Skip navigation
You are viewing our beta course page.

Geography

Course details
  • BSc (Hons)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-time
  • 14/09/2026
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Central area campus

Course summary

If you:

  • love the environment

  • are eager to understand how our planet works

  • have a keen interest in cultures and societies

  • are concerned about the impact of climate change

Then geography may be for you.

What is geography?

Geography is the study of the way the world works. As a result, understanding geography is very important in this day and age.

You can study geography in two ways:

  • as a natural science through physical geography

  • as a social science or humanities subject, through human geography

You can explore the physical processes of our planet, such as:

  • volcanoes

  • flooding

  • climate change

You can also address human issues such as:

  • sustainability

  • health

  • social justice

This programme is focused on physical geography.

Programme benefits

  • Learn from one of the UK's largest and most successful groupings of geographers, and Earth and environmental scientists.

  • Enjoy access to a world of experience with our research and industry networks.

  • Get advice and guidance with our dedicated Careers Service.

How to apply

This course has limited vacancies, and is no longer accepting applications from some students. See the list below for where you normally live, to check if you're eligible to apply.
  • EU has vacancies
  • Wales does not have vacancies
  • England does not have vacancies
  • International has vacancies
  • Scotland does not have vacancies
  • Northern Ireland does not have vacancies
  • Republic of Ireland does not have vacancies

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
F800
Institution code:
E56
Campus name:
Central area campus
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Open days

Entry requirements

Standard Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff - Not accepted

A level - AAA - ABB

AAA - ABB. These grades should be achieved in one set of exams. Required subjects: A levels: two from Geography at B; Biology at B; Chemistry at B; Electronics at B; Environmental Science at B; Environmental Technology at B; Geology at B; Mathematics at B; Physics at B. GCSEs: Mathematics at B or 6; English at C or 4.

Scottish Higher - ABBB

ABBB by end of S5 or AAAB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: two from Geography at B; Biology at B; Chemistry at B; Environmental Science at B; Mathematics/Applications of Mathematics at B; Physics at B. National 5s: Mathematics at B; English at C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 34 - 32 points

from 34 points with 655 at HL to 32 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: two from Geography at 5; Biology at 5; Chemistry at 5; Environmental System and Societies at 5; Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 5; Physics at 5. SL: English at 5; Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 5 (if not at HL).

We normally make offers to the highest qualified applicants. If competition for places is high this may mean that offers will only be made to applicants who are predicted, or who have achieved, above the single set of grades or the upper grade level in a range. Any conditional offer made may require you to achieve grades above the upper grade level. Therefore, achieving the top of our standard entry requirements does not guarantee a place on the relevant degree.

Detailed entry requirements, including typical offer levels, and information about other qualifications we accept, are available on the University of Edinburgh’s website. You’ll also find important information on how to apply. You must submit a fully completed UCAS application that includes details of the qualifications you are taking, including full predicted grades for qualifications not yet completed, your personal statement and your reference.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

UCAS Tariff - Not accepted

-

A level - ABB

ABB. Required subjects: A levels: two from Geography at B; Biology at B; Chemistry at B; Electronics at B; Environmental Science at B; Environmental Technology at B; Geology at B; Mathematics at B; Physics at B. GCSEs: Mathematics at B or 6; English at C or 4.

Scottish Higher - ABBB

ABBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: two from Geography at B; Biology at B; Chemistry at B; Environmental Science at B; Mathematics/Applications of Mathematics at B; Physics at B. National 5s: Mathematics at B; English at C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 32 points

32 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: two from Geography at 5; Biology at 5; Chemistry at 5; Environmental System and Societies at 5; Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 5; Physics at 5. SL: English at 5; Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 5 (if not at HL).

Find out more about minimum qualification requirements for this course.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6.5total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL (iBT)92total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English Advancedtotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Cambridge English Proficiencytotal 176 with at least 162 in each component.
Trinity ISEISE II with distinctions in all four components.
You must prove that you can read, write, listen and speak in the English language at a level that will allow you to succeed in your studies. This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals. You can meet our English language requirements with qualifications from school or an English language test. We accept any of the following, at the specified grade or higher: SQA National 5: English at C; GCSE: English at C or 4; Level 2 Certificate: English at C; International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level: English at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry). Before you apply, check the required subjects for this programme, as you may need a higher English grade to meet the academic requirements. We also accept other qualifications from around the world. If you don’t have school qualifications that meet our requirements, we accept any of the English language tests, at the specified grade or higher, as detailed above. Qualifications from the following English language tests must be no more than two years old from the start date of your programme, regardless of your nationality: IELTS, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT. All other types of English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of your programme. If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country or region, as defined by UKVI, there is no time limit on how old these other types of English language qualifications can be.

Full details of our English language requirements can be found on our website: https://study.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry-requirements/english-language

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

The University of Edinburgh welcomes students from the UK and all over the world. We accept a wide range of qualifications and our policies support students with diverse backgrounds and experience. UCAS entry grade data is currently not available for our degrees but we publish admissions statistics on our website. We also provide information on widening access offers and entry requirements.

Learn more on the The University of Edinburgh website

Historical entry grades data BETA

This section shows the range of grades students (with UK A-Levels or Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas) who received offers were previously accepted with (learn more). It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not available

Historical entry grades data is not currently available for The University of Edinburgh - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
Scotland£1820Year 1
England£9790Year 1
Northern Ireland£9790Year 1
Wales£9790Year 1
Channel Islands£9790Year 1
Republic of Ireland£9790Year 1
EU£38900Year 1
International£38900Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Scottish students must apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for payment of their tuition fees.

England/Wales/Northern Ireland - The Rest of UK (RUK) students commencing or continuing their studies in September 2026, the tuition fees will be £9,790. This is subject to Parliamentary approval and is an increase of £255 on the fee rate for academic year 2025-2026.

EU On 9th July 2020 the decision was made by the Scottish Government to end free university tuition for European Union (EU) students starting in 2021-22. Funding policy for EU nationals and associated groups starting a course of study in academic year 2022-23 or later will be in line with international fees.

Full time international and EU students will pay a fixed annual fee rate for the duration of their programme

Like this page