Physical Geography BSc (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.

This module examines environmental change over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Specific themes explored in detail are: (i) environmental change over short spatial and temporal scales, with a particular focus on soil, vegetation and microclimate development and interactions; (ii) environmental change over longer (multi-millennial) temporal scales, specifically system response to natural and anthropogenic forcing. 

This module introduces key concepts of geomorphology and hazard processes and examines spatial and temporal variability in Earth processes and landforms.  You will explore selected themes in physical geography, such as glacial, fluvial, coastal and volcanic environments, developing an understanding of Earth surface processes, resulting landforms and associated hazards. You’ll develop critical insight into the nature and causes of change within these environments, in particular the impacts of natural hazards, climate change and human activity.

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.

This module focuses on developing understanding of past, contemporary and future climate. A series of sessions explores palaeoclimate, focusing on the Late Quaternary period, and the techniques used to reconstruct records of climate and environmental change. You will gain first-hand experience of analysing and interpreting an unpublished multi-proxy dataset to reconstruct Holocene sub-arctic climate variability. This is accompanied by a strand of specialist lectures and seminars which explore the mechanisms and potential impacts of contemporary and future climate change. We reflect on recent climate summits and international reports and discuss possible strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This module provides you with the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the management of river and coastal landscapes. It will examine the complexities of managing natural environments from a scientific and stakeholder-based perspective. The content will include river and coastal flood and erosion management (including natural flood management) in conjunction with the challenges of managing water bodies for the benefit of multiple users (water resources, flood management, and the natural environment). The content of this module is both highly topical and relevant to a wide range of careers in the water and environmental management industry.