Physical Geography
Physical geography is the scientific study of the Earth's surface, examining the processes that shape landscapes, influence climate, move water through hydrological cycles, govern the distribution of soils and ecosystems, and determine how human communities interact with and are vulnerable to natural environments. It is a discipline that ranges from the geological timescales of landform development to the immediate dynamics of weather systems and river floods, and one whose findings are directly relevant to the most pressing environmental challenges of our time: understanding and adapting to climate change, managing water resources, reducing flood and coastal risk, and protecting landscapes and biodiversity.
At the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, you will study Physical Geography over three years, full time, with a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities built into the programme. Fieldwork is central to physical geography, and the programme gives you substantial hands-on experience in natural environments alongside laboratory and computational work. You will develop skills in mapping and GIS, remote sensing, sediment and soil analysis, hydrological monitoring, and the statistical methods used to analyse environmental data.
The sandwich year and placements give you professional experience in environmental consultancy, conservation, government agencies, or research organisations, and the year abroad broadens your understanding of how different regions of the world experience and respond to environmental change.
Graduates of physical geography programmes work in environmental consultancy, local authorities, environmental agencies, national parks, the water industry, flood risk management, climate adaptation, and academic research. The combination of field skills, data analysis, and environmental science knowledge is highly relevant in a labour market increasingly oriented towards environmental management and sustainability. Further study options include postgraduate degrees in physical geography, environmental science, hydrology, climate science, and remote sensing.