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Geography and Planning

My qualifications are from: United Kingdom.

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Get updates and register your interest in clearing 2023

Are you interested in applying for clearing?

When clearing opens, we may have a small number of places available for high-achieving students on some programmes. If places are available, we expect them to fill quickly. Get a head start and register for clearing notifications from the University of Liverpool.

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Apply for this course

The deadline for UK students to apply for this course for entry in 2023 was 25 January 2023.

The deadline for international students is 30 June 2023.

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Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) is a bachelor’s degree awarded for an undergraduate programme in the arts.

Course overview

Studying Geography and Planning will help you to look and think about the world differently. It offers a unique insight into how our towns, cities and rural areas develop, and how you can support these changes. Our Geography and Planning BA (Hons) programme blends the problem-solving nature of our planning degrees with an understanding of geographical concepts and processes that shape our knowledge of the world around us. With a pioneering approach to planning and regeneration, Liverpool is an ideal location to study how our world in changing.

Introduction

Our Geography and Planning BA programme draws equally from both disciplines, with some flexibility to enable the inclusion of optional sociology modules, offering an interdisciplinary and varied degree programme.

The programme provides you with knowledge of the challenges facing modern society, the means to interpret diverse phenomena, and an understanding of the conceptual and philosophical arguments surrounding human interactions with the environment.

Students are supported to acquire and enhance their oral, written, and visual communication skills and engage in group-based problem solving and practical work, gaining skills that are readily transferable to the workplace.

Residential field classes are an integral part of modules available in each year of study.

This course was designed as part of a suite of strongly-related programmes, and core modules in years one and two are shared between Planning programmes and Geography BA (Hons). This allows students to transfer between these courses in the first two years of study should their interests or career aspirations change.

A number of the School’s degree programmes involve laboratory and field work. Fieldwork is carried out in various locations, ranging from inner city to coastal and mountainous environments. We consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same basis as all other students, and reasonable adjustments will be considered to address barriers to access.

What you'll learn

  • World’s first planning school, founded in 1909
  • Accredited by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
  • Fieldwork opportunities internationally, and closer to home
  • Excellent employer links
  • Interdisciplinary courses maximise research links with the departments of Geography, Sociology, and Environmental Science
  • Award-winning learning environment.

Accreditation

Students studying Geography and Planning BA (Hons) can gain professional accreditation through the Institute of Environmental Assessment & Management. To qualify, students must select modules ENVS329 Environmental assessment of policies, plans, programmes, and projects and ENVS360 Environmental planning and management poject in their final year of study.

Accreditations in detail

Accreditations

Students studying Geography and Planning BA (Hons) can gain professional accreditation through the Institute of Environmental Assessment & Management. To qualify, students must select modules ENVS329 Environmental assessment of policies, plans, programmes, and projects and ENVS360 Environmental planning and management poject in their final year of study.

Course content

Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.

Year one

The first year of study introduces you to the foundations of both geography and planning, covering a number of key issues in geography including climate change, globalisation, and sustainability and the fundamental features of the UK planning system, and an awareness of the broad social, economic and environmental context in which contemporary planning issues arise. You will be supported to acquire and enhance your oral, written and visual communication skills and engage in group-based problem solving and practical work, gaining skills that are readily transferable to the workplace. A residential field class early in the first semester enables you to begin applying your learning to a real life setting straight away.

Compulsory modules

Contemporary Town Planning (ENVS152)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

The aim of this module is to extend your understanding of the form and operation of planning systems at the local level;
To provide practical experience of surveying, analysis and policy relevance for planning purposes;
To develop skills ingroup working, written and graphic presentation.

Human Geography Through Merseyside (ENVS162)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

The aim of the module is to introduce key areas of human geography through the lens of Liverpool and Merseyside. The module has a strong practical and field element and focuses on four aspects of the discipline: Population Geographies; Health and Economic Geographies; Social and Cultural Geographies; and Historical and Political Geographies. These aspects are explored through thematic blocks, each posing a research question about Liverpool and Merseyside. The module also aims to develop skills of data collection, analysis and interpretation and to enable you to link conceptual ideas with real word examples.​ ​

New Horizons in Human Geography (ENVS116)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

This module introduces new aspects of geographical thought to the First Year students which are unlikely to have been encountered via an A level geography syllabus. It also aims to enhance students’ understanding and awareness of complex global issues, focusing on two sub-disciplinary themes in human geography. Exact content will vary each year to reflect changes in the discipline, but broadly, one area will focus on understanding human population changes and geographical data (e.g. health or population geographies), whilst another will explore social, cultural and political approaches to geography (e.g. geopolitics, borders and nation-states).

Research Frontiers in Human Geography (ENVS161)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

Contemporary Human Geography is a diverse discipline which offers unique insights into many of the most pressing challenges facing the world in the 21st Century. Many of the issues that reach the headlines on a daily basis are inherently geographical and research within human geography makes important contributions to knowledge of a broad range of social, cultural, political, economic, environmental and development challenges. This module provides an introduction to cutting edge debates within contemporary human geography, highlighting the ways in which the discipline contributes to interdisciplinary knowledge production across the humanities and social sciences. Each week, module lectures will provide an introduction to a different sub-disciplinary field, which will be explored with the aid of specific worked examples which encourage students to apply the theoretical issues discussed to ‘real world’ issues. Assessment is by coursework (mid-term essay) and a written exam (end-of-term).

Urban and Environmental Economics (ENVS155)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

​The module prepares students with a grounding of contemporary planning issues as they pertain to urban and environmental economics.  The module is assessed by 50% coursework and 50% examination.

Town and Country Planning: An Introduction (ENVS110)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

Town and Country Planning: An Introduction provides an overview of the history of the town planning movement in Britain, an overview of the current workings of the planning system, and the practical applications of planning thinking.

Understanding Place (ENVS105)

Credits: 15 / Semester: whole session

This year-long module is delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars, practical exercises and tutorials. It provides students with the insight and skills to understand how places are planned through academic papers, policy reports and planning proposals. The module provides some of the core academic skills needed to write essays and reports for other modules. It also introduces the students to the documents used in planning practice. The module includes a field activity.

Optional modules

Community Planning (ENVS102)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

Planning is about providing good quality places for people to live in. This is an issue at different scales, from the global through the national to the local, and the community level. This module focuses on the latter; it investigates the factors which affect the quality of places at the neighbourhood scale and the role played by communities. The module features a mixture of interactive learning styles, including lectures, seminars and workshops. In the second half of the module, a real-life project is introduced, building on the skills developed in this and other modules.

Living with Environmental Change (ENVS119)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1

This module examines a number of global scale challenges facing humans on the planet earth related to climate and environmental change.

Global Challenges: Development, Inequality, Alternatives (ENVS144)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

This module has been crafted to appeal to students who would like to live in a better world and are interested in exploring and discussing critical approaches to inequality. It is designed to assist students in understanding the multiple and contested ways in which "global challenges" and "international development" are defined and studied. Indeed, a degree in either the environmental or social sciences is arguably incomplete if it has not paid critical attention to uneven processes of "development" over time and space, particularly if one is concerned with challenges related to global environmental change, inequality, and health. Similarly, a solid foundation in any field found within the environmental or social sciences must include a fulsome and nuanced analysis of the historical, political, and economic forces related to globalisation, not to mention be critically informed about what globalisation produces for differing communities, cultures, and ecosystems. This module provides precisely those two things: a comprehensive and critical understanding of challenges and inequalities related to "development" and the discourses surrounding it; and a breadth and depth of critical analyses related to the driving forces, processes, and products of globalisation. Students will also gain insight into how varying communities in different places are responding to development, globalisation, environmental injustices, and inequality through both resistance and building alternatives.

Ecology and Conservation (ENVS157)

Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 2

The zone of life on earth, or the ‘biosphere’, is a highly dynamic system responding to external pressures including changing human activities. The biosphere obeys a numbers of simple natural principles, but these often interact to create complex and sometimes unexpected responses. Using a wide range of examples we will explore these interactions between organisms and the environment. We will examine how species organise into communities, and how energy and other resources flow through ecosystems. We will explore how ecosystems respond to change, including gradual environmental shifts, sudden disturbance events and the effects of human activities. We will also learn how the key principles of ecology can be applied to conservation. We will assess the current state of the biosphere, and evaluate the major current threats. We will also look towards the future of ecosystems, including whether we can restore degraded habitats, and recreate “natural” landscapes.

Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.

Our curriculum

The Liverpool Curriculum framework sets out our distinctive approach to education. Our teaching staff support our students to develop academic knowledge, skills, and understanding alongside our graduate attributes:

  • Digital fluency
  • Confidence
  • Global citizenship

Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:

  • Research-connected teaching
  • Active learning
  • Authentic assessment

All this is underpinned by our core value of inclusivity and commitment to providing a curriculum that is accessible to all students.

Course options

Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.

Global Opportunities

University of Liverpool students can choose from an exciting range of study placements at partner universities worldwide. Choose to spend a year at XJTLU in China or a year or semester at an institution of your choice.

What's available on this course?

Year in China

Immerse yourself in Chinese culture on an optional additional year at Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University in stunning Suzhou.

  • Learn Chinese
  • Study in a bustling world heritage city
  • Improve employment prospects
  • Study Chinese culture
  • 30 minutes from Shanghai
  • Learn new skills

Read more about Year at XJTLU, China

Language study

Every student at The University of Liverpool can study a language as part of, or alongside their degree. You can choose:

  • A dedicated languages degree
  • A language as a joint or major/ minor degree
  • Language modules (selected degrees)
  • Language classes alongside your studies

Read more about studying a language

Your experience

The Department of Geography and Planning forms part of our School of Environmental Sciences and is based in the Roxby building. Teaching will take place here and in a number of other world-leading facilities that have benefitted from a £1.38million investment.

Virtual tour

Supporting your learning

From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:

Careers and employability

Our Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment accredited programme ensures that you are fully qualified to enter this dynamic profession on graduation. This interdisciplinary course has a strong vocational focus, preparing Liverpool graduates for a wide range of planning careers. We take the employability of our graduates seriously and have taken care to build into our degree programmes the development of transferrable skills as well as making sure our graduates develop the necessary professional skills to begin their careers.

90% of geography and planning students are in work and/or further study 15 months after graduation.

Discover Uni, 2018-19.

Our graduates are working in the UK and across the world in what is becoming an increasingly global profession. Many of our graduates have senior positions in private practice, central and local government, and academic institutions, and 11 former Presidents of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) were graduates from the Department.

Recent employers

  • Consultancy: Atkins, Arup, Indigo, Savills
  • Local Authority: Islington Borough Council, Lancashire County Council
  • Public bodies: Transport for London (TFL), Natural England, Environment Agency, National Parks Authorities
  • Non-governmental organisations: Liverpool Vision, Council for the Protection of Rural England, RSPB
  • Advocacy: Housing associations

Work experience opportunities

Students are provided with opportunities to engage and learn from practitioners. We make use of local and international expertise to lead project work and field trips in order to aid their career decision-making.

Postgraduate opportunities

We offer a range of postgraduate degrees, including our RTPI accredited Master of Civic Design and specialist postgraduate programmes including MSc Marine Planning and Management (RTPI accredited), MSc Environmental Assessment and Management (IEMA accredited), and MA Town and Regional Planning. Many of our postgraduate programmes can also be preparation for further PhD study.

Preparing you for future success

At Liverpool, our goal is to support you to build your intellectual, social, and cultural capital so that you graduate as a socially-conscious global citizen who is prepared for future success. We achieve this by:

  • Embedding employability within your , through the modules you take and the opportunities to gain real-world experience offered by many of our courses.
  • Providing you with opportunities to gain experience and develop connections with people and organisations, including student and graduate employers as well as our global alumni.
  • Providing you with the latest tools and skills to thrive in a competitive world, including access to Handshake, a platform which allows you to create your personalised job shortlist and apply with ease.
  • Supporting you through our peer-to-peer led Careers Studio, where our career coaches provide you with tailored advice and support.

Fees and funding

Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.

Tuition fees

UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)
Full-time place, per year £9,250
Year abroad fee £1,385
International fees
Full-time place, per year £23,100
Year abroad fee £11,550
Fees stated are for the 2023-24 academic year.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support. Learn more about tuition fees, funding and student finance.

Additional costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This may include a laptop, books, or stationery. Additional costs for this course could include field class and project costs.

Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this course.

Additional study costs

We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This may include a laptop, books, or stationery. Additional costs for this course could include field class and project costs.

Project/dissertation costs

The School of Environmental Sciences will provide a budget of up to £200 for field/lab-based projects. Desk-based projects receive no budget.

Field classes

Core costs for compulsory field classes are covered.

Year three optional field classes:

  • Option A: One-week residential field class in Europe (e.g. Paris). Students meet travel and subsistence costs
  • Option B: Two-week residential field class in China (Shanghai). Students meet full costs.

Find out more about additional study costs.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries to help cover tuition fees and help with living expenses while at university.

Scholarships and bursaries you can apply for from the United Kingdom

Entry requirements

The qualifications and exam results you'll need to apply for this course.

My qualifications are from: United Kingdom.

Your qualification Requirements

About our typical entry requirements

A levels

ABB

Applicants with the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) are eligible for a reduction in grade requirements. For this course, the offer is BBB with A in the EPQ.

You may automatically qualify for reduced entry requirements through our contextual offers scheme.

If you don't meet the entry requirements, you may be able to complete a foundation year which would allow you to progress to this course.

Available foundation years:

GCSE 4/C in English and 4/C in Mathematics
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma

D*DD in relevant diploma.

International Baccalaureate

33 with no score less than 4.

Irish Leaving Certificate H1, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3
Scottish Higher/Advanced Higher

ABB in Advanced Highers.

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced AB at A Level and B in Welsh Bacc.
Access Access - 45 Level 3 credits in graded units in a relevant Diploma, including 30 at Distinction and a further 15 with at least Merit.
International qualifications

Many countries have a different education system to that of the UK, meaning your qualifications may not meet our entry requirements. Completing your Foundation Certificate, such as that offered by the University of Liverpool International College, means you're guaranteed a place on your chosen course.

Contextual offers: reduced grade requirements

Based on your personal circumstances, you may automatically qualify for up to a two-grade reduction in the entry requirements needed for this course. When you apply, we consider a range of factors – such as where you live – to assess if you’re eligible for a grade reduction. You don’t have to make an application for a grade reduction – we’ll do all the work.

Find out more about how we make reduced grade offers.

About our entry requirements

Our entry requirements may change from time to time both according to national application trends and the availability of places at Liverpool for particular courses. We review our requirements before the start of the new UCAS cycle each year and publish any changes on our website so that applicants are aware of our typical entry requirements before they submit their application.

Recent changes to government policy which determine the number of students individual institutions may admit under the student number control also have a bearing on our entry requirements and acceptance levels, as this policy may result in us having fewer places than in previous years.

We believe in treating applicants as individuals, and in making offers that are appropriate to their personal circumstances and background. For this reason, we consider a range of factors in addition to predicted grades, widening participation factors amongst other evidence provided. Therefore the offer any individual applicant receives may differ slightly from the typical offer quoted in the prospectus and on the website.

Alternative entry requirements

Changes to Geography and Planning BA (Hons)

See what updates we've made to this course since it was published. We document changes to information such as course content, entry requirements and how you'll be taught.

7 June 2022: New course pages

New course pages launched.