Geography BSc

Core modules:

Living with Environmental Change

This module will introduce students to a wide range of critical environmental issues facing the world today from physical science and social science perspectives. Using a range of environmental problems evident in the Global North and Global South (such as climate change, habitat loss, water resources, land-use change, agriculture), the physical and social processes implicated will be examined. Drawing on a range of examples, students will critically explore the causes, consequences, management and solutions to environmental issues and learn how to question assumptions about environmental processes.

20 credits

Why Geography Matters

Geography helps us plan for the future by investigating social and physical processes as they interconnect from the past through to the present. Geographers actively contribute to contemporary debates across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.  We address some of the most pressing issues facing the modern world linking to social justice and environmental change.  Serving as a bridge between the general introductory modules, and the more specialist modules taught at levels 2 and 3, this module provides an opportunity for students to engage with topical issues in contemporary human and physical geography led by academics actively engaged in cutting edge research who are informing real world policy and practice.  The module provides a challenging but accessible insight into the origins of the discipline and how these translate into the cutting edge of contemporary geographical research, and how this helps us understand and contribute to our changing world.  The module will also begin to highlight for students how knowledge is always produced and reflective of those who produce it in ways that reinforce the positionality of some and silence others.

The following particular skills will be achieved in this module: exchanging knowledge; networking; emotional intelligence; inclusivity; positive mindset; innovation; commercial awareness.

20 credits

Geographical Skills, Methods and Techniques

Geographers are well-known for having a versatile set of practical and transferable skills. This module teaches students key research methods from across the discipline. Small tutorials, run by academic staff, are used to develop skills in finding, presenting, analysing, and critically evaluating complex information. Lectures introduce students to Geographical Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, questionnaire design, statistics, and in-depth interviewing. Workshops provide the chance to practice skills and get to grips with industry-standard software. Finally, fieldwork experience provides hand-on training in key methods used in the field.

40 credits

Earth, Wind, Ice and Fire

This module introduces the general principles of physical geography for students with diverse backgrounds.  The module seeks to develop a holistic understanding of how the Earth functions as a system, 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. Consideration of the latter aspect will include discussion of the impacts and consequences of alterations to the operation of different parts of the system, such as those caused by past and present climatic change. Finally, we consider how the form of Earth's surface reflects current and past geosphere, atmosphere and cryosphere processes at a range of spatial scales, from small-scale fluvial, aeolian and glacial landforms, to the evolution of continents and large mountain ranges.

20 credits

Optional modules:

Housing and Home

Issues relating to housing, homes, streets and neighbourhoods that we live in are in the news every day. Whether this is over concerns about housing shortages, affordability, housing bubbles, 'generation rent', social housing, housing evictions, Covid lockdown, city-centre housing, DIY and 'grand designs', or debates about the domestic sphere, 'home as a haven', 'benefit streets', flooding and shack settlements, housing is often at the centre of social science research. This module aims to introduce students to this broad and diverse subject by drawing on the expertise of staff who research across these multiple themes. The module focuses on contemporary concerns, while maintaining an appreciation of the impact of historical trends (e.g. the Global Financial Crisis of 2007/8). The module will make use of cases from the UK and abroad to illustrate trends, arguments and challenges. The module introduced students to various concepts and debates relating to housing, as well as indicating the linkages to housing and urban policy.

10 credits

Cities and Inequality

The main aim of Cities and Inequality  is to introduce you to our urban condition in a global context, with particular attention to the multiple forms of inequality that pervade urban life. Drawing on a wide range of expertise within the Department, we will introduce you to a range of key issues in contemporary urban studies and help you to understand more about the roots of urban problems and questions of social differentiation and injustice in a range of global urban contexts. The course also aims to develop students' capacity for comparative urban analysis

10 credits

Exploring Human Geographies

The 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.  It looks at spatial patterns of power, inequality and interdependence produced by economic and cultural globalisation, how we experience these at the local scale and and how they have changed over time.  It outlines key concepts and current debates shaping how human geographers approach these issues by drawing on examples from around the world and at a variety of geographical scales.  It highlights the value of a geographical perspective on the world we live in.

20 credits

Students can also take approved modules from other departments, such as:

Climate Change and Sustainability

This course introduces the core scientific issues required to understand climate change and sustainability. Students will learn the causes of climate change, its impacts in natural and agricultural ecosystems, the influence of biogeochemical cycles in these ecosystems on climate, and strategies for sustainably managing ecosystems in future. Learning will be achieved via lectures and videos, practicals and independent study.

20 credits

Ecology and Conservation

This module is an introduction to the principles of ecology and conservation. It covers ecological concepts about the factors controlling the abundance and distribution of species, coexistence and biodiversity at multiple geographic scales. It combines this with key ideas from tropical and marine communities about conserving populations, communities and habitats. The module includes lectures, a lab practical, an introduction to mathematical modelling in conservation biology and a field trip to Potteric Carr, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve where you'll put into practice by collecting data to test some of the ideas you've learned in class.

20 credits

LGBTQ [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer] Studies

This module introduces students to study of genders and sexualities, and LGBTQ scholarship, both historical and contemporary. It examines genders and sexualities in society, culture, media, and their academic study, as well as contemporary issues of inequality affecting sexual minorities in different global contexts. The module is team taught by experts in different departments at the University of Sheffield, who will introduce students to a wide range of theoretical and methodological perspectives, such as philosophy, history, social sciences, psychology, evolutionary biology, education, cultural studies, and critical study of religion. The module is assessed by a coursework portfolio, where students answer a number of short questions on different topics in the syllabus. 

10 credits

Climate Action

Humans are altering the climate, with significant impacts on livelihoods, wellbeing, equality, and the environment across the globe.  While international organisations and governments are crucial in mitigating and adapting to these threats, individual and small group collective action are also essential in creatively exploring how the necessary changes can be realistically and equitably implemented.

 

This module uses the community linked to the University as a Living Lab.  Focusing on one aspect of daily life in which there is potential for more mitigation or better adaptation, you will identify and plan an investigation or intervention (a 'project') to take a step towards more or better climate action.  You will need to justify your choices by elaborating what you would consider success, how you would deliver it, as well as assessing the impact of its wider implementation.

10 credits

Core modules:

Geographical Information Systems and Earth Observation

This module introduces Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Earth Observation (EO) - both crucial tools to understand the earth system. GIS are computer systems for the storage, display and manipulation of geographical data. Earth Observation is the collection of information about Earth's geo-biophysical properties through the detection and interpretation of electromagnetic radiation (often satellite imagery). The module will provide you with a theoretical framework and hands-on experience of using EO and GIS software and data, thus improving your digital fluency and capability. You will also improve your problem solving skills and develop resilience by tackling a range of practical applications of EO and GIS in research and industry.

10 credits

Analysing Geographical and Environmental Data

Data is everywhere, it is generated constantly and in such vast amounts. As geographers it is therefore important for us to understand how such data is generated and whether we can harness any to tell us more about the world. Vital aspects of this include our knowledge of data processing, handling, and statistical or mathematical analysis. This module will guide you through a sample of the vast array of data types that we as geographers have available to us. In particular, how we handle its collection and processing, from sources such as census data all the way to volcanic activity and everything in between. You will enhance your knowledge of programs such as Excel alongside gaining essential experience with industry standard programs such as SPSS and Matlab.

10 credits

Physical Geography and Environmental Science Fieldclass

The ability to understand physical processes and to undertake research into these is a key skill in a Geography degree. Planning and reporting skills developed are of great importance in many areas of future employment. This module focuses on gaining hands-on experience of a range of earth surface processes and on providing practical experience in undertaking and designing small field-based research projects. As part of this process, you will reflect on the research methods and approaches you have undertaken.

10 credits

Research Design for Geography and Environmental Science

The ability to undertake independent research is a key skill in Geography and Environmental Science and in many areas of future employment. This module focuses on the conceptual, methodological, practical and ethical background to undertaking research and on providing experience in designing research projects. It introduces the principles of research design and places methods of data collection in the overall processes of research, including the identification of a topic of study, undertaking a literature review, and formulating research questions and linking them to appropriate methods of data collection, analysis and testing, as well as research ethics and safety. This forms the basis of your independent research project (dissertation) at Level 3.

10 credits

Optional modules:

Sustainable Development and Global Justice

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of 'development', 'poverty' and 'the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Understanding the Climate System

In order to understand global climate change, one first has to understand how the climate system works. This module will give students a strong understanding of the global climate system, focusing on the atmospheres, the oceans, and their interaction. The first part of the module will consider the main characteristics of, and processes behind, climate from the global to the local scale. The second part of the module will examine the physical characteristics of the oceans and their geographical variation, and the role of the oceans in the climate system.

20 credits

Culture, Space and Difference

This research-led module introduces students to the cutting edge of Social and Cultural Geography and dovetails with the Sheffield Geography Department's Culture, Space and Difference research group. The module illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module team work with students to develop their own 'photo essays' - which bring the ideas of the module to students' experiences from everyday life.

20 credits

Understanding Dynamic Landscapes

This module looks at the relationship between geomorphological processes and Earth surface landforms and landscapes at a variety of scales in space and time. It examines the influence of endogenic (mainly tectonic) processes originating within the earth; and exogenic processes (notably wind and water) at the Earth's surface. The module starts by introducing geomorphological concepts; and frameworks, and later introduces field and analytical approaches (such as landscape dating and numerical modelling) that are used to elucidate process rates and their drivers. A field visit and two practical exercises provide hands-on appreciation of approaches to understanding hillslope, fluival and aeolian processes.

20 credits

Territory, Power and Policy

The module introduces you to contemporary debates within political geography. You will develop a detailed understanding of political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from the international, national to the local, from collective politics to individual political behaviour. You will explore questions of power, efficacy and conflict with an emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Who Gets What? Social Justice and the Environment

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics and equity of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. It also considers the role of stakeholders and how they benefit or are disadvantaged by policy that seeks to address issues to do with the environment-society relationship. The module then develops these core ideas through inter-related sections covering debates focused on different empirical themes.

Particular skills will be achieved including: policy analysis, ethical awareness, positive mindset, global awareness and self-awareness.

20 credits

Unlocking Past Environmental Changes

The landscape we live in is a dynamic place and has been in the past as well. Huge changes at a global, regional and local scale have occurred in the last 2.6 million years of the earth's history (Quaternary period). These changes are ongoing with implications for both present and future environments. Methods and techniques to investigate past environmental changes are outlined and illustrated. The module also looks at how environments have responded to past climate changes thereby putting a context for present day climate changes and predicting future changes.

This module will help improve your academic writing, study, numeracy and data handling skills. It will also help you to be able to critically evaluate issues and problems as well as think about sustainability.

20 credits

Glacial Processes and Hazards

On this module students are introduced to how glaciers and ice sheets work and the connection of many glacial processes to hazards experienced by communities in polar and high altitude environments. We examine how glaciers and ice sheets come into existence through an understanding of climate and the concept of glacier mass balance. We then consider how glacier systems function, covering topics that include the processes of ice flow, the drainage of glacial melt, and the behaviour of ice streams and ice shelves. We then examine how glaciers modify landscape through processes of erosion and sediment transport and deposition. Hazards are explored in relation to each key area of glacier system function, from localised flood events associated with glacier-lake drainages to global sea level changes arising from past and potential future ice sheet instability.

20 credits

Urban Culture and Conflict: The Making of Modern Cities

Cities are sites of social conflict and cultural production.  The links between these two facets of modern urban experience have long fascinated scholars seeking to understand the cultural history of the urban imagination.  In this module you will explore different ways artists, intellectuals, political activists, ordinary people and other thinkers have sought to understand and explain various experiences of and conflicts over urban life.  You will learn to situate the relationships between sensory perceptions, aesthetic judgments and power relations in their own place and time.  This module will draw from historical, cultural, social, and political geographies as well as other disciplines to engage with the shifting nature and spatiality of these relationships through case studies of selected cities, the particular changes in urban culture they occasioned, contemporary responses to those changes, and the theoretical debates they inspired.  Key topics will include urban form and architecture, cultural difference and social inequality, representational practices and bodily experiences, and the overall consciousness of change in cities over the past two centuries.

20 credits

Students can also take approved modules from other departments, such as:

Conservation Principles and Realities

This module introduces students to conservation biology as a scientific but inter-disciplinary subject. Module content discusses conservation objectives, key tools, underlying concepts and principles, and approaches to devising management solutions to reduce adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity. We use case studies and examples from a wide range of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in tropical and temperate environments, including the UK.  Teaching methods focus on lectures and interactive practical sessions.  Assessment is via a multiple choice exam 50% (to test breadth of knowledge across the module) and a coursework essay 50% (to test depth of knowledge).

20 credits

Population and Community Ecology

This module provides an overview of the core theory and principles of population and community ecology. It focuses on essential concepts that underpin estimating when populations will grow or decline, how species coexist, what processes drive biodiversity patterns and how species link to ecosystem function. Students move from understanding factors that influence the growth of populations, to those that determine the composition, stability, resilience and structure of ecological communities and their functions. The course covers a range of processes and species interactions such as density dependence, competition, predation and mutualisms and more applied concepts including how we measure functional versus species diversity, the structure and dynamics of food webs and tropical diversity. The module is delivered via lectures, two assessed computing practicals, two un-assessed computing practicals and four directed discussions of papers central to community ecology.

20 credits

Ecosystems and Sustainability in a Changing World

Human impacts on the world's ecosystems are profound and without precedent in Earth's history. The urgent need to understand the impacts of anthropogenic climate change, land-use change and overexploitation has meant that ecosystem science has become one of the most important biological disciplines. Knowledge developed within this discipline has also become vital for devising strategies in sustainable agriculture. This module will build on the L1 module 'Climate change and sustainability' by exploring human impacts on marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and their feedback on climate change, including those in agricultural ecosystems. It will cover the world's and the UK's major ecosystems, considering fundamental processes operating in the present and the past. In doing so, it will consider the interacting roles of energy, carbon cycling, climate, soils, nutrients, fire and biodiversity. Teaching methods include lectures, alongside a field excursion and interactive practical sessions that develop skills in the ecological analysis of plants and soils, and will reinforce some of the key concepts taught in lectures.

20 credits

Core modules:

Dissertation for Geography and Environmental Science

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a geographical topic under guidance by a staff mentor. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing sources. The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Optional modules:

Advanced Geospatial Analysis

This module will give students the opportunity to extend their knowledge of geospatial systems and software through detailed instruction and targeted case studies. The course will be taught in three parts, and will involve a mixture of lab-work and lectures. The three key themes are: (a) Digital Terrain Models (DTM) from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Structure from Motion (SfM) Photogrammetry, (b) Mapping of glacial bedforms from DTM data. Lab sessions will enhance software, coding and quantitative skills. Where possible, sessions will include student-led components and formative peer-peer assessment elements which will provide the opportunity to develop a range of generic analytical skills.
In taking this module you will further develop your problem solving skills and develop further resilience through tackling a specific practical application of geospatial analysis that is relevant to research and industry.

20 credits

Lake District Fieldclass

The ability to apply knowledge of physical processes and research approaches to understand a particular environment is a key geographical skill. This module aims to provide experience in process interpretation, focusing on the physical processes that have shaped the Lake District. The module will comprise a 5-day UK residential field class to the Lake District National Park and will cover a range of topics that complement and extend knowledge acquired on the BSc Physical Geography and Environmental Science programmes, including glaciology, geology, climatology, landscape dynamics and environmental change. You will be given the opportunity to develop field and research abilities, including in research design, problem solving, field data collection and interpretation and science communication. The fieldwork will also help you to develop autonomy, resilience, and to work effectively with others. Evening lectures during the fieldtrip will provide relevant background. Small group follow-up sessions will be used to support the presentation of research findings in a science communication piece. To attend this field class you will need to select this module as an option during Online Module Choice for Continuing Students (held in May). After this we will make bookings based on these numbers and so you cannot Add this module during the Add/Drop window in Level 3. Likewise, although the trip is free, if you pull out after this date you might be subject to any cancellation fee we incur.

20 credits

Employing Geography Skills in Sustainability and Social Justice

This module enables students to consolidate and apply the skills gained through their Geography or Environmental Science degree to real-world challenges.  These challenges, based around themes of sustainability and social justice, will be identified by stakeholders within the University.   Students will work as a team to: scope the issues; identify solutions, and; communicate them to the stakeholders.  As well as consolidating their subject skills, they will further their collaboration, project planning, problem solving and communication skills.  Through reflection and employability-related exercises embedded throughout the module they will be able to improve their self-awareness, identify their skills and attributes, and be able to confidently articulate these to employers and further study providers.

20 credits

The Planets

This module introduces the student to the fascinating discipline of planetary geoscience and exploration. By using the principles of Physical Geography to study unfamiliar environments, we will explore problems that touch upon themes from climate, tectonics, geomorphology, hydrology, and life. The module begins with the Solar System but soon focuses on planetary-scale matters, using the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) as main examples because of an explosion of knowledge gathered from their observation. We will consider the new perspectives that such knowledge offers on the Earth's dynamic systems.

20 credits

Democracy and Citizenship: Dilemmas and Tensions

This module explores how a geographical approach helps us to analyse issues such as controversial election results, divisive immigration policies, and contentious social activism. The two key concepts of democracy and citizenship are used to engage with contemporary debates and theories to draw out the links between geography, policy and society, and the ways in which these are shaped and responded to by citizens, communities, civil society, and political parties. The module emphasises the critical appraisal and interpretation of a variety of perspectives - including our own. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which these interactions are played out across and through multiple scales, from the global to our everyday lives.

20 credits

Geoscientific Data Analysis using MATLAB

Matlab® is a computing environment and programming language with over one million users worldwide. It is used to process, analyse and visualise geoscientific data, but also has many less scientific uses; it can be used to edit digital photos and listen to online music.  This module will introduce students to Matlab® by way of specific real-world examples taken from Geoscience topics using freely-available data.  Initially the module will introduce students to the basics of using Matlab® before focussing on five broad topics relevant to Geoscience.  At each stage, theory will be accompanied by easy to understand practical problem solving examples, with the code used for the examples made available to students.  Assessment will comprise computer practicals and a data analysis project; the focus of which will be chosen by each student from a range of topics, but which must use Matlab® to analyse and present data.  This module will equip students with a valuable transferable skill - the ability to use a programming language to obtain/generate, analyse and present geoscientific data thus improving their digital fluency and capability.

20 credits

Applied Volcanology

Volcanoes are an enigmatic force of nature. Understanding the way they behave and how they are monitored is a key aspect in hazard assessment. The module will cover a range of topics related to volcano monitoring, underpinned by an overview of the current state-of-the-art in volcanic science. In particular, the module will combine a theoretical basis of understanding for ground-based and satellite-based volcano monitoring capabilities with practical applications. Via lectures, lab practicals, and field-based activities, students will benefit from hands-on operation of monitoring equipment through to processing and interpretation.

20 credits

Challenging Development

The aim of this module is to critically examine the development process within a global context, drawing on examples from developed and developing nations, to understand the local global nexus. Attention is given to the different ways in which sustainable 'development' is defined, and how we can decolonise development reflecting more critically on our position, and the power relations within this process. Drawing on debates within development geography, and other disciplines, the course is structured around two themes: current global crises and how these affect us all but differently across the globe; and development interventions which aim to tackle global crises globally and locally. Topics covered may include: neoliberalism and its relation to the financial crises, the environmental crises, and its root causes, populism and the rise of inequalities, sustainable development goals, alternatives to development, the pros and cons of the use of technology.

20 credits

Our Frozen Planet

In this research-led module, students will explore current and former frozen parts of our planet, gaining a detailed understanding of the following typical themes: The processes that govern how glaciers and ice sheets work; How numerical models are used to forecast glacier and ice sheet change; The extent and operation of former glaciers and ice sheets; Periglacial environments (cold region processes often close to glacierised regions) Specialist guest research contributions (lectures/seminars on topical cryospheric research).

20 credits

Contemporary Geographical Research (L3)

This module requires the student to prepare, research and write up a piece of work based on a geographical topic of their choice. After meeting with a staff member a proposal will be produced that will be marked to give the student feedback before they embark on the essay. An extended essay will then be conducted independently with limited staff support, synthesising and developing a critique on the existing literature available in the Sheffield libraries.

20 credits

Coastal Systems: Processes and Management

This module will explore the processes occurring within coastal environments both off-shore and on-shore including aspects of societal interaction with these environments and responses to climate change. The topics typically covered  include tides, estuaries, coastal dune systems,cliff erosion and off-shore energy production. It also includes practical elements of data and field based analysis designed to understand coastal processes and monitor changes.  Field work comprises an integral element of this module. The aim of the module is to give you an appreciation of the variety and multidisciplinarity of the physical geography associated with coastal environments. It will give you the chance to translate new knowledge and new research field and digital skills to problem solve, critically think and suggest sustainable solutions to real world problems.



As this module has a residential field class element, you will need to select it by the end of the first Add/Drop period in Semester 1 (i.e., by the end of Week 2). After this point we will close the module to new students, and if you Drop this module at a later date, you might be subject to any cancellation fee we incur.

20 credits