BSc (Hons) Physical Geography Bachelor's degree at Royal Holloway, University of London

You will develop an understanding of the factors that control the physical, biological and chemical forces which shape the Earth's surface. You will look at oceanic and atmospheric processes, plate tectonics, hydrology and coastal processes, glaciation, and arid environments.

You will engage with key issues in human geography. You will consider human geography as a distinctive way to approach the world, examining key questions about globalisation, inequality, identity and the nature of place. You will look at approaches to economic, cultural and historical geography, and the development of the discipline, celebrating geographers' active involvement in the challenges facing humanity.

Our planet is in crisis. Hundreds of millions face extreme poverty and negative impacts on livelihoods caused by the intersectional problems of climate change, chemical pollution and loss of ecosystem integrity. This module will address these challenges through both social and physical science lenses. First, it will explore the physical science basis of the planetary crisis: climate change, biosphere integrity and chemical pollution, as they reshape the world through space and time. Second, stud

This module brings together human and physical geography perspectives to understand the functioning of diverse global ecosystems, the impact of human activity on ecosystems and the challenges of sustainability. It does this through embedding key biogeographical concepts and notions of development into an exploration of the interrelationships between human societies and ecosystems. Themes covered include biodiversity loss, food security, ecosystem services and environmental governance. The module

You will be provided with an introduction to the methods for collecting, interpreting and presenting physical and human geographical information, in both the field and in the laboratory. You will conduct physical and human geography fieldwork in the local area, with activities including surveying and mapping, vegetation sampling and identification, soil and water analysis, interpreting past history, exploratory and inferential data analysis, questionnaire design, interviewing, and visual and tex

Students are introduced to key data collection and analysis techniques in human geography. Skills are developed in questionnaire design, observation, interviewing, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The module uses lectures and practical classes with students working as individuals and in small groups, encouraging the development of teamwork and independent research skills.

You will develop your practical research skills on a week-long field-trip to Andalusia in Southern Spain. You will spend four days, guided by staff, looking at specific local examples of physical, environmental, social, economic and cultural processes. You will then spend two days, working in small groups, conducting a short piece of original research on a topic of your choice.

The module is divided into three sections: Section A: Study skills for Geographers. This introduces students to the skills needed to study Geography at university. Topics covered include critical reading and writing; finding and evaluating source material; referencing and bibliographies; using feedback effectively; academic integrity and research ethics; the use of generative AI. Section B: Geography beyond university. This engages students with how geographical skills are and could be used outs

This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.

You will develop your skills in research design, data collection and analysis. You will learn how to handle and process advanced human or physical geography data sets, and further your ability to apply geographical information systems (GIS) techniques. You will also start to plan your dissertation, thinking about proposal design, and risk and research ethics assessments.

You will have the opportunity to conduct field research in Cyprus, Malawi, New York, Sicily or London, with each destination focussing on a different area of Geography. You will develop your ability to analyse and problem-solve in the field, collecting, interpreting and combining different types of geographical evidence.

The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the use of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems in physical and human geographical research. Theoretical concepts underpinning geospatial data storage and analysis will be introduced in lectures, while practical content will demonstrate applications of GIS for answering a range of geographical research questions focused on global challenges. Students will gain experience of using ArcGIS Pro, an industry leading GIS software.

This module covers themes related to how space, landscapes, and knowledge are contested, within a curriculum focused on power, place and geopolitics.

This module focuses on the use and management of resources, in the context of inputs and outputs to environmental systems, with an emphasis on processes and the impacts of human activities. Throughout the course, students gain hands-on experience through practical work relating to the processes, functioning and management of environmental systems in the context of sustainability. These practical elements form the basis of the formal assessment. Students develop an understanding of resource use a

This module focuses on two overall themes: 1) the earth surface processes responsible for shaping the physical landscape and 2) natural hazards, where extreme earth surface process events pose a societal risk. The course is centred on the following key geomorphological systems: slopes, rivers, glaciers and dunes. Key hazards covered relating to these systems include landslides, floods, glacier lake outburst floods and dust storms. The module concludes with consideration of how plate tectonics an

This module develops an appreciation of the historical context which underpins theory concerning environmental history, present-day environmental problems, and the prediction of future environmental changes. Practical training in laboratory methods relevant to testing such theories is involved, and you will train for readiness to undertake fieldwork and third-year independent studies (dissertations) in a range of topical research themes in Quaternary environmental change. Laboratory practicals a

This module will provide a sound theoretical and historical background to biogeographical research and the basis of biodiversity. The main themes to be explored are: dispersal strategies of organisms; the principal factors limiting species distribution at the present day (climate drivers, vegetation, physical barriers, competition and niche-specialisation, predation and parasitism); geographical centres for origination and dispersal, including coverage of plate tectonics and land bridges; natura

The dissertation gives you an opportunity to undertake an individual piece of geographical research, on a topic of your choice, around 10,000 words in length. You will be allocated a member of staff as a dissertation adviser who will provide advice on research design, data collection and analysis.

Through this dissertation route, students undertake an individual and independent piece of geographical research in conjunction with a placement organisation.