Geography (Human and Physical)

Humans share a unique and complex relationship with nature. Explore this fascinating dynamic with our Geography (Human and Physical) BSc and gain a deep understanding of Earth’s landscapes and environments while discovering how human societies connect with the natural world. Engaging in fieldwork, laboratory exercises, and industry work placements will equip you with essential hands-on experience, enabling you to pursue a diverse career in the geography sector such as environmental consultant, science teacher, geospatial data analyst, or logistics manager.

Why choose this course?

• Geography ranked Top 5 in England (NSS 2025, broad-based universities)*

• Top 10 for Geography (Guardian University League Table, 2025)

• Our unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic natural environment to perform fieldwork

• Assessment is by coursework, with no formal exams

• International year and work placement options

Society faces significant challenges concerning our natural world. Studying human and physical geography, you will learn a wide range of topics and develop professional knowledge and skills that employers highly value, opening doors to different career opportunities and empowering you to make meaningful contributions to a more sustainable world.

Our programme has been designed to provide you with a solid grounding in human and physical geography during year one, laying the foundation for advanced study in years two and three.

Human geography explores the cultural, economic and social dynamics that shape human interactions with our environment from globilisation to spatial inequalities. Physical geography examines natural processes and features such as climate change, landforms and ecosystems. You’ll study diverse topics, providing you with critical skills in spatial analysis, data interpretation and problem-solving. These include climate change, geomorphology, and the ethical challenges in managing Earth’s resources. You’ll also examine the rights of indigenous and marginalised communities, explore sustainable use of global water resources, analyse human impact on the environment and engage with contemporary geography research.

A major part of the curriculum is the practical application of geography. You will gain professional skills using digital, statistical and laboratory-based methods for collecting and analysing geographical data in our state-of-the-art Central Science Labs. Through different field courses in the local area, across the UK and optional international activities, you’ll gain hands-on experience in applying these techniques and develop key technical skills using specialist software such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing. Plus, Keele’s 600-acre campus serves as a ‘living laboratory’, offering opportunities to study geographical features, ecosystems, and sustainability initiatives right on our doorstep.

*We have compared the positivity ratings of all participating UK institutions using the NSS 2025 sector data to determine Keele's position relative to other broad-based universities (i.e. excluding specialist institutions and further education colleges).

About Keele

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.