BA (Hons) Geography

Key details

BA (HONS) GEOGRAPHY

Start Year

2023

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

UCAS course code

L700

Entry Requirements

ABB

Duration (years)

How do we respond effectively to climate change? How should we manage our dwindling resources? How might we deal with population growth in cities and the challenges of more sustainable lifestyles?

Learn to tackle today’s biggest global challenges, including climate change, resource management, urban change, health, migration and poverty.

This degree is for you if have ambitions to address the adverse effects of human challenges such as inequality, and environmental challenges such as climate change, by learning more about the interaction of society and environment.

It’s also ideal if you’re excited about taking part in field work, seminars and team projects with other students.

About

Our BA Geography degree focuses on the human impact of a changing world. As the world develops – whether through changing technology, politics, culture or climate – our understanding of it must change too, as well as our ways of living within it. You’ll explore some of humanity’s most pressing problems, such as energy, food and water provision, the maintenance of biodiversity and the search for environmental sustainability.

Throughout this course, you’ll gain the skills and knowledge to understand and investigate these challenges, with an emphasis on the geographical dimensions of societal change through the study of communities, cultures and their environments.

The degree spans human and physical geography, but with an emphasis very much on human geography. You’ll develop a broad understanding of geographical concepts and issues, as well as how to formulate research questions, collect and interpret data, present results, and develop practical transferable skills. You’ll also take part in field work, and have the chance to work on group projects.

During your first year, you’ll gain a solid understanding of the challenges facing the natural environment and human society. As the course progresses, you will have the opportunity to develop valuable practical experience through fieldwork, and to acquire specialist theoretical knowledge in such areas as urban geography, climate change or economic development.

You’ll have the chance to study with world-leading academics in cutting-edge facilities, and to take your pick from a wide variety of modules thanks to the diverse expertise in our departments.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

At the end of each year, you’ll be assessed on the basis of coursework and, for some modules, project and examination results. The balance of assessment by coursework and exam depends on the modules you choose.

For each module, you’ll have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assessment. That could be a coursework essay, project or an exam.

You will get feedback on your practice assignments from your tutors, helping you improve your work before your final ‘summative’ assessment. We encourage you to discuss your feedback with your tutors and academic advisor to help you put it into practice.

Structure

This three-year course covers a broad range of topics in geography, moving from a first year that provides you with an essential foundation, to a more flexible curriculum in later years. The course culminates with an independent research project. You’ll have regular opportunities to participate in field courses.

Your first year is designed to give you a broad understanding of the challenges facing contemporary geographers. This is underpinned by an introduction to fundamental research techniques and the theories and methods human and physical geographers use to analyse and understand the world.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You’ll be taught by leading geographers and environmental scientists, and award-winning teachers who create engaging and creative learning environments. You will have around 15-18 hours contact time a week, in a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory sessions, field trips and residential field courses.

Student-led learning comes in various forms too, from peer-to-peer learning in group projects to doing presentations in class. You’ll work in small groups to solve problems, debate important topics, learn to critique and defend theories in geography, develop ideas and create new solutions to real-world problems.

Independent study

You’ll spend time carrying out independent study, researching in UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects.

This course will give you an excellent balance of independent thinking and study skills, helping you grow into a self-motivated learner, an expert researcher and an analytical thinker. You’ll develop accuracy and precision in your written work through evidence-based analysis.

And you’ll become well versed in time management and organisation through self-directed study. Throughout your degree, you will be given guidance on your work and constructive feedback to help you improve.

Academic support

To make sure you get the most from your studies and help you reach your full potential, one of our staff will be assigned as your personal Advisor throughout your studies. Our Learning Enhancement team, based in the Student Support Service, are also available to help in the following areas:

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Writing skills (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills (including how to use the library)
Critical thinking and understanding arguments
Creative thinking and presentation of knowledge
Revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management)

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.

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Assessment for Year 2

For each module, you’ll have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assessment. That could be a coursework essay, project or an exam.

Structure

In the second year, you’ll be able to choose from several optional modules to study alongside the compulsory modules in Constructing Human Geographies and Social Research Skills. The optional modules cover subject areas such as global health, economic development, environmental politics, climate change, energy transitions, and geographical information systems.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

Independent study

You’ll spend time carrying out independent study, researching in UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects.

Academic support

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Writing skills (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills (including how to use the library)
Critical thinking and understanding arguments
Creative thinking and presentation of knowledge
Revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management)

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.

September 2023 opportunities. Discover more

Open Days

Assessment for Year 3

For each module, you’ll have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assessment. That could be a coursework essay, project or an exam.

Structure

In your third year, you’ll spend a substantial amount of time on your Independent Project, which accounts for a third of the final year assessment. It’s your opportunity to put everything you’ve learnt throughout your degree into practice, as well as a chance to specialise in a topic that really fascinates you with the supervision of a world-class expert.

There are also further optional modules to study, covering topics such as human geography in the Anthropocene, urban futures, biodiversity conservation and human society, energy and people, environmental literature, migration, wars and humanitarian crises, environmental consultancy, natural resources and environmental economics. Your options could also include a field course – in previous years, students have gone to Spain and Kenya.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

Independent study

You’ll spend time carrying out independent study, researching in UEA’s state-of-the-art library, writing essays or carrying out practical work or projects.

Academic support

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Writing skills (including punctuation and grammatical accuracy)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills (including how to use the library)
Critical thinking and understanding arguments
Creative thinking and presentation of knowledge
Revision, assessment and examination skills (including time management)

If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.

September 2023 opportunities. Discover more

Open Days

Assessment for Year 1

For each module, you’ll have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assessment. That could be a coursework essay, project or an exam.

Compulsory Modules

SUSTAINABILITY, SOCIETY AND BIODIVERSITY

Code ENV-4006B

Credits 20

Striking a balance between societal development, economic growth and environmental conservation has proven challenging and contentious at many scales and over time. The concept of `sustainable development’ was coined to denote processes aiming to achieve this balance. This module introduces sustainable development, and examines the challenges and opportunities to achieving this, drawing together social and ecological dimensions. Drawing upon the social sciences, this module examines the theory and practice of sustainable development. From an ecological perspective, the module covers a range of concepts relevant to the structure and functioning of the biosphere, and topics ranging from landscape and population ecology to biodiversity conservation. This module is assessed by coursework and an examination.

GEOGRAPHICAL PERSPECTIVES

Code ENV-4010Y

Credits 20

This module provides an introduction and orientation regarding geographical thought, methods and concepts. It begins with an overview of the history and development of the discipline. This leads on to discussion of core concepts such as space, place, scale, systems, nature, landscape and risk. In addition, the methods and different types of evidence used by geographers are introduced. You will be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the diversity of approaches to the generation of geographical knowledge and understanding and the capacity to communicate geographical ideas, principles, and theories effectively and fluently by written, oral and visual means.

RESEARCH AND FIELD SKILLS

Code ENV-4004Y

Credits 20

You will gain a range of transferable skills, tools and resources that are widely used in research across the Environmental Sciences and Geography. It aims to provide a broad understanding of the research process through activities that involve formulating research questions, collecting data using appropriate sources and techniques, collating and evaluating information and presenting results. A week-long residential field course, held at Easter and based at Slapton Ley, Devon, applies field, lab and other skills to a variety of environmental science and geography topics. Depending on the size of the cohort, students on selected degree programmes may be offered the option of an alternative field course arrangement.

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Code ENV-4001A

Credits 20

What are the most pressing environmental challenges facing the world today? How do we understand these problems through cutting-edge environmental science research? What are the possibilities for building sustainable solutions to address them in policy and society? In this module, you will tackle these questions by taking an interdisciplinary approach to consider challenges relating to climate change, biodiversity, water resources, natural hazards, and technological risks. In doing so you will gain an insight into environmental science research ‘in action’ and develop essential academic study skills needed to explore these issues.

GEOGRAPHIES OF AN UNEQUAL WORLD

Code DEV-4011B

Credits 20

This module introduces geographical approaches to the key processes of change that shape our world and its societies. You will examine how people and places are connected and transformed as a result of processes such as colonialism, globalisation, industrialisation, migration, urbanisation and development, and explore how differences and inequalities emerge. A central theme will be why space matters, as people’s lives are influenced by the places that surround them - both near and far - and as they in turn change those places. You will explore these issues through a range of contemporary geographical topics, from sweatshops to climate change, through which you will be introduced to core geographical concepts, ideas and approaches, emphasising on critical thinking and practice. You will discover key methods for geographical research, including Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and will include field-based practical work in the local area.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

QUANTITATIVE SKILLS I

Code ENV-4013Y

Credits 20

We will explore how quantitative skills can solve a range of environmental and geographical problems. We will think critically about numbers in the media and learn how scientists use numbers. Our workshops will focus on the practical use of maths through physical equations and mathematical models. Designed primarily for students who have no AS/ A2 qualification (or equivalent), most of the maths content will be a revision of topics you already know, but may have forgotten. You will also receive statistical training, learning about summarising data using both numerical summaries and graphs, testing hypotheses and carrying out these analyses on computers.

QUANTITATIVE SKILLS II

Code ENV-4014Y

Credits 20

Mathematical and statistical skills are key to all brands of environmental sciences and geography. This module will strengthen your mathematical and statistical skills. It will consolidate your mathematics knowledge from GCSE level and will introduce you to differentiation and integration. You’ll learn to recognise the purpose of simple statistical methods, to choose the appropriate methods to test hypotheses and to summarise data using tables and graphs. You’ll use a computer package for statistical operations. You’ll apply these quantitative skills to contemporary environmental and geographical problems, inspired by research in the School of Environmental Sciences. You’ll be assessed through an online course test and an exam. This module will widen the range of science modules that you can take during your studies in geography and environmental sciences. Upon successful completion of the module, you’ll have acquired skill in applying a range of mathematical and statistical methods to problems in environmental sciences and geography. Recommended if you have: A-level Maths (D or E), AS Maths, A2 Physics (C or better), IB SL Maths (2, 3), IB SL Maths Studies, GCSE Maths (A, A*,7), CHE-0006

MATHEMATICS FOR SCIENTISTS A

Code ENV-4015Y

Credits 20

You will cover differentiation, integration, vectors, partial differentiation, ordinary differential equations, further integrals, power series expansions, complex numbers and statistical methods as part of this module. In addition to the theoretical background there is an emphasis on applied examples. Previous knowledge of calculus is assumed. This module is the first in a series of three maths modules for those across the Faculty of Science that provide a solid undergraduate mathematical training. The follow-on modules are Mathematics for Scientists B and C. Recommended if you have grade A*-C at A-level Mathematics, or equivalent.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

In Year 2 you need to take three modules, or 60 credits, per semester. You have two compulsory modules in SEM1, so you need to select one more from Range A or Range B, and then three SEM2 modules

Assessment for Year 2

For each module, you’ll have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assessment. That could be a coursework essay, project or an exam.

Compulsory Modules

INDEPENDENT PROJECT - PROPOSAL

Code ENV-6021B

Credits 0

This module contains the Project Proposal for ENV-6021Y (the Independent Project) and is a separate module because the proposal is submitted in the second half of your 2nd year. The proposal is a 1400-word summative document that sets out in closely defined sections the academic context, aims, methods and means of analysing the primary or secondary data/information that you plan to use for your project plus a timeline that you design to help you manage your time effectively and towards deadlines. The proposal will be evolved with your Supervisor and the mark will contribute 12% to the 40-credit Independent Project module. The Project Report (of no more than 10,000 words) will be submitted in the Spring Semester next year followed by an assignment that tests how well you are able to communicate the skills developed during your degree and used over the course of your Independent Project.

SOCIAL RESEARCH SKILLS

Code ENV-5040A

Credits 20

Human geography and the environmental social sciences employ a range of approaches and methods with which to explore their diverse research questions. This module will introduce you to the practice of social science research, including methods that use quantitative (numerical) and qualitative (non-numerical) data. Through a combination of lectures, workshops, and practical activities, you will learn how to design and carry out your own research. By the end of the module you will know how to formulate an interesting research question; how to choose an appropriate method to investigate it; how to ensure that you collect good quality data; how to analyse and interpret your data; and how to present the results of your research. The module is recommended if you intend to use social research methods in your independent dissertation project. In addition to gaining practical research skills, you will develop your ability to critically evaluate research studies that use social science methods. As well as benefiting your academic studies, these analytical and practical research skills are highly valued in many occupational sectors.

CONSTRUCTING HUMAN GEOGRAPHIES

Code ENV-5038A

Credits 20

How can human geography help us understand and address pressing environmental and social problems? This is the central question of the module which affirms the distinctive value and relevance of work in contemporary human geography. Throughout you will explore a wide range of approaches to environmental and social problems in contemporary human geography. You’ll gain a firm grounding in social constructivism which is underlying philosophy of these approaches - at its core social constructivism is about challenging our assumptions, digging deeper to ask why certain problems have emerged, and coming up with new ways of dealing with them. You’ll also learn how to communicate insights from human geography to policy-makers and practitioners, and how to critically evaluate examples of human geographers’ engagements with policy. You’ll begin with the basics of social constructivism, learn why this approach is used by human geographers, and consider the value of this perspective. You’ll then delve deeper, exploring the social construction of a different object or problem each week. Topics covered will include: nature, hazards, alternative economies, and social difference. You’ll practice applying what you’ve learnt to tackling current problems, and learn about how human geographers are making a difference to these issues. You’ll learn through a mixture of lectures, workshops and self-directed study and you’ll be assessed through a written policy brief and reflective report (100%).

Optional A Modules

(60-80 credits)

GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5026B

Credits 20

What is uneven development and why should we care about it? How did uneven development emerge and what can we do about it? This module focuses on the ways in which geographers have engaged with such questions from different perspectives, focusing on political-economic, environmental, and social concerns. We explore how economic geographers (and geographical economists) have sought to explain the spatiality and unevenness of economic activity, examining the evidence for “natural advantage” and contrasting arguments. We engage with geographical work on urban restructuring and environmental governance – which posit uneven development as a product of capitalism – and consider the influence of Marxist theory on geographical thought. We also explore how both ordinary people and civil society have tried to address, contest, and resist spatial difference and forms of inequality. Throughout the module, questions of place, space, nature, and scale surface (and overlap) – demonstrating the disciplinary strength of geographic scholarship for the analysis of uneven development.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY MAKING

Code ENV-5002B

Credits 20

The most significant obstacles to problem solving are often political, not scientific or technological. This module examines the emergence and processes of environmental politics. It analyses these from different theoretical perspectives, particularly theories of power and public policy making. The module is focused on contemporary examples of politics and policy making at UK, EU and international levels. The module supports student-led learning by enabling students to select (and develop their own theoretical interpretations of) ‘real world’ examples of politics. Assessment is via seminar slides and a case study essay. The module assumes no prior knowledge of politics.

CLIMATE CHANGE: SCIENCE AND POLICY

Code ENV-5003A

Credits 20

You will develop your skills and understanding in the integrated analysis of global climate change, using perspectives from both the natural sciences and the social sciences. You will gain a grounding in the basics of climate change science, impacts, adaptation, mitigation and their influence on and by policy decisions. This module also offers you a historical perspective on how climate policy has developed, culminating in the December 2015 Paris Agreement. Finally, it considers what will be required to meet the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels.

GIS SKILLS FOR PROJECT WORK

Code ENV-5028B

Credits 20

This module builds upon the introduction to GIS provided in the first year Research and Field Skills module, focusing on how you obtain your data, integrate it and then undertake analysis and presentation tasks. ESRI ArcGIS will be the main software used, but the module also offers information on online GIS (ArcGIS Online) as well as scripting tools (Python) and open source software (QGIS) that you may wish to progress in your own time. Teaching will consist of a one-hour lecture and a three-hour practical class each week.

ENERGY TRANSITIONS

Code ENV-5044B

Credits 20

This module examines the complexities of the transition to low carbon energy systems. It draws on a range of disciplines, theories and perspectives to critically examine many of the key challenges. It begins by exploring how we can understand energy systems and how they differ across space and time. The module draws on historical analyses to understand how energy systems have evolved in the past, as well as examining the different ways in which we can imagine the future of energy. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the complexities of changing energy systems, enabling them to critically engage with debates around future “energy transitions”, the role that innovation and emergent technologies might play, and the various challenges of shifting towards renewable based energy systems.

THE ORIGINS OF THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 4000BC TO 1066AD

Code HIS-5002A

Credits 20

On this module you’ll study the development of the English landscape from early prehistoric times to the late Anglo Saxon period. You’ll learn to identify and interpret key landscape features from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages before moving on to study Roman and Anglo Saxon landscapes. Lectures, seminars and field trips will provide you with an introduction to the approaches and sources used by landscape historians and landscape archaeologists. You’ll develop your understanding of landscape history through the study of key sites such as Stonehenge, Hadrian’s Wall and Sutton Hoo. The chronological approach of the module will provide you with an understanding of long term landscape change, telling the story of the English landscape from prehistory to the eve of the Norman Conquest.

ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5177B

Credits 20

How can we avoid environmental catastrophe? How can philosophy help? The relationship between human beings and the natural world is the basis of everything we are and yet we do not seem to have found a way to avoid destruction, degradation and potential catastrophe. In this module we will examine various ways in which philosophy can examine our relationship with the natural world and contribute to the fight to protect the planet. Topics may include the ethics of climate change; value theory and nature; human-animal relationships; the ways science, art and politics affect our relationships with the natural world. This module will cover a selection of these topics, and students may wish to continue the course by taking the complementary Level 6 module in their third year.

Optional B Modules

(0-20 credits)

POPULATION ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

Code ENV-5014A

Credits 20

We live in a human dominated era recently designated “the Anthropocene”. Humans harvest more than half of the primary productivity of the planet, many resources are over-exploited or depleted (e.g. fisheries) never before has it been so important to correctly manage natural resources for an exponentially growing human population. It is, thus, fundamental to predict where other species occur and the sizes of their populations (abundance). Population Ecology is an area dedicated to the dynamics of population development. In this module we will look closely at how populations are regulated, from within through density dependent factors and from external density independent factors. We start the module with a global environmental change perspective to the management of populations and the factors that affect the population size. We then extend these ideas to help us understand population properties and processes both intra-specifically and inter-specifically. Finally we examine several management applications where we show that a good understanding of the population modelling is essential to correctly manage natural resources on the planet. Practicals include learning to survey butterflies and birds using citizen science monitoring projects and will be focused on delivering statistical analyses of “Big data” using the open access programme R-studio. The projects will provide a strong training in both subject specific and transferable skills.

EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES

Code ENV-5042A

Credits 20

This module draws upon on a range of scientific disciplines including geomorphology, sedimentology, soil science and eco-geomorphology. The module overviews a variety of Earth’s surface environments and the processes that lead to expression in landforms, soil evolution, sediment accumulation and ultimately, the formation of sedimentary rocks. The environments covered include deep and marginal marine, intertidal, aeolian, glacial and fluvial. The approach will be both descriptive and quantitative, based on understanding of erosion, transport, deposition, accumulation and burial and the evolution of soils. East Anglian case studies will be used to illustrate and explain eco-geomorphology and coastal processes, dovetailed with soil evolution. Geomorphological expression will be linked to sedimentary processes and sedimentary rock. There will be an introduction to the methods and different types of evidence used by geologists, physical geographers and other earth scientists.

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Important Information

In Year 3 you need to take two modules, or 40 credits, per semester, in addition to your Independent Project

Assessment for Year 3

For each module, you’ll have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assessment. That could be a coursework essay, project or an exam.

Compulsory Modules

INDEPENDENT PROJECT

Code ENV-6021Y

Credits 40

You will be asked in the Spring Semester of your Level-5 year to complete and submit a supervisor request form via the ENV-6021B Blackboard on which you will be enrolled. Students on Placement programmes over the following year must make their request and submit a Project Proposal at the same time as other students. A supervisor will then be allocated to every student. In collaboration with your supervisor, you will then choose a topic and submit an assessed Project Proposal that sets out the design for your research. You will then collect data from primary or secondary sources that are then analysed, interpreted and discussed in the context of relevant literature and submitted as an assessed Project Report (9,900 words) in Spring the following year or the year after that for Placement students. Progress with project work must be reported at various stages including formative assessment of a written interim report and a spoken preliminary results presentation. Because this is an independent project, the onus throughout is on students to contact their supervisor when guidance or academic support is needed. Throughout the progress of your project, you will reflect on the range of subject-specific and generic skills acquired through your degree and how these have been reinforced and complemented by skills used during your project. A third and final item of summative work assesses the clarity with which you communicate and show evidence of your skills within a C.V. and a job application.

Optional A Modules

(40-80 credits)

AMERICAN APOCALYPSE: TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CLIMATE CHANGE FICTION

Code AMAL6013B

Credits 20

In the 21st century, the threat of global warming and climate change is quite literally ‘game-changing’. Engaging with Naomi Klein’s contention that “this changes everything”, this module considers how the apocalyptic dangers of climate change are being addressed by 21st-century American fiction. Climate change fiction, or ‘cli-fi’, has recently emerged as a distinct genre, directly responding to the dangers that global warming poses to human and non-human societies. In this module, you will consider how fiction offers us ways to assess, understand, and address the phenomenon of global warming, and the impact of humans on their environments. You will evaluate ongoing debates about the ‘facts’ of climate change and global warming, including the evidence being produced by scientists, and the emergence of ‘climate change denial’ as a feature both of popular culture and at the highest levels of government in the United States. Exploring American novels published since 2010, you will develop a broad understanding of how American climate change fiction represents the profound dangers of climate change, through its depiction of drought, flood, deforestation, species extinction, intelligent biotech, and the impact of global capitalism. Through seminar based discussion, you will gain insights into the ways that writers are engaging with the fact of climate change to shape both popular awareness and popular debates, and consider how cli-fi is imagining possible futures for human and all other life on Earth. You will be assessed through coursework, reflective reports, and student-led workshops, and gain expertise in communicating your ideas via student-led group-work and seminar discussion. On successful completion of the module, you will have the knowledge and skills to assess the complexities of climate change fiction as a new literary genre, discuss the emotive reach and influence of fiction in this context, and evaluate the strategies of contemporary cli-fi writers.

JUST TRANSFORMATIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY

Code DEV-6002B

Credits 20

This module is about sustainability as an environmental justice concern. It approaches sustainability from a political ecology perspective, paying attention to the transformative politics involved in building a safer and more just planet. It looks at just transformations for sustainability from different sides/topics (e.g. conservation, food sovereignty, water, urban and rural areas, indigenous territories) but also in terms of concepts and processes, e.g. planetary boundaries, global (and cognitive) justice, transitions, transformations, alternatives, resistance movements, equity, etc. The course is taught using student experiences and observations. A typical session therefore might involve asking questions around planetary boundaries and asking how students are living within these boundaries. This would involve some theory but also on-line research and group work and dynamics.

WARS AND HUMANITARIAN CRISES

Code DEV-6003A

Credits 20

Since the late 1950s, far more wars have been fought within the boundaries of single states than between different countries. The occurrence of these violent intrastate conflicts poses significant challenges to the development agenda, as they have often devastating social, political and economic consequences that can lead to severe humanitarian crises. Grounded in the acknowledgment that it is extremely difficult to meet international development targets in states experiencing violent civil conflict, the aim of Wars & Humanitarian Crises is to critically assess the (contested) causes and possible solutions of protracted civil wars. Key themes in the module include competing explanations for the incidence of civil war; the humanitarian implications of civil wars; the role of the media in reporting wars and humanitarian action; terrorism as another form of political violence that is distinct from but in many cases related to violent intrastate conflicts; and strategies and challenges of peace-building.

MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-6014A

Credits 20

This module offers students of different DEV streams the opportunity to combine a critical understanding of development theory and practice with the increasingly important and related field of global migration. Students will be encouraged to interrogate academic and public discourses around the topic and to reflect on how various social, economic and political forces influence migration patterns and trends, but also how these are navigated by migrants themselves. The module addresses different forms of migration, why these take place, and the impact they have on migrants, and on destination and origin societies. There is a focus on international migration, but the module also covers internal migration. Befitting the interdisciplinary character of DEV, the module draws on insights on migration from across the social sciences, and the discipline of history.

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND HUMAN SOCIETY

Code ENV-6006A

Credits 20

The global biodiversity crisis threatens mass species loss. What are the implications for society? How can communities solve this problem in a world that is facing other challenges of climate change, food security, environmental and social justice? In this inter-disciplinary module, (designed for students of Geography, Environmental Science, Ecology and International Development who have an interest in biodiversity and its conservation), you will focus on the interactions between biodiversity and human societies. The module adopts a rigorous evidence-based approach. You will first critically examine the human drivers of biodiversity loss and the importance of biodiversity to human society, to understand how underlying perspectives and motivations influence approaches to conservation. You will then examine conflicts between human society and conservation and how these potentially can be resolved, reviewing institutions and potential instruments for biodiversity conservation in both Europe and developing countries. Coursework is inter-disciplinary and will require you to evaluate and communicate the quality of evidence showing effectiveness of conservation interventions and approaches.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS

Code ENV-6012B

Credits 20

Environmental economics provides a set of tools and principles which can be useful in understanding natural resource management issues. This module introduces you to key principles and tools of environmental economics for students who have not studied the subject previously. It then explores how these principles can be applied to address a number of complex economy-environment problems including climate change, over-fishing and water resources management. In this module you will have the opportunity to practically apply cost-benefit analysis as a framework for decision-making and will gain knowledge on the key non-market valuation techniques that are used to monetarily value environmental goods and services. At the end of the module you will have gained insights into how environmental economics is used in developing natural resource management policy as well as some of the challenges in using environmental economics in policy-making.

CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT

Code ENV-6018B

Credits 20

Based around the theme of Integrated Catchment Management (ICM), in this module you will address the fundamental requirement for an interdisciplinary catchment-based approach to protecting water and soil resources that includes an understanding of land use policy and management. Exploring land and water processes, you will cover aspects of hydrology, water pollution, aquatic ecology, soil science, flood modelling, agronomy and agri-environmental policy. This module is ideally suited for those seeking a career in catchment management working for organisations including water companies, Rivers Trusts, Natural England and the Environment Agency. Competence in numerical problem solving and data analysis would be advantageous for the coursework and practical classes.

ENERGY AND PEOPLE

Code ENV-6026B

Credits 20

Modern everyday life rests fundamentally on the availability of energy. Since the 1970s, however, serious concerns have been raised about the sustainability of current energy systems. Traditionally, these problems have been analysed (and solutions proposed) from within the engineering and physical sciences. Understanding, managing and attempting to solve energy problems, however, demands a thorough appreciation of how people, at a range of scales, engage with energy in the course of their daily lives. This is a critical challenge for the social sciences, and will be the core focus of this module. Through this module, you will discover and explore a range of social science perspectives on the inter-relationships between energy and people. You will learn how to apply these ideas to contemporary energy problems and use them to generate your own visions for a sustainable energy future. You’ll also be given the chance to work as part of a team and to communicate your ideas through both written and oral presentation. You’ll begin by tracing the history and development of energy intensive societies and everyday lives as a means of understanding how energy has emerged as a key sustainability problem. You’ll then go into more depth around different theories of social and technical change before exploring how these can be used to critically analyse a range of people-based solutions to energy problems that are currently being tried and tested around the world. You’ll learn through a combination of lectures and seminars involving interactive group projects, class debates, practical exercises and student-led learning. At the end of the module, you will have developed the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to allow you to apply theories of social and technical change to a range of real-world energy problems. You’ll be able to develop and critically analyse your own (and already existing) visions of a sustainable energy future, and you’ll be able to creatively communicate these ideas to a range of different audiences.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANCY

Code ENV-6031B

Credits 20

You will learn how a business functions (part on-line learning, part seminars) and gain experience of working on an environmental project by acting as an environmental consultant for a project presented by an external organisation. Through the project you will gain experience of working on a ‘real-world’ environment-related challenge, acting as an environmental consultant. You will have the opportunity for discussion and feedback with the host organisation (three meetings are required at least one in person, others may be via e.g. Teams) before submitting an individual business style report as your contribution to the consultancy exercise. Overall, the aim is for you to gain a taster of the post-graduate transition to working with an organisation and confidence of how your skills and attributes are transferable to graduate employment. There is a cap of 60 for this module. Students that enrol by the deadline will be selected at random and if unsuccessful, will be added to a waiting list. The maximum number of students this module can accommodate is 60. However, if this cap is not reached during the initial module enrolment task, students requesting to change onto this modules during the academic year will be considered at the discretion of the module organiser, based on projects available. This module is open to ENV students only.

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY IN THE ANTHROPOCENE

Code ENV-6032A

Credits 20

The onset of the Anthropocene, a geological epoch defined by the human shaping of Planet Earth, is seeing people starting to fundamentally rethink the human place in nature. What does this mean for the study of human geography? In this module you’ll explore the debate over the onset of the Anthropocene, and the unique contribution that human geographers can make to it. You’ll gain a firm grasp on how the idea of the Anthropocene is re-shaping geographical thought, and will encounter concepts and methods from across the field of human geography which can help us to think in new ways about the past, present and future of human-environment relationships. You’ll also learn new skills in communicating geographical ideas and theories by written, oral and visual means. You’ll begin with an introduction to the Anthropocene debate and to the different kinds of evidence that are drawn upon to define the character of this new age. You’ll then range across the discipline, taking on-board ideas and insights from historical, political, social and cultural geography on the complex roots, meanings and politics of environmental change. Through a mixture of lectures, seminars, field classes and self-directed study, you’ll explore what it means to be a geographer in a rapidly changing world. You’ll develop a new appreciation of the processes shaping our environmental present, as well as the critical capacities needed to help shape our environmental future. Lectures cover topics such as Geopolitics as if the Earth Mattered, Cities in the Anthropocene, and Conservation at the end of Nature. As you study you’ll put your new knowledge into practice, gaining experience in communicating your ideas in tutorials, group discussions, presentations and written work.

URBAN FUTURES

Code ENV-6034B

Credits 20

If you are interested in addressing urban challenges and devising solutions for how we might improve the conditions for life in the 21st century this module provides a space for you to develop your ideas of what a more socially and environmentally just future might look like. Urban Futures introduces you to cutting edge theory and methods that question how cities globally are addressing current environmental, social and health challenges through architectural and infrastructural design. The module’s analytical focus on architecture, infrastructure and urban design enables you to unpack and unravel the politics of their operation and their role in addressing future urban challenges. You will select a building, infrastructure or design to use as your individual case study throughout the module. You will gather materials through onsite and online fieldwork to build up a portfolio of works that will be used for your formative and summative assessments.

WE'RE HERE, WE'RE QUEER: GLOBAL SEXUALITIES AND CONTEMPORARY QUEER CULTURES

Code HUM-6006A

Credits 20

The transnational movement of bodies, images, and capital has transformed modern conceptualisations of gender and sexuality. Sexual practices, identities, and subcultural formations have been altered through processes of migration and globalisation, as well as by the advent of new media technologies and the wide-reaching circulation of categories such as gay, lesbian, and transgender. In this context, this module aims to situate categories of gender and sexual difference within specific cultural and political contexts, and investigate non-normative gender and sexual formations in relation to emerging discourses on race and class and to anti-colonial theories of modernity and global capitalism. At the centre of the module sit questions such as: How have queer subjects been incorporated into nationalist projects and consumer culture? How has the liberal framework of human rights reshaped the struggles of queer movements outside the West? In what ways have transnational discourses on multiculturalism reshaped notions of queer community and belonging in global cities and in postcolonial metropolitan spaces? What role have media technologies and various forms of visual culture played in the reconstitution of gender and sexual identities and of representations of queer desire, affect, and kinship? Addressing these questions from an interdisciplinary perspective, and drawing on case studies from different geographical regions and from different disciplinary fields, the overall aim of the module is to explore the varied ways local histories and geographies interact with the forces of political, economic, and cultural globalisation, focusing especially on the experiences of sexual minorities in the Global South and of queer diasporas in the Global North.

INTERNATIONAL AND EU ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Code LAW-6014A

Credits 20

“What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on? “(Henry David Thoreau, a letter to H.G.O. Blake, May 20, 1860). Our planet is being plundered, degraded and polluted at an unprecedented rate. This pattern of human activity compromises not only the right of future generations to a healthy environment, but also their ability to fulfil their most basic needs. The biggest environmental challenges of our time, such as climate change, trans-boundary pollution and the loss of biodiversity, require a common action by the international community as a whole. International Environmental Law represents the set of legal rules and principles that guide the international community in its collective effort to meet these challenges. This proposed module aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the context, foundations and the complexities of international environmental law, and its application through European Union (EU) law. It will review the historical background and the developments that shaped the evolution of this field of law. It will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the unique legal principles and regulatory approaches that guide environmental law-making, as well as with some knowledge of specific subject-areas, such as climate change law, biodiversity law, and water law. This module will be taught through the use of a dual-themed approach; each part will be covered by two lectures; the first seminar will present the international regulatory framework (i.e. 'international environmental law'), while the following seminar will include a more concrete discussion on the manner in which international law was adopted into, and refined through, the EU framework. Such a teaching methodology will provide the students with a wider understanding of the topic; notably the students will grasp the relevance of international law to our everyday life, the challenge of balancing environmental goals with other policy objectives, and the manner in which general international law principles can be, and have been, concretised via EU law.

AFTER NATURE: LITERATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM

Code LDCL6165A

Credits 20

Where do debates in environmentalism, cultural geography and literary criticism meet? What does contemporary literature have to tell us about our relationship with space, place, landscape, nature, rurality, ecology, and even a ‘sense of planet?' You will encounter a range of post-war and contemporary forms, from poetry, short stories, the novel, and literary non-fiction to visual art, the radio essay, and film. Each will offer fresh and surprising ways of thinking about a range of different contemporary environments and about our place in a changing world. We will consider in what ways literary genres and traditions have helped to create and produce our understanding of geography in the past and how recent literary works have reworked some of these genres and traditions to mark contemporary changes. We will consider, for example, how authors since the environmental crisis have engaged with/inherited/reworked early modern chorography, the Romantic travelogue, the naturalist’s journal, and the rural essay. To what new ends are these forms put in an uncertain and unstable modern world? Among others, the course will explore work by Alice Oswald, Rana Dasgupta, Tim Robinson, Kathleen Jamie, Patrick Keiller, J.G. Ballard, and Robert Macfarlane. It will also include trips to investigate the nature writing holdings at UEA’s British Archive for Contemporary Writing. Assessment will give you the opportunity to, initially, create your own critical or creative radio essay/podcast (formative) and, later, develop a deeper knowledge of one of the week’s themes, building your own critical (or creative non-fiction) project around it (5,000 word summative). While there are no pre-requisites, this module complements and develops themes explored in ‘Writing the Wild’ and ‘Urban Visions: The City in Literature and Visual Culture.'

AFTER NATURE: LITERATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

Code LDCL6165B

Credits 20

CRITICAL VEGAN STUDIES

Code SOL-6006B

Credits 20

This module addresses the interlinked areas of Critical Animal Studies, Vegan Studies and Vegan Sociology all of which have emerged as established subdisciplinary areas in the social sciences across fields including Sociology, Human Geography, Politics, Criminology and Media Studies. Topics to be covered include: - Animal Rights and vegan philosophies - Vegetarian and vegan histories - The emergence of the animal turn in the social sciences - Ecofeminism and enmeshed oppressions - Intersectional Vegan Studies - Critical Animal and Media Studies - The Cultural Construction of Human-Animal Relations in Childhood - Education and the shaping of anthroparchal domination - Animal and vegan geographies - Consumer trends in plant based lifestyles All students with an interest in the topic are welcome on the module, regardless of their own practices.

Optional B Modules

(0-20 credits)

GEOPOLITICS OF THE ARCTIC (WITH MODEL ARCTIC COUNCIL)

Code ENV-6035K

Credits 20

Optional C Modules

(0-20 credits)

EDUCATION AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5009A

Credits 20

The module is about the distinctive challenges that face low and middle income countries in providing quality education for all. We also consider sources of inequalities in the education systems of the Global North, aiming for a worldwide awareness of the issues affecting equity in education.

GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5026B

Credits 20

ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY MAKING

Code ENV-5002B

Credits 20

CLIMATE CHANGE: SCIENCE AND POLICY

Code ENV-5003A

Credits 20

POPULATION ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

Code ENV-5014A

Credits 20

GIS SKILLS FOR PROJECT WORK

Code ENV-5028B

Credits 20

ENERGY TRANSITIONS

Code ENV-5044B

Credits 20

THE ORIGINS OF THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 4000BC TO 1066AD

Code HIS-5002A

Credits 20

ENVIRONMENTAL PHILOSOPHY FOR SECOND YEARS

Code PPLP5177B

Credits 20

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

A Levels

ABB. If you are taking an EPQ and three A-levels, we may offer you a one grade reduction on our advertised typical offer, if you achieve an A in the EPQ.

T Levels

Obtain an overall Pass including a B in the core of the T Level and a Distinction in the Occupational Specialism. Subjects accepted: Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction, or Science.

BTEC

DDM

Scottish highers

AAABB

Scottish highers advanced

BCC

Irish leaving certificate

3 subjects at H2, 3 subjects at H3

Access course

Pass Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 30 credits at Level 3 and Merit in 15 credits at Level 3.

European Baccalaureate

75%

International Baccalaureate

32 points

GCSE offer

You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE. 

Additional entry requirements

UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.

We welcome and value a wide range of alternative qualifications. If you have a qualification which is not listed here, please contact us via Admissions Enquiries.

A-Level General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.   Where applicable Science A Levels awarded by an English Exam board require a pass in the practical element.

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as BA Geography and International Development with a Foundation Year.

Important note

Once enrolled onto your course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include your eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.

IntErnational REquirements

We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. View our International Students pages for specific information about your country.

INTO University of East Anglia

If you do not meet the academic and/or English requirements for direct entry our partner, INTO University of East Anglia offers guaranteed progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree:

International Foundation in Pharmacy Health and Life Science

International Foundation in Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences

International Foundation in Physical Sciences and Engineering

International Foundation in Business Economics Society and Culture

International Foundation in Humanities and Law

Students for whom english is a foreign language

Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):

IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components) for year 1 entry
IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all components) for year 2 entry

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.

If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study: 

Interviews

Most applicants will not be called for an interview and a decision will be made via UCAS Track. However, for some applicants an interview will be requested. Where an interview is required the Admissions Service will contact you directly to arrange a time. 

Gap year

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year.  We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application. 

Intakes

This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake is in September each year. 

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Course Reference Number: 6774840

BA (Hons) GEOGRAPHY