Geography with a Foundation Year

Our three-year BSc Geography offers a broad, research‑informed understanding of the world around us. You will explore themes across human geography, physical geography, environmental science and geology, giving you the flexibility to shape your geographical learning in a way that reflects your interests and aspirations.

You will study key global themes such as climate change, natural hazards, pollution, urban and rural geographies, coastal management, and political and economic geographies. Throughout the degree, you will also develop valuable skills in writing, data analysis, statistics, critical thinking, laboratory techniques and field methods.

Our flexible programme allows you to tailor modules to suit your academic and career goals. You’ll have opportunities to specialise, work on real‑world challenges, and build the skills needed to help address issues ranging from global inequality and resource pressures to wildfires and plastic pollution.

Teaching is delivered by research‑active staff who bring their expertise and enthusiasm into the classroom. Your learning will take place through a blend of lectures, practical lab and IT sessions, tutorials and hands‑on fieldwork. Assessments reflect the varied skills needed in modern geographical careers, including stakeholder analyses, presentations, podcasts, lab reports, field notebooks and more traditional academic work.

Fieldwork is a major part of your experience. Our location gives you access to exceptional local and regional environments, from the Gower National Landscape and the coastal and geological features of Bannau Brycheiniog and Pembrokeshire, to urban and heritage sites such as Swansea City Centre and the historic Hafod Morfa Copperworks. These regular, low‑cost field classes allow you to apply your learning in real‑world settings from the very start of your degree.

In Year 0, you will typically study areas including: Foundational Scientific Skills; Foundations in Human Geography; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry; Techniques in Ecology and Biogeography; Foundation Physical and Environmental Geography.

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Introduction to Earth Systems; Field Methods - Physical and Environmental Geography; Geographical skills; Sustainability and the Climate Emergency; Natural Hazards and Society; Globalized World.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: Methods and Data Analysis (Physical Geography and Environmental Sciences); Introduction to Geographic Information Systems; Dissertation Preparation Skills; Geographical Fieldwork skills: Vancouver; Earth from Space: Monitoring Global Environmental Change; Sustainable Management from Catchment to Coast.

In Year 3, you will typically study areas including: Dissertation Report: Geography; Migration Theory; Glaciology; Measuring Climate Change; Creative Geographies; Violent Geographies; Plate Tectonics and Global Geophysics; Volcanology.

On the BSc Geography with Foundation Year course you will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical classes and field classes. You will be assessed through a variety of methods, including examinations, coursework, practical work, fieldwork and continuous assessment from tutorials. You will also complete a dissertation in your final year.