BA Geography

Key details

BA GEOGRAPHY

Start Year

2021

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

UCAS course code

L700

Entry Requirements

BBB

Duration (years)

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

You will 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 environment.

You will acquire a broad understanding of geographical concepts and issues, as well as how to collect data, formulate research questions, 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 will 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, alongside the opportunity to acquire specialist theoretical knowledge in such areas as biodiversity conservation and human society, climate change or environmental politics.

You will study in a progressive, world-renowned and diverse School. We produce some of the most important research in the country. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework we were ranked first in the UK for the impact of our world-leading research in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences (Times Higher REF2014 Analysis), demonstrating the crucial role we play in influencing both the scientific community and environmental policy makers.

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

About

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

Learn to tackle today’s biggest global challenges, including natural hazards, climate change, resource management, 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 the environment. It’s also ideal if you’re excited about taking part in field work, seminars and team projects with other students.

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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 will 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 will have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. That assignment might 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 teachers to help you put it into practice.

Structure

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 methods human geographers use to analyse and understand the world.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You will be taught by leading geographers and environmental scientists, and award-winning teachers. 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 through oral presentations, and 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 analytical thinker. You will 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 our Learning Enhancement team, based in the Student Support Service are on hand 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  
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.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 2

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

Structure

In the second year, you’ll study compulsory modules in Constructing Human Geographies and Social Research Skills for Geographers with an optional field course, as well as several other optional modules. These cover subject areas such as people and place, geographies of development, environmental politics and policymaking, climate change science and policy, 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

To make sure you get the most from your studies and help you reach your full potential our Learning Enhancement team, based in the Student Support Service are on hand 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  
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.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 3

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

Structure

In your third year you will 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 new geographies of the anthropocene, biodiversity, conservation and human society, energy and people, contemporary issues in resource development and conservation, natural resources and environmental economics. Your options could even include a field course to Spain.

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

To make sure you get the most from your studies and help you reach your full potential our Learning Enhancement team, based in the Student Support Service are on hand 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  
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.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 1

For each module you will have the chance to test your skills with one or two pieces of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. That assignment might 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.

INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Code DEV-4007B

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.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that 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. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

Assessment for Year 2

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

Compulsory Modules

INDEPENDENT PROJECT - PROPOSAL

Code ENV-6021B

Credits 0

With guidance from a supervisor, you will choose a topic, design the research and collect, analyse and interpret data. You will report on progress at various stages: in the selection of a topic, the detailed plan, an interim report and an oral presentation. A final report in the form of a dissertation not exceeding 10,000 words is required. When planning the project and again after completing the report, you will reflect on the range of subject-specific and generic skills acquired through your degree and how you are reinforced and complemented by the skills acquired through your project. A final item of summative work assesses the clarity by which you communicate and evidence your range of skills in the form of a covering letter and cv for a potential job application. To further support the transition to employment, you can present a formative research poster that summarises the main aspects of the work to prospective employers.

CONSTRUCTING HUMAN GEOGRAPHIES

Code ENV-5038B

Credits 20

How can human geographers 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. 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. By looking at what these human geography perspectives mean for real-world environmental and social problems you’ll practice applying what you’ve learnt to current policy 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%).

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.

Optional A Modules

(60-80 credits)

LATIN AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5005B

Credits 20

This is a regional studies module which covers economic, social and political aspects of development in Latin America. It situates the region in its historical and international context, and gives an overview of major development debates in the region. The module also includes country case studies of contrasting development strategies.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5006B

Credits 20

Sub-Saharan Africa Development aims to provide students with a historical, political, social and economic analysis of key issues relating to development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Students will develop a historically grounded understanding of political, social and economic change in Sub-Saharan Africa through a critical engagement with a range of scholarship from political science, sociology, anthropology, education and economics. Through an exploration of issues such as colonialism and the post-colonial experience, the state in Africa, reasons for Africa’s poor economic performance and aid effectiveness, conflict and ethnicity, migration and urban development students will develop understandings of the dynamics and agendas of change.

SOUTH ASIAN DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5007B

Credits 20

This module begins with an overview of the region's history before analysing recent and contemporary social, political and economic development processes. Topics include economic growth, social difference, democracy, land and food security, the environment, health and education. The module draws heavily on India, but also considers Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in relation to the various topics.

GEOGRAPHIES OF DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5010B

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 how geographers have engaged with these questions from different perspectives, including economic, environmental and social. You will explore how economic geographers (and geographical economists) have sought to explain the spatiality and unevenness of economic activity, including examining the evidence for ‘natural advantage’. You will engage with geographical work on urban restructuring and environmental governance which have seen uneven development as a product of capitalism, and consider the influence of Marxist theory on geographical thought. You will also consider how both ordinary people and civil society have tried to address, contest and resist spatial difference and uneven development. Questions of scale emerge in various forms through the module, which demonstrates how understanding ‘uneven development’ is a fundamentally geographical endeavour by exploring some of the key geographies of development.

PEOPLE AND PLACE

Code DEV-5011A

Credits 20

This module will develop your theoretical and empirical understanding of how social environments in different places affect people’s health or ill-health. It is about the geographies of health. You will develop knowledge about how ill-health and health inequalities are linked to socio-economic inequalities, poverty and marginalisation. You will be able to apply this knowledge to questions of health policy and interventions designed to improve health. A key conceptual framework for this module is the social determinants of health (SDH). This includes analysis of the risk environment for ill-health, influenced by social structures (such as gender or class) in a particular setting, how people make a living (their livelihoods), environmental change and the nature of health policy and the health services available to people. We are therefore also interested in the interventions which can help deal with risk environments, to make people less susceptible to disease and less vulnerable when they become ill. You will learn how some places have achieved good health. The module is inter-disciplinary, drawing on theories and evidence from disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, public health and development studies, and to a lesser extent economics, demography and epidemiology. It also provides an understanding of the ways different cultures and societies define and understand health and ill-health and why some diseases are highly stigmatised. Case studies from different places and of different diseases are used to illustrate the social determinants of health, including infectious diseases (such as HIV, malaria, Ebola) and non-communicable diseases.

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

This module develops skills in the scientific and social scientific analysis of global climate change, using perspectives from natural sciences, science studies, and economics and politics. It first offers a historical perspective on how global climate change developed as a scientific and social object of inquiry. The course then gives grounding in climate and society relations, economic principles and the political science and governance of climate hazards, energy and greenhouse gas emissions. This module replaces ENV-2A69.

ENERGY TRANSITIONS

Code ENV-5022B

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.

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.

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 programme R-studio. The projects will provide a strong training in both subject specific and transferable skills.

AQUATIC ECOLOGY

Code ENV-5041A

Credits 20

Explore how chemical, physical and biological influences shape the biological communities of rivers, lakes and estuaries in temperate and tropical regions. Three field visits and laboratory work, usually using microscopes and sometimes analysing water quality, provide an important practical component to this module. A good complement to other ecology modules, final-year Catchment Water Resources and modules in development studies or geography, it can also be taken alongside Aquatic Biogeochemistry or other geochemical and hydrology modules. Students selecting this module must have a background in basic statistical analysis of data.

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.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Important Information

Assessment for Year 3

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

Compulsory Modules

INDEPENDENT PROJECT

Code ENV-6021Y

Credits 40

With guidance from a supervisor, you will choose a topic, design the research and collect, analyse and interpret data. You will report on progress at various stages: in the selection of a topic, the detailed plan, an interim report and an oral presentation. A final report in the form of a dissertation not exceeding 10,000 words is required. When planning the project and again after completing the report, you will reflect on the range of subject-specific and generic skills acquired through your degree and how these are reinforced and complemented by skills acquired through your project. A final item of summative work assesses the clarity by which you communicate and evidences your range of skills in the form of a covering letter and cv for a potential job application. To further support the transition to employment you can present a formative research poster that summarises the main aspects of the work to prospective employers.

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.

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.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT & CONSERVATION

Code DEV-6005B

Credits 20

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT & CONSERVATION is a hands-on module that uses recent research and practical experience to analyse the challenges for more just development and conservation policies in the developing world. You will be examining themes such as the relationship between science and policy, and the implications of increased participation and local control in the use of natural resources through an environmental justice lens, bringing together theory and the use of case studies, in order to learn how people across the world are trying to put in to practice different types of just transformations for sustainability. Each year these themes will be explored within two selected contexts such as; African pastoralism, savannah-forest mosaics, water resources and irrigated agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, indigenous territories, fisheries and aquatic resources, environment and conservation, etc.

URBAN GEOGRAPHIES

Code DEV-6010B

Credits 20

This module will examine the historical and contemporary development and governance of urban centres around the globe. In order to understand these processes, we will explore both the structure of human settlements and the multiple relationships and processes that shape and reshape urban spaces. We will examine the changing environmental, political, social, and economic dynamics of cities and smaller urban centres, drawing on case studies from the global north and the global south. The module will cover a range of concepts and topics which have preoccupied urban geographers, including but not limited to: urbanisation and urban growth patterns; urban economic restructuring and neoliberalism; urban infrastructure; poverty and inequality; informality; migration; citizenship; urban nature; and race and sexuality in the city. A one-day field trip focusing on urban planning and regeneration is an integral part of the module.

MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-6014A

Credits 20

This module will address different forms of migration (e.g. internal, international, circular, return, seasonal, irregular) and reasons why people migrate (e.g. economic, political, social and environmental), and will critically explore the different ways in which these are related to development and change in societies of origin and destination. We will start by exploring migration from a historical perspective, and addressing different theoretical approaches with a multidisciplinary angle (including different methods of researching migration – both quantitative and qualitative), as well as regional differences and heterogeneity in migration trends and patterns across the globe. We will then look at key issues in migration studies including: types of migrants; networks and community organisations that link home and host societies; migrants’ integration into the host society; the impact of climate change on people’s movement; policies, citizenship and human rights; and the refugee crisis. Within these topics, we will also discuss inequalities across population subgroups (e.g. by age, gender, education and ethnicity) in terms of migration opportunities, access, networks and integration. These topics will be discussed through the analysis of case studies in various parts of the world and the participation of local community practitioners or migrants themselves in one or more seminar sessions. The module will also include one visit to a local museum to learn about the long and complex history of migration to Norfolk from the museum curators. With this comprehensive approach to migration this module will move beyond a narrow and casual view of the relationship between migration and development, and contribute to understanding the myriad ways in which global forces influence people’s movements, and how these movements, in turn, have historically been transforming societies and communities.

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 WATER RESOURCES

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.

ENERGY AND PEOPLE

Code ENV-6026B

Credits 20

This module will introduce students to a range of social science perspectives on the inter-relationships between energy and people. The module begins 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. The second part of the module then introduces some theories of social and technical change and uses these to critically analyse a range of people-based solutions to energy problems that are currently being tried and tested around the world. This module is assessed by formative assessment and coursework which includes a group film and an individual Evaluative Report. By the end of this module, students should: -Possess a clear understanding of the history and development of contemporary energy problems and about a range of people-based solutions to energy problems currently being used around the world. -Understand a range of theories of social and technical change, and be able to apply them critically to contemporary energy problems and solutions. -Be able to produce a detailed proposal for a people-based solution to energy problems and communicate about it in writing, orally and through film. -Be able to work effectively in a team to develop a people-based solution to energy problems.

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.

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 THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

Code LDCL6165B

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.'

Optional B Modules

(0-20 credits)

FIELD COURSE TO EAST AFRICA

Code ENV-6015K

Credits 20

This fourteen-day field course is based at Marich Pass Field Studies Centre, in a remote part of north-western Kenya. The field course is offered every two years (IT WILL NOT RUN IN JUNE 2020) and runs only if a minimum number of students in their second year, which must be based at UEA, apply for and accept a place. Acceptance of a place is also a commitment to meeting the personal contribution to costs. Students work in three-person groups and with the help of a local guide, carry out a field project in natural resources, geography, social sciences or ecology with the project topic progressing from modules taken in the second year.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FIELD COURSE TO SPAIN

Code ENV-6030K

Credits 20

This module seeks to promote a deeper understanding of the interactions between the natural environment and human society through field-based teaching and project work in Almeria, southern Spain. The region provides classic examples of landform evolution and arid environments, as well as experiencing major socio-economic changes in recent decades. Field activities will focus on such issues as agriculture, water resources, renewable energy and adaptation to climate change. Methods for evaluating the sustainability of developments will be examined. The module is assessed by an individual evidence report and public communication item. You will need to contribute 50% of the field course costs (the remainder is paid by the School). The precise cost will depend on the £ to Euro exchange rate at the time bookings are made but a best estimate as of October 2018 is approximately £450. In addition, the field course will run only if a minimum number of 21 students enrol and commit to paying the student contribution. If interest exceeds the maximum number that the field centre can accommodate then priority will be given to students according to the number of possible prerequisite modules they have taken.

Optional C Modules

(0-20 credits)

GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5001A

Credits 20

This interdisciplinary module will begin by exploring the various approaches to understanding gender and development, then introduces and explains a range of key concepts as the foundations of gender analyses. The module then applies these concepts in examining a selection of important relevant debates: gender analysis of economic growth, divisions of labour and incomes, land and property rights, environmental change, education and health policies, voice and empowerment, violence and religion.

LATIN AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5005B

Credits 20

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5006B

Credits 20

SOUTH ASIAN DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5007B

Credits 20

GEOGRAPHIES OF DEVELOPMENT

Code DEV-5010B

Credits 20

PEOPLE AND PLACE

Code DEV-5011A

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

ENERGY TRANSITIONS

Code ENV-5022B

Credits 20

GIS SKILLS FOR PROJECT WORK

Code ENV-5028B

Credits 20

AQUATIC ECOLOGY

Code ENV-5041A

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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Entry Requirements

A Levels

BBB or ABC, or BBC with an A in the Extended Project. Science A-Levels must include a Pass in the practical element

BTEC

DDM

Scottish highers

AABBB

Scottish highers advanced

CCC

Irish leaving certificate

2 subjects at H2, 4 subjects at H3

Access course

Pass the Access to HE Diploma with Merit in 45 credits at Level 3

European Baccalaureate

70% overall

International Baccalaureate

31 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

A-Level General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes.

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:

All INTO Foundation routes accepted

Alternative Qualifications

UEA recognises that some students take a mixture of International Baccalaureate IB or International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme IBCP study rather than the full diploma, taking Higher levels in addition to A levels and/or BTEC qualifications. At UEA we do consider a combination of qualifications for entry, provided a minimum of three qualifications are taken at a higher Level. In addition some degree programmes require specific subjects at a higher level.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students from all academic backgrounds. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including speaking, listening, reading and writing) at the following level:

IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in any component)

We will also accept a number of other English language qualifications. Review our English Language Equivalences here.

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:

Pre-sessional English at INTO UEA
English for University Study at INTO UEA

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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.

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

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Course Reference Number: 1545609

BA GEOGRAPHY

BA GEOGRAPHY

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Assessment for Year 2

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Assessment for Year 1

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Optional A Modules

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Assessment for Year 2

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

Optional B Modules

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Assessment for Year 3

Compulsory Modules

Optional A Modules

Optional B Modules

Optional C Modules

Important Information

Entry Requirements

A Levels

BTEC

Scottish highers

Scottish highers advanced

Irish leaving certificate

Access course

European Baccalaureate

International Baccalaureate

GCSE offer

Additional entry requirements

Alternative Qualifications

Students for whom english is a foreign language

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Gap year

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Course Variants

BSC Geography

BA Geography with a Placement Year

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