UCAS code F800
Geography offers unique insights into many of the most pressing issues facing the world in the 21st century, such as climate change, living with environmental change, sustainability, hazards, pollution, and natural resource management. Our Geography BSc (Hons) course helps you develop expert knowledge and skills to interrogate the range of different approaches to, and perspectives on, these issues, as well as the ability to understand how they interact.
The University of Liverpool is home to one of the longest established Geography departments in the world, with courses on offer since 1886. Our expertise in physical geography spans climate change (past, present and future), rivers and flooding, glaciology and ice sheets, coastal dynamics and management, vegetation change, sustainability, natural hazards and living with environmental change.
The Geography BSc (Hons) programme explores important questions about whether our planet’s natural resources can sustain an increasing population, how physical earth systems respond to human activity and changing climate, how we manage our resources, and how we live with environmental change. If you are passionate about environmental issues and addressing problems on a local and global scale, this is the programme for you.
Many people who take the Geography BSc (Hons) programme choose physical geography modules, which are more scientifically based. However, the full range of human geography modules is also open to you and the flexibility of the degree allows you to shape your own programme of study. This means that you can either specialise in physical geography or study both physical and human geography as part of a BSc degree.
You can also take up to two 15 credit modules per year from other subjects so you can maintain an interest in another discipline as part of your BSc Geography degree. We will guide you in your module choice to ensure that you choose modules that complement each other and follow a pathway that will help you to gain skills and knowledge relevant to your future career.
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.
This programme is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is the UK's learned society and professional body for geography.
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
In order to give a strong foundation to your degree, all students take core modules in year one, which introduce you to the breadth of the subject and give you a grounding in the key concepts and skills which are integral to the rest of the course. You then get a choice of optional modules from within physical or human geography, or from other disciplines including geology, oceanography, ecology, earth sciences, life sciences, modern languages, sociology, psychology, and planning amongst many others.
Students will take the following compulsory modules and select from the optional modules detailed below.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are currently reviewing all of our programmes. This may include refining study pathways, strengthening links with employers, integrating generative AI, developing students’ research skills, and enhancing alignment with our research strengths. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. This page will be updated for students beginning in September 2027 by 1 September 2026 at the latest.
In year two, skills development is a central part of the course, including a week-long field class to Lorca, Spain. You can then choose additional modules from a range of physical geography specialisms, including Climatology, Catchment hydrology, Geomorphology: ice, sea and air, and Soils, slopes and the environment, along with human geography modules and those from other disciplines.
Students will take the following compulsory modules and select from the optional modules detailed below.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY FIELDWORK COURSE (ENVS228) | 15 |
| PRINCIPLES AND THEORY IN GEOGRAPHY (ENVS249) | 15 |
| RESEARCH SKILLS AND EMPLOYABILITY (ENVS203) | 15 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are currently reviewing all of our programmes. This may include refining study pathways, strengthening links with employers, integrating generative AI, developing students’ research skills, and enhancing alignment with our research strengths. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. This page will be updated for students beginning in September 2027 by 1 September 2026 at the latest.
In year three, you will complete a dissertation, which brings together the skills and techniques you have learned in the degree to produce an independent piece of academic research. There are also opportunities for overseas field study.
Students will select compulsory dissertation or work-based dissertation modules (30 credits) in addition to six (four if taking the optional field class module) of the optional modules detailed below.
| Compulsory modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| DISSERTATION (GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE) (ENVS321) | 30 |
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are currently reviewing all of our programmes. This may include refining study pathways, strengthening links with employers, integrating generative AI, developing students’ research skills, and enhancing alignment with our research strengths. The course content currently shown on this page reflects the programme as it is running in September 2026. This page will be updated for students beginning in September 2027 by 1 September 2026 at the latest.
To help you meet the intellectual and practical challenges of studying Geography, our programmes are taught using a student centred approach, involving a range of learning experiences. These include:
A number of the School’s degree programmes involve laboratory and fieldwork. The fieldwork is carried out in various locations, ranging from inner city to coastal and mountainous environments. We consider applications from prospective students with disabilities on the same basis as all other students, and reasonable adjustments will be considered to address barriers to access.
Assessments are designed around developing skills and styles of communication that will be relevant to future employers. So, in addition to exams and essays, you will also undertake assessments that include computer-based exercises, oral presentations, policy briefs, field projects, and research reports. Single Honours Geography students complete a compulsory 10,000-word dissertation in their final year on a topic of their choice. This is your opportunity to develop skills as an independent academic researcher, supported on a one-to-one basis by an expert in the field.
At Liverpool, we take a distinctive approach to education through the Liverpool Learning Framework. This means teaching that is engaging, inclusive and designed to help you succeed during your studies and beyond.
You’ll develop specialist subject knowledge alongside the skills employers value most, including:
Our curriculum is characterised by the three Liverpool Hallmarks:
We also embed key priorities across our curriculum, including AI literacy, employability, and sustainability, helping you prepare for the future and make a positive impact in the world.
We’re committed to creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive.
Studying with us means you can tailor your degree to suit you. Here's what is available on this course.
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.
Immerse yourself in Chinese culture on an optional additional year at Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University in stunning Suzhou.
Broaden your world by spending an additional year of study at a partner university abroad following your second year of study.
Take a semester of your second year of study at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Spend a summer abroad on a study placement or research project at one of our worldwide partner institutions.
Year in industry placements give you an in-depth workplace experience where you can develop your skills and apply your learning.
You don't need to decide now - you can choose to add a year in industry after you've begun your degree.
To spend a year in industry, you'll need to secure a placement with an organisation. If you're unable to find a placement, you'll continue with the standard version of the course without a year in industry.
Every student at The University of Liverpool can study a language as part of, or alongside their degree. You can choose:
Day-to-day teaching takes place in the Central Teaching Laboratory (CTL) and Roxby Building. The CTL houses industry-standard equipment, including one of the few staffed map collections in the country, containing over 100,000 maps, 600 atlases, and access to digital data. Your course will be delivered by the Department of Geography and Planning.
From arrival to alumni, we’re with you all the way:
Geography is one of the few subjects where you can develop an understanding of contemporary social science alongside cutting-edge natural science. Particularly in third year, there are elective modules with a very broad spectrum that will satisfy your intellectual intrigue.
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Geography is a subject that bridges the social and physical sciences. Those studying geography develop transferable knowledge and skills which open up a wide range of career opportunities.
By the time you graduate you will have developed core research skills in human geography, including surveying, interviewing and innovative community liaison techniques stand students in good stead for a range of employment destinations.
You can explore the following work experience opportunities:
Students can also continue their studies at postgraduate level and PhD study with opportunities to apply for funding from a range of organisations, including the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) and NERC (Natural Environment Research Council). Geography is a subject that bridges the social and physical sciences. Those studying geography develop transferable knowledge and skills which open up a wide range of career opportunities.
Students may choose a work-based project that combines their final-year independent research project with relevant work experience or an internship.
A Year in Industry is also available, allowing students to gain valuable professional experience and apply academic knowledge in a real-world setting between their second and final year of study.