Why study this course with LJMU?
- Field trips to Greece, the Lake District, North Wales and the North West coast included in fees*
- Additional opportunities for overseas field trips to places such as Iceland*
- Focus on practical and field based learning activities so students develop applied skills and graduate work ready
- Access to brand new, state-of-the-art Geographical Information Systems and analytical equipment
- Regular extra curricular employability events, giving students the opportunity to network with high profile companies
- Options to undertake work placements of 4-6 weeks and/or 12 months
- Options to study abroad for part of the degree with support from schemes such as the Go Global Fund and Erasmus+
- 100% of students surveyed said teaching staff were good at explaining things (NSS 2024)
About your course
Exploring the way in which our physical environment develops and how humans affect natural processes and interact within the world form the basis of the BSc (Hons) Geography with Foundation Year. This vocational programme offers plenty of opportunities to apply your knowledge in practical contexts.
About the Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is ideal if you have the ability to study for a degree but don't have the qualifications to enter directly onto the Geography honours degree programme. Once you pass the Foundation Year you will progress directly onto the first year of the honours degree. If you are a full-time UK student, you will qualify for student financial support for the full duration of your course (subject to eligibility criteria).
About BSc (Hons) Geography
The degree offers you opportunities for overseas fieldwork, currently including a core Level 5 trip to Greece to study a range of environments impacted by development and tourism and subject to a variety of natural hazards. In Level 6 we also run optional field trips in tectonically active, volcanic or glacial environments (current destination is Iceland) to study topics such as climate change, geohazards, landscape development, environmental change and sustainability.
Not only are these field trips an important aspect of the study of geography, they are also, unsurprisingly, a highlight of the programme for our students. All day and residential field trips for core modules are funded by the University. The Level 6 expedition is optional and self-funding is required.*
As well as studying a range of highly topical subject areas, you will also have access to the latest Geographical Information Systems facilities and state-of-the-art field equipment and analytical laboratories. The course also offers ample opportunity for work-related learning.
Course modules
What you will study on this degree
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Core modules
Core modules
Core modules
Optional modules
Core modules
Optional modules
Your Learning Experience
Excellent facilities and learning resources
We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.
Teaching is via a combination of lectures, interactive workshops, fieldwork, laboratory sessions, online activities and small-group tutorials; the amount of time you spend in each varies according to the module and the level of study.
You are expected to do additional research around lecture subjects in your own time using the University Libraries and virtual learning environment, Canvas.
As the course progresses, the amount of practical and field-based work increases, allowing you to develop field and research techniques and complete an independent research project.
Work-related learning
Work-related learning is a crucial element of your studies, and the best way to experience the world of work is by opting to undertake a 12-month placement between Levels 5 and 6.
With the support of a placement tutor, you will be given the opportunity to work for a geography or environment-related organisation and put into practice skills and knowledge gained in your first two years of study.
As well as giving you a chance to develop personal skills and take a break from formal study, this experience will add real value to your CV and significantly boost your employability prospects. In fact many of our students have subsequently been offered work with the same organisation or through contacts made. There is also an option to do a short (4-6 week) placement in level 6 and put together a portfolio about your experience.
International mobility at LJMU
LJMU offers a range of international exchange opportunities that enable students from the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences to spend some months at a foreign institution to develop their self-confidence, adaptability and cultural awareness. The specific opportunities may change from year to year, however the following programmes are currently available to all students in the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences:
- Study abroad at a university in Europe using Erasmus+ or at one of our partner universities in the US
- Work abroad by taking part in internships in Europe using Erasmus+, in Asia via the Asia Internship Programme or anywhere on Earth using the Go Global Fund or Smaller Earth
- View the current programmes available on the LJMU website.
Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support
You will be allocated a personal tutor who will arrange one-to-one meetings with you to discuss your progress. They will also hold small tutorials so you can discuss course material with fellow students. In level 6, an academic supervisor will advise and guide you through your research project and also hold small group tutorials related to preparing you for the workplace.
Should you decide to take a year out on placement, a placement tutor will liaise between you and potential employers and help you to find a suitable post. Once you are settled in your placement, you will have regular support from an academic staff member who will visit you in your workplace to check on progress.
The school is fully committed to promoting a learning environment that supports a culture of equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) and has a Disability Support Coordinator, an EDI Coordinator and a School EDI Working Group. Personal Tutors also play a vital role in promoting awareness of support services for students.
Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.
Most modules are assessed by coursework only, although there are some (less than a third) that have an exam component. We acknowledge that all students perform differently depending on the way they are assessed. At the same time skills acquisition is one of the principal aims of the programme. This is why we use a range of assessment methods, weighted towards coursework.
- Coursework may be in the form of fieldwork/practical/professional reports, essays, blogs, GIS and lab exercises, oral and poster presentations, group discussions, practical and employability skills evaluations.
- The small number of exams may include multiple choice, short answer, problem-based learning and essay questions.
Some assignments are done in groups. Your final year research project will be assessed by a portfolio that could include progress reviews, presentations and skills evaluations and a dissertation.
Where you will study
What you can expect from your School
You will study at the Byrom Street site in the university's City Campus in the heart of Liverpool. You will have access to first class teaching facilities, laboratories and study areas. The Avril Robarts library is within easy walking distance and here you'll find all the information you need to support your studies.
Course tutors

Dr Neil Simcock
- Programme Leader
It’s great to be able to teach a subject I am passionate about, one which I am actively researching and one which is so relevant at the moment
It’s great to be able to teach a subject I am passionate about, one which I am actively researching and one which is so relevant at the moment
Dr Simcock studied BSc (Hons) Human Geography, MSc Environmental Informatics and completed a PhD in Renewable Energy at Lancaster University. On completing his PhD, he worked as a researcher and lecturer at Keele, Lancaster and Manchester Universities, before joining LJMU in 2018. Neil’s research expertise focuses on the intersection between energy, climate change and society. He is particularly interested in how climate change impacts upon people, and how efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change can be designed to tackle inequality and protect the most disadvantaged. Recently he has been conducting research into how the UK’s low-carbon energy transition might influence fuel and transport poverty. Neil applies these research interests to several aspects of the BSc (Hons) Climate and Environment Sciences programme that focus on how climate change and society interact.
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Staff were always enthusiastic, motivated and had a personal interest in each of the students. All the fieldwork and group activities meant that the work was sociable and the students and staff all got on really well.
Career paths
This BSc (Hons) Geography degree with a Foundation Year will equip you with a range of skills that are in demand in industry, local and national government, environmental consultancy, utilities, planning and regeneration
Recent Geography graduates have found employment with the Environment Agency and local authorities, transport and urban planning, the renewable energy sector and in the water industry as flood risk consultants and water supply and distribution advisers. Others have entered the geoscience industry as engineering geologists and soil scientists.
Graduates are highly employable because of their transferrable skills, particularly using GIS in a range of geographical applications. Some graduates also decide to pursue careers in other fields such as financial consultancy, marketing and sales, insurance risk and loss assessment, further education, research and teaching.
Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service
A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.
Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website.
Tuition fees and funding
- Home full-time per year:
- £9,535
- Placement year:
- £1,905
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus Wi-Fi.
Financial Support
The University offers a range of scholarships to support students through their studies. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist funding pages, including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.
Additional Costs
In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:
- Accommodation
- Travel costs including those for placements, visas and travel for studying abroad and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
- Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire
The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in accordance with any changes to the maximum allowable fees set by the UK Parliament. In the event of such a change, any fee increase will be subject to a maximum cap of 10% of the total course cost as originally stated at the time of your offer.
* Practical and field activities underpin all programmes in the School. PPE is provided for all necessary practical work. There are no costs for day field trips for core and optional modules. Residential field trips associated with core modules are subsidised and include travel and half-board accommodation costs. Residential field trips associated with core modules are subsidised and include travel, accommodation and some meals. Locations may be subject to change and also subject to national and international travel restrictions.
A DBS check is not required for your application, however a DBS may be required for modules where there is a work based learning placement option. Work based learning placements that do not require a DBS check are available.
Entry requirements
Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements
Grades/points required from qualifications: DDD-CDD (72-80)
Work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth by visiting the UCAS Tariff Calculator.
Qualification requirements
How to apply
Securing your place at LJMU
UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/how-to-apply.
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The university reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the university. Where this does happen, the university operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.
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