Astrophysics and Human Geography
UCAS Code: FL5C
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
To include A level Physics or Maths at grade B or above. If A level Maths is presented without A level Physics please contact Admissions.
Access to HE Diploma
122 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction in Physics and/or Maths related units, please contact us for further advice.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language at grade C (or 4) and Maths at grade C (or 4).
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
To include Higher level Physics at 5 or above or Higher level Maths at 5 or above plus Higher level Physics at 4 or above.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
You must also have taken sufficient Physics and Maths units, please contact us for advice.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
At Keele University, we’re different. Nestled in 600 acres of countryside in the heart of the UK, we have a big campus but a small and cosmopolitan community. We’re proud to be ‘University of the Year for Student Experience’ in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017, in addition to having been ranked No.1 in the National Student Survey 2014-2016. This is because it’s more than green and lovely, it’s a place of research and academic excellence too.
At Keele, studying a combined honours degree will include some modules from both of the single honours degrees. In this case, your programme will be made up of a combination of modules from both Astrophysics and Human Geography.
Astrophysics at Keele is consistently rated highly in the National Student Survey (No. 1 for Physics/Astronomy in 2016 and 2017, with 100% satisfaction). Combining Astrophysics with Human Geography allows you to continue following your interests across a broader, multidisciplinary landscape, whilst still providing the core knowledge and skills leading to a degree that is accredited by the Institute of Physics.
Astrophysicists seek to understand the universe, from its smallest constituents to the largest possible scales. The language of the universe is physics and mathematics; Astrophysics students study these, along with computational and statistical techniques, and apply their skills to tackling problems as diverse as stellar interiors, black holes and the evolution of the universe itself.
Taking Astrophysics as part of a Combined Honours degree, you will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of physics and the essential ability to plan investigations, analyse results and present your work. Regular laboratory sessions, including access to our on-campus observatory, enable you to investigate unfamiliar phenomena and develop valuable transferable skills such as scientific writing and programming.
This highly interdisciplinary course provides you with a strong theoretical and practical background in Human Geography giving you the understanding and skills to explore an array of world issues from different perspectives. Our course offers zero-cost options for overseas field courses, exceptional staff support for students, and is ranked Top 10 in The Guardian University Guide 2018.
The Human Geography course will take you to fascinating fieldwork destinations in the UK and overseas, where you’ll add to your growing skills in understanding and influencing the way humans relate to the environment. In the lab, the field and the archive, you’ll explore the characteristics, diversity, interdependence and changing nature of places. You’ll understand the applications and possibilities Human Geography provides in solving problems, creating wealth and improving quality of life. You’ll collect and analyse spatial, social and environmental data, and become familiar with industry standard GIS software for analysing, visualising and integrating that data.
As part of a Combined Honours degree, Astrophysics at Keele will prepare you for many different careers. Employers value numerate, versatile graduates who can analyse, investigate and communicate. You could take up roles as a research scientist, medical physicist, or enter the space, telecommunications or nuclear industries.
In addition to providing very specific human geography skills, this course will enhance your abilities in communication, make you proficient in various methods such as GIS or primary data collection, and develop your creativity in problem solving.
This will all be invaluable as you address social, environmental, ethical and global problems as part of your studies or in the world of work. You might go on to work as a planning and development surveyor, logistics manager, residential surveyor, town planner, international development worker, transport planner or market researcher.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Keele University
Keele (Central)

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See your living costsWhat students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Astronomy
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Human geography
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Astronomy
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?Not a lot of people study astronomy as a first degree, and if you want to be one of the small number of people who start work as an astronomer - often overseas - every year, you will need a doctorate — so at least a third of graduates go into further study. Astronomy graduates, however, are versatile, going into all parts of the jobs market - their good technical, data and maths skills taking them into IT and business especially. However, if you want to find out more specifically about the prospects for your chosen subject, it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates from your chosen subject went on to do.
Human geography
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Astrophysics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£24k
£30k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Human geography
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£17k
£21k
£23k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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