Physical Geography

Course overview

During your studies in Physical Geography, we take an interdisciplinary perspective that will allow you to embed influences from fields such as geology, environmental science and life sciences into your studies.

Key facts

Study abroad Learn a language International year Fees and finance Placement year Foundation year

Detailed course information

Year One

In the first year you will take a set of core modules to give you a sound introduction to your particular degree path. Some of these modules are shared between the different Geography, Human Geography and Physical Geography degree routes, which you can select as you progress through the course.

First year modules help you to make the transition into Geography at university and will provide a firm grounding in geography by developing geographical skills and knowledge.

As well as having a University “Personal Tutor” to help you throughout the year you will also be allocated an individual Geography tutor who will help you with your work. The courses have small-group tutorials throughout the year as well as practical classes, fieldwork and lectures.

Year Two

In the second year you will take some core modules to develop your skills and knowledge within your chosen degree course and you will also be given flexibility to choose optional pathways within modules based on your particular interests.

For example, within the ‘Dynamic Geographies’ module we offer a range of different units covering different aspects of Geography, and students take those units most appropriate to them in the context of their degree pathway. Similarly within the Geographical Research Training module we offer field courses to a variety of overseas locations and you will be invited to choose the destination that you prefer. The second year focuses on developing more advanced geographical skills and understanding, and gives particular importance to the development of independent research skills.

Year Three

In the third year you have flexibility to choose your preferred options from the modules that we offer. Most students complete an independent study project and a set of optional topic modules. The independent project can be either small or large, depending on your preference and interests, and you have a wide range of option modules both from within Geography or from Keele’s wide range of freestanding electives.

Your third year is an opportunity to focus on areas of the subject that you enjoy most or that you think will be most useful to your future career. At this stage you will have developed desirable employability skills and sound subject knowledge that will enable you tackle real-world problems and questions. Your third year modules will make up about two thirds of the marks for your final degree. There are no compulsory core
modules at this level.

The cost for all of the field course options for each degree will be at least partially subsidised.

Career prospects

96% of Keele graduates were in a job or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE, 2017)

Physical Geography graduates are highly employable, and your degree from Keele will equip you well for future employment or advanced study. What you study here could take you straight into directly related careers such as environmental planning or consultancy, or you could apply them in industries such as energy, agriculture, meteorology or construction. Your expertise in environmental processes and spatial organisation will be useful in management, logistics, and planning. Your problem-solving skills and global, interdisciplinary approach will be of value in a huge range of careers. You will develop specialist skills, such as the ability to analyse spatial data using industry standard GIS software, that are in high demand from government, environmental agencies, insurance companies and property developers. Previous graduates now hold many senior positions in a wide range of academic, government and industrial posts.

Recent employers

Base Energy Services Ltd
British Army
GB Geotechnics Limited
RSK

Jobs that a graduate of this course could go on to do:

Cartographer
Environmental Consultant
Geographical Information Systems Officer
Planning and Development Surveyor
Meteorologist
Waste Management Officer
Minerals Surveyor
Geography Teacher
Market Researcher
Transport Planner
International Development Worker
Systems Developer

Regardless of which career you pursue after Keele, employers will want evidence of the range of skills and personal qualities you possess and which are required for the job. Your degree is clearly important in this respect but don’t forget the extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility, jobs and voluntary work you may have been engaged in while studying at Keele. These activities allow you to demonstrate the skills and personal qualities required by employers and will be vital in your attempts to secure graduate employment.

It is estimated that 60% of jobs are open to graduates of any discipline. This demonstrates the flexibility of many graduate employers when setting out their academic requirements and that students are not necessarily restricted to careers related to their degree.

Find out more about our careers and employability services, including career planning, alumni mentoring, jobs, internships, starting your own business and much more.

Field trips

Field work is an important part of Geography, and it is an important part of the Geography degrees at Keele. We are lucky to have local field work opportunities on our doorstep with a fabulous rural campus of our own and a lot of interesting local geography. Our courses take advantage of this excellent geographical setting, as well as giving you the opportunity to expand your horizons globally with our international field courses.

During your first year you will do field work on campus and in the surrounding regions. The destinations will depend on your chosen course but may include trips to the Peak District, to the coast, to nearby towns and rural areas, or to visitor attractions such as the nearby Monkey Forest! These trips will help you to discover and explore some particular locations, and will help you to put into practice some of the skills that you learn in practical classes and to see some geographical theory in action.

During your second year you will go on a residential field course further afield. Typically we run courses to Spain, Iceland and Singapore, and you will choose a destination appropriate to your modules and degree pathway. The destinations vary from time to time, but students focusing on human geography topics within their degree have visited Barcelona or Singapore, while students with a more physical geography focus have travelled to Almeria or Iceland.

We offer our first year local field trips at no cost, and there is a no-cost option (typically Almeria or Barcelona) for the second year trips for all the degree routes. Other trips that students may choose (typically Iceland or Singapore) are partially subsidised by the University, with students make some contribution to the cost. For many students, the second year field courses are a real highlight of their course, combining great learning opportunities and fascinating destinations.

For many years, students from the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment have chosen to follow our integrated field course programme with a free field course pathway to develop and practise practical skills in an array of breath-taking locations throughout the world. Watch our fieldwork video for just some of the past highlights of our field courses. The fieldtrips featured are from across the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment and may not be available for all course routes.