arts), offer combinations of individual human, physical and environmental geography courses in each year of study.
-
So don't worry if you don't know, or want to leave your options open, you don't have to commit now! Choose a geography course that allows flexibility to develop your interests.
-
Usually you can plan, with your adviser, course choices that suit your special interests and career plans as they develop over time.
Top tip: Look through module options in the second and third years, watch taster lectures from departments on YouTube or Time for Geography, and hear from geograhy graduates about the courses they are studying.
What about geography and ... ?
-
Not quite ready to specialise, or are you interested in other subjects too? Many institutions offer a combined/joint honours course (geography and another subject, for example business studies, data science, international relations, earth science)
-
Many departments offer options to take modules outside the department.
Top tip: Use UCAS to find out about options. Search for 'geography and ...' for joint honours, and search for geography courses under related words such as Environment, Sustinability and Development.
What types of teaching and assessment suit you best?
Programmes vary in class size, format and how you will be assessed. You may want to think about:
-
How many taught classes per week are there, compared with independent learning?
-
What does the department say about group work and lab work?
-
How are the courses assessed? Most universities use a range of methods, for example exams, essays, projects and presentations, but this can vary between institutions.
-
Most courses will have a 3rd year individual project or dissertation. This is usually a piece of extensive research and extended writing on a topic chosen by you, which counts for your final mark. This is a great opportuntity to specialise and to develop skills to showcase to employers.
Top tip: Look through the module handbooks!
What about fieldwork?
-
Fieldwork will be part of your degree and most departments have options to choose local or more distant trips, residential or non-residential trips, and low carbon trips.
-
The experience of being in the field is more important than the location.
-
Departments will have support for students undertaking fieldwork, with appropriate adjustments and accommodations made. If you are concerned at all, just ask the admissions tutor.
-
If you are concerned about the cost of fieldwork, also ask the admissions tutor. In most programmes the cost for any required fieldwork will be covered.
Top tip: Look at the department's social media feeds, as well as their webpages, to get a sense of students' experiences of fieldwork.
What about work placements or study abroad?
There are many ways you can gain experience through your degree. You may want to think about options for:
Top tip: Look at the options for work placements and modules on employability.
Top tip: Look at what is offered by the course and the institution, when in the degree and with what support.
Will I get in?
Think about the whole package
UK universities offer many excellent geography degree programmes that are broadly equivalent in terms of content and teaching, so think also about the kind of place you want to live as well as the academic profile of the course. You many want to think about these questions:
-
Are you looking for a larger department or something smaller?
-
Are you looking to live at home or looking for a campus experience?
-
Do you want to live in a certain part of the country?
-
What is the reputation of the course, and the university? There are a number of different rankigs, but it is important not be to overly influenced by one over another. There are many great options to study geography and differences between programmes are small.
What about your other interests?
Top tip: Look at student union webpages and search on YouTube for student-made content on their experiences.
What are the options for working and financial support?
-
If, as many students do, you anticipate earning some money through part-time or casual work, you may also be interested in the size of the local job market and what opportunities are available.
-
Ask about scholarships and bursaries, especially if you are a student from an underrepresented group.
What do you want to do after university?
Making your choice
-
Once you have considered these questions, you should be in a position to start choosing courses.
-
To help you decide, you might find it useful to make a list of all the universities that have a course that you are interested in,. You can also limit this to a particular region of the country or distance from home (the UCAS website allows you to search for a full-time course by region).
-
Once you have narrowed down the list, you now reach the point where your need to look in more detail at the specific courses you have chosen.
-
It is useful to look at the course structure, looking at 2nd and 3rd year options in particular, as well as the research focus of the staff in the the department.
-
Contact each of the universities on your short list to get a copy of their prospectus, as well as looking at their websites.
-
Remember to attend an open day, or virtual open day.
Using open days and virtual events
-
Open days provide the best opportunity to talk directly to people studying at a university. Attending open days will help you select your five choices. See our directory of open days.
-
Even if you are not able to physically visit a university, you can still explore your options. Most universities are now offering virtual open days online, allowing you to see what is on offer and ask questions. Why not also check out the UCAS list of online virtual university tours?
-
Exploring a university's social media and YouTube channels will also help you to find out more. Many geography departments have their own YouTube channels (such as the University of Hull, University of Edinburgh, Ulster University and Cardiff University), where you can find subject-specific content. Use our Directory of university geography courses to find all universities offering geography across the UK.
-
Before you go on an open day, or virtual open day, it is very useful to prepare some questions. Take a look at the university website and prospectus, and make a note of anything they don’t tell you, particularly things you need to know to make a decision.
-
Open days can be run by a range of people, so group your questions into categories. You may come into contact with students or lecturers on your course, or those studying other subjects who can talk about other aspects of university life.
University guides online
There are also a number of online tools that can be used to compare universities. A large amount of information is available so you should decide what factors are most important to you. Remember that numbers don't always provide the complete picture about a university. The best way to get a feel for a university and course is to go to an open day, or virtual open day, and experience life there for yourself.
These online tools include:
Detailed infomation and statistics about universities in the UK (just search for geography). Job destinations and results from the National Student Survey are all included.
A comprehensive guide to every course and university in the UK, as well as advice on university life and careers.
Search and compare university courses in the UK, request prospectuses, check dates of open days, access advice on university life and read course-specific reviews from thousands of current students.
Subject-specific information about teaching and research.
The university finder tool on LinkedIn is based on the real careers of millions of LinkedIn members.