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Cardiff University

UCAS Code: F843 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

A,B,B-B,B,C

Must include a minimum of 1 science subject. Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Maths, Physics.

Extended Project

A

For applicants taking the EPQ qualification, an A in the EPQ can be recognised to lower the entry requirements by a single grade. For example, an AAB offer would be "AAB from 3 A-levels or ABB from 3 A-levels and a grade A in the EPQ". Please note that any subject specific requirements must be met.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

You must have or be working towards: - English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements. - GCSE Maths grade C/4 or equivalent qualification (subject and grade). If you are taking A-level Maths (or equivalent), GCSE Maths is not required. Core Maths may also be accepted in place of GCSE Maths.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32-30

32-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects (with 1 HL science subject) Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Geology, Maths, Physics.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM-DMM

in a BTEC Extended Diploma in Animal Science, Applied Science, Engineering, Health Science, ICT, or Sports and Exercise Science.

Acceptance of T Levels for this programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic School. Consideration will be given to the T Level grade/subject and grades/subjects achieved at GCSE/Level 2.

The Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in place of one A-level at the A-level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.

UCAS Tariff

112-128

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Physical geography

Overview and aims of the Programme
Our planet is constantly evolving and reshaping itself. We need to understand the science behind physical processes and hazards like flooding and coastal erosion so we can adapt and find solutions to challenges we’ll face in the future.

On our Physical Geography course, you will explore how the Earth functions and learn about global hazards like volcanoes and landslides and investigate how landscapes evolve over time. You will study physical processes from across the world, from glacial processes to desertification. You will develop skills in mapping and research and get experience of using industry-standard equipment and software.

We make the most of our location and take regular day trips along the coast and to the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. There will also be opportunities to do overseas trips, in the past our geography students have been to Switzerland and Tenerife.

Students on this course are usually interested in the physical world around us and want to use their knowledge and understanding to make a positive difference. Graduates leave with the skills to solve a range of complex real-world problems related to the physical environment and with experience of hands-on fieldwork and cutting-edge research with world-leading scientists.

**Distinctive Features of the Programme**

- Student satisfaction - belong to a small and friendly community voted top among all Russell Group Universities in the main category of Overall Satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2018. In 2019 our Geography degrees were jointly ranked 1st out of 63 Physical Geography and Environmental Sciences undergraduate courses.

- Flexible degree schemes - all of the School’s degrees have a common first semester that introduce you to geosciences and geography. You can then decide whether to stay with your chosen degree or switch to another in the same School.

- Placement opportunity - in year three you can choose to do an industry placement and gain invaluable skills and experience.

- Hands-on fieldwork in the UK and overseas - you will get plenty of opportunity to develop your fieldwork skills with regular day trips and residential trips in Wales and overseas. Wales is like a playground for geographers. From impressive mountains in the north to a biodiverse tidal estuary in the south, we have a huge range of natural environments to explore.

- World leading experts and facilities – you will be taught by world-leading scientists and have access to: the latest technologies in surveying and mapping equipment, chemical laboratories, laboratories with GIS (Geographic Information System) and a 12-metre research boat, the RV Guiding Light.

- Industry connections - we have excellent links with external partners including employers, consultancies and local organisations like Natural Resources Wales. These connections help students to find relevant and highly topical research projects and will often offer practical help, advice and placement opportunities.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£29,450
per year
International
£29,450
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.

The Uni

Course location:

Main Site - Cardiff

Department:

School of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

87%
Physical geography

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Physical geographical sciences

Teaching and learning

91%
Staff make the subject interesting
96%
Staff are good at explaining things
93%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
87%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

93%
Library resources
93%
IT resources
93%
Course specific equipment and facilities
76%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
54%
Male students
46%
Female students
85%
2:1 or above
5%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
C

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Physical geographical sciences

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
59%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Other elementary services occupations
11%
Architects, town planners and surveyors
9%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Physical geographical sciences

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£21k

£21k

£27k

£27k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here