Admissions Director Dr David Beckingham introduces exciting developments in our undergraduate programmes that are expected for 2025.
We are updating and enhancing our curriculum to reflect the recent recruitment of new members of staff with distinctive research specialisms. Our changes support our ambition to deliver more choice in second and third year, with smaller classes and more personalised teaching.
When designing new modules, we want to emphasise practical skills development and applied learning – equipping our graduates to take geography into the world of work. To do this, some new modules reach across the notional divisions of human and physical geography.
Year one
Our first year is a broadly compulsory mix of modules. For students on the BA/BSc Geography programmes, these modules span human and physical geography; for students on BA Geography with Business, they’ll connect human geography with modules offered by the Business School. All students study a group of technical or skills-based modules.
From 2025, we plan for the optional module Global Challenges to expand from 10 to 20 credits. Taking the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as a starting point, it explores the ways in which geographers engage with and tackle real world issues. These include climate action, water sanitation, global food systems and sustainable cities. Alternatively, subject to timetabling, students will be able to select 20 credits of external modules such as languages.
Year two
We are planning two changes to build more flexibility into second year from 2025. All students will take a revised training module called Techniques in Geography, part of the preparation we provide to students ahead of conducting independent dissertation research. It offers flexibility to students to mix the skills preparation they receive, with choice across human and physical geography.
We are also standardising the length of our optional modules. By making them all single semester, students will have greater flexibility to select modules according to their interests.
Monitoring Planetary Boundaries is a new optional module that will introduce students to the thresholds in the Earth’s systems. If crossed, these could lead to irreversible environmental damage and destabilise global ecosystems. Students will learn through real-world datasets and be tasked with understanding monitoring frameworks.
Year three
We plan the launch of four new optional third year modules from 2025. Two of these utilise teaching teams and showcases themes that reach across our research groups.
Extreme Environments introduces the study of processes that create and alter areas such as polar regions, high mountains, deserts and deep oceans. It will consider the consequences of changes to extreme environments, for example on ecosystems and human society.
Beer: Environment, Place and Culture also connects physical and human geography. Students will explore topics such as the production of raw materials, sustainability and carbon emissions, health questions, and the cultural and economic values associated with alcohol consumption.
Digital Geographies reflects on recent digital developments such as infrastructure, governance, urbanization and financial platforms. The module considers the emerging geographies of digital society, as well accompanying political and even ethical concerns created by the likes of artificial intelligence.
Geographies of Modern America provides a disciplinary take on the making of the modern United States. It seeks to understand the geographical foundations and tensions of the American experience, from its expansion under federalism to twentieth-century strains caused by race and immigration.
The range of new modules being introduced reflects our commitment to a varied and applied curriculum that nurtures the academic interests and work-ready skills of our students.
Did you know that according to the recent Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) report, we are ranked first in the Russell Group for Geography, Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences students in sustained employment or further study five years after graduation?
- LEO data for the tax year 2021/22, published in 2024
If you have any questions about admissions, our email address is LG-geog-admissions@nottingham.ac.uk
The above is what we plan to offer from 2025 but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.
Posted on Friday 6th December 2024