“Geography at Hope is not just a course but a positive life experience” (John from Liverpool, Graduated 2009).
Studying Geography opens your eyes to the world around us. It looks at questions such as how does the physical environment work? How do human activities shape and modify landscapes? How do humans impact upon the natural environment? How can we work towards a sustainable and healthy future for people and their environments?
Studying Geography means you will look at a wide range of different topics and learn a broad range of skills. For this reason, a Geography degree is one of the most valued subjects among potential employers.
Geography at Hope is taught by an enthusiastic and friendly team of human and physical geographers with wide research interests. You will find that Liverpool is a great place to study Geography, being an excellent case study of economic, environmental and social regeneration, and having a hinterland that includes stunning upland and coastal landscapes.
The programme specifications for this subject can be downloaded below.
Why choose Geography?
Liverpool Hope offers up-to-date and relevant degrees in Geography.
The Geography team has a long-standing ethos of being available to students and offering a level of support that isn’t always found at larger universities.
Students studying Geography are highly satisfied with their course. In the 2010 and 2011 National Student Surveys Geography at Liverpool Hope was rated in joint first place with 100% student satisfaction.
All tutors are active researchers which means their research specialisms feed into what they teach, particularly in the final year
There is the opportunity to prepare for employment and gain relevant work experience through taking a work-based learning course with an appropriate organisation at Level 3. This provides the opportunity for students to apply and develop their academic understanding and skills in a professional setting and to enhance their employability after they graduate.
Fieldwork is integral to what we teach. We make extensive use of the local area and you will go on various day trips around the Merseyside region. There is also residential fieldwork in Wales at Level 1 and in an overseas destinations (usually Malta and Romania) at Level 3.
As you progress through your studies, the courses you will take will reflect the degree you are registered on, ie whether you are taking Single, Combined Honours or the BA (QTS) course.
Level 1
Provides a foundation for the study of human, physical and environmental geography. It includes lecture strands that look at key themes in physical geography, human geography and environmental issues. It also includes a 'tutorial' strand (where students work in small groups with a tutor in a way that encourages discussion of key issues and allows you to develop important personal and subject-related skills). Fieldwork is an important part of Level 1 – in addition to day trips in the local area there is also residential fieldwork in North Wales.
Level 2
If you are a Single Honours student, you will continue to take a broad Geography degree with courses in physical geography (Diversity of the Dynamic Earth), human geography (Social and Cultural Geography) and environmental geography (Environmental Resources). There is also a course in Research Methods where students work in small groups on a research project of their choice.
If you are following a Combined Honours programme, you will take a course in Research and Investigative Skills which covers the process of doing research in physical or human geography. In addition, you can choose to study either physical geography (Diversity of the Dynamic Earth) or human geography (Social and Cultural Geography).
Level 3
All the courses reflect the research specialisms of the Geography team.
If you are a Single Honours student, you will have both core and optional courses. All students take courses in Contemporary Geography and International Fieldwork (which involves residential fieldwork, usually in Malta or Romania). You can also choose either Research Dissertation (an original piece of geographical research on any appropriate topic) or Work-Based Learning (a work-placement in an appropriate geographical or environmental organisation). In addition, you will take two courses from: Earth’s Changing Environment (physical geography), (Re)making Landscape (human geography) and Sustainable Futures.
For Combined Honours, you will take two courses from this list: Earth’s Changing Environments (physical geography), (Re)making Landscape (human geography) and Sustainable Futures.
All courses are assessed through a mixture of coursework and examinations. Coursework includes essays, reports, verbal presentations, practical work, fieldwork reports, and research projects. Some courses are assessed only through coursework at Levels 2 and 3. Examinations sometimes include ‘seen’ questions or can be ‘open-book’ examinations.
The standard offer level is a minimum of 300 UCAS points, including a minimum of two A/A2 levels or equivalent. A level Geography is not a requirement.
Geography is available as a BSc Single Honours degree programme, UCAS code F800, or as a Combined Honours degree with the following subjects:
| Geography and Biology (BSc) | UCAS code CF18 |
| Geography and Early Childhood (BA) | UCAS code XF3V |
| Geography and Education (BA) | UCAS code XF38 |
| Geography and English Language (BA) | UCAS code QF38 |
| Geography and Information Technology (BSc) | UCAS code GF58 |
| Geography and International Relations | UCAS code FL25 |
| Geography and Mathematics (BSc) | UCAS code GF18 |
| Geography and Media & Communication (BA) | UCAS code FP38 |
| Geography and Nutrition (BSc) | UCAS code LB74 |
| Geography and Politics (BA) | UCAS code FL48 |
| Geography and Psychology (BSc) | UCAS code FLC8 |
| Geography and Social Policy (BA) | UCAS code FL44 |
| Geography and Sociology (BA) | UCAS code LL37 |
| Geography and Sport and Physical Education (BSc) | UCAS code FC86 |
| Geography and Tourism (BA) | UCAS code NF88 |
It is also available to study with Primary Teaching Honours degree (BA QTS), UCAS code X1L7.
Many employers value the 'all-round' abilities of Geography graduates - in fact a Geography degree is one of the most valued degree subjects among employers.
Studying Geography means you will look at a wide range of different topics and learn a broad range of skills that you can take with you into the workplace. You'll develop skills in problem-solving, data analysis, report-writing, developing arguments, working both independently and as part of a group, interpreting data...and so on. You'll also gain subject-specific skills in things such as map reading, field survey, social survey, environmental awareness. And being a geography graduate means that you'll understand the 'big issues' of the day - such as climate change, sea level rise, migration, globalisation, sustainability development...and many more.
A Geography degree can open the door to a wide range of careers including local authority planning, environmental assessment, urban regeneration, conservation, sustainable development, tourism planning, renewable energy, and housing association management. With the increasing demands of European legislation and global environmental policy there are growing employment opportunities in environmental consultancy.
A degree in Geography opens the door to a wide range of 'general' graduate career programmes (such as business, management, finance, the police service and the armed forces).
Many of our graduates go on to train to be teachers of Geography. Others go on to further study at Masters or Doctorate level. Our popular and successful MSc in Environmental Management also attracts many of our graduates.
