Geography MGeog

Some of the biggest global challenges facing the world relate to its geography. They include anthropogenic climate change, overpopulation, threatened fresh water and food supply, deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution and soil contamination, land degradation, and waste production and disposal, and more.

Our Masters’ of Geography (MGeog) programme prepares you to undertake research to help tackle and solve these and other major challenges, alongside gaining real-world skills you’ll need for your future employment.

A four-year course, the MGeog integrates the three-year BA/BSc curriculum with an additional year of specialised study and independent research. During your studies, you’ll build skills in research methods, data collection and analysis, and in the use of specialist mapping and statistical software.

Sustainability is embedded throughout our Geography degrees. In addition, you’ll deepen your understanding and knowledge across human geographies, earth systems and processes, climate change, geographical and environmental data and analysis.

Fieldwork is an integral part of a geography degree. Day and residential field trips are designed to enhance you subject-specific knowledge and understanding, while equipping you with valuable skills in data collection and analysis.

We run field courses in and around Eryri National Park (also known as Snowdonia) and Southwest England (Cornwall and Somerset) in Years 1 and 2, with the option to go to Tenerife or Anglesey (BSc pathway) in Year 3.

The optional Year 3 trips provide exciting opportunities to gain field-based experience in an international setting, enabling you to explore both the human and physical landscapes. The trip to Tenerife takes a greater focus on the environment (soils, forests, volcanic activity), whereas the Anglesey trip is focused on coastal and oceanic processes.

In Year 4, as well as undertaking your work placement, you will conduct your own research under staff guidance in a topic related to your chosen specialism. Past research projects have investigated, for example, the morpho-sedimentological history of Last Glacial Maximum sequences in North Wales; post-glacial to Holocene river behaviour in mid-Wales; food enterprises with respect to placemaking; populism, mass media and Europe.

We offer three undergraduate Geography degrees. This four-year integrated MGeog Geography, the three-year BA (Hons) Geography, and the three-year BSc (Hons) Geography. Students joining a Bachelor’s programme can transfer onto the MGeog at the end of Year 2 (subject to a year average mark above 60%).

All of our degrees give you flexibility to study a combination of human, physical and environmental geography. The BA leans more towards the humanities and social sciences, the ways in which communities, cultures and societies interact with the environment. The BSc. designation indicates a greater focus on the science of the natural physical world, earth surface processes and hazards.