BA Geography

Programme overview

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

Programme specification

Context

BA Geography at Leeds seeks to provide students with the knowledge and skills to understand and shape our rapidly changing world, including international development, population growth, urban transformation, sustainability, global geopolitics, human rights, globalisation, and patterns of inequality (ethnicity, class and gender). BA Geography is a broad-based, flexible programme that addresses key global challenges. Each year of the programme is designed around a combination of compulsory core modules, and a selection of optional human and physical geography modules, as well as opportunities to take optional modules in transport studies and discovery modules across the University. Through this wide choice of modules, students can tailor their degree to specialise in what they want to learn.

As well as specialist subject knowledge, BA Geography has a strong focus on the development of transferable skills, with the aim of producing graduates that can identify and solve problems using state of the art tools and techniques. BA Geography helps students to build skills in presenting ideas in reports and orally, in data collection, presentation and analysis, in the use of specialist mapping and statistical software, and in time- and project-management in both team and individual settings.

Structure and content

Students will study 360 credits of modules over their degree, split evenly between Levels 1, 2 and 3.

Level 1 develops a grounding in the foundational concepts and themes of human geography, plus key skills in academic writing, digital learning and data analysis. Core modules worth 60 credits explore different geographies of a changing world, including planetary environmental crisis and urbanisation, plus a foundation in digital skills. Students have an additional 40 credits of optional modules in human and physical geography, and transport studies, and 20 credits of discovery modules from across the University.

At the end of Level 1, students have the opportunity to request a place on our BA Geography with Quantitative Methods course, subject to meeting the entry requirements. The course enables students to develop advanced spatial and statistical skills, which are in high demand across the public, private, and third sectors.

Level 2 provides a core programme of research and career skills training worth 40 credits. Students supplement this from a minimum of 60 credits of optional modules that cover geo-politics and international development, service planning for changing populations, economic geography, the development of modern cities, citizenship and identity, natural resource management, sustainable transport, and ecosystems. An additional 20 credits of discovery modules can be taken from across the University.

Opportunities for work-based learning include an optional year in between Levels 2 and 3, during which students can either studying abroad at one of our partner institutions around the world; or gain full-time work experience in a paid industrial placement. Both of these options will extend the degree by 12 months.

At Level 3 students undertake a significant independent final year project worth 40 credits - currently a dissertation - alongside a minimum of 60 credits of optional modules that cover subjects such as urban social movements, creating alternative futures, population and health geographies, retail location planning, global insecurities, the Mediterranean migration crisis, healthy transport, water science, the cryosphere, and sustainable development in tropical forests. Students also have the choice of a research, work or teacher placement module with an external organisation, and an additional 20 credits of discovery modules can be taken from across the University.

Fieldwork is an important feature throughout the degree programme and puts theory into practice by allowing students to experience real world learning. Fieldwork is designed to encoura ge students to develop their own research, plan and manage projects, and to develop teamwork skills. Fieldtrips include both residential and day trips; and travel to destinations across the UK and Europe.

All students are assigned a personal academic tutor to guide them through each year of their studies, as well as support from fellow students through our peer mentoring scheme. Students also benefit from support to develop their academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Assessment

A variety of traditional and authentic assessment approaches are used to support learning and progression through the course and to measure attainment of the learning outcomes and skills outcomes at each level. The course supports and encourages critical thinking and provides opportunities to receive formative feedback and for students to reflect on their performance to help them to progress and learn.

Students are assessed using a range of methods throughout the course. Depending on options taken there will be timed examinations, essay and report writing, presentations, practical exercises, posters, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, research-based projects (such as the dissertation) and reflective logs.

The assessments reflect the needs of real-world and authentic problems encountered in the workplace and are developed through each year of the programme. All assessments are closely tied to the learning objectives of the course to ensure students graduate equipped with cutting-edge knowledge and skills, as well as being structured to help develop the key transferable qualities that employers are looking for within the workplace.

Assessments are designed to accommodate a variety of learning styles and embed equitable and inclusive practices to ensure a supportive and fair assessment framework is presented. Assessments are reviewed annually to ensure they remain fair and inclusive, and to maintain an element of flexibility within module choices such that students can select a package of learning to best reflect individual learning styles and long-term career goals.


Accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Accredited degree programmes contain a solid academic foundation in geographical knowledge and skills, and prepare graduates to address the needs of the world beyond higher education. The accreditation criteria require evidence that graduates from accredited programmes meet defined sets of learning outcomes, including subject knowledge, technical ability and transferable skills.

Year 1

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Compulsory Modules

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG1000	Planet Under Threat	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)	PFP
GEOG1400	Digital Geographies	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)	PFP
GEOG1460	The Urban Age	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Optional Modules

Candidates must study a MINIMUM of 40 credits of optional modules from Baskets 1-3 below.

Basket 1: Candidates must choose at least ONE and may choose TWO of the following optional human geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG1500	Global Geopolitics, Migration and Uneven Development	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG1550	Population, Society and Space	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Basket 2: Depending on choices in Basket 1, candidates may choose ONE of the following optional physical geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG1040	Dynamic Landscapes	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
GEOG1051	Living Earth	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Basket 3: Depending on choices from Basket 1-2 , candidates may choose None, ONE or TWO of the following optional transport studies modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
TRAN1011	Challenges in Transport and Mobility	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
TRAN1021	Transport Policy in Action	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Discovery Modules

All candidates can take 20 credits of Discovery options.

Year 2

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Compulsory Modules

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG2000	Research Approaches in Human Geography	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP
GEOG2015	Career Skills in Geography	10	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG2150	Social and Spatial Data Analysis with GIS	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Optional Modules

Candidates have 80 credits of optional modules (including 20 credits of discovery).

Basket 1: Candidates must choose at least ONE and may choose TWO of the following optional human geography or integrated geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG2035	Geographies of Economies	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
GEOG2055	Citizenship and Identity: Comparative Perspectives	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
GEOG2915	Geographies of Food	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Basket 2: Candidates must choose at least ONE and may choose TWO of the following optional human geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG2020	Political and Development Geographies	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG2046	The Making of the Modern City	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG2100	Planning Services for Changing Populations	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Basket 3: Depending on choices from Baskets 1 and 2, candidates may choose NONE, ONE OR TWO of the following optional physical geography or integrated geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG2022	Natural Hazards; Human Disasters	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG2080	Earth Surface Processes	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG2085	Ecosystems: process, pattern, and change	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Basket 4: Depending on choices from Baskets 1-3, candidates can study NONE, ONE or TWO of the following optional transport studies modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
TRAN2020	Transport Land Use and Development	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
TRAN2041	Transport, Energy and Environment	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
TRAN2065	Transport and Social Sustainability	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
TRAN2066	Transport, People and Place	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Basket 5 Depending on choices from Baskets 1-4, candidates may choose ONE of the following optional field class modules.

GEOG2010 and GEOG2155 are mutually exclusive.

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG2101	‘Mapping’ borders, boundaries, and belonging	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG2155	Towards a Zero Carbon Future	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Discovery Modules

All Candidates can take 20 Credits of Discovery Options

Year 3

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Compulsory Modules

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG3615	Human Geography Dissertation	40	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Optional Modules

Basket 1: Candidates may choose NONE, ONE, TWO, THREE or FOUR of the following optional human geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG3005	Retail Location Planning	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG3085	Contested Cities	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
GEOG3195	Geocomputation and Spatial Analysis	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
GEOG3221	Geographies of Sustainable Futures: From Theory to Action	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG3691	Healthy Spaces, Risky Places	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Basket 2: Depending on choices from Basket 1, candidates may choose NONE, ONE, TWO or THREE of the following optional human geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG3290	Geographies of Global Insecurities	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG3965	Data Visualization for Social and Environmental Science	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG3981	Spaces of Migration and Encounter	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG3985	Artificial Intelligence and Social Justice	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Basket 3: Depending on choices from Baskets 1-2, candidates may choose NONE, ONE or TWO of the following optional physical geography modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG3065	Water Science & Management	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
GEOG3631	Geographies of Environmental Complexity: Wicked Problems and a Planet in Flux	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG3669	The Cryosphere	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG3690	Tropical forests and sustainable development	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Basket 4: Depending on choices from Baskets 1-3, candidates may choose ONE of the following optional placement modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG3535	School and Educational Placements	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG3665	Professional Work Placement	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG3675	Geographical Research Opportunities	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Basket 5: Depending on choices from Baskets 1-4, candidates may choose NONE, ONE or TWO of the following optional transport studies modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
TRAN3031	Public Transport Policy and Practice	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
TRAN3041	Freight Transport, Logistics and the Environment	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
TRAN3061	Travel Activity Analysis	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
TRAN3062	Social Analysis and Social Psychology for Transport	10	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
TRAN3070	Healthy Cities: Transport and Health	10	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Basket 6: Depending on choices from Baskets 1-5, candidates may choose ONE of the following optional field class modules. However, there is a pre-enrolment process for modules in this basket and therefore students cannot directly enrol on the module. They must complete an expression of interest survey and will be offered a place on a fieldtrip.

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
GEOG3050	Helsinki : Urban Growth and Sustainability	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
GEOG3125	Bilbao: Contested Urban Transformations	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
GEOG3145	Exploring the Mediterranean Migration Crisis	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Discovery Modules

All candidates can take 20 credits of Discovery options.

Last updated: 11/05/2026 16:51:03

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