Choosing a geography course at university

Choosing which universities to apply to is obviously an important decision. The chances of obtaining a realistic offer depend on choosing universities which are looking for people with your interests, academic record and experiences.

More than 80 universities offer over 1,400 geography-related degrees. There are lots of great options and it is important to spend time thinking through what is the best option for you.

You can apply to up to five courses through UCAS. In making your choice, there are many factors you need to take into account. Our guidance below on choosing a geography course may help you make your choice - see our top tips!

• Once you have decided what factors are most important to you, use our Directory of university geography courses to find out all the information you need

• Compare courses and universities using key information sets and other degree comparison tools (see some of these at the bottom of this page)

• Look at university websites and search for materials on YouTube. There is a wealth of information to help you get a feel for the different programmes

 

​Key questions to consider

You should think about all these questions as you look at geography courses – this will help you to find the course that is right for you:
 

What aspects of geography do you want to study (e.g. human/physical)?

• Interest should be your main motivating factor. Geography at university is different to geography at school, so you might think you are a human geogapher and end up loving physical geography. 

• The content of degrees which have the title ‘geography’ may vary widely between universities, but most programmes will share common elements in the first year.

• Most geography degrees, whether designated BSc (Bachelor of Science) or BA (Bachelor of Arts), offer combinations of individual human, physical and environmental geography courses in each year of study.

• So don't worry if you don't know, or want to leave your options open, you don't have to commit now! Choose a geography course that allows the flexibility to develop your interests.

• Usually you can plan, with your adviser, course choices that suit your special interests and career plans as they develop over time.

Top tip: Look through module options in the second and third years, watch taster lectures from departments on YouTube or Time for Geography, and hear from geograhy graduates about the courses they are studying. 
 

What about geography and ... ?

• Not quite ready to specialise, or are you interested in other subjects too? Many institutions offer a combined/joint honours course (geography and another subject, for example business studies, data science, international relations, earth science).

• Many departments offer options to take modules outside the department.

Top tip: Use UCAS to find out about options. Search for 'geography and ...' for joint honours, and search for geography courses under related words such as Environment, Sustinability and Development.
 

What types of teaching and assessment suit you best? 

Programmes vary in class size, format and how you will be assessed. You may want to think about:

• How many taught classes per week are there, compared with independent learning?

• What does the department say about group work and lab work?

• How are the courses assessed? Most universities use a range of methods, for example exams, essays, projects and presentations, but this can vary between institutions. 

• Most courses will have a third year individual project or dissertation. This is usually a piece of extensive research and extended writing on a topic chosen by you, which counts towards your final mark. This is a great opportuntity to specialise and to develop skills to showcase to employers.

Top tip: Look through the module handbooks!
 

What about fieldwork?

• Fieldwork will be part of your degree and most departments have options to choose local or more distant trips, residential or non-residential trips, and low carbon trips. 

• The experience of being in the field is more important than the location. 

• Departments will have support for students undertaking fieldwork, with appropriate adjustments and accommodations made. If you are concerned at all, just ask the admissions tutor. 

• If you are concerned about the cost of fieldwork, ask the admissions tutor. In most programmes the cost for any required fieldwork will be covered.

Top tip: Look at the department's social media feeds, as well as their webpages, to get a sense of students' experiences of fieldwork.
 

What about work placements or study abroad?

There are many ways you can gain experience through your degree. You may want to think about options for: 

• Work placements: Interested in the chance for a year out in industry? Or a shorter period embedded in your degree?

Top tip: Look at the options for work placements and modules on employability. 

• Study abroad: interested in studying abroad for a year or a semester?

Top tip: Look at what is offered by the course and the institution, when in the degree and with what support.
 

Will I get in? 

• What are the entrance requirements? How do these relate to your expected grades? Be aspirational but also be realistic.
   

Think about the whole package

UK universities offer many excellent geography degree programmes that are broadly equivalent in terms of content and teaching, so think also about the kind of place you want to live as well as the academic profile of the course. You many want to think about these questions: 

• Are you looking for a larger department or something smaller?

• Are you looking to live at home or looking for a campus experience?

• Do you want to live in a certain part of the country?

• What is the reputation of the course, and the university? There are a number of different rankings, but it is important not be to overly influenced by one over another. There are many great options to study geography and differences between programmes are small.
   

What about your other interests?

• Most universities have a range of societies and opportunities to support your other interests. 

Top tip: Look at student union webpages and search on YouTube for student-made content on their experiences. 
 

What are the options for working and financial support?

• If, as many students do, you anticipate earning some money through part-time or casual work, you may also be interested in the size of the local job market and what opportunities are available. 

• Ask about scholarships and bursaries, especially if you are a student from an underrepresented group. 
   

What do you want to do after university? 

• Geography graduates have a wide range of career options, with well-paid roles. Find out more about careers in geography. 

 

Making your choice

Once you have considered these questions, you should be in a position to start choosing courses.

• To help you decide, you might find it useful to make a list of all the universities that have a course that you are interested in. You can also limit this to a particular region of the country or distance from home (the UCAS website allows you to search for a full-time course by region).

• Once you have narrowed down the list, you now reach the point where your need to look in more detail at the specific courses you have chosen.

• It is useful to look at the course structure, looking at second and third year options in particular, as well as the research focus of the staff in the the department.

• Contact each of the universities on your short list to get a copy of their prospectus, as well as looking at their websites.

• Remember to attend an open day, or virtual open day.

 

Using open days and virtual events

Why should you try to visit your top choice universities? 

• You will meet lecturers and staff who can answer your questions about the course and give you insight into what you might study.

• Open days also provide the best opportunity to talk to students studying at a university and ask them about their experiences.

• Open days give you the opportunity to see the facilities that the university offers.

• If you plan to move to a new place, open days can help you get a feel for the place as well as see accommodation options

• All of this can help you decide on your top five university choices.  See our directory of open days. 

 

What preparation can you do in advance? 

• Before you go on an open day, or virtual open day, familiarise yourself with what the university offers by looking through the website and prospectus.

• Make a note of anything you would like to find out more about and prepare some questions to take with you on the day.

• You may want to think about what the department is known for, the courses they offer and assessment styles for example.

• Most importantly, go with an open mind and ready to ask lots of questions!

 

What questions should you ask about the course? 

• Ask about the types of geography you might study during the degree. These might be topics you haven’t heard about, or studied, before. Find out about what choices there are in each year.

• Talk to staff about specific topics. Tell them about what you are interested in and ask them about their own research.

• Ask about opportunities to be flexible with the course. Do they offer a year abroad or placement year? Can you combine subjects? Can you take modules outside of the geography department?

• Ask about fieldwork: What options are offered? What is paid for/what’s not? Is there support for students financially?

• Ask about the support from the department. Will you have an academic advisor?

 

What questions should you ask about the university? 

• Ask about geography societies. What opportunities and activities can you get involved with outside of your studies?

• Ask about other tours and talks the university is offering, for example on societies and the students union, finances and grants, and facilities.

• If you are planning to move away for university, ask about the accommodation options and see if the university are offering tours.

• Ask about the health and wellbeing support offered to students throughout their time at university.

 

What if you can't attend an open day in person?

• Even if you are not able to physically visit a university, you can still explore your options. Most universities are now offering virtual open days online, allowing you to see what is on offer and ask questions. Why not also check out the UCAS list of online virtual university tours?

• Exploring a university's social media and YouTube channels will also help you to find out more. Many geography departments have their own YouTube channels (such as the University of Hull, University of Edinburgh, Ulster University and Cardiff University), where you can find subject-specific content. Use our Directory of university geography courses to find all universities offering geography across the UK.

• Get in touch with admission tutors and lecturers to ask your specific questions. 

 

University guides online

There are also a number of online tools that can be used to compare universities. A large amount of information is available so you should decide what factors are most important to you. Remember that numbers don't always provide the complete picture about a university. The best way to get a feel for a university and course is to go to an open day, or virtual open day, and experience life there for yourself.
 

• DiscoverUni: Detailed infomation and statistics about universities in the UK (just search for geography). Job destinations and results from the National Student Survey are all included.
• The Student Room Uni Guide: A comprehensive guide to every course and university in the UK, as well as advice on university life and careers.
• What Uni?: Search and compare university courses in the UK, request prospectuses, check dates of open days, access advice on university life and read course-specific reviews from thousands of current students.
• Guardian University Guide: Subject-specific information about teaching and research.
• LinkedIn: The university finder tool on LinkedIn is based on the real careers of millions of LinkedIn members.