Geography BA/BSc(Hons): Field trips

Fieldwork is an important part of our geography teaching.  It deepens your understanding and brings the subject to life. 

Below are the main field trips for the Geography courses. Remember they can vary from year to year according to circumstances and new opportunities. Some optional modules also involve local excursions. View our image gallery at the bottom of the page for an idea of what fieldwork involves.

Year 1

Isle of Wight

In the autumn, the entire School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, over 100 people, visits the Isle of Wight for a long weekend. This is a great opportunity to get to know other students and meet staff informally.

Each degree course has specific field destinations. Geographers undertake work associated with physical and human geography, looking at issues such as:

• island economy;
• coastal erosion;
• land slippage; and
• ornithology (the study of birds).

Peak District or Swansea and the Gower Peninsular
In the second semester you go on a five-day field trip, usually to Wales or Derbyshire (we alternate between the two locations). Here you observe issues such as the redevelopment of brown field sites in a rural town and the use of industrial archaeology as tourist sites. 

There is also a series of group projects covering a range of human or physical geography elements. You can choose the project that interests you most, perhaps:

• footpath erosion;
• water supply and reservoir provision; or
• the historical development of rural settlements.  

Year 2

Malta

The Year 2 week-long field trip usually takes you to Malta. Staff will introduce you to the geographical setting, physical landscape and environment. A day focussing on human geography investigates the social, political and economic developments in Malta. You will then have the opportunity to work in small groups to design and manage a research project investigating a specific geographical theme covering a range of topics, from coastal management to immigration and integration.

Year 3

South Africa (possible alternative: Thailand or Australia)

In Year 3 you have the chance to go on a field trip further afield, usually South Africa. The two-week trip forms an entire module, during which you will be based at three locations approximately 500km apart. You take the experience and knowledge you have gained from your studies and apply them to an unfamiliar environment. 

Image gallery

Click on a thumbnail to enlarge: