Year 1

You will study a broad range of physical and human geography topics in order to understand the breadth of the subject. A residential field course in Devon will enable you to practice your field and laboratory skills in a natural setting.

Modules

• Human Geography for a Globalized World
• Environment, Nature, Society
• Evolution of the Earth System
• Exploring our Digital Planet
• Field and Laboratory Techniques for Physical Geographers
• The Contemporary Earth System
• Introducing Leicester Geographies
• Working with Geographic Information

Apart from the field course, this is the same as the BA in Geography, enabling you to switch between the two degrees at the end of your first year if 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

During this year you will begin to focus on the key areas of physical geography such as geomorphology, climate change and biogeography. You will also attend a residential field course in the Lake District at the start of Year 2, which provides a field-based introduction into these topics. You will go on an overseas field trip towards the end of the year.

Core modules

• Geographical Data Analysis
• Climate Change: Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation
• Geographical Research Design (Overseas Field Course) (Almeria)
• Geographical Information Science

Option modules

Choose two modules from:

• Catchment Systems
• The Dynamic Biosphere
• Environment and Development

Then choose one module from:

• Geography in Education (This module has limited spaces)
• Remote Sensing for Geographers
• Glacial Worlds

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)

If you want to, you can spend your third year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions or working in an industrial placement (eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2). Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete your degree in three years.

NB. A year spent abroad or on an industrial placement still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See our Fees and Funding section for details.

Year Abroad

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 work in the private sector, the state sector, a non-governmental organisation or become self-employed you will find the experience invaluable. Please see the list of institutions with which we have links, for where you could go on a year abroad. Find out more from our Global Opportunities team.

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.

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

Your final year incorporates a blend of teaching and research. You will select a topic to research in your dissertation and choose from a wide range of optional modules.

Modules

Choose six option modules from:

• Contemporary Environmental Challenges
• Critical Digital Geographies
• Californian Drylands (field trip)
• Neotropical Rainforests (field trip)
• Understanding Ecosystems and Environments of the Distant Past
• Water Quality Processes and Management
• Information Visualisation
• Stable Isotopes in the Environment
• The Biosphere in the Earth System
• Understanding the Tropical Forests of SE Asia
• River Dynamics
• African Drylands
• Research Communication

Plus your Dissertation

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 is integral to any Geography degree. In the field you'll develop new skills and apply learning from the classroom to real-world problems. At Leicester, we go into the field a lot - your field trips will be some of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences of your time here.

Our field trips run during each year of study. In Year 1, you’ll get an introduction to residential fieldwork in a UK setting, connecting knowledge gained in classes with the study of a variety of landscapes.

In your second year your field training will focus on the development of skills that prepare you for independent research and your final year dissertation project. Recent locations have included Vancouver and Almeria.

Our Year 3 optional field courses represent an opportunity to develop advanced field skills. They are a chance to experience some of the world’s most remarkable environments such as the Amazon Rain Forest and Death Valley in California.

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.

• Find out more about fieldwork opportunities.

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.