BA Geography
About this course
BA (Hons) Geography, a degree centred on human geography, exploring how places are shaped by social, economic and environmental processes. Core topics include Research Methods and Fieldwork. The course runs three years full-time, and students may apply to add a placement year or a year abroad, extending it to four. Second-year teaching includes residential fieldwork in the UK, and the final year culminates in a compulsory dissertation. The first year covers the foundations through Human Geography: Space and Place in a Changing World, Introduction to Geographical Research BA, Physical Geography and Geographies of Crisis, covering human and physical geography concepts, research methods and contemporary crises. The second year develops research design and theory through Social Research in Geography, which includes residential fieldwork in the UK, and Theory and Concepts in Contemporary Human Geography, covering the discipline's key schools of thought. Optional modules span areas such as Economic Geography, Political Geography, Urban Geography and Climate Change: Geographical Perspectives. The third year is built around the compulsory Dissertation, a substantial piece of independent geographical research, with optionals including Understanding Land Conflicts, Global Urbanism, Race and Racism in the Planetary Crisis and Feminist Geographies. Students can also choose one field trip module: The Arctic, Berlin: Culture, Politics and Contestation, Jerusalem: Political Geographies of Settler Colonialism, or Chicago: Sites of Global Change.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: A*AA IB: 37 with 766 in higher level subjects.
See the highest paying Geography & Environmental Science degrees in the UK →
Admissions (2022 entry, home applicants)
Offer rate 56%: 305 offers from 545 applications, from the university's Freedom of Information return.
What students say
Based on about 50 final-year students who answered
- Teaching on my course: 94%
- Learning opportunities: 90%
- Assessment and feedback: 83%
- Academic support: 91%
- Organisation and management: 91%
- Learning resources: 88%
- Student voice: 87%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 125 students who started
- Continued on course: 95%
- Left higher education: 3%
- Moved to a lower qualification: 2%
What graduates do next
Based on about 42 graduates who answered
- Working: 67%
- Working and studying: 10%
- Further study: 10%
- Unemployed: 7%
Most common jobs
- Business and public service associate professionals: 15%
- Conservation and environment professionals: 15%
- Elementary occupations: 10%
- Finance Professionals: 10%
- Administrative occupations: 5%
- Find their work meaningful: 85%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 70%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 40%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 135 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 8%
- North West: 8%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 7%
- East Midlands: 4%
- West Midlands: 7%
- East of England: 14%
- London: 27%
- South East: 17%
- South West: 8%
- Wales: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 110 students who started
- A levels: 100%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.
Modules
- Human Geography: Space and Place in a Changing World - 20 credits
- Introduction to Geographical Research BA - 40 credits
- Physical Geography - 20 credits
- Geographies of Crisis - 20 credits
- Example optional modules
- Social Research in Geography - 40 credits
- Theory and Concepts in Contemporary Human Geography - 20 credits
- Example optional modules
- Dissertation - 40 credits
- Example optional modules
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Geography at Durham University earn?
The median salary is £30,000 after 15 months, £29,000 after 3 years, £38,500 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £33,000 and £48,000. The £38,500 median after five years is £6,500 more than the UK median for Physical geographical sciences.
What do graduates of BA Geography at Durham University do next?
87% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Geography at Durham University?
94% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Geography at Durham University?
The typical offer is A*AA at A level. The average entrant had 167 UCAS points.
What is the offer rate for BA Geography at Durham University?
56% of home applicants received an offer for 2022 entry: 305 offers from 545 applications, according to the university's Freedom of Information return.
Does BA Geography at Durham University include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has an optional placement year and an optional year abroad.
How many students continue on BA Geography at Durham University?
95% of students continued into their second year, and 3% left higher education.