Geography (International Programme) BSc
London, Bloomsbury
Geography (International Programme) BSc (2024)
This programme combines physical and human geography initially, with opportunities for specialisation later and a third year spent abroad at a partner university. Those choosing the BSc have usually studied some science at A level or equivalent, but may transfer to the BA if their interests develop in this direction or (at the start of the first year) to BA Geography with Social Data Science if they have the right grades including A level Maths.
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
Programme starts
September 2023Application deadline
25 Jan 2023UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- AAA
- Subjects
- No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.
Contextual offer information
- Grades
- BCC more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- No specific subjects. At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.
- Points
- 38
- Subjects
- A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 30 more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no score below 5.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 33 credits at Distinction and 12 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units.
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAA.
AAA at Advanced Highers (or AA at Advanced Higher and AAA at Higher).
D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
International applications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
Access and widening participation
UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.
Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.
For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.
English language requirements
The English language level for this programme is: Level 2
-
Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Course overview
This programme offers the flexibility of our three year BSc programme with an additional year abroad studying at one of our international partner institutions.
The Geography BA and BSc share core elements at the start, providing you with a strong geographical foundation on which to build. After a first year where you must take modules in human and physical geography, though you will have some say in the balance of these elements, you will be able to choose from a wide range of options. You can specialise in one part of the discipline or maintain an interest in modules with interdisciplinary connections across the sciences and social sciences. And of course you get to live and study at another university somewhere else in the world.
What this course will give you
Spend your third year studying abroad. In 2020-21 our 27 partner universities included Waseda University (Tokyo), the University of British Colombia, University of Sydney, UCLA, the National University of Singapore, University of Helsinki, and Universitat de Barcelona.
At UCL Geography our teaching and research engages with the most pressing environmental and social problems of the day. Learning how to understand and respond to these challenges is more than an intellectual or practical exercise - it involves acting as global citizens, too.
Our core modules will train you how to think and write like a geographer, to design and conduct research, and provide other practical and project management skills. This training - and a year living and studying abroad - helps our students find work in the UK and around the world.
We offer a wide range of modules and BA Geography students can take any of these, including physical geography courses, if they meet the prerequisites. Our low staff-to-student ratio (Guardian University Guide 2022) encourages individual choice and personal supervision.
Teaching and learning
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Geography (International Programme).
Modules
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
-
In year one you take five compulsory modules - two on Thinking Geographically and two on Geography in the Field, plus Understanding Our Planet. You can then take three optional modules from the four we offer, or you can take two of those and one module from outside the Department.
To remain on the International Programme you must average a mark of 60% or more at the end of your first year.
In year two, one or two compulsory modules are supplemented by six or seven optional modules selected from a substantial pool, including field classes. We put a lot of emphasis on research design this year. You may begin to focus on topics such as development geography, environmental geography, urban geography, GIS and climate change. Students may take one module outside the Department.
You will spend your third year abroad at an approved university. Your dissertation is the main focus of year four, working with an academic supervisor to develop an original piece of research on a topic of your choice. In addition you take further optional modules, including one from outside Geography if you like.
Fieldwork throughout the programme can take place both in the UK and abroad, and it is possible to base your dissertation on an overseas project, including research conducted on your year abroad.
Optional modules
Optional modules
Your learning
Your timetable will include lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical classes and fieldwork. As you progress, the focus shifts to independent and critical learning, with student-led discussions and presentations becoming more important.
In the first year students will attend a week-long fieldclass (currently to Catalonia) with the whole cohort, and will also undertake fieldwork in London, as part of one of the compulsory modules. There are two second-year and three third-year fieldclasses, which are counted as optional modules. The destinations of these field classes are subject to change but have been in Europe in recent years.
We do not offer a placement as part of this programme.
Each student will engage in 1200 learning hours every year. Of this a first year will spend about 12% of their time in lectures, 4% in seminars or practicals, 3% on the field class and 2% in tutorials. The remainder will be spent in independent study, revision, etc. In subsequent years these figures may vary with student choice, as taking an optional field class will increase the number of contact hours. However estimates for this breakdown in the second and final year are 13% lectures, 3% seminars or practicals, and less than 1% tutorials. A field class makes up about 3% of the year's learning hours.
Assessment
First-year assessment combines independent coursework completed throughout the year with end of year written examinations. In years two and three, assessment varies - some modules combine written examinations with independent projects, while others are assessed entirely by independent projects or by written examination. Your dissertation carries significant weight in your final year.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.
The foundation of your career
Our geographers embark on many careers from teaching and research to commerce, planning and administration. The latest figures show the six most popular sectors for our graduates are: finance; policy and government; retail; publishing; hospitality and tourism; IT and technology.
Employability
Having developed skills from both the sciences and the humanities, UCL geographers are particularly adept at taking different perspectives on an issue or problem and at synthesizing materials and approaches. These skills make our graduates very attractive to employers.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | £9,250 |
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | £32,100 |
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2023/24 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2023/24 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/funding-your-studies.
Additional costs
This programme includes one compulsory field trip in the first year, two optional trips in the second year and three optional trips in the final year. We believe all of our students should be able to learn in the field, so UCL Geography covers all accommodation and flight costs for the first year field trip to Catalonia, as well as most of the food costs. We also currently make a significant contribution to the costs of second and third-year field trips, covering flights/some train travel and accommodation. The exact cost of each field trip will depend on the location and prevailing exchange rates, but it is estimated that students would need to contribute between £50 and £200 per field trip, depending on the destination. This estimate is based on the costs incurred by students on these trips in 2019. Note you would be spending money on food anyway! Further details are available on our website.
In addition, please note that if you wish to study abroad during your programme at UCL, this is likely to incur additional costs. Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.
A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding your studies
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Scholarships
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Next steps
Your application
We are looking for curious enthusiastic people to want to study geography. Evidence of this can be as simple as evidence of reading beyond your school or college textbooks..
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.
We are happy to consider applications for deferred entry, especially where interesting and productive plans are being made for the 'gap' year.
The Geography (International) BA and BSc degrees follow similar paths. Although it makes no difference to the module choices open to you, most applicants base their degree choice on the A level (or equivalent) subjects they have followed: BA if they have taken arts or social science, BSc for those with sciences. It is possible to transfer if your interest develops in a different direction.
Most students are invited to attend an open day once they have been made an offer. Our open days - in Bloomsbury or online - include talks from staff, question and answer sessions lead by our current students, and introductory masterclasses run by key members of staff. In Bloomsbury we also offer a short tour of UCL and a chance to meet and talk with representatives of all our different research groups.
Got questions? Get in touch
UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.