GEG-30051 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

Cannot be take in combination with ESC-30142.

Description for 2026/27

This field course gives you the opportunity to put your learning into practice in an unfamiliar setting. Through hands-on fieldwork, you can investigate topics such as climate adaptation and mitigation, flooding, geotourism and the tourist gaze, identity, sense of place and cultural landscapes. Field activities may include qualitative data collection such as ethnographic observations and photography, and/or, quantitative techniques such as water sampling, geomorphology and environmental analysis. You will also be encouraged to engage in mapping and field sketching methods. This immersive experience enhances your understanding of geographical concepts and methodologies while fostering independent problem-solving skills in a new environment.

1. To further develop the independent fieldwork skills of students by extending the repertoire of geographical and spatial skills and expertise that have previously been gained by students at level 5.
2. To expose students to a wider range of methods and techniques of relevance to conducting geographical research and in the context of a different physical, socio-economic, cultural and political environment.
3. To highlight the importance of the ‘positionality’ of the researcher, and the need for flexibility and adaptability to secure research goals.
4. To explore, collate and present the results of a defined research topic in the field.

Intended Learning Outcomes

identify and apply a range of appropriate research strategies, methods and techniques of relevance to a range of geographical phenomena: 1,2
integrate information from primary (e.g. fieldwork) and secondary (e.g. literature) data sources to develop new insights into a number of key geographical themes: 1,2
work independently to conduct geographical research in an unfamiliar environment, including collection and analysis of data: 2
reflect on the importance of the ‘positionality’ of the researcher, and conduct research in such a way that acknowledges differences in perspective based on socio-cultural characteristics: 1
read and synthesize existing knowledge on a topic of relevance to the field site and students' disciplinary backgrounds: 1,2

Study hours

Active learning hours:
8 hours of taught workshops prior to the field course
32 hours (4 days * 8 hours) residential field course
Independent learning hours:
20 hours preparation and reading for workshops prior to field course
40 hours reading and researching ideas for independent research proposal
30 independent study preparing final research proposal assessment
20 hours on data analysis and preparing final research poster assessment

School Rules

Student numbers on this module are necessarily capped at 20 students for logistic reasons. In the event that the module is oversubscribed, selection criteria will be based on the overall average marks attained to date. A minimum 10 students are required for the module to run. Students must fund their travel to and from the field course location.

Description of Module Assessment