Human Geography BA (Hons) pathway

Changing the world for the better requires knowledge, skills, experience and confidence.  This module focuses on teaching you the academic skills to acquire and communicate that knowledge and experience.  Core to this module is a week-long intensive ‘change lab’ during which you will research a Chester-based sustainability ‘problem’, with the aim of proposing implementable solutions.

This module introduces themes in global hazards and risk to develop understanding of the relationship between hazard, risk, vulnerability, and resilience in extremely destructive, and complex, disaster situations. The module follows the core principles of disaster risk management such as the disaster management cycle and engages students in activities which brings words to action live in their learning journey.

‘Earth and Environment’ introduces a range of key processes occurring within the natural environment, using an Earth systems approach. You will explore how these systems are influenced by natural- and human- induced environmental changes, and linkages between major components of the Earth System are examined in the context of contemporary climate change.

‘People and Places’ introduces you to critical concepts and issues of interest to human geographers and explores different ways people’s relationships to places can be understood. Throughout the module, you will use various evidence forms to consider multi-scalar relationships, including local examples of global phenomena, through issues such as social exclusion, urbanisation, nationalism, and globalisation.

This module introduces key research skills through application to selected geographical areas. Integrating core skills into field-based research, the module incorporates: project design; primary data collection techniques; ethical review and risk assessment; quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis (depending on the project chosen); laboratory methods; team-work and communication skills. 

This module explores the complex and often contested definitions of sustainability, development, and sustainable development, exploring how these concepts are understood and applied in diverse contexts. It addresses some of the most urgent global challenges and risks associated with sustainable development, encouraging students to consider how these issues impact societies worldwide.

Chinese: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE in Chinese or equivalent. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

French: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed A-Level or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

French: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students who have completed GCSE or equivalent in French. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

German: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module enables students with A-Level German or equivalent to further develop their grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop your oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

Spanish: Communication in Practice (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed a A-Level or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

Spanish: Intermediate Language Development (20 Credits) Option

This module is designed for students that have completed GCSE or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

Subsidiary Language for Beginners (20 Credits) Option

This module provides the opportunity to study a new language from scratch and introduces you to basic grammar, vocabulary and cultural contexts. You will apply the language to practical situations using both oral and written skills. 

This module provides you with a thorough grounding in geographical research theory and methods, and teaches core principles of research design. Social research methods covered include: quantitative surveys; qualitative interviews, focus groups and observational methods. Physical research methods cover: physical experiments, quantitative field surveying and sampling techniques and statistical analysis methods. All students complete research training in GIS, and apply the sum total of their learning to an assessed research project proposal.

In this module, you will explore different people’s perspectives and lived experiences in relation to the key themes of space, place, and identity.  The module focuses upon individuals, particularly upon identity and the way this manifests itself spatially.  Different elements of identity are considered from different cultures and knowledge systems, recognising how these diverse perspectives frame world views.  Key themes include the ways in which spaces are used by social groups to include some and exclude others in different cultures; the relationship between place and identity; and social and spatial segregation.  

This module considers how geopolitics comprises and produces a wide range of local-level effects. You’ll consider what is meant by 'geopolitics', consider whose 'voices' tend to be missing from geopolitical accounts and explore the implications of this for global equity. You will also look at how geopolitics shapes how national security is played out locally and globally, how geopolitics is communicated via the media and popular culture, including film and video games, and how those narratives shape how we - as the global public - think about and respond to global geopolitical events.

In this module you have the opportunity to develop your skills in independent project management, research and analysis, and professional (spoken and written) communication.  You will work at the intersection of academic research and applied practice by conducting research and/or public engagement work in collaboration with academic staff and external partners.  You will be able to select from projects aligned with their interests in human geography, physical geography or natural hazard management. 

All work placements within this module must be university-level; this means:

Undertaking high-skilled work commensurate with level 5 study (e.g. report writing, attending meetings, delivering presentations, producing spreadsheets, writing content on webpages, social media, marketing services/products etc)
Physically placed (albeit part of it can be hybrid) within an employer setting in one continuous block / period for 4, 5 or 7 weeks for a minimum of 140-147 hours over the course of the entire work placement
Where applicable, your existing part-time employer can be approached/used as the placement provider, if the high-skilled work criterion above is fulfilled for the full duration of the placement.
All quality assurances/agreements provided by the University are adhered to, by you and the employer.
The work placement context may not necessarily, reflect your degree discipline per se, but rather, it will give you an enriched experience to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

The dissertation module facilitates the execution of a piece of independent research and the production of a research thesis. In this module you are supported throughout by your dissertation supervisor, alongside a range of lectures and activities on key aspects of research, including: health, safety and ethics in research; identifying and formulating research aims and objectives; searching for relevant literature and writing the literature review; creating a rationale for the research; primary and secondary data collection techniques; mapping; statistical analysis; writing and presenting the dissertation report.

Geospatial Data Science develops advanced skills for handling, analysing and visualising geospatial data including the use of geographical information systems, remotely sensed data, scripting and programming and an understanding of data quality issues and metadata. It builds upon skills developed during the ‘Geographical Research: Methods and Geomatics’ module at Level 5 and provides skills highly sought after by employers.

This module provides you with the opportunity to conduct primary field research to extend their skills in project design and management, team-work, data collection and analysis. You will work on projects and in field locations suited to your chosen course/pathway, enabling you to pursue your individual interests.  Overseas residential and UK-based non-residential options are available.

Exclusion underpins many experiences of migrants and refugees throughout the world.  This module seeks to analyse exclusion to understand the factors preventing migrants from having a socially-just experience.  Exclusion and inclusion may be social, political, economic and cultural.  The extent to which these different types of exclusion are experienced varies between places and people according to social factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, immigration status, education background, etc. This module is built on three core themes: debating laws and policy, lived experiences, and popular representation. 

Sustainable Futures develops your understanding of contemporary theorisations of sustainability challenges and solutions. It fosters critical perspectives on ‘sustainability’ in industry, government, community and individual contexts through lecture bites, discussion and workshop activities. Project work with external collaborators enables 'real world' application of these ideas, building transferrable skills for graduate careers.