Geography with a Year in Industry

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 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: Year spent in Industry.

In Year 4, 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.

The Year in Industry must be taken with a relevant employer or organisation and can be taken either locally, nationally or overseas. The advantages of taking the Year in Industry are extensive, giving you the opportunity to apply your skills in a work based environment which in turn will greatly enhancing your CV and employment prospects. The department will provide ongoing support and guidance prior to your placement in year 2 through the pre-placement programme, and whilst you are on placement through regular contact points with staff. The department is working with a number of organisations who are providing a range of placement opportunities. However securing a placement is the responsibility of the student. If you are unable to secure a placement by the end of the second year of your studies you will transfer onto the equivalent 3 year degree programme.