Geography

Geography is a discipline of unusual breadth, spanning the physical sciences and the social sciences, the local and the global, the historical and the contemporary. It examines how the surface of the Earth has been shaped by geological, climatic and biological forces, how human societies have organised themselves in relation to place, landscape and resources, and how physical and human processes interact to produce the environments we inhabit. In an era of climate change, rapid urbanisation, migration and deepening inequality, geographers are among the most relevant thinkers in public and professional life.

At Birkbeck College, this full-time three-year BSc programme is taught by leading researchers and gives you the skills and knowledge to understand our changing physical and social environment in its full complexity. You will discover the connections between space, place, human culture and physical landscape, addressing issues such as climate change, the causes and consequences of inequality, and the challenges of living together in an increasingly urban world. The programme develops both quantitative and qualitative research methods, giving you the data skills to analyse environmental and social patterns alongside the interpretive capabilities to understand their meaning and significance.

Geography graduates are consistently valued by employers across an exceptionally wide range of sectors. Environmental consultancy, urban and regional planning, international development, conservation, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation are all fields where geographical expertise is directly applicable. Government agencies, think tanks, NGOs, the private sector and academic research all employ geographers in significant numbers.

The combination of analytical rigour, field skills and cross-disciplinary thinking that a geography degree develops makes its graduates genuinely versatile, and postgraduate study in geography, environmental science, urban planning or related fields is a natural next step for those who wish to specialise.