Geography
Durham University
UCAS Code: L702 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Durham University
UCAS Code: L702 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking.
Access to HE Diploma
We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent).
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
General information on subjects/grades required for entry: To include 6, 6, 6 from Higher Level subjects.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
Scottish Higher
Departments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis.
At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Course details**
Looking to tackle real-world challenges, from climate change to conflict and social inequalities? Studying this research-led degree in human geography will help you develop the necessary skills and experience you’ll need for a broad range of employment opportunities.
The Geography BA course begins with a broad foundation, during which you are introduced to both human and physical geography.
Our flexible study programme at one of the world’s leading centres for geographical research puts you in control.
**Why Durham University?**
Geography at Durham is an exciting and diverse discipline that addresses some of the most significant challenges that confront the modern world – from climate change, natural hazards and sea-level change to urbanisation, geopolitics and culture.
Our research-led approach to learning means you will be taught by human and physical geographers with specialisms that span a broad range of global social and environmental issues.
The Department is an inclusive world-leading centre that offers BA and BSc degrees with flexible pathways to suit your interests and career goals. Whether you lean more towards Physical Geography (BSc) or Human Geography (BA), you will receive expert teaching and guidance from internationally renowned academics through a variety of teaching and learning methods which include plenty of opportunities to get involved in workshops, presentations, fieldwork and project-based work.
**Facilities**
Over the past few years, we have invested £1.7m in new, cutting-edge equipment.
Our laboratories contain an extensive suite of analytical and geotechnical instruments which are overseen and supported by a team of dedicated technical staff.
Facilities also include a workshop, top-class IT facilities, a virtual library, one of the few dedicated cartographic units in the region and an extensive field equipment store.
**Rankings**
4th in The Complete University Guide 2025
1st in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
World Top 10 in Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for five years
World Top 20 for 12 consecutive years in the QS World University Subject Rankings
**Career Opportunities**
You will graduate with a unique understanding and experience gained during your degree and a set of transferable skills – problem solving, teamwork, project planning and management – that are highly regarded by employers across a broad range of careers and sectors.
Many of our graduates have taken up roles that make a real difference to people and communities, such as environmental policy and climate science, urban planning, energy, tourism and local development. Examples of high-profile employers include Transport for London, the Met Office, Skanska, Ordnance Survey and KPMG.
Modules
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
Assessment methods
Along with a final-year dissertation, modules are assessed by a diverse range of coursework, including essays, field work reports, practicals, presentations and posters and some may also have an examination.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
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.
Human geography
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Human geography
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.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Human geography
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£31k
£42k
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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