Geography BA

3-4 years

Geography is a discipline founded on understanding the complex links between Earth, its inhabitants, and the places they live. As a Human Geographer, you will learn to think critically and creatively about the world we live in and key challenges society faces for the coming century.

Geography BA, 3-4 years

Geography is a discipline founded on understanding the complex links between Earth, its inhabitants, and the places they live. As a Human Geographer, you will learn to think critically and creatively about the world we live in and key challenges society faces for the coming century.

Start date:

2023
2024

Course information

Typical offer ABB

UCAS code L700

Institute code L34

Taught by Geography

National Student Survey logo

Top 4 in the UK for Human Geography (National Student Survey 2021)

Royal Geographical Society with IBG Accredited Programme

Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Course description

Course description

This degree is perfect for you if you wish to experience the full breadth of Geography, but would like specialise primarily in Human Geography. After a common first year with BSc students, in Years 2 and 3, we offer a diversity of optional Human Geography modules, covering topics like migration, environmental governance and justice, climate change, gentrification, energy and food security and geopolitics. There remain some Physical Geography module options in years 2 and 3, so you can tailor your degree to become a generalist, or a specialist in Human Geography, depending on your interests.

Throughout your degree, there will be an emphasis on critical thinking and the development of a suite of quantitative and qualitative research skills. We encourage and train our students to be both critical and creative in their research approaches and methods. We use innovative teaching and assessment methods and encourage our students to reflect upon the role Human Geographers play in the modern world.

If you decide at the end of Year 1 that you want to specialise in Physical Geography, you can transfer to the Geography BSc degree.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

  • A/AS-levels: ABB. Two AS-levels considered in place of one A-level. Geography not essential.
  • EPQ with A-levels: BBB + EPQ at grade B.
  • GCSE: Grade C/4 in English Language and Maths.
  • Access to HE Diploma: Pass relevant diploma with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Distinction.
  • BTEC Nationals: Pass Diploma with DDM.
  • International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 30 points. Must include a minimum of grade 4 in SL Maths or 3 at HL if 4/C not held at GCSE. Must include a minimum of grade 4 in English A or 5 in English B if minimum of grade 4/C not held in English Language at GCSE.
  • T Levels: Distinction in Science (with an Occupational Specialism in Laboratory technician)

Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.

If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.

If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, you can apply for the International Foundation Year – Society and Culture run by the Global Study Centre. The GSC provides academic support to help you progress to your chosen undergraduate degree at the University of Leicester.

Second year entry may be possible with suitable qualifications.

Contextual offers

The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.

Selection Process

When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.

Applicants are not normally interviewed. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the School.

English Language Requirements

IELTS 6.5 or equivalent, with at least 6.0 in each component score. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.

International Qualifications

Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.

Countries list

Fees and funding

Fees and funding

UK Students

Starting in 2024

Tuition fees for 2024/25 are yet to be confirmed. As an indication of what you might pay, the fees for students who started in 2023/24 were:

  • £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years
  • Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,250 for that year
  • Year in Industry: your fee will be 15% of the full-time tuition fee that applies in that year

Find out more about scholarships and funding.

Additional costs

Additional costs for 2023/24 are yet to be confirmed but, as an indication, the following was the case for students who started in 2020/21:

  • If you choose the field trip to Berlin as one of your third year option modules, the cost is expected to be about £650.

There is an additional cost to students as a contribution towards core fieldwork modules in years one and two. In year one this is a maximum of £100. In year two this is a maximum of £250. These are the total contributions for the academic year, regardless of the number of fieldcourses (i.e. they are not the costs or contributions per fieldcourse)

International Students

Starting in 2024

Tuition fees for 2024/25 are yet to be confirmed. As an indication of what you might pay, the fees for students who started in 2023/24 were:

  • £18,700 per year
  • Year Abroad: £4,675, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
  • Year in Industry: £2,805, which is 15% of the full-time tuition fee

If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.

From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).

Find out more about scholarships and funding.

Additional costs

Additional costs for 2023/24 are yet to be confirmed but, as an indication, the following was the case for students who started in 2020/21:

  • If you choose the field trip to Berlin as one of your third year option modules, the cost is expected to be about £650.

There is an additional cost to students as a contribution towards core fieldwork modules in years one and two. In year one this is a maximum of £100. In year two this is a maximum of £250. These are the total contributions for the academic year, regardless of the number of fieldcourses (i.e. they are not the costs or contributions per fieldcourse)

Careers and employability

Careers and employability

Our degrees are designed to broaden your horizon and to help you acquire the skills sought by employers. Leicester geographers are highly competitive in the job market because of our research-based approach to teaching and learning, which fosters your analytical capabilities, creativity and confidence.

We have dedicated careers support in the School to help you realise your career goals. During term time you will also receive information about careers fairs, job opportunities and career development courses, and other practical information to help you on your way.

A second year module 'Geography in Education' provides placements in local secondary schools. Working closely with teachers you can develop skills and experience beneficial to a career in teaching.

We also organise dedicated Geography Careers Events. Recent speakers represented the Civil Service, Selfridges & Co, Hatch Regeneris, the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency, Ordnance Survey and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

The School has well-established links with many businesses and Government departments, including Natural England, the European Space Agency, the Home Office, BP Exploration, and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

Career Development Service


Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Career Development Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we’re here to help you reach your professional goals.

Related courses

Related courses



Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Find out more about the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Course structure

Year 1

Year 1

You will study a broad range of physical and human geography topics in order to understand, and build a foundation in, the breadth of the discipline. A UK-based residential field trip will get you out of the lecture theatre and into the field where you will develop fieldwork skills and work as a team to complete project work. 

Modules

Apart from the field module, the course material in year one is the same as BSc in Geography. This enables you to switch between the two degrees at the end of your first year, should you wish.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2

Year 2

During this year you will begin to focus on the human aspects of geography, covering topics such as environmental justice, gentrification, and the politics of development. Your second year will involve an international field trip (previous locations have included New York and Vancouver ). A physical Geography option remains and you will take the interdisciplinary Climate Change module in semester one.

Core modules

Option modules 

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year Abroad or in Industry (optional)

Year Abroad or in Industry (optional)

If you want to, you can spend the third year of the BA studying abroad at one of our partner institutions or working in an industrial placement. Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete your degree in three years.

Year Abroad

We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.

Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.

For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.

Please note

  • A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
  • You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
  • Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
  • Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.

Year in Industry

A Year in Industry gives you the opportunity to stand out from the crowd when it comes to applying for graduate jobs with work experience incorporated into your programme of study. If this is for you, in Year 2 you will take a module in which we prepare you for that year in work and support you with your search for a placement in an industry or organisation relevant to your career aspirations. After your Year in Industry you will return to University for your final year of study.

A year in industry still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Final Year

Final Year

Your final year incorporates a blend of teaching and independent research. You will select a topic to research in your dissertation and choose from a wide range of research-led optional modules. Here you may chose to focus on particular themes of interest, or select from a wide range of topics to be more of a generalist.

Choose six option modules from:

Plus your Dissertation (core module)

*On the BA programme, the prerequisite for this module is The Dynamic Biosphere

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is integral to any Geography degree. In the field you develop new skills and apply learning from the classroom to real world problems. Our field trips will be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences for both Human and Physical Geography students. 

All of our core field course costs are subsidised by the University of Leicester. Optional field courses in Year 3 do come with an additional cost, although there are bursaries available.

If you study on the Geography BA or Human Geography BA, your field trips can include: 

Sheffield (Core - Year 1)

On this residential field trip, you will study Sheffield's fascinating environmental and industrial heritage, via urban exploration and training in creative visual methods.

International field course (Core - Year 2) 

In previous years this course has been run in New York City and Vancouver. In this module students examine topics like multiculturalism, gentrification, migration and settlement in the city. This week-long residential field course includes a variety of day trips that interrogate the composition and evolution of global cities.

Berlin (Option - Year 3)

The Berlin field course is an optional course that considers geopolitics at the urban scale and the ways in which Berlin’s (and Germany’s) geopolitical history continues to shape the geography of the city. The field trip considers Cold War geopolitics, the Berlin Wall and the division of Germany on the city. It also examines Germany’s colonial legacies; the geopolitics of nature; sexual geopolitics; and, everyday life in the DDR (East Germany). The module is an opportunity to apply critical and creative geographical approaches to researching the politics of housing and migration in Berlin.

And you’ll be pleased to know our staff are involved in field-based research worldwide, ensuring that our teaching draws on active field experience.

Fieldwork locations may vary and are subject to availability.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Why Leicester?

Geography at Leicester

As part of his course, Michael used industry-standard GIS and remote-sensing applications.

Job prospects are excellent: 97% of our Geography students are employed (or studying for a Masters degree) six months after graduating. (DLHE)

Fieldwork is integral to any Geography degree. Our field trips will take you to some of the world's most remarkable environments, such as the Amazon Rain Forest and Death Valley in California.

Our School operates an Open Door policy, meaning you can access support when you need it.

You will definitely want to join the Students' Union's Geography Society which offers a great mix of academic support and social events. Leicester GeogSoc is affiliated to EGEA, a massive European network providing great opportunities for exchanges and professional development.

Teaching and learning

You will be taught through a mixture of lectures, tutorials, seminars, practicals and fieldwork. All lecture material is available online through our virtual learning environment Blackboard. Contact time typically averages about 11-13 hours per week. Residential field trips are run by academic staff throughout the degree and provide extended periods of small group teaching in field contexts.

Your work will be assessed through a mixture of methods including, essays, learning diaries, oral and poster presentations, mock journal articles, popular science articles and a final year individual (supervised) dissertation project. Coursework is mainly undertaken on an individual basis. However, a number of modules (especially field-based modules) involve assessed group project work. 

Independent learning

When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve practical activities, worksheets, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. This time also includes time meeting staff, such as your personal tutor, which you can arrange via regular staff office hours. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence.

Your contact hours will depend on the option modules you select. You can see details of the contact hours on individual module pages.

Academic support

Our Student Learning Development Team provides help in the following areas:

  • study and exam skills
  • academic writing
  • presentations
  • dissertations
  • numerical data skills
  • referencing sources

Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.

Teaching staff

This is a research-led degree. You will be taught by an internationally recognised experts in their fields, whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. Our third year specialism modules map closely to staff’s current research and to our cutting edge facilities where you will get hands on experience. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles.

 

Apply now

Course Qualification Duration UCAS Code Availability
Course Geography Qualification BA Duration 3 years full-time UCAS Code L700 Availability How to apply
Course Geography with Year Abroad Qualification BA Duration 4 years full-time UCAS Code L700 Availability How to apply
Course Geography with a Year in Industry Qualification BA Duration 4 years full-time UCAS Code L700 Availability How to apply

Data about this course

student stood outside on a residential street

Studying at the University of Leicester has allowed me to go to some amazing places! Getting the chance to actually visit the places we were studying made the course so much more engaging and exciting.

Isobel

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