Geography BSc (Hons) | University of Nottingham

International student

Course overview

Our Geography BSc gives you the freedom to shape your degree around your interests. You can study modules in both physical and human geography, then dive deeper into the areas that inspire you most. You’ll explore topics such as the development of the global economy and its political systems, solve geospatial problems and analyse hazards, rivers and climate change.

During your studies, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to experience practical, hands-on geography in real-world settings. Our field trips take learning beyond the lecture hall, giving you the chance to apply your knowledge through immersive, on-the-ground fieldwork. In previous years, our trips have included visits to Italy, the Lake District and Mexico.

Your future is at the heart of what we do. Through employability-focused modules, networking events and expert guest lectures, you’ll have the support to find the right career for you. Our past students have gone on to work in a variety of fields, including environmental roles, consultancy, teaching, sales, advertising and marketing, working for organisations such as Amazon, the Civil Service, AECOM, Ocado and Aon.

Find out more about studying geography at Nottingham.

Course highlights

Get hands-on experience with UK and overseas field trips – plus our placements and internships programme.
Be taught by world-leading experts in their field.
Study abroad opportunities in locations such as Canada, Europe and the USA.

Proven results

We’re ranked top 15 for geography in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026).
90% of geography graduates were in sustained employment, further study or both three years after graduation (LEO data from 2022/23 tax year, geography, earth and environmental studies category, published in 2025).

How you will learn

Teaching is via a range of methods and approaches including seminars, tutorials, and laboratory sessions, practical and field trips.

Field trips are an exciting opportunity for you to gain hands-on experience in a range of topics and enhance the skills and techniques you'll need for your professional career. All students attend a field trip in year one at no additional cost. There are a number of optional (additional cost) and compulsory (no additional cost) field trips throughout years two and three depending on your module choices.

Our Cartography Unit offers student support, whether it's sourcing maps, designing maps or drawing maps. You will be taught the fundamentals of good map design and all students are encouraged to map their own research.

Teaching methods

Field trips
Lectures
Seminars
Tutorials
Practicals
Laboratory sessions

How you will be assessed

We use a wide range of assessment methods including formal examinations, essays, project reports, lab reports, field notebooks, posters, oral presentations, and dissertations. Overall, most of our graduates will have experienced about 60-70% coursework and 30-40% examination assessments by the end of the course.

Assessment methods

Dissertation
Essay
Examinations
Field notebooks
Lab reports
Presentation
Project work

Contact time and study hours

In your first and second year, you can expect to receive an average of 9 to 11 hours of contact time each week via lectures, seminars, tutorials (with your academic tutor), practicals and other small group teaching. This can increase when taking into account optional field courses, laboratory work and our open door policy that allows you to meet up with academic staff in an informal one-to-one environment.

In the third year, you spend, alongside lectures, a greater proportion of your time on independent research as part of your undergraduate dissertation projects – supported throughout by your dissertation supervisor.

For the rest of the time you will be working independently, doing the necessary reading in preparation for tutorials, writing essays or working on seminar presentations.

Modules

7 modules

Careers Skills for Geographers

This module will be delivered by the school’s Careers Advisor and academics from the School of Geography.

You’ll cover:

self-marketing and CVs
preparing for interviews and assessment
careers for geographers
career planning
postgraduate study (masters and PhD)
guest lectures (for example, Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers)

You will be introduced to and encouraged to make regular use of the Careers and Employability Service to assist with your progress during the module, and to identify opportunities to further your career development.

Exploring Human Geography

You will critically examine the complex relations between people and places through key concepts in human geography.

Themes include:

cultural
historical
medical
environmental
economics
development

The key themes may vary from year to year. This module provides a foundation for more specialised human geography modules at levels two and three.

Geographical Field Course

This module examines the rationale and techniques of field study in both human and physical aspects of geography. In addition to a series of lectures, the module includes a field trip that places an emphasis on the design, practice and analysis of a range of geographical issues. Small-group teaching is central to this module; students work in small groups throughout and much of the teaching involves direct interaction between staff and students.

Interpreting Geographical Data

Quantitative data and analyses are important tools for studying physical and human phenomena in geography. The purpose of this core module is to familiarise students with basic statistical concepts and quantitative techniques that can be applied to the study of geography.

Topics include summarising and interpreting quantitative data, study design, probability, distributions and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, statistical inference and regression, and real-world applications. Data with geographical components will be drawn from diverse secondary sources and will be processed and analysed using statistical software package RStudio.

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Learn how to conduct basic spatial analysis by using a contemporary Geographic Information System (GIS).

You’ll cover:

What is GIS?
Applications of GIS
Spatial data models
Fundamental spatial analysis
Cartographic principles behind GIS
Presenting and sharing the results of GIS analysis

The module will be delivered through theory lectures and practical sessions, and you’ll be provided with associated textbook resources.

Planet Earth: Exploring the Physical Environment

This module focuses on dynamic aspects of the Earth and its environment, integrating knowledge of key physical processes and human-Earth system interactions. Key topics considered in this module may include a selection of the following: the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, the geosphere, the cryosphere, environmental change, and/or earth observation.

Tutorial

Small group tutorials during the autumn and spring semesters will include discussion, essay writing and seminar presentations based on topics from your first-year modules. The classes will develop your skills in problem-solving, communication and reasoning.

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1 module

Global Challenges

By using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a starting point, the module sets out to demonstrate how geographers are engaging with and tackling real world issues. The module will draw on research from both human and physical geographers to consider the various challenges the discipline seeks to tackle and will investigate the different methods that geographers are using to understand these challenges in depth.

3 modules

Dissertation Preparation

This module is taught by formal lectures, scheduled preliminary fieldwork, and supervision meetings with your dissertation tutor. It covers the following:

Introduction to the dissertation process and procedures
What is a dissertation?
Ethics, risk and safety implications when conducting geographical research
Preparing a dissertation proposal
Writing and presenting a dissertation
Evaluation of past dissertations

Research Tutorial

This module will cover the breadth of world-leading research being carried out in the School of Geography and is reflected in the school's research themes:

Cultural and Historical Geography
Economic Worlds
Environment and Society
Geosciences

Techniques in Geography

This module allows you to understand and experience geographical research methods. You will be able to choose from a range of different methods from across the breadth of the field of geography best suited to your interests.

Optional choices may include field and laboratory techniques, statistics and data presentation, archival research methods, visual and textual analyses or interview and survey techniques. You will also explore the ethical and safety implications and limitations of geographical work.

13 modules

Cultural and Historical Geography

This module introduces you to cultural and historical geography, helping you reflect on the legacies of colonialism, travel and exploration, and the cultural turn in the subdisciplines. Recurring interests include the:

development of cultural and historical geography as sub-disciplines
key thematic areas of contemporary cultural and historical geography, including landscape, identity, culture, power and knowledge
need to decolonise geography, in terms of lived places and the discipline.
theoretical underpinnings of cultural and historical geography
links between cultural and historical geography and other fields of enquiry in the humanities and social sciences
methods and sources used in cultural and historical geographical research, including archives, texts and images, and field study
work of key figures from the sub-disciplines past and present

Earth Observation

This module provides a general introduction to the subject of earth observation. This involves analysing remotely sensed images, typically acquired from instruments on board satellites or aircraft, to investigate spatial phenomena on the Earth's surface.

Example topics include the use of global image data sets to investigate climate change, analysis of satellite sensor imagery to identify wildlife habitats and conservation concerns, and urban land use mapping from detailed aerial photography. Theoretical lectures cover the concepts underpinning remote sensing, including the physical principles determining image creation, fundamental image characteristics, methods of image analysis and uses or applications of earth observation.

There is also a strong practical component to the module, with regular practical exercises on various forms of digital image analysis.

Economic Geography

This module will cover the following topics:

Changing economic geographies of the world economy during the 20th and 21st centuries
Global cities, financial geographies and advanced producer services
Alternative economies and labour resistance
Economic geographies of the Global South
Economic geographies of forced labour and migration
Feminist economic geography

Exploring Place

Module description to be confirmed.

Living with Hazards

This module considers the nature, causes and impacts of a wide range of geohazards - volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, extreme weather, wildfires and floods - and their consequences on both natural environments and human societies.

Monitoring Planetary Boundaries

Module description to be confirmed.

Patterns of Life

The course focuses on patterns in the distribution of organisms in space and time, and theories proposed to explain those patterns. The main themes are listed below. Teaching is via a mixture of lectures and small-group discussions, centred on discussion of current research. Exemplar topics include:

Biodiversity patterns
Island biogeography
Biodiversity dynamics
Speciation and extinction
Evolution

Political Geography

The module offers a comprehensive overview of the sub-field of political geography, including its history, key concepts and recent developments. It also investigates how geographical approaches can help explain the complexities of political life, more broadly defined. To do so, the module draws from self-titled political geography literature, whilst also exploring how political questions have come to animate the wider field of human geography.

Rivers in the Landscape

This module considers how rivers behave in the landscape and the controls on their morphology and dynamics. Students will gain an understanding of how rivers work, providing fundamental information necessary for environmental management. A combination of lectures, fieldwork and laboratory practicals will allow students to explore how channels are formed and maintained by hydrological, geomorphological and ecological processes at scales from millimetres to kilometres, and seconds to millennia.

Rural Environmental Geography

This module draws on rural geographical approaches to examine a range of environmental issues affecting rural areas of the Global North. It evaluates different types of human-environment relations and claims to rural space, including those related to food, recreation and ‘nature’, and considers how the impacts of these vary over time and space.

Key topics examined include:

The development of rural geography as a sub-discipline and its engagement with environmental issues
Productivist, environmentalist and conservationist thinking, including sustainability and rewilding
Relations between people, plants and non-human animals in rural areas.
The rise of agri-environmentalism

Spatial Decision Making

Module description to be confirmed.

The Changing Environment

Module description to be confirmed.

Urban Geography

This module introduces you to urban geography, including the:

historical development of urban geography as a sub-discipline
key thematic areas of contemporary urban geography, including research in the social, economic and cultural and historical geographies of cities
theoretical underpinnings of approaches to urban geography
importance of cities in understanding social difference, cultural landscapes and economic development in the Global North and South
work of key figures from the sub-disciplines past and present

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1 module

Dissertation in Geography

This is a 10,000 word individual project based on a geographical topic involving fieldwork and/or secondary data, and agreed by the candidate with their tutor and a specialist supervisor.

16 modules

Animal Geographies

Module description to be confirmed.

Beer: Environment, Place and Culture

Module description to be confirmed.

Critical Human Geography

Module description to be confirmed.

Environment, Development and Livelihoods

This module investigates key linkages between development, livelihood and environmental issues in the global South, with particular reference to competition and conflict over environmental resources. Attention is placed on exploring these from the perspectives of different income, gender and community groups and contrasting their everyday realities with key development concepts and aggregate statistics.

Major themes include:

linkages between poverty, environmental quality and livelihoods
integration of environmental issues into development thinking and practice
debates about overpopulation versus overconsumption
urban environmental issues, slums and informality
water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and livelihoods
industry-related environment, development and livelihood issues
competition and conflict in agrarian environments
forest-based development and livelihood issues

Environmental Modelling

The module introduces current practices, technologies and ideas at the forefront of environmental modelling. It covers several major research areas from an environmental modelling perspective and provides hands-on experience of using the types of models that are applied by scientists around the world to aid decision- and policy-making on important issues that affect society and the natural environment.

Extreme Environments

Module description to be confirmed.

Fashion and Food

Module description to be confirmed.

Freshwater Management

Successful and sustainable management of freshwaters is fundamental to human survival; the development of human civilisation is inextricably linked to our changing management of freshwater resources. This module considers human attempts to manage and restore freshwater environments. It considers changes in the fluvial system that occur in response to river management and engineering and examines approaches to restoring the natural functions of rivers that have been heavily degraded by human impacts. The module examines some of the main stressors on freshwaters, and approaches for their management.

Geographies of Modern America

Module description to be confirmed.

Geographies of Money and Finance

This module explores the economic geographies of money and of contemporary processes of financialisation. Competing theories of money, and the changing landscapes of finance and the financial services industry are explored at a variety of spatial scales.

Spaces examined include the global financial system, the UK retail financial market, the City of London and the emergence of local currency systems. More specifically, the following core topics are covered:

Financial crisis
The history and theory of money
Financial services and financial intermediation
Globalisation and the international financial system
The City of London as international financial centre
Landscapes of retail financial services
Alternative and imagined landscapes of money

Geospatial Technologies: Mobile, Augmented and Virtual

Module description to be confirmed.

Global Climate Change

The module covers the following:

A review of modern climate systems and forcings
Climate modelling, projections of future climate change and their uncertainty
Controversies around climate change, the argument between believers and sceptics and the ways in which climate change is communicated to and perceived by the public
The impact of climate change on the world's physical and built environments, water and food resources, and human health
Mitigation and adaptation to future climate change including the role played by policy markers and NGOs

Health Geographies

Grounded in the sub-discipline of health geography, and drawing on relevant interdisciplinary perspectives and critical social theories, this module explores the relationships between health and place. A range of historical and contemporary examples are used to consider how health is constructed at various scales and how health inequities are produced. Material emphasizes critical conceptual and empirical work that advances understandings of health as socially and contextually situated, in counterpoint to approaches that see health as largely individually determined by lifestyle ‘choices.'

Landscape, Culture and Politics

The module brings together cultural and political geography to examine the connections of politics, culture and landscape. The focus is on England, where landscape has long been central to questions of power and identity, whether at local, regional, national, international or imperial scales. Relations of power shape landscapes, and the identities of those who inhabit them and move through them. From the agricultural and industrial ‘revolutions’ and the empire of trade in the 18th century, down to the political and cultural upheavals of the 21st century, landscape has played a key role in shaping national identity, in England as elsewhere.

The module traces the history of landscape, culture and politics in England, and shows how legacies of the past shape debates today. From political disputes over the UK’s relationship to Europe, to anxieties over our relationship to land and environment, to the ways in which legacies of empire and slavery inform landscape and recast English identity, the module shows how cultural, historical and political geography helps to make sense of a transforming world.

Third Year Geography Field Course

Module description to be confirmed.

Tropical Environments in the Anthropocene

Tropical environments are some of the most important ecosystems on the planet. Holding over 75% of global biodiversity, their forests contribute to climate change mitigation and they provide resources that both directly and indirectly support millions of people. As a result of increasing human exploration and activity, these ecosystems are increasingly being lost or degraded, polluted, overexploited, and invaded by non-native species, which permanently alters their biodiversity and their ecosystem functioning and processes often with global consequences. This module will explore the importance of tropical terrestrial and aquatic environments in the earth’s system as well as the threats and debates that may determine their future.

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Language study as part of this degree

Our Language Centre offers many languages, and you may start as a beginner or at a more advanced level and you may be able to choose to study a language as part of this degree.

Learning another language can open career opportunities around the globe and enriches your CV. It could also help you in your studies by being able to access learning materials in other languages. If you are planning to travel or work abroad it will help you to broaden your cultural understanding.

Find out more about learning a language as part of your degree.

Select student type

Quick glance

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements listed apply to 2027 entry.

A levels

AAB

32 points overall

A level and GCSE requirements

Excluded subjects

General studies, and critical thinking

GCSEs

GCSE maths and English grade 4 (C) or above

IB requirements

IB score

32 points overall or 665 in 3 HL certificates

Additional Qualifications Offer Reduction Scheme

Applicants to this course may be eligible for our Additional Qualifications Offer Reduction Scheme. If you achieve a grade A in an EPQ, Core Maths*, IB Extended Essay or additional AS level qualification* then you will receive a one grade reduced offer for this course.

Please note that if you qualify for an enhanced contextual offer or receive an alternative offer based on taking four A levels, your additional qualification will not be taken into consideration as we are unable to make any further adjustments to your offer.

* Additional eligibility requirements apply. View further details on this scheme.

Alternative qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.

Consequently we treat all applicants with alternative qualifications (besides A levels and the International Baccalaureate) on an individual basis, and we gladly accept students with a whole range of less conventional qualifications including:

Access to HE Diploma
Advanced Diploma
BTEC HND/HNC
BTEC Extended Diploma

This list is not exhaustive. The entry requirements for alternative qualifications can be quite specific; for example you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification. Please see the alternative qualifications page for more information.

RQF BTEC Nationals

RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma DDD
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Diploma DD plus one A level grade A
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate D plus two A levels grades AB

Access to HE Diploma

Applications are assessed on an individual basis. Where an offer is made, our standard requirements are:

Access to HE Diploma 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction and 15 Level 3 credits at Merit

Contextual offers

We make contextual offers to students who may have experienced barriers that have restricted progress at school or college. Our standard contextual offer is usually one grade lower than the advertised entry requirements, and our enhanced contextual offer is usually two grades lower than the advertised entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must have Home/UK fee status and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.

Mature students

At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.

Notes for applicants

We are looking for students who have the ability and motivation to benefit from our courses, and who will make a valued contribution to the school and the university. Candidates are considered on the basis of their UCAS application.

All applications are considered equally on merit and students are usually selected on the basis of academic excellence and personal qualities. We do not rely on predicted grades alone but take into account the broader context of your achievements, primarily as reflected by your engagement with geography beyond studying it as an academic subject - as evidenced in your personal statement and reference. Applicants are not routinely interviewed.

A year in Data Analytics and AI

Add an extra year to your degree to understand the latest in data analytics and artificial intelligence. You’ll gain practical experience and a solid foundation in computing and statistics, building the technical and professional skills that employers need.

Futureproof your career with this extra year.

Study abroad

On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.

If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.

You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.

The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.

Please note

In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.

Optional placement year

If your course does not have a compulsory placement, integrated year in industry or compulsory year abroad where there is already an opportunity to undertake a work placement as part of that experience, you may be able to apply to undertake an optional placement year. While it is the student’s responsibility to find and secure a placement, our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout this process. Contact placements@nottingham.ac.uk to find out more.

The school/faculty you are joining may also have additional placement opportunities. Please visit the school/faculty website for more information.

Please note

In order to undertake an optional placement year, you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet any requirements specified by the placement host. There is no guarantee that you will be able to undertake an optional placement as part of your course.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.

Tuition fees

2027/28 (UK undergraduate students)

This is the UK undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 27/28. It may increase for the academic year 28/29 and we will update our information once we have received confirmation of the fee.

For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), please visit our fees page.

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses.

You should be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies or more specific titles.

If you choose to take optional field trips, the costs vary depending on location but could range from £500 to £2,300.

Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to change.

Scholarships and bursaries

The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.

Home students

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

Quick glance

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements listed apply to 2027 entry.

32 points overall

A levels

AAB

IB requirements

IB score

32 points overall or 665 in 3 HL certificates

A level and GCSE requirements

Excluded subjects

General studies, and critical thinking

GCSEs

GCSE maths and English grade 4 (C) or above

Additional Qualifications Offer Reduction Scheme

* Additional eligibility requirements apply. View further details on this scheme.

Alternative qualifications

We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.

Access to HE Diploma
Advanced Diploma
BTEC HND/HNC
BTEC Extended Diploma

RQF BTEC Nationals

RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma DDD
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Diploma DD plus one A level grade A
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate D plus two A levels grades AB

Access to HE Diploma

Applications are assessed on an individual basis. Where an offer is made, our standard requirements are:

Access to HE Diploma 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction and 15 Level 3 credits at Merit

IELTS/English requirements

IELTS

7.0 (no less than 6.0 in each element)

English language requirements

As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English. Check our English language policies and equivalencies for further details.

For presessional English or one-year foundation courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a Presessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

High school qualifications

Check our country-specific information for guidance on qualifications from your country.

Visa restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

Mature students

Notes for applicants

A year in Data Analytics and AI

Futureproof your career with this extra year.

Study abroad

On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.

You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.

The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.

Please note

Optional placement year

The school/faculty you are joining may also have additional placement opportunities. Please visit the school/faculty website for more information.

Please note

Disclaimer

Tuition fees

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.

Additional costs

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses.

You should be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies or more specific titles.

If you choose to take optional field trips, the costs vary depending on location but could range from £500 to £2,300.

Please note that these figures are approximate and subject to change.

Scholarships and bursaries

International students

We offer a range of international undergraduate scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

The most exciting element about the BSc Geography degree is the opportunity to carry out a variety of fieldwork in fantastic locations. The course offers extremely memorable field trips that equip students with vital skills and relevant research experience."

Emily Richardson

BSc Geography

Undergraduate students using surveying equipment on the Downs

Careers overview

Geography graduates are very popular with a diverse range of employers who appreciate the personal and transferable skills they offer.

You'll gain valuable skills including data analysis and statistics, field work techniques and quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Our first-year Careers Skills for Geographers module includes guest lectures from organisations such as the Royal Geographical Society, and a programme of career networking events.

Graduate destinations

Our graduates go on to a wide range of careers. Some enter roles that have a direct correlation to their degree, including conservation and heritage protection and land surveying. Others utilise their transferable skills in sectors such as management consultancy, PR, marketing and financial services.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for organisations such as the British Geological Survey, Capita, Historic England, Network Rail, Swiss Re, Teach First, and Tesla Motors.

Job prospects

Average starting salary and career progression

90% of geography graduates were in sustained employment, further study or both three years after graduation. These graduates earned a median salary of £30,300 (LEO data from 2022/23 tax year, geography, earth and environmental studies category, published in 2025).

Support every step of the way

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service will work with you to boost your employability even further – helping with job and course applications, finding relevant work experience and hosting events that connect you with a wide range of potential employers.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers.

We’re also the top UK university for the number of graduates entering highly skilled jobs (HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data 2021–2025 for full-time, UK, UG and PG graduates).

Careers and Employability

Royal Geographical Society

This course is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers).

Welcome to your campus

At University Park, nature, architecture and student life come together on one unforgettable campus. Explore beautiful green spaces, unwind by the lake and enjoy a vibrant sense of community. It’s the perfect setting for an extraordinary university experience where you can learn, grow and thrive.

Geography - U6UGEOGS

Course overview

Why choose this course?

Teaching and learning

Modules

Core modules

7 modules

Careers Skills for Geographers

Exploring Human Geography

Geographical Field Course

Interpreting Geographical Data

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Planet Earth: Exploring the Physical Environment

Tutorial

Optional modules

Core modules

3 modules

Dissertation Preparation

Research Tutorial

Techniques in Geography

Optional modules

Core modules

1 module

Dissertation in Geography

Optional modules

Language study as part of this degree

Select student type

Entry requirements

3 years full-time

£10,050 per year

Entry requirements

3 years full-time

Fees

Careers

Accreditation

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