Geography
A comprehensive guide to studying Geography at university.
- - “It has really diverse topic areas so that you are constantly learning new aspects of geography” -Hannah*, BSc Environmental Geography Student, University of York*
- - “Broad range of module choices” - Matthew*,* Graduate *BSc Geography, University of Birmingham*
- - “Being taught by such a diverse range of academics, we had lecturers and tutors who had philosophy, maths, chemistry degrees etc.” - Ethan*, BSc Geography Student, Durham*
- - “Very personalised course- you can choose between a variety of topics to focus on” - Gemma*, BA Economics and Geography Student, University of Leeds*
- - “Very sociable and friendly atmosphere” - Harry*, BA Geography Student, University of Exeter*
- - “The information that we are learning is current and relevant to our everyday lives” - Toby*, BA Geography and Business Student, University of Leeds*
- - “Limited contact hours“ - Gemma*, BA Economics and Geography Student, University of Leeds*
- - “Lack of specialisation” - James*, BA Geography and Business Student. University of Leeds*
- - “A few of the modules were very much crossed over with a couple of A-Level subjects, so occasionally we’d be learning about topics we’d already covered at school” - Hannah*, Bsc Environmental Geography, University of York*
- - “The formulaic nature of lectures” - Harry, *BA Geography, Exeter*
- - “If I had to say a worst thing, it was probably that GIS is a little annoying” - Ethan*, BSc Geography Student, Durham*
- - “We can spend huge amounts of time reading about the same topic without coming across new ideas or points of discussion” - Toby, BA Geography and Business, University of Leeds
If you want to study geography at uni because you liked it at A-Level - STOP ❌ THINK 💭 LISTEN 👂 They’re not the same thing!
At school, geography involves learning about China’s One Child policy 🇨🇳, splashing about in your local river for ‘fieldwork’ 🏞️, and writing it all up with everyone’s favourite geography joke: crayons 🖍️
At uni, depending on the modules you choose, demographic policies and rivers may still be on the agenda. But so will LOTS of things you won’t have seen on your A-Level geography syllabus, all taught via a combination of **lectures and seminars** (and smaller teaching groups at Oxbridge) 👁️
I still remember my first day of lectures, where within five minutes the lecturer was throwing around terms like *‘spatial’*, *‘temporal’*, and *‘discourse narratives’*, and I was wondering if I’d walked into the wrong room 😵💫
What are the differences between BA and BSc Geography? Differences
- The **BSc** may focus more on **Physical Geography** 🌋 **** - The **BA** may focus more on **Human Geography** 🏙️ - The **entry requirements** may be different (a BSc may require maths or a science)
Similarities
- Many BSc or BA Geography degrees offer students the **same** foundational Geography courses in Year 1, before allowing you to specialise in Human Geography (for a BA) or Physical Geography (for a BSc). - If after year 1, you would prefer do the BA (rather than BSc) and vice-versa, the university **may** allow you to swap 😎 - However, at most universities, on **both** BA and BSc courses, you can choose the same modules from either course throughout, and maintain a balance of human and physical geography.
**Warning:** You often can't really say much just by looking at "BA vs BSc"! So don't assume the course content based of whether its labelled as a BA or BSc.
However, if the courses are different and you must decide between BA or BSc, **the most important thing** is to make sure you look at the specific courses and modules for each uni.
Geography graduates are seen as employable due to their combination of transferable skills, including both their qualitative and quantitative skills.
According to the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey, of those Geography graduates in work six months after graduation in 2014:
- 20.2% had jobs in business, HR and finance,
- 14.1% had jobs in marketing, PR and sales
- 13.9% had jobs in retail, catering, waiting and bar work, among many other types of jobs.
Geography-related jobs:
Town planner, Cartographer, Environmental/Sustainability consultant, Campaigners, Geographical information systems (GIS) officer, Planning and development surveyor, Secondary school teacher, International aid/development worker, Market researcher, Nature conservation officer, Tourism officer, NGOs, Climate policy, Transport planner
Other jobs non-related to geography:
Investment Banking, Accounting, Auditing, Journalism, Consulting, Local government, Retail and Commercial Banking, Civil Service, Political risk analyst
But you're definitely not limited to these fields. Geography graduates can enter most professions, except for those requiring technical skills (e.g. law or software engineering).