BSc (Hons) Human Geography

Why choose this course?

• We are ranked 14th for Geography and Environmental studies in the UK
• Pay no extra fees for our year one and two residential field trips
• Take part in staff research & help solve real world problems

You’re fascinated by the interactions of people and the environment. You’re interested in environments, migration, transport and geopolitics. The world faces many challenges, such as population growth, deprivation, urban sprawl and land conflicts. Join our Human Geography programme to learn how you can be a part of solving such issues.

We are perfectly located for the study of Human Geography; you’ll have urban, suburban and rural environments right on your doorstep. You’ll be close to the country’s first New Town and the world’s first Garden City. Using the rich history of the settlements and environments around us, you’ll learn from past events and be equipped with the skills and knowledge to improve our future.

We understand that Physical Geography and Environmental Management may also interest you. That’s why we’ve designed a flexible programme. At Herts, all our students share the same first year, so if you want to change direction you can. We believe in flexibility, so you can do what you love the most as you develop your interests with us.

Your world: a living laboratory   

We’re passionate about human geography and our mission is to inspire you. That’s why field trips have always been a major part of our curriculum. From the Lake District to Switzerland, we’ll give you every opportunity we can to experience human geography first-hand. The good news is that all field trips in your 1st and 2nd year are included in your tuition fees. Our students have explored many and varied locations; from those rich in history and heritage, to the hyper-modern mega-cities of today. Together we’ll cross rivers, borders, and communities to explore the complex geographical interactions between humans and their environment.

Want to find out more about transport geography too? You could take the opportunity to work with our local University bus company, UNO and other local transport providers and stakeholders. If you want to go further afield, we’ll give you opportunities to explore urban life, geopolitical conflicts, tourism and regeneration, immersing yourself in different cultures, customs, and communities, both in the UK and overseas. You’ll be enhancing your research and employability skills in the process.

 Become a technical specialist 

We train you in the skills you need to succeed and compete in the jobs market. For example, you can develop specialist skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to capture, visualise and analyse the spatial data around you. Our dedicated GIS suite has all the tech you need to bring your research to life. We’ll teach you the latest software to analyse geospatial data, using footage taken by our fleet of drones and data collected during your field trips. Your assignments will be enriched by dynamic research opportunities. When you graduate, your technical expertise will be sought after by employers. Plus, you’ll have a degree accredited by the Royal Geographical Society.

Join a rich learning community  

We’re incredibly proud of our close-knit learning community.  Right from the start, we’ll value you as a member of our student-staff family. We have an excellent staff to student ratio, which means we get to know you. We’ll get to understand how you learn best. We’ll tailor our teaching to your needs. We’ll work together to explore and discover. You’ll have the chance to join in with nights out and social events such as hill walking weekends, quiz evenings and bake offs! Take your passion to the next level in a supportive and friendly environment.

What’s the course about?

It’s an exciting time to study Human Geography at the University of Hertfordshire, as space and place has become locally, regionally, nationally, and supra-nationally contested throughout the world. You’ll investigate a range of fascinating topics, including population change and migration, geopolitical conflicts and issues, socio-spatial inequalities, and solutions to urban and rural challenges. 

You’ll learn from research and teaching staff who work on future mobilities and living labs. You’ll study migration pathways and gateway towns. Our staff are experts in fields such as demographics, marginalisation, planning and urbanism.  

You’ll investigate planned settlements, contested spaces and places, and consider the role that political and economic geography can play to help you understand society better.  

You’ll kick start your first year with a trip to the Lake District, learning how to think geographically and collect and analyse field data. You’ll learn about the approaches geographers take towards governing and planning human spaces. How do they manage conflict within these spaces? How do human geographers, environmentalists and physical geographers work together? You’ll enjoy a blend of all Geography pathways and explore how they interlink in everyday life.   

In your second year, you’ll take another trip, this time to Switzerland. Here you’ll explore their unique urban, rural and physical landscapes, from rivers and glaciers to settlements and alpine communities. You’ll explore exclusion and marginalisation from a uniquely European perspective. And of course, as the world continues to digitalise, so do geographers. You’ll enhance your cartographical and GIS skills to visualise data and learn to generate maps. 

Between your second and final year, you can add an optional year to study abroad or do a work placement, or you can continue directly into your final year. You could gain work experience to enhance your CV and improve your chance of a better degree classification. Or you can spend a year abroad at one of our partner universities around the world, gaining international experience, invaluable as you prepare to enter the global economy upon graduation. Recent year abroad locations include  Canada, USA, Hawaii, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.   

In your final year, you’ll follow your passion. You’ll explore what matters to you.  Immerse yourself in a project of your choosing. You could focus on the history of state formation and border disputes in a particular region. Or maybe you have an interest in urban regeneration and its link to crime. This is your chance to undertake your own research to investigate and critically engage with the world around you.   

What will I study?

Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5 and 6. These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study.  Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each. 

 

Fees 2022

International Students

Full time

• £14000 for the 2022/2023 academic year

Part time

• £1750 per 15 credits for the 2022/2023 academic year

This course offers fantastic opportunities for field work which gives students the chance to study human, environmental and physical interactions in both UK and International settings. All first and second year residential field trip costs are covered by your fees.

There is one optional choice of a field to Southern Spain in final year that will cost approximately £400 and cover international travel costs, bed and breakfast. This trip is heavily subsidised by the University.

*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

 

Entry requirements

Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics

All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.

If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.

 

Deadlines

15 January