Physical Geography BSc (Hons)

Teaching

All modules within the BSc Physical Geography programme aim to encourage learners to engage in discussion of key issues and application of key concepts. Students are taught through a combination of fieldwork, seminars, presentations, tutorials, laboratory work, project work, and online activities.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 4 occasions in the first year, and three occasions in the second and third year of the course. You have an opportunity to meet with your personal academic tutor on more occasions if you wish. A key aim of the academic tutorial programme is to provide you with support for your academic studies.

In the second semester in the second year of your course, you have an option to study abroad for a semester at a university either in Europe or in an international location. Previous students have studies abroad for one semester at an American, Canadian, Australian and Spanish university. Other destinations are also available.

During your course, you will have access to a wide range of specialist resources, including a fully equipped GIS Mapping and Visualization Suite, which provides access to high-end computers, industry standard GIS (ArcGIS), statistical analysis software, and other mapping and remote sensing software.

You will also have access to a variety of field equipment, including a Teledyne StreamPro Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, a 2D Flow Tracker, Valeport Electromagnetic current meters for measuring velocity, and YSI multi-parameter water quality probes. In addition, the Geography department has laboratories for teaching and research, and industry-standard design software to prepare you for future employment.

Contact time

In a typical week, you will have approximately 12-16 contact hours of teaching. The exact contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected. In the final year, you will normally have slightly less contact time in order carry out more independent study. The type of teaching activities varies per module, but an example of teaching activities for a first year module for one semester are:

• 20 hours of (large group) lectures
• 8 hours of interactive workshops
• 8 hours of computer practicals
• 4 hours of supervised laboratory practical
• 4 hours of fieldwork activities
• 4 hours of seminars

Independent self-study

In addition to the 12-16 hours of contact time, you are expected to undertake approximately 21-25 hours of personal self-study per week respectively. Typically, this will involve visiting the library and carrying out recommended reading, planning and writing assignments, and undertaking group work.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes professors in human and physical geography, senior academics with industry experience, demonstrators and technicians. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and a very high percentage (85+%) of course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or 'formative' assignments. Each module has one or more formal or 'summative' assessments, which are graded and count towards the overall module grade.

Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, written assignments (including consultancy reports and planning statements), journals, practical investigations, practical reports, portfolios, individual and groups presentations, posters, and a final year independent studies project.

The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken. You will not be expected to complete all assignments list below (i.e. the exact pattern of assignments depends on your optional modules); however, a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:

Year 1
2 essays
1 written assignment
2 practical investigations
1 individual or group presentation
1 formal examination of 2 hours duration
3 practical reports

Year 2
4 essays
1 written assignment
1 individual or group presentations
3 practical reports
1 research proposal

Year 3
2 essays
2 practical assessments
1 written assignment
1 practical investigation
2 individual or group presentations
3 projects
3 practical reports
1 independent study of approximately 10,000 words

Feedback

You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is available upon request from the module leader. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.