Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

• To provide students with an intellectually-stimulating environment within which they can develop the skills to enable them to comprehend, interpret and analyse the physical world;
• To enable students to learn about the key concepts, theories and methods within the discipline of  geography;
• To provide students with the opportunity to study a broad curriculum in physical geography;
• To achieve, through the student learning process, a progressive improvement in academic performance over the degree programme;
• To enhance students’ career and employment prospects on graduating by developing a range of transferable skills embedded in the programme.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

• The Benchmark Statement for Geography
• Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
• University’s Learning and Teaching Strategy
• School learning and teaching policies
• The research interests and specialisms of the teaching staff

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: 

K1   a range of key environmental systems (including lakes, rivers and soils), environmental processes and the impacts of these processes on human activities and vice versa;

K2   the determinants of temporal and spatial variation in the physical, social, economic and political worlds; and the significance of spatial and temporal scale on physical processes, human processes and on their interactions; 

K3   past patterns of environmental and social change, and of the processes and conditions that have determined that change, and the implications for the future;

K4   the idea of Geography as dynamic, plural and contested; developed within the broader disciplinary frameworks of the natural and social sciences and the humanities;

K5   the potential applications of geographical concepts within a broader critical framework;

K6   the range of methods, tools and techniques available to collect, analyse and interpret environmental data for practical problem solving;

K7   how environmental data inform management of environmental systems.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

C1     develop a reflexive approach to learning;

C2     abstract and synthesise information;

C3    critically assess theories and concepts pivotal to understanding environmental dynamics and systems;

C4     critically evalsuate and interpret a range of evidence, including data and text;

C5     undertake problem-solving and decision-making;

C6     develop a reasoned argument;

C7     successfully complete an original piece of research on environmental dynamics, dovetailing both theoretical rigour and data analysis (Independent Research Project).

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

P1     evalsuate and interpret different types of geographical evidence;

P2     recognise and critically debate moral and ethical issues underpinning particular geographical debates or enquiries;

P3     undertake safe and effective field and laboratory work;

P4     understand the merits and limitations of different methods for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data relevant to geographical enquiry and use appropriate methods for the analysis of these data;

P5     prepare effective maps and diagrams using a range of appropriate software tools (e.g. SPSS, MATLAB, ArcGIS);

P6     design and execute a piece of research and produce a report;

P7     synthesise research results and, if appropriate, recommend management policy;

P8     interpret, write-up and present quantitative and qualitative data.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should demonstrate competence in:

T1     verbal and written communication skills, including assimilation and communication of material of a technical nature;

T2     problem-solving and analysis of numerical data from a variety of sources;

T3     field and laboratory skills, including evalsuation of the risks involved in collecting and analysing environmental data and development of appropriate risk mitigation strategies;

T4     spatial awareness and observation skills;

T5     identification, retrievals, sorting and exchange relevant information from conventional and on-line sources;

T6     independent study and group work;

T7     time management;

T8     costing and planning the resource allocations for a research proposal.

4. Programme structure

Candidates must take a total modular weight of 120 in each Part with a minimum modular weight of 50 in each semester, taking into account both compulsory and optional modules.  Individual modules taught and assessed over both semesters with a modular weight of 10 may count against either semester 1 or semester 2, depending on the balance of other modular weights between semesters.  Where the module weight of a module taught and assessed over both semesters is 20 or 40, this shall be split equally between semesters.

4.1       Part A – Introductory Modules

Candidates must take all designated compulsory modules (combined weight of 120)

Semesters 1 and 2

COMPULSORY MODULES

Semester 1

COMPULSORY MODULES

Semester 2

COMPULSORY MODULES

4.2       Part B – Degree Modules

Semesters 1 and 2

COMPULSORY MODULES

Semester 1

COMPULSORY MODULES

OPTIONAL MODULES

Candidates must choose a total of 20 weight of optional modules across the year.

Candidates must have 120 weight of modules (compulsory plus optional) per Part, but may split them 60/60 or 70/50 across semesters. Candidates may take up to 20 credits of human geography modules or modules from other Departments/Schools with the approval of the Director of Studies.

Semester 2

OPTIONAL MODULES

4.3       Part I

Five year programme – Candidates registered on the five-year sandwich programme must undertake industrial or professional training and register for module GYI004.  Alternatively, candidates may undertake an approved programme of study abroad as specified by, and subject to the approval of, the School of Social Sciences (GYI003). Part I can only be included between Parts B and C.

4.4       Part C – Degree Modules

Semesters 1 and 2

COMPULSORY MODULES

Semester 1

OPTIONAL MODULES

Candidates must choose a total of 80 weight of optional modules across the year.

Candidates must have 120 weight of modules (compulsory plus optional) per Part, but may split them 50/70, 60/60 or 70/50 across semesters. Candidates may take up to 20 credits of human geography modules or modules from other Departments/Schools with the approval of the Director of Studies.

*note that GYC904 and GYC907 are mutually exclusive.

Semester 2

OPTIONAL MODULES

4.5 Part D – Degree Modules

Semesters 1 and 2

COMPULSORY MODULES

Semester 1

COMPULSORY MODULES

Semester 1

OPTIONAL MODULES

Candidates must choose a total of 40 weight of optional modules across the year. Candidates must have 120 weight of modules (compulsory plus optional) per Part, but may split them 50/70, 60/60 or 70/50 across semesters. 

Semester 2

OPTIONAL MODULES

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

In order to progress from Part A to Part B, from Part B to Part C, and from Part C to Part D, and to be eligible for the award of an Honours degree, candidates must not only satisfy the minimum credit requirements set out in Regulation XX, but also must achieve a Part Average mark of 55% or greater in Part B and a Part Average mark of 55% or greater in Part C.

Candidates who, after reassessment, fail to achieve a Part Average mark of 55% or greater at Part C will not progress to Part D, but may, at the discretion of the Examiners, be eligible for consideration for the award of BSc Geography with a classification based on the candidate’s performance in Parts B and C and determined on the basis of the Part weightings for the BSc programme (40:60).

Candidates who, after reassessment, fail to qualify for the award of Extended Honours Degree in Part D may, at the discretion of the Examiners, be awarded a BSc in Geography with a classification based on the candidate’s performance in Parts B and C and determined on the basis of the Part weightings for the BSc programme (40:60).

In exceptional circumstances, any candidate who, having successfully completed Part C, is unable to commence or complete Part D, may, at the discretion of the Programme Board, be awarded the degree of BSc in Geography with a classification corresponding to the candidate’s achievements in the Part B and Part C assessments and determined on the basis of the weightings given for the BSc programme.

In accordance with Regulation XI, a Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) will be awarded to candidates who have satisfactorily completed GYI004 in the programme of study required for Part I.

In accordance with Regulation XI, a Diploma in International Studies (DIntS) will be awarded to candidates who have satisfactorily completed GYI003 in the programme of study required for Part I.

Subject to the exception specified below, provision will be made in accordance with Regulation XX for candidates who have the right of re-assessment in any Part of the programme to undergo re-assessment in the University's Special Assessment Period (SAP). 

Candidates who have accumulated fewer than 60 credits in any Part of the programme may not undergo re-assessment in the University’s SAP.  Re-assessment in the SAP will also not be available for certain modules and this is indicated in individual module specifications.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification

Candidates' final degree classification will be determined on the basis of their performance in degree level Module Assessments in Parts B and C and D. The percentage mark for each Part will be combined in the ratio Part B 20%: Part C 40%: Part D 40% to determine the final percentage mark.