Entry requirements
A level
A Pass in science practical is required where relevant science A Levels are taken. General Studies is excluded for entry. Contextual Offer: ABB. We are committed to ensuring that all students with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a student’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience.Students who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme
Access to HE Diploma
Typical Offer: 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 39 must be at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Typical offer : D3 D3 M2 Cambridge Pre-U's can be used in combination with other qualifications such as A levels to achieve the equivalent of the typical offer , where D3 can be used in lieu of A Level grade A.
Extended Project
A Level students also taking the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) will be made an alternative offer of A Level grades ABB, plus grade A in the EPQ.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Typical offer : Pass with an overall minimum score of 34 points to include a minimum of 17 points at a higher level International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP): The University of Southampton accepts the IBCP for entry to their degree programmes, recognising the value of combining academic skills with practical skills, providing a solid preparation for university level work. Offers will be made on the individual components of the IBCP. Applicants not taking the full IBCP but presenting with a combination of a Level 3 vocational qualification and IB Certificates may still be considered. Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Plus English and Maths Ordinary Level O4 or higher
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
Plus one A Level at grade A
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Plus one A Level at grade A
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
plus two A Levels at grades AA
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
plus two A Levels at grades AA
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
AA from two A levels and Grade B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This BSc Geography degree will show you the landforms and processes on our Earth’s surface in a whole new light. On this course you will study the natural and physical science aspects of geography, including gaining a better understanding of climate change, both in the past and how it might influence our world in the future, you will discover how to read a landscape and the processes that help to shape it. You'll gain an appreciation of our changing world as viewed from space and how to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to interrogate and analyse spatial data.
The overseas field course is an important milestone in developing your skills as a researcher, giving you the opportunity to study the landscape in more detail in locations such as southern Spain or Tenerife. The trip in year two is a compulsory trip that is included in course fees. Further optional overseas field courses allow you to hone these skills in the unique environments that alpine and tropical locations offer.
Your future employability is a key priority throughout your studies and all University of Southampton geography programmes are accredited by the Royal Geographical Society. Whatever you are interested in, from public policy to environmental consultancy, from teaching to financial services; most industries require the analytical and research skills that Southampton graduates will be proficient in.
Modules
You will develop a broad understanding of both physical and human geography during your first year and take part in a local one-week field course, exploring the vegetation and stream dynamics of the New Forest.
Years two and three focus on physical geography with a combination of core and option modules in year two. You will participate in a field course where you will take part in small-group projects. Recent destinations are typically based in southern Spain or Tenerife. You will undertake an individual research project in years two and three.
In year three you will address advanced, cutting-edge issues in geography. The field option offers research in Switzerland and Cambodia.
Please see the course page on the website for the full list of compulsory and optional modules.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Main Site - Highfield Campus
Geography and Environmental Science
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Explore SouthamptonWhat 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.
Physical geographical sciences
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.
Physical geographical sciences
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?There are two options for geography studies: the one we're talking about here is physical geography (there is also an option for geography courses with a more human or social steer). Like a lot of sciences, quite a few graduates in physical geography — about one in five — go on to further study, mainly for one-year Masters courses, and not just in geography, but in environmental sciences, conservation and in courses where we don't have enough graduates like planning and surveying. And in the world of work, graduates often go into environment, surveying and heritage work - and teaching. These are well-rounded degrees that help graduates get a range of useful skills and so careers such as marketing, business analysis, sports and management are also popular and it's often easy to convert or retrain once you have a geography degree.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Physical 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.
£25k
£31k
£32k
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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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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