Foundation Year

Modules

• Mathematics 1
• Scientific Computing
• Principles of Earth Science and Earth Systems
• Introductory Chemistry Practical
• Introductory Data Analysis
• Academic Support
• Introductory Earth and Environmental Science (double module)

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 1

In the first year of the BSc proper (your second year at Leicester) you will study a broad range of physical and human geography topics in order to understand the breadth of the subject. One-day field trips around the East Midlands and 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 Globalised World
• Environment/Nature/Society
• Evolution of the Earth System
• The Digital World
• Field and Laboratory Techniques
• The Contemporary Earth System
• Skills for Professional Geographers
• Working with Geographical Information

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

Year 2 of the BSc course is your third year at Leicester.

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

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

Option modules

Choose two modules from:

• Catchment Systems
• The Dynamic Biosphere
• Critical Geographies of Environment and Development

Then choose one module from:

• Geography in Education (This module has limited spaces)
• An Introduction to Past Global Climate Changes

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 the third year of the BSc 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 four 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

Your final year incorporates a blend of teaching and research and is constructed largely from research-led optional modules, which allow you to build your degree in the way that most interests you. There is scope to develop specialisms, or remain a generalist. In semester 1 you will develop you own research project with your supervisor as part of the final year dissertation. You will then choose from a wide range of optional modules.

Core modules

• Dissertation

Option modules

Choose two 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
• Sustainability Enterprise Partnership Project

Then choose four option modules from:

• Information Visualisation
• Remote Sensing of the Environment
• Research Communication
• Stable Isotopes in the Environment
• Drylands: Landscapes, Ecosystems and People
• Ecology, Climate and Land-use processes of the Amazon Tropical Forests
• River Dynamics

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.