BSc (Hons)
Environmental Geography
Undertake fieldwork locally and overseas
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Global warming, sea level rise, fuel crises, globalisation, poverty, resource depletion and security fears – all are major concerns for the twenty-first century.
On this course you will study these environmental issues alongside developing the key geographical skills needed to identify, monitor and analyse the underlying physical causes.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Get the chance to study sustainable urban living in Barcelona
- Visit small islands in Malta to learn about their environmental conservation and management
- Join staff in their field research with recent expeditions including Indonesia, Arctic Finland, Iceland and the Rockies in the USA
What opportunities might it lead to?
The wellbeing of our global environmental systems and the local environments in which we live and work are a central and major concern for present and future generations. This means that employment related to the environmental sector has grown enormously in recent years.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- environmental consultancies
- geographical information science specialists
- working for the Environmental Agency
- working for the Ordnance Survey
I am in the process of joining the Royal Navy as a warfare officer. Geography has helped me greatly with this, as I now have a better understanding of the world and where I may go in the future.
Ashley Purchase, geography student 2013
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- F810
- Duration
- 3 years full time
- Entry
280 points to include 160 points from A Levels or equivalent.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
International full-time students: £10,500 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- sci.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 5550 - Department
- Department of Geography
Subject:
Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Fieldtrips in the UK and abroad providing invaluable practical skills
- The open-door approach of the lecturers, many of whom have industry experience
- Superb careers advice and support that is part of your course
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
In the first year of your studies, you will be introduced to a wide range of environmental topics and issues. You’ll also cover the key elements of environmental geography.
Core units in this year include:
- Environmental Geography Fieldwork
- Geographical Data Analysis
- Population Resources and the Environment
- Global Environmental Management
- Introduction to Environmental Thought
- Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Portsmouth: Its History and Regions
- Cities of the World
- Foundations in Human Geography
- Applied physical geography units
Year two
The second year allows you to focus upon particular areas of interest as topics become more specialised.
Core units in this year include:
- Environmental Monitoring
- Research Methods
- Sustainable Environmental Management
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Environmental Hazards
- Environmental History
- Geographies of Development
- Changing Cities
- Spatial Data Acquisition
- Fluvial or Coastal Studies
- Introduction to Soils, Ecology and Biogeography
Year three
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Applied Fluvial Studies
- Rural Geography
- Applied Coastal Geomorphology
- Quaternary Environmental Change and Reconstruction
- Gender and Development
- Cultural Geography
- Sustainable Urban Living
Teaching and Assessment
Throughout your time with us, we provide you with the support, enthusiasm and encouragement that you will need to reach your goals. You’ll be taught via a balanced structure of lectures, student-centred seminars, one-to-one tutorials and workshops.
How are you assessed?
Assessment is a mix of coursework and exams, roughly 50:50. However, your coursework can take a variety of forms including:
- contributions to electronic discussion forums
- web page design
- posters
- projects
- presentations
- portfolios
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
Specialist Software and Equipment
You'll have access to the latest specialist software and equipment
Field Trips
Fieldwork is an important part of our courses
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information
Specialist Software and Equipment
We offer fully equipped physical geography, GIS and photogrammetry labs. Brimming with ultra-modern equipment, you’ll have access to our facilities for project work and interpreting field data. Here’s a taste of what is available to you:
- laser survey technology
- photogrammetry equipment
- an environmental simulation cabinet
- natural waters and materials testing equipment
Field Trips
Fieldwork is an important part of our courses. From looking at sustainable tourism to natural resource use and heritage conservation, some of our previous trips have included:
- Malta
- Cyprus
- Iceland
- Zanzibar
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
This course’s combination of practical and theoretical learning will leave you highly qualified for any environment-related career. Increasingly, specialist agencies such as the Environment Agency, survey and mapping companies, local authorities and environmental and economic development consultancies are seeking the skills and abilities that geographers possess.
The communication, numeric and IT skills you will gain also make you a good candidate for business, commerce or education-oriented careers. Alternatively, a significant proportion of graduates choose go on to postgraduate study.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- geographical information scientist
- environmental consultant
- spatial analyst
- coastal process scientist
- urban planner
- transport planner
Work experience
As well as the many fieldtrips embedded throughout the course, we have exchange links with a number of universities in Europe and beyond, so you can take up the opportunity to study abroad for a few months. Current links include the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain), Universite du Havre, (Le Havre, France) and Adam Mickiewicz University (Poznan, Poland).
Not only will it be a fun and challenging experience, but you will also develop language skills, adaptability, resilience and the ability to communicate with a range of people. These qualities will undoubtedly set you apart to future employers.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more