Physical Geography

Physical geography examines the natural processes that shape the surface of the Earth and the environments in which life takes place. It is a discipline of remarkable breadth and scale, engaging with topics that range from the top of the atmosphere to the ocean floor, from the geological timescales of glaciation and erosion to the real-time dynamics of weather systems and river floods. Physical geographers study how landscapes are formed and changed, how climate systems operate, how soils and ecosystems develop, and how human activity is modifying the physical systems on which all life depends.

At the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, this four-year full-time extended degree is a specialised course that focuses on the physical sciences and how they apply to the environments around us. The extended structure provides additional time for academic development before the full demands of an honours degree, and incorporates a sandwich year that provides extended professional experience, a year abroad that extends your exposure to different physical environments and scientific traditions, and a work placement that gives you further hands-on professional exposure. A typical entry tariff of 120 points makes the programme accessible to students from a range of scientific backgrounds.

You will develop skills in field survey and measurement, remote sensing and GIS, laboratory analysis and quantitative data interpretation, alongside a theoretical understanding of the physical processes that underlie the phenomena you observe and measure. The combination of scientific rigour and practical field competence is central to what physical geography training provides.

Graduates pursue careers in environmental consultancy, hydrological and geomorphological survey, climate and weather services, conservation, land management, planning, natural hazard assessment, flood risk management and international development. The quantitative and analytical skills developed through physical geography are also valued in the water industry, renewable energy sector and government environmental agencies. Postgraduate study in physical geography, environmental science or hydrology is a natural route for those who wish to specialise or pursue research.