Physical Geography

Our BSc Physical Geography degree gives you a broad, research informed understanding of the Earth’s physical systems, bringing together themes from physical geography, environmental science and geology. You will explore topics such as climate change, natural hazards, pollution, coastal management, wildfires and geophysics, developing a strong foundation in the science behind environmental change.

Throughout your degree, you will gain essential skills in writing, data analysis, statistics and critical thinking, alongside hands on laboratory and field based training. The programme offers the flexibility to tailor your module choices to your interests, allowing you to specialise in areas of physical and environmental geography that align with your academic strengths and future career ambitions.

This degree is designed to help you understand and address global environmental challenges while building the practical and analytical skills needed to succeed in a range of geography related careers.

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.

At Swansea, you will study Physical Geography in one of the UK’s most varied natural and urban environments, with a curriculum designed to ensure fieldwork is central to your learning.

You will follow a flexible degree path that you can tailor to your interests by choosing from a wide mix of human and physical geography modules.

Fieldwork is a major part of your experience. Our location gives you access to exceptional local and regional environments, from the Gower National Landscape to the coastal and geological features of Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire. These regular, low‑cost field classes allow you to apply your learning in real‑world settings from the very start of your degree.

You will also have opportunities to take part in residential field courses in your second and third year, exploring geographical themes in a range of international locations. Depending on your interests, you might investigate geological and natural hazards in Iceland or Vancouver, study the climate emergency and sea‑level rise in the Isles of Scilly, explore urban, historical and Indigenous geographies in Vancouver, or examine memory and identity in Berlin. Students interested in Earth processes can also join our specialist Volcanology field trip to the Eifel region in Germany.

Together, these experiences help you build practical skills, confidence and a deeper understanding of the world, preparing you for your future career and giving you unforgettable opportunities to learn beyond the classroom.

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

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: Isle of Arran and Glasgow; Geographical Fieldwork skills : Iceland; Geographical Fieldwork skills: Vancouver; Earth from Space: Monitoring Global Environmental Change; Sustainable Management from Catchment to Coast; Earth through time.

In Year 3, you will typically study areas including: Dissertation Report: Geography; Glaciology; Measuring Climate Change; Science Communication with Placement; Plate Tectonics and Global Geophysics; Volcanology.

On the BSc Physical Geography 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 Year Three.

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

• Royal Geographical Society