Earth Sciences courses

About Geography And Planning BA (hons) in University of Liverpool

Our Geography and Planning BA programme draws equally from both disciplines, with some flexibility to enable the inclusion of optional sociology modules, offering an interdisciplinary and varied degree programme.

The programme provides you with knowledge of the challenges facing modern society, the means to interpret diverse phenomena and an understanding of the conceptual and philosophical arguments surrounding human interactions with the environment. Students are supported to acquire and enhance their oral, written and visual communication skills and engage in group-based problem solving and practical work, gaining skills that are readily transferable to the workplace. Residential field classes are an integral part of modules available in each year of study.

This programme is designed as part of a suite of strongly related programmes, and core modules in Years One and Two are shared with the planning programmes and BA Geography. This enables students to transfer between programmes in the first two years should their interests or career aspirations change.

Programme in detail

The first year of study introduces you to the foundations of both geography and planning, covering a number of key issues in geography including climate change, globalisation, and sustainability and the fundamental features of the UK planning system, and an awareness of the broad social, economic and environmental context in which contemporary planning issues arise. You will be supported to acquire and enhance your oral, written and visual communication skills and engage in group-based problem solving and practical work, gaining skills that are readily transferable to the workplace. A residential field class early in the first semester enables you to begin applying your learning to a real life setting straight away.

In Year Two, principles, theory and skill levels are central components of our teaching to enable you to develop and engage deeply with module material. For example, you will gain further understanding of geographic theory, social statistics, strategic planning and place making.
You will also have a choice of field classes in various locations in the UK. You also continue to develop critical thinking and communication skills to enable you to analyse material and communicate ideas effectively. Project work also enables you to develop an awareness of the methodological and spatial design issues that arise in the development of planning schemes.

Year Three offers you flexibility and choice to tailor your degree to your interests and developing expertise in both geography and planning. You are able to select modules that challenge you, enable you to explore areas of specialist knowledge and develop previous learning, as well as continue to develop your analytical, communication and research skills. You will also complete a dissertation on a topic of your choice and you have multiple field class options to choose from.

Career prospects

Our Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) accredited programmes ensure that you are fully qualified to enter this dynamic profession on graduation.

Our programmes are varied, interdisciplinary, and have a strong vocational focus, meaning that Liverpool planning graduates enter a wide range of planning related careers in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

We have graduates who are working in the UK and across the world in what is becoming an increasingly global profession. Many of our graduates have senior positions in private practice, central and local government, and academic institutions, and 11 former Presidents of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) were graduates from the Department.

We take the employability of our graduates seriously and have taken care to build into our degree programmes the development of transferrable skills as well as making sure our graduates develop the necessary professional skills to begin their careers.

Recent employers

• Consultancy: Atkins, Arup, Indigo, Savills
• Local Authority: Islington Borough Council, Lancashire County Council
• Public bodies: Transport for London (TFL), Natural England, Environment Agency, National Parks Authorities
• Non-governmental organisations: Liverpool Vision, Council for the Protection of Rural England, RSPB
• Advocacy: Housing associations, social
  enterprise, economic development.

Career paths taken by our recent graduates:

• Planning and environmental consultants
• Strategic and local development planning
• Development management
• Transport planning
• Urban regeneration
• Economic development
• Environmental management
• Urban designers
• GIS and data science specialists
• Academic researchers
• Social housing.

Academic qualification equivalents

• Successful completion of examinations at standard X and XII (Higher Secondary School Certificate) with minimum marks of approximately 70 to 85%, according to the course and exam board.

English language requirements (one of the below):

• IELTS: A  minimum of IELTS band 6.0–7.0, with no component below 5.5.
• TOEFL iBT: 78-88 overall with 19-Listening, Writing, Reading, 21-Speaking.
• PTE:  55-62 with minimum score of 51 in any component

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