Geography/Geology/Earth Science or something else at University?

[Geographyorsomethingelse]

I've name changed for this as you can probably tell!

I've been speaking to DD2 about possible options when she leaves school (currently Yr 12 equivalent).
She has always loved Geography, particularly Human Geography. She loves the broad range of the subject and thinks it is very relevant to the real world and how we live day to day. She is also interested in other related humanities/social sciences such as Philosophy&Ethics, Sociology, Psychology, History, Sustainability and Politics/International Relations. She thinks that Geography overlaps well with these subjects.
She is also really interested in travel, working abroad and different cultures.

Having looked briefly at Geography degrees with her, I think she would be fine with either the BA or the BSc options depending on the exact course and module options. Is either more widely respected? We have also had a quick look at GIS, which seems to be a useful thing to have. We've also been looking at Geology/Earth Science degree options too. She is probably more drawn to Geography as it is more broad but career options look good particularly with Geology. We've also found a course offered at Warwick which is a combination of Politics/International Studies and Sustainable Development which would be the sort of thing that could really interest her. Is anyone familiar with this course?

This is not a field that DH and I are familiar with. In our school days, Geography was less well respected than some degrees, certainly in DH's home country. I don't get the impression that this is the case now.
I doubt she will want to go to a London Uni, nor Oxbridge. She definitely enjoys a good social life but isn't a party animal/drinker. She enjoys having access to some countryside too.

Can anyone advise between the potential career implications/benefits of the BA vs BSc? Can anyone recommend some Universities with good Geography options? Is it best to stick to just Geography/Geology or are combination degrees worthwhile if you have several interests/don't have a definite career aim at this stage? From my description of her likes/dislikes, is there anything else that we should consider studying at Uni? Is a GIS qualification worth having? Are there any relevant degree apprenticeships worth considering?

Thank you for reading!

DD studied Geography at Birmingham. DS did at Cambridge. It is a degree that develops transferable skills. DS worked in the Dept of Transport but now teaches in Primary School. DD did an MA in Social Geography and worked for a film distributor and is now Head of Communications for a charity. So Geography opens lots of options.

If you're Europe based, the EU hire a lot of geo people so it might be worth looking for mainland degrees. For example, the critical raw materials act has brought back loads of European mining geologists from the Americas and Australia because there are suddenly jobs again. It's also creating jobs for policy and social geographers, mapping supply chains and societal demand to identify geopolitcal choke points. The UK is a bit isolated, so it might actually be a good moment to study in the EU instead. Hydrology & trade traffic are also a big deal cross border as the rivers dry up.

geographers are very well suited to planning / property / urban development / place-making type consultancy

This sounds exactly DD's kind of thing and very similar to the Warwick course that I posted about above. I will suggest that she looks at this course at York too.

'We've also found a course offered at Warwick which is a combination of Politics/International Studies and Sustainable Development which would be the sort of thing that could really interest her.'

Are you at the Environment Agency? Can I ask what draws you/others to candidates? Is it the type of degree or more other skills/work experience or personal attributes? Would love to hear from others who are in recruitment too!

Thanks so much for linking this. I will send it to DD for inspiration.

I am at the EA yes. Obvs we want technically competent people, and work experience is helpful. Personality is a difficult thing to quantify, but there is a bit of an EA type. Bit outdoorsy, bit liberal (with a little L). As as a lot of job have a public facing element, confidence in speaking to groups of people, and interpersonal skills are pretty much needed from graduate entry level.

That's interesting. DD actually fits what you have described well.

This thread has been great for giving me and DD lots to think about. Thank you so much for all the replies. There are lots of really good options both in the UK and where we are based now and she has plenty of time to think about them.

Sorry to hijack the thread but @IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads do the EA offer any work experience for Year 12s that isn't via Springpod? The online courses are great, but my son (Year 12, doing Geog, Bio, Politics) is really keen to spend his week doing something practical. Is it worth contacting local EA offices to see if they might be able to help, or is there a blanket company policy that says it's not allowed? He'd be 17 at the time. Thank you!

Neither are in jobs yet, but DS did an MA in Geography at UCL and has just completed an MSC in Urban Planning at The Bartlett. His desired career path is local authority planning in either housing, amenities (dissertation on Boxparks) or transport. DD did an MA in Geography at Manchester and is doing a Masters in Degrowth and Environmental Justice in Barcelona. Geography can take you to so many places.

My DD applied for the Warwick and York courses already mentioned. She also applied for International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response at Manchester University, a very interesting course (DD read 'When the Dust Settles' by Lucy Easthope about the aftermath of natural and man made disasters and people who deal with these situations). In the end, she wanted to be closer to home and did a Human Geography degree in London. She got offered lots of Grad schemes: Transport consultancy (Atkins), NHS Gen Management, Civil service (Property), XPO logistics. So geography is a sought after degree choice.

My DS also took a geography related degree. He studied Meteorology and Climate Science at Reading. He now works with energy commodity traders. He knows a couple of geography grads from Southampton university who work in GIS for ESRI: Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) is the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and spatial analytics.

That all sounds very positive @ucasmistake. Thank you.
The only thing is, I think the UCAS application process in the UK makes it difficult to apply for different degrees at different places. So, for example, if DD choses to apply for the Warwick course mentioned (the York course no longer appears to be available, unfortunately), and then Geography at some other Universities, I'm not sure how she would focus the PS on the UCAS form. Can I ask how your DD managed this?

Have a look at the University of Gloucestershire offerings. Very highly rated by students.

DD had done an EPQ on the plight of the people in District Six in Cape Town. She focused her personal statement on the displacement of populations - this linked in to disaster management (it was around the time of Grenfell) and the migrant/refugee crisis etc. She not only spoke about the reading she had done but the impact of the independent film about migration/the global refugee crisis 'Human Flow', directed by the Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, had on her. So by looking at displacement she made her PS suitable for Human Geography, IR, development and disaster management. She went to the LSE in the end which focuses heavily on the PS.

Very few admissions even read the personal statement, so don't let that put her off applying for a broad spectrum of courses.

If she may be interested in urban planning/spatial planning/sustainable development then Cardiff University has an excellent Geography and Planning school.with degrees which can be a combination of Geography and Planning. To go on to become a chartered planner she will need a course accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (either degree of MSc). Lots of Geographers go on to do a 1 year MSc post degree which is accredited by the RTPI. Range of careers linked to town planning (think Environment agency, transport planning, housing, historic buildings and associated consultancy as well as LA work). Best of luck to her, Geography is great 😀.

I think DD would find this very interesting too @ucasmistake. Thank you. Can I ask which job offer your DD ended up taking?

Really? I thought they quite particular about it being directed to the particular course. Perhaps it's very variable. I guess a student can always email admissions to check if they can submit something direct to the Uni if needed.

I'll suggest she looks at Cardiff too. Thank you. Some of this may appear.

For most unis if the applicants predicted grades match or better the ask for the course an offer will be made automatically. Some of my son’s offers came through less than 24 hours after submission of UCAS - all RG unis- you cannot persuade me any human looked at that carefully honed PS 😉🤦🏻‍♀️

For most unis if the applicants predicted grades match or better the ask for the course an offer will be made automatically. Some of my son’s offers came through less than 24 hours after submission of UCAS - all RG unis- you cannot persuade me any human looked at that carefully honed PS 😉🤦🏻‍♀️

No they don't, admissions simply do not have the time to pour through PSs, especially for courses that aren't particularly competitive. Medicine, vet medicine and dentistry yes, geography no. Unless it's Oxbridge perhaps.

Lucy Easthope is brilliant. Her Desert Island Discs is really interesting.

Thanks. Geography doesn't appear to be super competitive. Good to know.

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Hi OP. I have a DC who did Geog at Oxbridge - it's a highly employable and relevant degree.

Bath uni don't offer Geog, but used to have a course called 'Global Development with Economics' - could be worth a look?

Durham offer Geog as a BA or BSc. Geography is a 'flagship course' there (large department).

LSE is very good for Geog, but it's Human Geog there only. UCL is also very respected for Geog with BSc or BA options, as well as a 4-year degree option with an international year,

If she is interested the intersection between Geography and any other area/s such as sociology, anthropology, law, economics, politics (on the human side); or geology etc on the physical side - she should definitely look at a Scottish uni such as St Andrews or Edinburgh. The reason being, at St Andrews at least (I think it's the same at Edinburgh), they all have to take 2 other modules in the first year, alongside the subject they apply for. So if she then decides she prefers say, geology, or politics, or international relations, having had tasters of these over her first two undergrad years, she could literally change her degree. I think they said, at an open day, 40% of students change it adapt their degrees. In fact, they don't have to decide on the title of their degree until the end of the second year. It's a good system because it lets them explore areas or subjects they might not have considered previously because these more specialist subjects are generally not available in schools. So she could apply for Geog, and come out with a degree in Geog; or a dual honours with something else; or another degree entirely.