Geography with a Foundation Year

Geography is one of the most genuinely interdisciplinary subjects you can study at university. It spans the physical processes that shape the Earth's surface, the human patterns that determine how people live across different places, and the environmental challenges that arise when the two intersect. Geographers study glaciers and cities, rivers and migration routes, climate systems and the politics of land use.

The discipline develops both quantitative and qualitative skills, a combination that makes geographers unusually versatile in the labour market.

At Loughborough University, the four-year programme includes a foundation year, which is designed for students who have not studied the prerequisite subjects for direct first-year entry, who have not met their expected entrance requirements due to adverse circumstances, whose sport performance commitments have affected their academic preparation, or who are returning to education as mature students or care leavers. The foundation year provides a thorough grounding in the knowledge and study skills needed to succeed on the full degree before you progress onto the three-year programme.

Loughborough's geography department is well regarded for the quality of its teaching and fieldwork, and the university's emphasis on applied, practice-based learning shapes the character of the degree. You will develop skills in quantitative data analysis, geographic information systems, remote sensing, fieldwork and academic writing, all of which are directly relevant to professional geographers.

Graduates of geography degrees work in a wide range of sectors, including environmental consultancy, urban and regional planning, international development, government, the civil service, education, research and the private sector. The combination of analytical, spatial and communication skills that geography develops is highly transferable. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in geography, environmental management, planning, development studies or related fields, and geography is also recognised as strong preparation for professional training in planning and surveying.