University Website: http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/
Geography at Cambridge
The BA degree in Geography is based on a three-year course. In the first year, all students take the same options with five papers that cover human geography, historical geography, environment and development geography, environmental change through time and environmental processes. Students also take some practical classes in the methods and techniques of analytical geography. At the end of the first year students are examined on the five papers and together with the marks they receive for their practical work, this makes up their IA result.
In the second year of the degree, students are offered a structured choice of courses. It is possible at second year to specialise a little more. The choice of courses is somewhat wider and many of them concern a particular region of the world or specific sub-branch of geography. For example, there is a course on Cities and another on Environmental Hazards. In this year, you take four optional courses and a compulsory paper on the philosophy of geography. In the second year there is also a compulsory residential field course and associated project work. During this year you also begin to formulate dissertation proposals for work to occur over the long vacation of your second year. Your exam result in this, Part IB of the Geography degree, is based on four examinations and your practical and project work.
In the third year of the degree, students are given a completely free choice and must select four courses from a list of some fifteen or so. In addition you must complete a dissertation of 10,000 words. In this year you can specialise to an extent which will give you a good preparation for postgraduate research in Geography or you can choose take a wide range of courses as suits your interests or perhaps with a view to becoming a teacher of Geography.
Geography is a subject that engages with issues of current interest in the areas of environment very broadly defined. You are very likely to study subjects that you see mentioned in newspapers. Geography is essentially the study of the earth as our home and its breadth and topicality should not surprise you. You may find further details about the BA degree in Geography by looking at the Department’s webpage: http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/. You can also write for a copy of the Department’s Prospectus: Diane Wanchoo, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge CB2 3EN.