A student on a field trip collects samples from a beach

Geography as a joint-major degree

Joint-Major Geography Courses

Take Geography as a joint-major degree alongside Economics, French, German or Spanish.

A place for Emily

The course was a great transition from studying Geography at A level and focused on enhancing my skills to the next level. As a geographer, I've always loved exploring and getting out there, and that's exactly what my course enabled me to do.

At Lancaster, I've had the opportunity to continue studying both human and physical aspects of geography. The first year of my course gave me a great taster of both, leading me to specialise more in my second year. I chose to balance my studies between physical and human geography, but you can choose to focus more on one or the other if that's what you'd like to do. The degree is yours to be flexible with.

There's a great selection of modules, including interdisciplinary modules. I went on a water management trip to Croatia which combines aspects of physical and human geography. There's definitely something for every kind of geographer.

There are loads of opportunities to develop your learning at Lancaster, and fieldwork is the main one for me. I've visited Kendal to focus on implementing field management measures. I've visited White Scar Caves to look into hydrology and water systems. In laboratory sessions, I've done everything from studying rock formations in geology to studying flow rates in water. Not only is it varied and interesting, but it's also been brilliant to learn these industry skills to prepare me for life after my degree.

The Careers Service at the University ran a module for us, which was a four-week course on how to write a CV, the best places to look for jobs, and how to create a good cover letter and more, which was invaluable.

Emily Christopherson, BSc Geography

Learning on location

We take full advantage of our natural surrounding to create amazing fieldwork experiences, in addition to the opportunities to travel with the world with optional residential and overseas field trips.

Brazil

The Amazon is a fascinating place to explore the conservation and development challenges facing tropical forests. Based in the lower Rio Negro region, you will see a range of beautiful tropical wildlife and visit people's homes and agricultural plots to understand the challenges faced by local people. This is a unique opportunity to work alongside experts and understand the challenges of pursuing biodiversity conservation whilst reducing poverty.

Croatia

The Istrian Peninsula, an idyllic landscape of olive groves, forests, wineries and beaches. This environment is strongly governed by its geology, biodiversity and position between differing climates. Istria is also the setting of dramatic socio-economic, political and environmental changes. During this trip, you will focus on the challenges of environmental management, particularly of water resources, in this unique landscape.

Iceland

Experience glacial processes first-hand and their impacts on the dynamic tectonic landscape of Iceland. You will be based in southern Iceland, where you will learn how glaciers interact with the surrounding volcanic landscape. As well as developing your practical field skills, you will also observe the stunning Icelandic scenery and understand how glaciers fit into the broader study of the physical environment.

Italy

Visit Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, and study the complex processes that take place both on the surface and beneath volcanoes. You will explore many physical volcanic processes, including lava flow emplacement, explosive events and the evolution of a basaltic volcano. You will also evaluate methods of managing volcanic hazards on densely populated active volcanoes.

New York

This trip offers you the opportunity to engage critically with the geography and inequality of New York. You will take part in several activities, including visiting activist groups and learning about migration and gentrification. Throughout the trip, you will study the links between cultural, economic, political and social processes and the ways they influence life in New York City.

Paris

During this week-long field trip, you'll have the opportunity to visit various food settings, including urban markets, industrial food production sites and ethnic food stands. You will also explore the temporal and spatial links between food production and consumption, and discover how food, culture and politics weave into daily life and that of the dinner table!

Slapton Ley

Our week-long trip to Slapton Ley in Devon offers a unique opportunity to study a critical environmental issue, eutrophication, through fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Based at Slapton Ley Field Studies Centre, you will explore the hydrological processes which govern a coastal freshwater lake of ecological significance.

Spain

We visit an area in Spain of steep environmental gradients, ranging from semi-arid conditions along the Mediterranean coast up to the tundra peaks of the Sierra Nevada. You’ll study several challenges, including sediment transport and landslide activity, and gain experience of designing, implementing and evaluating a research project that investigates a diverse range of environmental issues.

Your study

Our academics are leaders in their fields of research and deliver enthusiastic and engaging teaching through a range of methods.

Lectures

Lectures provide an introduction to the key issues in each topic and are delivered by an expert in that particular field. They usually last either one or two hours and should be complemented by the further independent study of reading relevant literature on the topic. We provide online reading lists of suitable books and journals that are available either digitally or in print from our library.

Tutorials

Tutorials are usually one-hour sessions where you will be encouraged to discuss your learning with a small group of fellow students, under the guidance of an academic tutor. During these in-depth study sessions, you will learn key skills and discuss concepts related to lecture materials.

Practical classes

Many of our modules include practical sessions alongside lectures and tutorials. These are designed to help you discover the key principles underpinning the topic of study, whilst also developing your skills which you will be able to put to use throughout your degree and future career. Practical classes could range from computer-modelling sessions, through fieldwork, to the opportunity to conduct experiments in our laboratories.

Assessment

The assessment process varies across modules but includes laboratory reports, essays, independent project reports, group presentations, and exams. Assessment is an on-going process, rather than being left solely until the end of the degree. This means we are able to provide feedback to you throughout your degree.

Academic support

We are a friendly department and foster a highly supportive learning environment, making sure that you are fully supported to achieve your full academic potential. This includes access to our Student Learning Developers, who offer workshops and advice on improving your academic skills, and also assigning you an Academic Tutor with whom you will meet regularly throughout your degree to discuss your academic progress.

Related subject areas

We also offer courses in the related areas of Ecology and Conservation, Environmental Science and Earth and Environmental Science. Find out more about these degrees.

Geography

Geography is a distinctive subject that links the physical and social sciences in a quest to solve environmental issues of global significance.

Human Geography

Study the ways in which people interact with their environment and how they form communities, cultures and economies.

Physical Geography

Learn about the processes operating within our natural environment and explore the physical world.

Earth and Environmental Science

Covering topics as diverse as geological mapping and atmospheric processes, you will explore the factors and processes that control the Earth system.

Ecology and Conservation

You will examine the ecology and conservation of different ecosystems, in which organisms are locked in complex interactions with one another and their environment.

Environmental Science

Our degrees will help you to understand how the environment has evolved to its current state and how it might change in the future.