Physical Geography BSc (Hons) pathway

A student looking through binoculars at the distant landscape.

The Geography (Physical Geography) BSc (Hons) pathway provides you with a broad foundation in Physical Geography, Human Geography and Natural Hazard Management in Level 4 (Year 1), and then allows you to specialise in physical geography in Levels 5 and 6 (Year 2 and 3).  Subjects covered in this pathway are wide-ranging and currently include, for example, climate and sea-level change, coastal processes and management, river processes and flooding, glaciers and glaciation, biogeography, carbon sequestration and storage, arid geomorphology, palaeoclimatology, environmental pollution, GIS and remote sensing, natural and human-induced environmental change over recent and millennial timescales.

Geography BSc at the University of Chester

Physical Geography BSc at the University of Chester

What You'll Study

In your Foundation Year, the Law, Humanities and Social Sciences course offers you an important preparation year as part of your four-year degree. You will explore people and societies and their beliefs, cultures, power structures, stories and narratives, as well as develop skills in critical inquiry around societal issues and global affairs with contemporary and historical perspectives.

  • Term 1: Introduction to Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Term 2: Global Issues, Cultures and Texts
  • Term 3: Applied Programming and Data Science

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

In your first year of study, you will cover a wide range of geographical topics and begin to develop key skills in fieldwork, data collection and analysis. 

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

You will experience more complex learning in your second year, which integrates and applies geographical knowledge to different contexts culminating in the production of a proposal for an extended geographical project at Level 6 (Final Year). 

Modules

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. 

This module provides a structured, university-level work placement for 4, 5 or 7 weeks as one continuous block / period with a placement provider (i.e. a local employer from the private, public, or charitable sector). It is designed to enhance your professional skills in a real-world job setting.

You can organise your own work placement or apply for one that is facilitated by the university placements team.  Your placement provides you with the opportunity to undertake highly skilled work in a professional environment, applying your course-based learning to real-world issues, enabling you to develop a wide range of technical and transferrable skills, from data collection and analysis to giving presentations or producing social media content.  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 Level 5, 40-credit modules require a basic foundation of knowledge of your chosen language e.g. GCSE or equivalent,  a Level 4 module in the same language or equivalent previous learning. You can choose:

  • Advanced Language Development and Global Sustainability (choice of German, French or Spanish)
  • Upper Intermediate Language Development and Global Employability (choice of Chinese, French or Spanish)
  • Post Beginner Language Development and Global Cultures (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

At Level 6 (Final Year) you will tackle a large-scale independent project and apply practical geographical research skills through fieldwork with a focus on professional ethics and risk management. You will extend your geospatial data science skills alongside applying the knowledge acquired throughout your studies to develop your understanding of complex geographical issues. 

Modules

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 your 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.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

You will develop a range of surveying, environmental monitoring and advanced laboratory analytical skills, which are much sought-after by graduate employers. Examples include using GPS and remote sensing to monitor coastal change, to map wildfires or the optimum positioning of solar panels and wind farms, or using advanced laboratory geochemical and biological analytical techniques to detect water contamination.

Chester is situated in close proximity to the rivers, lakes and mountains of the Eryri National Park (Snowdonia), the forests, lakes and peatlands of Delamere, and the beaches, dune systems, estuaries and saltmarshes along the Cheshire and North Wales coastline. You will make good use of these locations to further develop your knowledge and practical field skills. Your confidence and experience as a researcher will build throughout the pathway, through working as part of a research team in Year 1 to investigate local environments, by developing skills in environmental monitoring and statistical analyses of large datasets in Level 5 (Year 2), and from the production of an independent piece of original research in Level 6 (Final Year).

On completion of the pathway you will have an in-depth knowledge of a wide range of physical environments, including their formation and how they have changed in response to natural and human processes. You will gain a deeper understanding of some of the most pressing global environmental issues and have the necessary skills and confidence to help address these challenges in your future career. 

Our physical geography pathway may include either a Year Abroad or Year in Industry. This will take place during the third year of study following completion of Level 5 (Year 2), with students returning to the University of Chester in their fourth year to complete Level 6.  

When applying for this course with a specialist pathway, you will do so via UCAS. It is important to search for and submit your application for 'Geography BA/BSc (Hons)'. Your chosen pathway will be confirmed post-application, and this will be the award that you complete your studies with i.e. Geography (Physical Geography) BSc (Hons).  

Go back to Geography BA/BSc course page

Human Geography BA Hons pathway

NHM BSc Hons pathway