About This Course
This MGeog Geography degree is like our BA or BSc Geography programmes except it has an additional fourth year of study that allows you to specialise in an area of geography that particularly interests you through your dissertation project. You will also undertake a work placement in your fourth year that will help you develop those key employability skills to help you successfully navigate the world of graduate employment. You will also be able to select some additional modules, either human, physical or environmentally focused to complete your studies.
On this MGeog Geography degree, you can choose from the same set of modules as the BA (L700) and BSc (F800) Geography programmes during your first three years. You can select ones that are more human or physically focused, or even ones that reflect the interdisciplinarity nature of geography.
Field work is an integral part of this degree, and there will be lots of opportunity to get outside and learn valuable skills locally, alongside residential trips in the UK and Europe. You can study or work abroad if you participate in our International Experience Year.
This degree is accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Accredited degrees contain a solid academic foundation in geographical knowledge and skills and prepare you to address the needs of the world beyond higher education.
BA or BSc or this MGeog? You can decide to opt onto the BA or BSc Geography programmes at the start of your third year if you change your mind.
Why choose Bangor University for this course?
- TV presenter Steve Backshall is now part of our teaching team.
- Half and full-day field trips taking advantage of our location, which is set against the backdrop of the dramatic north Wales coastline, Menai Strait, and the mountains of Snowdonia National Park.
- Strong links with organisations: Forestry Commission, Natural England, the Snowdonia National Park Authority, Natural Resources Wales, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Welsh Water, Environment Agency. Some contribute to teaching and provide placements opportunities.
- We have a Geographical Information Systems Suite.
Additional Course Options
This course is available with a Placement Year option where you will study for 1 additional year. The Placement Year is undertaken at the end of the second year and students are away for the whole of the academic year.
The Placement Year provides you with a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons and develop valuable skills and contacts through working with a self-sourced organisation relevant to your degree subject. The minimum period in placement (at one or more locations) is seven calendar months; more usually you would spend 10-12 months with a placement provider. You would normally start sometime in the period June to September of your second year and finish between June and September the following year. Placements can be UK-based or overseas and you will work with staff to plan and finalise the placement arrangements.
You will be expected to find and arrange a suitable placement to complement your degree and will be fully supported throughout by a dedicated member of staff at your academic School and the University’s Skills and Employability Services.
You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option when you have started your course at Bangor and can make an application for a transfer onto this pathway at the appropriate time. If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch.
This course is available with an International Experience Year option where you will study for 1 additional year.
Studying abroad is a great opportunity to study with specialists, see a different way of life and broaden your horizons. With international experience of this kind, you’ll really improve your career prospects. If you plan to study in a country where English is not spoken natively, there may be additional language support available for you.
There are a wide variety of destinations to choose from and when you graduate you will have ‘with International Experience’ added to your degree title.
You can find out more about the International Experience Year programme on the Student Exchanges section of our website.
You will have the opportunity to fully consider this option when you have started your course at Bangor and can make an application for a transfer onto this pathway at the appropriate time. If you have any questions in the meantime, please get in touch.
Watch - Making Snowdonia, Field Course at Cwm Idwal
Course Content
Your learning will take place in a range of different settings from lectures, laboratory work and field courses to seminars and small-group tutorials. Seminars provide the opportunity for you to discuss and analyse new material, ideas and concepts with other students and your tutor. Small-group tutorials may be structured around study skills development or problem solving, and give you the opportunity to ask questions, raise issues or explore material taught in lectures. You will have access to our virtual learning environment, which hosts learning resources, course documents and lecture capture recordings (where available) for your modules. Your studies also involve a considerable amount of independent study.
You will study 120 credits in each year. This degree is constructed of a number of modules some compulsory, and others optional. You will be assessed in a combination of ways: coursework; essays; presentations; reports; projects/dissertations; examinations; and practical tasks. Some assessments may involve group work. Assessment methods for modules are generally split 60/40 for coursework and exams.
What will you study on this course?
Year 1 and 2
The first year focuses on key knowledge and skills, building on your Geography A-level. You are also able to switch between BA and BSc courses at the end of the first year if you wish. The second year will provide you with deeper subject knowledge, introduce you to specialist techniques and fieldwork skills, and developing your own research.
Year 3
Your third year provides more specialised knowledge and skills in the areas of Geography that interest you. You can choose from a range of modules that are aligned to either arts or science themes, and which focus on the human and physical aspects of geography.
You will also have the opportunity to undertake advanced field skills and training is available through our optional Year 3 field courses to Tenerife or Northeast Spain (Barcelona).
Year 4
The fourth year of our MGeog programme is mainly focused on your own research allowing you to delve deeper into the subjects depending on your interests, undertake work-based learning and provide a deeper understanding of geographical approaches. The fourth year allows you to further your studies in physical/environmental geography, or human geography depending on your interests.
Modules for the current academic year
Module listings are for guide purposes only and are subject to change. Find out what our students are currently studying on the Geography Modules page.
Course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.
Facilities
Natural Sciences facilities
- Natural History Museum with an exceptionally comprehensive collection of vertebrate material, which includes a diverse collection of vertebrate and invertebrate specimens, including primates.
- Extensive marine and freshwater aquaria with a suite of temperature-controlled rooms.
- Pigeon loft for bird cognition, physiology, and biomechanics research.
- Treborth Botanic Garden, which covers an area of 18 hectares on the shores of the Menai Strait. It contains Europe's largest underground root laboratory (the rhizotron), a teaching laboratory, formal garden beds, a rock garden, an arboretum and a conservation collection.
- Rodent and reptile facilities.
- Our university farm based at Henfaes, about 7 miles from Bangor and totals 252 hectares. It provides facilities for research and teaching in lowland agriculture, forestry, hydrology, environmental science and conservation. We conduct fieldtrips and you can run your own large-scale experiment for your project.
- Alpaca, sheep and bee hives at the University farm at Henfaes.
- We are on the coast, next to the Irish Sea and the Menai Strait providing a range of habitat types for field courses and study sites for final-year projects.
- Dedicated reptile facilities including venomous snake rooms.
- Environmentally controlled spaces for project work.
- Insect rooms.
- Woodlands.
- Large modern teaching and research laboratories, and a dedicated student research hub for dissertation work.
- Imaging facilities.
- A very large range of analytical kit, so that you can learn how to analyse environmental samples both in the field and in the lab.
- Our very own geology collection – regarded as one of the best in the country.
- Computer laboratories for you to develop your skills in key areas such as digital mapping and environmental modelling.
- Wood library.
- Dedicated environmental research labs.
- One of our best facilities is the environment on our doorstep – you will get the chance to visit so many different places on our fieldtrips, which will cement your learning and understanding of topics.
- Our biological, chemical, and environmental laboratories are used for a range of teaching and learning. We have specific research-laboratories located in the Environmental Centre Wales, which include: a radio and stable isotope lab, a Category 2 pathogen lab, a darkened microscope room, sample preparation laboratories and a dedicated analytical instrument lab.
General University Facilities
Library and Archive Services
Our four libraries provide a range of attractive study environments including collaborative work areas, meeting rooms and silent study spaces.
We have an extensive collection of books and journals and many of the journals are available online in full-text format.
We house one of the largest university-based archives not only in Wales, but also the UK. Allied to the Archives is the Special Collections of rare printed books.
Learning Resources
There is a range of learning resources available, supported by experienced staff, to help you in your studies.
The University’s IT Services provides computing, media and reprographics facilities and services including:
- Over 1,150 computers for students, with some PC rooms open 24 hours a day
- Blackboard, a commercial Virtual Learning Environment, that makes learning materials available on-line.
Course Costs
General University Costs
Home (UK) students
- The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,000 per year (2021/22 entry and 2022/23 entry).
- The fee for all placement, international, and sandwich years is £1,350 (2021/22 and 2022/23).
- More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.
International (including EU) students
Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:
- If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
- If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).
Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:
- Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
- Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
- Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.
Entry Requirements
GCSE: Grade C/4 in Mathematics and English Language or Welsh.
Typical offer is based on a minimum 96-128 tariff points from a Level 3 qualification* e.g.:
- A Levels: (including a C grade or above in A2 Geography).
- International Baccalaureate Diploma (including grade H5 or above in Geography at the Higher Level).
- Access: Science or Environmental/Landbased or Humanities course (Merit grade required in the Geography element).
- BTEC National/Extended Diploma in Countryside Management or Applied Science**: MMM-DDM
- Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma in Laboratory Skills**: MMM - DDM
- City & Guilds Extended Diploma (720) in Countryside Management**: Distinction - Distinction*
- City & Guilds Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (1080) in Forestry & Arboriculture**: MMM - DDM
- Welsh Baccalaureate is accepted.
International Candidates: school leaving qualifications and college diplomas are accepted from countries worldwide (subject to minimum English Language requirements). More information here.
We also welcome applications from mature applicants.
*For a full list of accepted Level 3 qualifications, go to www.ucas.com
**Similar subject areas may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
General University Requirements
To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.
We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.
All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.
As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.
We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.
EU and International Students' Entry Requirements
For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.
Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.
Careers
Our graduates are highly employable and are in demand due to their sought-after skills of project management, teamwork and communication. as well as the subject knowledge you develop during your studies. You will graduate with a widely respected degree that opens a wide variety of career prospects. Our graduates have been recruited by a variety of organisations, including: Natural Resources Wales, Network Rail, DHL, Airbus Defence and Space, National Grid, Ordnance Survey, Economic and Social Research Council, local government, independent environmental consultancies. A Geography degree also provide the foundation for further postgraduate study and research. You could also enhance your employability by registering for the Bangor Employability Award while you are here.
Opportunities at Bangor
The University’s Skills and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions.
The Bangor Employability Award (BEA)
The BEA is a comprehensive online course that you can work through at your own pace, taking you through all the steps you need to take to explore, prepare and apply for your dream career.
Internships
Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.
Student Volunteering
Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.
Foundation Year
A 'with Foundation Year' option is available for this course. Apply for Environmental Science (with Foundation Year).
What is a Foundation Year course?
If you don’t have the required qualifications for the degree-level course or are looking to re-enter education after time away from study, then a Foundation Year Programme might be the right choice for you.
The Foundation Year is an excellent introduction to studying this subject at university and will provide you with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to go on to study this course at degree-level.
When you have successfully completed the Foundation Year, you can progress on to the first year of this degree-level course.
