Geography
Entry requirements
A level
For entry to Year 2: ABB
GCSE/National 4/National 5
It is also a requirement of every applicant to have English and Mathematics at a minimum of National 5 Grade C or GCSE Grade C or 4 (or equivalent)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
For entry to Year 2: A total of 34 points is required.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in a relevant subject for entry to Year 1. For entry to Year 2: DDM in a relevant subject.
Scottish Advanced Higher
plus Highers AABB for entry to Year 2.
Scottish HNC
HNC in relevant subject with B in graded unit for entry to Year 1. For Year 2 entry: HNC in relevant subject with A in graded unit.
Scottish HND
For Year 2 entry: HND in relevant subject with BB in graded units. For Year 3 entry: HND in relevant subject with AB in graded units.
Scottish Higher
We will consider T Levels as suitable for entry to our degree programmes, however, certain subject requirements may be required for entry to specific programmes. Where this is not evident as part of the T Level studies, we may ask for additional qualifications.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Studying geography at Heriot-Watt covers human geography, physical geography, social policy, economics and modern studies. It combines theory and practical work drawn from these main subject areas to create an inherently interesting and broadly defined university degree.
Our Geography BSc focuses on physical geography, studying the processes that shape the natural environment including hydrology, geology and geomorphology. You will develop field work skills in surveying, mapping and site assessment with field work and site visits as a key strand in your learning. We are ranked 9th in the UK for Town and Country Planning and Landscape Design in the Complete University Guide 2022.
You will develop important research skills through core modules in statistics, data analysis and research methods which you will apply to your final Year research dissertation. Throughout your degree cross-disciplinary and problem-based working helps students acquire the skills needed to work in multi-disciplinary teams and solve real-world problems.
You can participate in residential field trips in Years 1, 2 and 3 – visiting locations in Scotland, the UK and beyond, plus shorter one-day trips and site visits. These trips provide important opportunities to deepen practical skills in field survey, site observation, data collection and analysis.
You can experience links to practice and industry – hearing from visiting speakers and professionals working as chartered geographers, surveyors and planners.
In Year 3, all students are given the opportunity for mentoring by a practitioner, someone working in industry who can discuss career choices, graduate job opportunities and professional membership routes.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
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.
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.
Planning (urban, rural and regional)
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.
Planning (urban, rural and regional)
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
This subject includes degrees in urban studies and housing as well as planning qualifications. Be a little careful when looking at the stats, as most jobs in planning, especially in town planning, go to Masters students in the subject — planning is a very popular Master's degree (and even then we don't actually have enough graduates to meet employer demand). So if you want a job in planning, expect to stay on at university after you have finished your first degree. First degree graduates in planning are more likely to start working in surveying than planning roles - although that is partly down to our serious shortage of surveyors. This all adds up to a subject that is in demand - but do keep a look out for work experience opportunities to make your good prospects even better.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Planning (urban, rural and regional)
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£24k
£33k
£36k
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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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:
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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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