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Geography

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-A,B,B

To include Geography or a related subject (eg. Sociology or World Development, Geology or Environmental Science; or an additional Science subject)

Access to HE (Science or Humanities): Pass with Distinction (27-24 Distinctions to include 3 in Geography or an appropriate subject, plus 15 Merits)

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

To include 5 in Higher Level Geography

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

DDM-DDD

Plus A-Level Grade B in Geography or a related subject

Scottish Higher

A,B,B,B,C

To include Grade B in Geography (or related subject)

Requirements are as for A-Levels where you can substitute the same non-specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Level core Grade

UCAS Tariff

120-135

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

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Human geography

From understanding how landscapes are shaped, to how populations move and interact, to the impact climate change has on us, the study of geography has never been more relevant.

Both our BA and BSc Geography degrees will equip you with highly desirable practical, numerical and computational skills for a wide range of careers. These include regional planning, environmental management, local authority work, financial planning, computing or business and retail management.

Our strong relationships with industry enable us to provide great work experience opportunities to enhance your employability.

Just a short drive from the UK's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Gower Peninsula, you will have easy access to the Brecon Beacons, rural west Wales and the urban and industrial landscapes of South Wales. You'll also have an opportunity to carry out fieldwork overseas in Austria, Berlin, Malaysian Borneo, Mallorca, New York or Vancouver.

Through this degree, you will explore topical issues such as environmental and climatic change, migration and identity, glaciology and ice-sheet dynamics, global environmental modelling and Earth observation, and social theory and urban space.

You will be taught in our £4.2m state-of-the-art Science laboratories, in a vibrant and friendly department. You'll have access to our high-performance computer lab for processing and interpreting satellite Earth observation and GIS data, a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer, a climatic test chamber, mineral magnetic characterisation equipment and an automatic organic carbon analyser.

You can change between the BA and BSc schemes up until the end of Year 2. This degree is also offered as a four-year course with a year abroad (L701) or a year in industry (F554).

"I loved my degree. I was always fascinated in the wonders of the World and what made it tick. Geography helps you look at the World with an analytical eye. It forces you to weigh up evidence and come to conclusions and question the origin of things. Journalism is exactly the same."
- Melanie Bromley, BA (Hons) Geography, West Coast bureau chief of American Celebrity Magazine US Weekly

**We guarantee that you will be made a conditional offer for a course at Swansea University. Subject requirements will apply. Please come along to our next Open Day or get in touch for further information.**

Modules

In Year 1 you'll study several compulsory modules covering topics such as global environmental change, people place and nation, global shifts and sustainability. You will then choose from optional modules covering geographical skills and methods, writing skills and personal development planning, and topics such as mobilities and migration, urban geography and geology.
In Year 2, you'll choose from a range of optional modules covering data analysis, approaches to human and physical geography, and conducting social and environmental research. You'll study topics such as geographic information systems, glacial environments and processes, creative geographies, quaternary environmental change, regional economic development and policy, boundaries and connections, political geographies, urban modelling and geological record of past environments. You'll also have an opportunity to take part in an overseas field trip.
In Year 3, you'll undertake your dissertation and choose from a range of optional modules covering topics such as migration, security and humanism, contemporary rural Britain, geographies of national identity, glaciology, humid tropical environments and landscapes, meteorology and atmospheric science, plate tectonics and global geophysics, World cities, environmental modelling and the climate of the last 1,000 years. You'll also have the opportunity to undertake an interdisciplinary field trip to the Indian Himalayas (Sikkim).

Assessment methods

On the BA Geography course you will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical classes and field classes. You will be assessed through a variety of methods, including examinations, coursework, practical work, fieldwork and continuous assessment from tutorials. You will also complete a dissertation in Year Three.

The Uni


Course location:

Singleton Park Campus

Department:

Geography

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.

88%
Human 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.

Human geography

Teaching and learning

84%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
96%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
76%
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

72%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
68%
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?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
55%
Male students
45%
Female students
94%
2:1 or above
8%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

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.

£19,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
32%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
13%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
12%
Business, research and administrative professionals

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.

£18k

£18k

£24k

£24k

£28k

£28k

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 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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