Undergraduate Geography 2024-2025

This course reflects upon the role humans have played in creating the Anthropocene (the epoch we are now living in), a time period during which human actions have become more significant than natural processes in shaping our world. Drawing primarily upon perspectives from physical and human geography, the nature of the changes, “how did we get here?”, are considered, laying the foundations for GG1512, in which “what comes after?” – how contemporary society is attempting to tackle Anthropocene challenges – is debated.

This course interrogates the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.  These encompass contemporary global challenges such as responsible consumption and production, no poverty, clean water and climate action (challenges whose emergence is introduced in GG1010 Creating the Anthropocene).  Drawing upon Human and Physical Geography perspectives, a ‘strong’ interpretation of sustainability, one where social and economic dimensions fundamentally rely on ecological foundations, underpins the course. 

This course provides an understanding of environmental processes and landscape change through time and space. The course places Physical Geography as an integral component of Earth System Science. The first half of the course explores physical environmental processes, whilst the second focuses on evidence of environmental change across a range of temporal and spatial scales. Three themes of glaciology, hydrology and palaeoecology will be explored to illustrate the linkages and interactions between process and form over a range of temporal and spatial scales. The course is team-taught by staff with an emphasis on using examples from recent research projects.

GG2014 examines political, economic, social and cultural change from a geographical perspective. The course consists of five distinct blocks, each of which introduces a specific sub-field of human geography – economic, urban, tourism, cultural and social geography. As a team-taught course, it makes use of a range of concepts and uses case studies drawn from the staff’s own fields of research. As well as geography, the course is designed to be accessible and relevant to students from other arts and social science disciplines such as anthropology, business, economics, history, international relations and sociology.

This course introduces students to a range of scientific and social scientific skills and techniques used in Geography. The course content builds towards a residential field trip that takes place in the Easter vacation. Past venues have included the Isles of Skye and Arran, the cities of Inverness and Stirling, and Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park. The trips enable students to put into practice the skills and techniques they have been taught through lectures and in workgroup sessions, and to conduct original research into geographical issues covered elsewhere on the programme.

Only available to students registered for programme year 2 of a Geography study aim or to students also taking at least 3 of GG2013, GG2014, GG2509 & GG2510

This course explores the complex and dynamic relationship between the environment and human societies. It examines how social, economic, and political factors influence environmental policies and practices, and how environmental changes, in turn, affect human societies. Through case studies such as using environmental ethics to think about tuna fishing and whale conservation, or engaging with the idea of putting a price on nature through natural capital approaches, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of key concepts, theories, and case studies on socio-environmental issues.

In a digital era of GPS navigators and many online map tools (e.g. Google Maps), there is an increase demand for professionals able to understand and manipulate geographical data and use these to monitor processes at various scales. The course provides a solid background in the acquisition of geographical data, both onshore and offshore with classic field-based and remote sensing techniques. It covers the creation and interpretation of maps and looks at the history of remote sensing and its science as well as providing the essential basis to understanding what a Geographical Information System is.

This core course is designed to introduce Honours students to key debates on the nature and scope of academic geography.  Geographers past and present have studied a huge variety of phenomena using a variety of tools for investigating their subject.  This course will help you understand this diversity.  Example topics include: the changing meaning of the 'environment'; the use and abuse of statistical analysis; the influence of left-wing and post-modern perspectives, and the role of technology.  Students may specialise in particular aspects, or mix-and-match across the breadth of the discipline, as you wish.

This year-long core course is designed to give Joint Honours students an advanced introduction to the history, philosophy and methodology of the earth and environmental sciences.  The first part examines key conceptual debates and innovations.  Topics include: the discovery of 'deep time', the development of ideas about ice ages, the 'quantitative revolution' in physical geography post-1945, the importance of digital technologies and the influence of environmentalism.  The second part, designed to support students' own project work, addresses the implications for research: e.g., the possibilities and pitfalls of different qualitative and quantitative approaches.

This course is designed for students with an interest in how best to make use of land, water and cultural resources. It examines the science, ethics, aesthetics, economics, law and politics of land and marine management using a variety of case studies. Potential examples include the protection and management of: Antarctica; the Amazon rainforest, fish stocks; areas of natural beauty; wilderness areas; historical cities; and the peri-urban fringe from the threats posed by the likes of: mineral extraction; energy schemes; airport expansion; intensive farming practices; urban sprawl and tourism/leisure proposals.

This course is a mix of 1 hour lectures and 1 hour practical sessions using statistical analysis software (SPSS). It is very much a 'hands-on' course and a wide range of datasets are employed to give you confidence in the application of statistical techniques. The course is designed to give you the skills to undertake exploratory data analysis, test for relationships (using correlation and regression), and test for differences between sample data (from the Sciences and Social Sciences). Classical statistical analysis techniques are introduced and the value of multivariate statistics to detect patterns in complex data sets is also explored.

This course covers the practical aspects of remote sensing and GIS. It is entirely hands on, and students learn through a series of exercises that becomes progressively more challenging and more specific to different geographical disciplines. By the end of the course students will be familiar with key remote sensing and GIS software and will have learned their fundamental tools. These are highly demanded skills in the job market at present, so this course is strategic for those students potentially interested in a job where these types of tools are employed.

This core course is designed to introduce Honours students to key debates on the nature and scope of academic geography.  Geographers past and present have studied a huge variety of phenomena using a variety of tools to investigate their subject.  This course will help you understand this diversity.  Topics include: the changing meaning of the 'environment'; the use and abuse of statistical analysis; the influence of left-wing and post-modern perspectives, and the role of technology.  Students may specialise in particular aspects, or mix-and-match across the breadth of the discipline, as you wish.

This course provides an opportunity to explore, in depth, the development and application of four important concepts in human geography. Each concept is introduced in a lecture and then discussed in a related tutorial and individual coursework assignment. The course analyses the development and research application of key ideas, and introduces you to contemporary conceptual debate in the discipline. In these ways GG3570 provides an excellent springboard for Senior Honours study. Which concepts are covered will depend on the composition of the teaching team. In recent years they have included: networks; resilience; landscape; and transnational migration.

This core course builds on GG2508 to provide an introduction to the conduct of research in the Geosciences at an advanced level.  It is intended to familiarise students with the skills necessary to design, implement and write up effective research.  These skills will support work on undergraduate dissertations and other project work.  The course also introduces careers research skills, and explores how you can best make use of your degree in the 'real world' after graduation: workshops run in partnership with the University's Career Service provide practical advice and training on how best to develop your career.

This core course builds on GG2508 to provide an introduction to the conduct of research in the Geosciences at an advanced level.  It is intended to familiarise students with the skills necessary to design, implement and write up effective research.  These skills will support work on undergraduate dissertations and other project work.  The course also introduces careers research skills, and explores how you can best make use of your degree in the 'real world' after graduation: workshops run in partnership with the University's Career Service provide practical advice and training on how best to develop your career.

This course provides an introduction to and training in multiple techniques which are used in physical geography. These are directly related to our research strengths in glaciology, hydrology and palaeoecology. This develops skills across a range of techniques which can be subsequently applied to dissertation projects, for advanced 4th year courses and for higher level education. These techniques all represent transferable skills which may be applied in the workplace. There are three field days where data are collected with subsequent lab classes providing instruction on how to analyse and interpret such data.

Although ‘globalisation’ is a commonly used term nowadays, its exact meaning is still subject to academic debate. By means of examining key economic, social and political aspects of globalisation, this course provides an advanced introduction to our globalising world. It enables students to develop a theoretically and historically informed understanding of globalisation and the processes of international integration and interdependence which globalisation encompasses. Specific topics include theoretical perspectives on globalisation, history of globalisation, global economic governance, global transport, transnational mobility, the globalisation of food production and consumption and the global debate on climate change. The course is taught by staff from various disciplines.

The fieldtrip explores the physical geography of a montane area, at present the Italian Alps. The course is based around a one week residential field-course located in the shadow of the Mont Blanc massif, supported by taught and student-led sessions on campus.  Students have the opportunity to study the processes, forms and management issues characteristic of alpine landscapes: e.g., glacier dynamics and geomorphology, alpine hazards such as avalanches, mountain ecology and the dynamics of alpine rivers. Students complete independent projects, conducted in small groups, on topics they select themselves and which are developed with support from an academic supervisor.  This provides the opportunity to develop important research and wider transferable skills.

The course is based around a one week residential field-course supported by taught and student-led sessions on campus.  Students complete independent research projects, conducted in small groups, on topics they select themselves and which are developed with support from an academic supervisor.  In previous years project topics have included transport, tourism, immigration, housing, and urban regeneration.

The Honours dissertation provides students with the opportunity to produce a piece of independent and original research on an approved topic.  Advanced level knowledge of a sub-area of the discipline is developed through independent study supervised by a member of academic staff.  This course is compulsory for any students completing a single Honours degree in Geography and for any joint Honours student who has not registered to complete a dissertation in their other Honours subject.

This course explores the behaviour of glacier ice, its role as an integral part of the climate system and in shaping the environment.  It investigates how glaciers form and flow, the effect this has on their surroundings (erosion, transport and deposition) , and the response and contribution of the cyrosphere to climate change.

Students will learn to: explain the mechanisms of glacial mass balance, dynamics, hydrology, erosion and deposition; evaluate the contribution of glacial fieldwork, remote sensing and modelling to our understanding of the cyrosphere; and assess the impact and response of glaciers and ice sheets on/to climate change.

This course aims to introduce students to key concepts and approaches used to understand, monitor and model rivers and river basins. It focuses on understanding the movement of water through river basins and the links between river flow regimes, habitats and ecosystems. Students are introduced to a number of important approaches used in modern day hydrology and the insights that these provide into how river basins are structured and function, both hydrologically and ecologically.  The course involves a mixture of traditional lectures, dealing with state-of-the-art knowledge, and hands-on computer based exercises.

Through lectures, student-led seminars and presentations by external experts, this course enables students to engage at an advanced level with social, demographic, economic and policy issues associated with the contemporary countryside at local, regional, national and international scales. Course topics include: conceptualising rurality and the commodification of the countryside; rural socio-economic restructuring; accessibility and services provision; rural policy and governance; and selected contemporary rural issues.

To introduce students to the role of geography in the wine industry, wine production, viticulture, and vineyard management, including the role of geospatial technologies such as remote sensing, mapping, GIS and GPS in precision viticulture, spatial data and spatial data analysis.

This core, 'capstone' course is designed to develop further students' critical understanding of the contemporary intellectual and real-world contexts in which the academic discipline of geography - and its graduates! - operates.  The course involves the preparation of seminar presentations and short papers on a series of issues pertinent to contemporary geography.   This work should showcase new philosophies and methodologies; and/or the relationships between geography and other academic disciplines; and/or applications of academic geography to real-world problems.  Students also consider how they can best make use of their degree after graduation, with preparation of a reflective, career-planning report.

This course delves into the environmental changes that have occurred since the end of the last ice age 14,000 years ago (the Lateglacial and the Holocene). We will explore the evidence used to reconstruct past environments from proxy records preserved in archives such as peat bogs and the ice cores that suggest that climate and environmental conditions have been far from stable. Our discussion of the evidence will show that the Lateglacial and Holocene are characterised by a series of major but short-lived climatic oscillations as well as permanent transformations as a result of increasing pressure as human population has developed.

People are on the move. There are around 281 million international migrants in the world. That’s 1 in 30 people globally who are living outside the country of their birth, three times as many now than the best estimates from 1970. Migration and mobilities, internationally, as well as within countries and regions, shapes our societies. The course explores how these processes play a role in societal issues from the local to global, as well as how society responds to crisis.