Geography
Entry requirements
A level
We also accept other combinations equivalent to 112-128 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 A levels.
112-128 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma.
Cambridge Pre-U score of 46-52, to include a minimum of 2 Principal Subjects.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Cambridge Pre-U score of 48-50, to include a minimum of 2 Principal Subjects.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
25-26 points from the IB Diploma, to include 3 Higher Level subjects. 4 points from Standard Level English and Mathematics (if not passed at GCSE grade C or above).
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H2,H2,H3,H3,H3
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
112-128 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Advanced Highers.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications
T Level
UCAS Tariff
112-128 points.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**Overview**
If you’re interested in the physical nature, characteristics and environment of the world, you can couple your interest with professional skills on this BSc (Hons) Geography degree course, accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS).
You'll discover the ways in which our planet and its natural elements work, and graduate ready for a career in everything from environmental management to teaching and academic research.
- Use high-powered tech in our laboratories, including laser survey technology, drones, GIS and photogrammetry equipment and our environmental simulation cabinet – a controlled lab area that simulates different environmental conditions
- Tailor your final year to your own interests and career ambitions by choosing from a fully optional list of modules, including conservation biogeography, hazardscapes and weather science
- Immerse yourself in some of the landscapes and societies you’re studying through fieldwork, including in places such as Berlin, Malta, Sicily and Uganda
- Choose to study abroad at one of our partner universities in Poland, Spain or France, or build experience on a work placement at an organisation like the Environment Agency or Natural England
**Accredited by:**
This course is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society.
**Careers and opportunities**
On this BSc (Hons) Geography, you'll study physical geography, how the natural environment was formed, what threatens it and how we can protect it. You’ll deepen your understanding of the world and develop professional skills in areas such as communication, problem solving, decision making and teamwork.
Once you complete the course, you'll be ready for a career in a wide range of important fields and sectors, with technical and professional skills many employers are looking for. Our previous students have gone onto work in areas such as environmental management, business management, public services, teaching and research.
**What jobs can you do with a geography degree?**
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- geographical information scientist
- environmental monitoring technician
- spatial analyst
- coastal process scientist
- urban planner
- transport planner
- geospatial consultant
- GIS cartographer
- quantity surveyor
- geography teacher
**Graduate destinations**
Organisations our graduates have gone on to work for include:
- Balfour Beatty
- Arcadis
- IBM
- Ordnance Survey
- Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
- The Environment Agency
- The National Trust
- MoD Civil Service
You could also go on to study at postgraduate level.
**Placement year (optional)**
Either before or following your third year, you can opt for a work placement year to gain valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. Placements give you the opportunity to apply what you've learnt so far in a real workplace, boosting your employability and making you attractive to employers after graduation.
You can work for a company or organisation here in the UK or overseas – some Geography students have chosen Australia, Spain or Malta for their placement year.
Whichever route you choose, you'll receive support and guidance. Our specialist team of Science and Health Careers advisors can help you with finding a work placement and improving your employability skills. They'll provide you with a database of placement vacancies, support with your job search – including help with applications and interviews – and support throughout your placement year.
You'll also hear guest speakers from potential employers and get support from students who have returned from their placements.
**Potential placement destinations**
Our students have completed placements at organisations including:
- Atkins Global
- Pfizer Research and Development
- Hampshire Ecological Services
- The Environment Agency
- Natural England
Modules
** Year 1 core modules [all worth 20 credits each]: ** Academic Communication Skills; Environmental Processes and Hazards; Global Environmental Challenges; Practical Fieldwork Skills; Society and Place; Tools for Geographical Enquiry | ** Year 2 core modules: ** Research, Fieldwork and Professional Skills (40 credits) | ** Year 2 optional modules [all worth 20 credits each]: ** Environmental Change; Geographies of Development; GIS and Remote Sensing; Glaciers and Glaciation; Introduction to Teaching; Regional Economic Development and Inequality; River Processes; Sustainable Environmental Management; Uneven Cities | ** Year 3 core modules:** Dissertation (40 credits) | ** Year 3 optional modules [all worth 20 credits each]: ** Climate Change; Cold Environments; Conservation Biogeography; Creative Economy, People and Place; Environment and Society; Environmental Auditing and Assessment; Environmental Pollution and Waste Management; Gender and Development; Hazardscapes; Introduction to Teaching; Practical Boating Skills; Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology; Science and Technical Diving Techniques A; Science and Technical Diving Techniques B; Transport and Sustainability; Weather Science
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through coursework, examinations, contributions to electronic discussion forums, web page design, posters, projects, presentations, portfolios.
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Science and Health
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.
Environmental sciences
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)
Physical geographical sciences
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.
Environmental 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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
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.
Geography, earth and environmental studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£24k
£27k
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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Course location and department:
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Teaching Excellence Framework (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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