Human Geography
Human geography is the branch of geography concerned with how people organise themselves in space, how places are made and transformed by human activity, and how the social, economic, and political forces that shape the world are unevenly distributed across it. It examines urbanisation and rural change, migration and diaspora, geographies of inequality and social justice, globalisation and local identities, environmental politics, and the ways in which landscape, place, and territory are experienced, contested, and represented. The discipline develops both qualitative and quantitative research skills alongside a critical engagement with contemporary social and political questions.
At Aberystwyth University, this four-year full-time programme with an integrated foundation year offers the opportunity to develop your geographical knowledge and skills from a strong foundation in one of the most beautiful and distinctive locations in Europe. The foundation year provides a supported introduction to human geography and to the academic skills required for success at degree level, making it accessible to students who want a structured preparation before entering the main programme. Aberystwyth's Department of Geography and Earth Sciences is one of the longest-established and most experienced in the UK, and the programme draws on that depth of expertise.
You will study the major themes of human geography, develop your skills in research methods, fieldwork, GIS, and spatial analysis, and engage critically with the big questions about how our world is changing.
Graduates from human geography programmes go on to careers in urban and regional planning, community development, environmental policy, international development, the civil service, research, education, and the voluntary sector. The combination of social science rigour and spatial thinking the degree develops is valued across many fields, and many graduates continue to postgraduate study in geography, planning, development studies, or related disciplines.