Undergraduate Optional Module Choice Guide

Optional Modules

Choose 20 credits:

BSc Geography

Core modules

100 credits:

Optional Modules

Choose 20 credits:

BA Global Sustainable Development

Optional Modules

Choose 20 credits:

Optional Module Descriptions

GPL117 Exploring Human Geographies

This module provides an introduction to key principles, relations and processes that contribute to a diverse array of social, cultural, economic and environmental aspects of human geography.  You will have the opportunity to learn about spatial patterns of power, inequality and interdependence produced by processes such as economic and cultural globalisation, how we experience these at the local scale, and how they have changed over time.  Through lectures and seminars you will be guided through key concepts and current debates shaping how human geographers approach these issues. Examples will be drawn from around the world and at a variety of geographical scales, highlighting the value of a geographical perspective to help us understand and navigate the world we live in. Developing skills in critical analysis, you will gain experience of putting these to use in a critical field report. 

Written assignment                3000 words                Reflective Field Report        100%

GPL118 Earth, Wind, Ice and Fire

This module introduces the general principles of physical geography for students with diverse backgrounds. Through a mixture of lectures and lab-work you will be able to develop a holistic understanding of how the Earth functions as a system across a range of spatial scales, focusing in particular on the functioning of key elements of this system - notably the operation of the geosphere, atmosphere, and cryosphere - and how these elements interact to influence the evolution of the system as a whole. Your assessment for this module will develop your skills in communicating and explaining complex scientific concepts. 

Classroom testing                1hr                Online Quiz - Content Overview        10%

Classroom testing                1hr                Online Quiz 2                                10%        

Digital media/ artefact        Science Comm Piece - Geographical Field Guide        80%

GPL127 Environment in Action

This interdisciplinary module introduces you to some of the most critical environmental questions facing our world today. Through a combination of physical and social science lectures and workshops, you will acquire a comprehensive understanding of fundamental concepts and the complexities of environmental issues, debates, and potential solutions. 

You will have the opportunity to develop essential academic skills - such as research skills, critical thinking, independent working and interdisciplinary-thinking - that are crucial to understanding and tackling environmental issues. Workshops will enhance your interpersonal skills as you gain experience in effective collaboration. 

Written assignment                2000 words                Position Paper        50%        

Written assignment                2000 words                Critical Essay                50%

ALA118 The Changing Landscape

This module aims to:

-Introduce landscape and environmental planning as a means of intervening in landscape at the large scale. - Provide an understanding of landscape formation, change and the drivers of change. - Introduce the toolkit available to landscape planners. - Introduce the theory and technique of Landscape Character Assessment. - Develop report writing skills and visual literacy. - Introduce students to GIS. By the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate understanding of/proficiency in: - The influences and processes that shape landscape. - The relationship between landscape planning and landscape policy. - Sourcing and interpreting landscape information. - Appreciating the (sometimes controversial) nature of landscape change. - Landscape Character and Landscape Character Assessment at an introductory level. Communicating landscape data and analysis at a planning scale in a critical imaginative and creative manner.

ECN108 Economic History of Britain and the Modern World

In this module, you will explore the economic history of Britain and the global economy, focusing on the forces that shaped economic growth and development. You'll examine modern theories of growth and development in the context of historical events, addressing current debates on poverty, inequality, and North-South relations. The module will help you understand the differences between historical methodologies and abstract economic methods, while also providing you with the tools to assess the effectiveness of policies and institutions in fostering growth and reducing poverty. You will work with both quantitative and qualitative historical sources to develop a deeper understanding of economic development and the factors that drive or hinder growth. 

SPR115 Global Political Economy

Global political economy (GPE) is a field of study that investigates the interaction between political and economic forces in contemporary and historical capitalism. You will consider key mainstream and critical theories. You will be introduced to major processes of trade, production and exploitation, sketching the power relations of the global economy by using examples of contemporary production in different industries. You will also consider how the political economy of race, class and gender have structured the global economy through histories of colonisation and decolonisation, from the fourteenth to the twenty-first century.