Geography and Environmental Hazards BSc (Hons)

Course overview

You can expect our Geography and Environmental Hazards BSc (Hons) course to further develop your knowledge and understanding of environmental hazards and the physical environment.

Why you should study this course

• This course, following the requirements of the QAA Subject Benchmark, has fieldwork embedded at every level. We also aim for you to experience international mobility during your studies through a number of mandatory international field trips. There are no extra costs to you for these mandatory trips².
• There is a strong career/employability focus throughout the course, which is manifested in the four-year sandwich degree, where the third year offers the option of a year in industry or study abroad, based on our long experience of organising placements with a wide range of professional contacts².
• You will acquire basic capabilities in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), a key skill sought by many employers. All students will receive a certificate of GIS training upon successful completion of an appropriate exercise.
• Geography courses make use of the university’s teaching facilities including laboratories to develop quantitative analytical skills and the Simulation Centre, a facility that allows simulation of real-life scenarios⁴. This particular benefit of studying geography at Coventry facilitates your experience of fieldwork, research methods and hazard simulation, all within a monitored and recorded environment that allows you to develop skills, receive immediate feedback on your development and prepare for the transition into the workplace after graduation.

Careers and opportunities

Successful geography and natural hazards graduates should possess a number of skills that are highly valued by employers. As such, employment prospects can be good, as they should possess specialist skills and knowledge in natural hazard assessment and prevention.

Upon successful completion, you can expect to be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the nature, practical value and application of geography and the earth sciences
• recognise key concepts, methods and techniques in relation to spatial and temporal geographical problems, variations in the human and physical environments and the effect of contemporary environmental issues
• demonstrate a detailed understanding of natural hazards and application of knowledge to mitigate and manage their effects
• plan, design and execute a piece of independent research or enquiry using appropriate methods and strategies for acquiring, interpreting and analysing information
• conduct field and laboratory work together with data collection and associated investigative and analytical skills
• recognise the moral and ethical issues involved in debates and inquiries
• think critically and analytically about the world around you
• demonstrate an awareness of how skills and training can be applied to work of a geographical nature
• observe, contextualise and analyse information through field and laboratory studies (including computational)
• demonstrate a range of transferable professional skills including: intellectual and problem-solving skills, effective team work, initiative and responsibility for your own learning and development, self-reflection, time management and personal organisation, and excellent communication skills.

The transferable analytical and problem-solving skills you’ll have the opportunity to gain as a successful geography graduate may also open up a wider variety of roles, such as a GIS officer, data analyst, flood risk analyst, sustainability officer, asset systems manager, environmental energy consultant, teacher, insurance assessor or government administrator.