Geography

Do you have a fascination for the complex web of physical, biological and human interactions that shape our plane? Live your geography degree, using the iconic Lake District as your personal laboratory.

Spend time exploring the diverse sites on your doorstep, from rolling hills to vast lakes. There is no better place to study Geography, than the heart of the Lake District.

Our course encompasses human, physical and environmental geography, and explores many of the key grand challenges that face both humanity and the planet in the 21st century.

Course Overview
Live your degree. Surround yourself with the beauty of the Lake District.

Our Ambleside Campus allows you to spend time learning the field, in the field. We believe that students learn from experience.

Geographers explore the global challenges that face both humanity and the planet in the 21st century. Based at our Ambleside campus in the heart of the Lake District, on this geography course you will embrace the mix of natural and social science and humanities that create the diversity and exuberance we call geography.

On this course you will...

• Study geography at the University of Cumbria in the Lake District, the UK's only university campus in a UNESCO World Heritage Site – unbeatable natural surroundings that enable you to live your geography degree.

• Be taught by experienced and passionate lecturers, who will encourage you to learn by doing.

• Have access to up-to-date technology used in the modern workplace, including advanced Geographical Information Systems and remote sensing.

• Learn to solve large global challenges and local issues like small-scale flood management, boosting your problem-solving skills.

• Embark on exhilarating field trips and dive into real-world opportunities as you collaborate with top employers, to grow your network and gain invaluable hands-on experience!

We have designed our geography degree course so you get the opportunity to bring together human, physical and environmental geography. Not only will it give you a breadth of academic knowledge and plenty of hands-on field work, it can be the start you need to shape your successful career.

Our broad spectrum of modules means that alongside physical and environmental geography, you’ll gain a deep knowledge of human geography – looking at people’s interaction with the environment, their communities and the complex issues facing society today and in the future.

Plus, you will live and learn close to the shores of Windermere Lake, on our friendly Ambleside campus in the stunning Lake District, where you will be surrounded by a picturesque patchwork of more than 150 lofty peaks, 16 lakes, an abundance of rivers – all home to unique habitats and wildlife.

Year one

• Global Challenges
• Geographical Techniques
• People and Place
• Environment and Resources
• The Earth System
• Ecological Knowledge, Interactions and Change

Year two

• Research Design
• Valuing the Environment
• Environmental Change: Past Present Future
• Geographical Information Systems
• The Catchment: Summit to Sea (Optional)
• Culture, Identity and Place (Optional)
• Rural Economy and Society (Optional)
• Habitats and Ecosystems (Optional)

Year three

• Dissertation
• Researching Environmental Change: Field-course
• Science and Politics of Climate Change
• Creative Cultural Geographies (Optional)
• Upland Resource Management (Optional)
• Cold Environments (Optional)
• Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing (Optional)
• Aquatic and Catchment Resource Management (Optional)
• Contemporary Global Conservation (Optional)

Throughout your programme, your theoretical knowledge and practical skills will be assessed through a range of methods. These may include:

• Fieldwork and laboratory reports
• Roleplay to simulate real-world situations
• Essays or reports
• Group-work.

Assessment schedules are posted online at the beginning of the year. Some assessments will require individual work, while others will include working with classmates in small groups.