BA Geography

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BA Geography allows you to study the interaction between people and their environment - exploring the diverse cultural, economic, urban, and political dimensions of current global challenges.

Here at The University of Manchester, we've been teaching Geography for more than 125 years - after all, where better to study the subject than this rapidly changing metropolis, with its surrounding national parks and stretching coastlines?

The wide range of teaching and research interests of our academics - who have an impressive international research reputation - will make it easy for you to be flexible about what, and how, you learn.

This allows you the maximum choice to tailor your studies to suit your interests.

Our flexible programme allows you to study both human and physical geography, and later you have the opportunity to specialise in BA, BSc or continue with both.

You don't need to apply to both courses either - apply for just one via UCAS, and you'll be allowed to switch after beginning your course.

Flexible options

At first and second-year level you can take 'free choice' from degree courses across the University, including taking course units from UCIL.

There is also the opportunity to transfer from this course to one of the four-year Geography courses `with Professional Placement' or `with International study' at the start of second year.

Transfers require a first-year average of at least 60% and the application process is competitive.

Stellify award

Use your Geography experience to underpin the prestigious University of Manchester Stellify award.

Employability support

Throughout our courses, we offer employability support in conjunction with the Careers Service and our alumni.

On the BA Geography with Professional Placement, your employability will be boosted by undertaking a paid placement, normally in your third year before completing the final year of your degree.

Placements offer an excellent opportunity for you to gain work experience and valuable skills to boost your CV before you graduate.

Fieldwork

Learning in the field underpins and enhances the theoretical knowledge and ideas introduced and developed in lectures, seminars and through your reading.

Fieldwork is often the highlight of the degree for many of our students, where it fosters a curiosity for the world, as well as offering the chance to develop observation and measurement skills. There are fascinating fieldwork destinations on our doorstep, but we also explore the interactions between social, physical and environmental processes further afield.

As such, the course has normally included a number of local one-day field visits as well as a residential fieldtrip further from Manchester. Past locations for the residential fieldwork have included Crete, Spain, Amsterdam, Morocco, Prague, and Copenhagen.

There is no additional charge for any of these field visits – the costs are included in your tuition fees.

Pre-course fieldtrip

Our pre-course field trip for new geography students is a tradition amongst Manchester geographers. The trip usually takes place in Keswick in the Lake District, over three days in the week before Welcome Week in September.

The trip offers a valuable opportunity for you to get to know your new course mates and some of the staff who you will be teaching you over your three years in Manchester, as well as pick up and refine some of your fieldwork skills.

Manchester University Geographical Society (MUGS)

You can also join the Manchester University Geographical Society (MUGS), a society run by Geography students for Geography Students.

Important notice: factors affecting fieldwork and placements

The School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) recognises the value of fieldwork and placements. However, the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remains our priority.

The School will assess on a regular basis the viability of any travel and fieldwork and communicate any significant changes to our students at the earliest possible opportunity.

The role of SEED

• changes to the rules and guidance on travel and activities implemented and published by the UK and overseas governments;
• a risk assessment conducted by or on behalf of the University identifying unmanageable risk;
• changes that enhance the educational value and student experience of the activity;
• changes to the situation of a placement provider (for example, which cause them to be unable to accept students);
• the unavailability of appropriate insurance cover;
• the unavailability of appropriate travel and accommodation and any significant changes to their financial costs;
• where fieldwork and placements are a compulsory element of the Programme, they will be replaced with something academically similar;
• where a trip or placement is not a compulsory element of the Programme, it may not be replaced.

We will consult with affected students at the earliest possible opportunity and explore the options available to them.

The duty of students

Preparation, attendance and conduct

Attendance at preparatory classes is a compulsory pre-requisite of the fieldwork and placements to ensure safety and learning outcomes are met.

Students who do not attend the compulsory preparatory classes may be prevented from participating in the fieldwork or placement. It is the duty of students to discuss any attendance issues with the field course or placement convenor.

Students are representatives of the university during their fieldwork or placement.

Behaviour deemed by the convenor to be unacceptable may result in students being sent home.

Where a student is unable to attend or complete the fieldwork or placement (e.g. due to mitigating circumstances), is prevented from attending due to absence from compulsory preparatory classes, or returned home due to poor conduct:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered (as appropriate) to ensure that the programme ILOs are met, and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

Immigration, passport and visa requirements

It is the responsibility of the individual student to ensure they have:

• a valid passport to enter the destination country (including sufficient months prior to expiry);
• a valid visa (where required) and comply with its requirements.

The School cannot guarantee that visas required for fieldwork or a placement will be granted by the relevant authority. Please note that countries may change their immigration and visa regulations at short notice.

Where a student is unable to attend fieldwork or a placement because they do not have the required visa or passport:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered to ensure that the programme ILOs are met and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

We're one of Europe's best-equipped universities for geography, with excellent library, cartography, computing, and laboratory facilities.  

You can learn professional computer-based skills such as coding and programming - as well as how to use industry-standard software such as image processing, GIS, GPS, and cartographic representation - in our computer labs. 

The University's Main Library is the largest university library system in the UK (apart from the copyright libraries) and has many different working spaces.  

It is home to the University Map Collection, which comprises about 100,000 map sheets of every part of the world. 

Depending on your interests you may also take advantage of our excellent physical geography labs, which offer a wide spectrum of advanced equipment for environmental analyses, including dedicated sediments, microscopy, spectroscopy, and X-ray facilities. 

See facilities  for more information.

Our geography graduates have excellent employment prospects. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in areas including:

• environmental management;
• planning;
• business development;
• education;
• consulting;
• marketing, media and communications;
• project management;
• research.

Top employers of our geography graduates include Accenture, HSBC, Manchester City Council, Network Rail, PwC, Sky, the BBC, and the Environment Agency.

Our employability support and events ensure you will leave us as a highly employable individual, by developing your expertise in teamwork, communication, research, data analysis, problem solving, and time management.

You will also gain subject-specific skills such as working with spatial data (GIS), working with archives, undertaking interviews, and a suite of field and laboratory analyses; invaluable skills if you choose to pursue a career directly related to your degree.

In addition, you will benefit from the attention of an academic member of staff who will focus on enhancing your employability through the curriculum, volunteering and internships.

For more information, see Careers and employability .

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.

At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .