Geography

This is a Connected Degree
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview
If you’re interested in the physical nature, characteristics and environment of the world, you can couple your interest with professional skills on this BSc (Hons) Geography degree course, accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS).

You'll discover the ways in which our planet and its natural elements work, and graduate ready for a career in everything from environmental management to teaching and academic research.

• Use high-powered tech in our laboratories, including laser survey technology, drones, GIS and photogrammetry equipment and our environmental simulation cabinet – a controlled lab area that simulates different environmental conditions

• Tailor your final year to your own interests and career ambitions by choosing from a fully optional list of modules, including conservation biogeography, hazardscapes and weather science

• Immerse yourself in some of the landscapes and societies you’re studying through fieldwork, including in places such as Berlin, Malta, Sicily and Uganda

• Choose to study abroad at one of our partner universities in Poland, Spain or France, or build experience on a work placement at an organisation like the Environment Agency or Natural England

Accredited by:
This course is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society.

Careers and opportunities
Once you complete the course, you'll be ready for a career in a wide range of important fields and sectors, with technical and professional skills many employers are looking for. Our previous students have gone onto work in areas such as environmental management, business management, public services, teaching and research.

What jobs can you do with a geography degree?
Roles our graduates have taken on include:

• geographical information scientist

• environmental monitoring technician

• spatial analyst

• coastal process scientist

• urban planner

• transport planner

• geospatial consultant

• GIS cartographer

• quantity surveyor

• geography teacher

Graduate destinations
Organisations our graduates have gone on to work for include:

• Balfour Beatty

• Arcadis

• IBM

• Ordnance Survey

• Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

• Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)

• The Environment Agency

• The National Trust

• MoD Civil Service

You could also go on to study at postgraduate level.

Placement year (optional)
Either before or following your third year, you can opt for a work placement year to gain valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. Placements give you the opportunity to apply what you've learnt so far in a real workplace, boosting your employability.

You can work for a company or organisation here in the UK or overseas – some Geography students have chosen Australia, Spain or Malta for their placement year.

Whichever route you choose, you'll receive support and guidance. Our specialist team of Science and Health Careers advisors can help you with finding a work placement and improving your employability skills. They'll provide you with a database of placement vacancies, support with your job search – including help with applications and interviews – and support throughout your placement year.

You'll also hear guest speakers from potential employers and get support from students who have returned from their placements.

Potential placement destinations
Our students have completed placements at organisations including:

• Atkins Global

• Pfizer Research and Development

• Hampshire Ecological Services

• The Environment Agency

• Natural England

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.

We design modules that have:

• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering

For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/bsc-hons-geography#modules

You’ll be assessed through coursework, examinations, contributions to electronic discussion forums, web page design, posters, projects, presentations, portfolios.
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Royal Geographical Society