Birkbeck, University of London
UCAS Code: F840 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma with a Merit or Distinction in humanities or social science units.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
The UCAS tariff score is applicable to you if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a tariff calculator for you to work out what your qualification is worth within the UCAS tariff.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Our BSc Geography gives you the skills and knowledge to understand our changing physical and social environment and how this impacts our contemporary world's challenges. Led by leading researchers in the field, this geography degree will help you discover the multiple connections between space, place, human culture and physical landscapes in which we live, addressing issues such as climate change, the causes and impact of inequalities, and how we live together in an increasingly urban world.
**Why choose this course?**
- Our geography teaching is research-led, offering you a complete grounding in human, environmental and physical geography, as well as developing your skills using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- We offer several field trips to offer you hands-on experience exploring a variety of themes in human and physical geography.
- You will study in a supportive learning environment with classmates, some of whom are already working in relevant sectors and are keen to share their experience and expertise.
**What you will learn**
You will learn key geographical skills in your first year and then tailor your degree to your interests and career goals, by drawing from a range of option modules in the fields of human, physical and environmental geography, GIS and international development.
You will acquire knowledge, practical skills, and research and project management experience, all of which will enhance your employability.
**How you will learn**
This BSc Geography combines classroom-based activities in seminars and workshops, with online learning, computer practicals and field teaching. We also offer online pre-recorded lectures to complement our on-campus classes in many of our modules.
You can choose to study the BSc Geography either full- or part-time. **It has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening.**
**Foundation Year**
If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.
**Highlights**
- Our geography teaching is research-led, offering a complete grounding in human, environmental, GIS and physical geography, as well as a wide range of option modules that let you tailor your degree to your interests.
- Our geography specialists are actively involved in the Birkbeck Centre for Environment and Sustainability, and host annual events you can attend such as the Birkbeck Climate Festival.
- You will develop the social and technical skills you need for both academic research and the workplace, including data collection and analysis, and GIS.
- Our campus in London offers students the chance to explore one of the world’s great multicultural cities, and access to world-class libraries and institutions like the British Museum and the British Library.
- We are proud of our vibrant research culture, powered by a shared passion for learning and intellectual engagement among our academics and students. We have a strong commitment to social justice, which is demonstrated in much of our research.
**Careers and employability**
On successfully graduating from this BSc Geography, you will have attained an array of important transferable skills, including:
- effective workload management skills
- critical-thinking skills
- written and oral presentation skills
- hands-on experience with GIS
- project management and reporting skills.
Some graduates are now employed at organisations such as the Marine Management Organisation and Electricité de France.
Studying this course will prepare you for a career in fields such as:
- the corporate sector
- local and national government
- planning and policy-making
- the environmental sector
- education
- development.
Modules
For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.
Assessment methods
Most modules are assessed by a combination of unseen examinations and coursework.
The final-year independent literature review or research project is assessed purely by project work.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Birkbeck, University of London
School of Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score 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
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
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)
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 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
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 about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Physical geographical sciences
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£29k
£22k
£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.
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.
£29k
£22k
£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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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
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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