Overview

The Master’s in Practising Human Geography will challenge you to personally engage with the theoretical and practical approaches to Human Geography.  You will critically assess the way in which Human Geography has dealt with key themes including space, place, time, scale, mobility and power, and also the ethical, moral and legal perspectives on the subject.  You will relate geographical concerns to ethical issues and relevant public policy debates, and argue your case with academic rigour.  You will then prove this learning in your own practical research project. 

Our excellent teaching staff will support and encourage you throughout your studies.  The world-renowned Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences (IGES) will expose you to the widest possible range of expertise, through its regular guest seminar series and a residential ‘theory school’, involving Cardiff and Swansea universities.  These stimulating interactions provide excellent opportunities for the career-minded to network and socialise in a professional context.

The course is a year-long, full-time programme divided into two parts over three semesters.  In part one, you will establish a breadth of necessary skills in a number of core modules whilst directing your own study by choosing specialist modules.  Totalling 120 credits, the modules are described in greater detail in the at a glance tab.  In part two, you will apply your learning in the individual dissertation worth an additional 60 credits.  Contact time is approximately 10 -14 HOURS per week and our small, friendly classes provide a productive environment where you can engage with your subject matter fully supported by staff and your peers.

By graduating from this course, you will have strengthened your employability in both specialist and more general areas of work.  As a specialist, you will be a highly competent contributor to any work relating to territory, landscape, policy and governance, sustainability, research design and data handling.  In more generic employment situations, your strengths will be broad and deep because you will be able to demonstrate mastery of any planning, project-management, analysis and reporting skills that your employer will require.

Whether you progress into doctoral research or employment, your practical training in research, monitoring and analysis will make you highly desirable to employers, academic institutions and other consulting agencies.

Factfile

Duration:	One year full-time. The academic year is divided into three semesters, but this course is administered in two parts: Part One runs from October to May; Part Two runs from June to September.
Contact Time:	Approximately 10-14 hours a week in the first two semesters.  During semester three you will arrange your level of contact time with your assigned supervisor.
Assessment:	Part 1 of the course is delivered and assessed through lectures, tutorials and essay projects. In Part 2, the successful acceptance of your dissertation (up to 20,000 words) leads to the award of an MA. 
Entry Requirements:	BA honours degree (2:1) in a related subject at undergraduate level and accompanying references.  We will consider applicants with other experience which gives an equivalent basis for entry.
English Language Requirements:	If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a UK University, you do not need to take an English proficiency test. Non-native English speakers who do not meet this requirement must take a University-recognised test of academic English language proficiency: IELTS or TOEFL.  The required IELTS minimum proficiency level is 6.5.  For TOEFL, the minimum scores are as follows: 580 for the paper-based test; 237 for the computer-based test (with an essay rating of 5.0); and a score of 93 for the internet-based test.  More information is available on the IELTS and TOEFL websites.
Course Fees:	The fee for this course for 2011-2012 is £3,500 for UK and EU students and £9,500 for international students.  For details of other students’ fees, please view this page. [Link: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/funding-fees/eu-taught/tuitonfees/ There are a number of Aberystwyth Scholarships and International Excellence Scholarships (AIES) to help fund the studies of students who meet specific criteria.  In addition, accommodation is guaranteed to all international students.

At a Glance (L791)

Career Development

Qualification: MA in Practising Human Geography

This degree will suit you:

• If you wish to obtain the expertise required for advanced research in Human Geography;
• If you are interested in pursuing a career in Human Geography;
• If you wish to obtain an excellent postgraduate qualification from an internationally-recognised, research-led institute;
• If you wish to build upon your a second class degree or higher in a related discipline.

Employability

Every aspect of the MA in Practising Human Geography is designed to enhance your employability.  Alongside the development of your subject-specific knowledge and experience, an especially noteworthy strength of this course is the emphasis on personal development.  As an emerging specialist in Human Geography, your strengthened research and critical faculties will make you a strong candidate for any post where ideas and topics need research, analysis, discussion, expansion and classification.

In addition to gaining such specialised knowledge in the theoretical concepts of Human Geography, the course aims to develop your more general skills such as written and oral communication, data handling and statistics, team work, information technology and problem solving.  These skills are highly prized by employers and can be applied across innumerable graduate and master’s level jobs.  Because you will have secured and proved your competency in these areas, you will be very well equipped for entering the general employment market but also in pursuing positions in subject-related professions.

A host of employers look for accuracy, thoroughness, an eye for detail and the ability to find and prove connections across broad subject matter, and you certainly will have proven yourself, simply by graduating from this prestigious MA course. 

Professional Exposure and Networking

You will have the opportunity to attend two major research groups (the Cultural and Historical Geography Group and the New Political Geographies Group) which are based in the Institute of Geography and Earth Science.  These groups are comprised of experts in their fields who regularly contribute to international debates.  By attending meetings and seminars, you will experience Practising Human Geography at the cutting edge; you will be aware of the most up-to-date debates, theories and methodologies in the context of a lively and robust working department.  This will give you an enviable edge and fluency in your professional and doctoral applications.

You will also be strongly advised to take every opportunity you can to widen your professional exposure.  The department’s regular guest seminars and the residential ‘theory school’ in conjunction with Cardiff and Swansea Universities, are such opportunities.  These provide excellent opportunities for you to network and socialise with your teachers and peers in a professional context.

Project Management in the Dissertation

The dissertation project will require you to work independently and to pursue your own individual topic.  You will be required to cultivate a professional work ethic to deliver the combination of research, analysis, communication and presentation demanded by this project.  This rigorous part of the MA will require you to employ project management skills which are entirely transferrable to almost any work context that Master’s graduates apply for.

Studying for this Master’s degree will allow you to sharpen up all your core scientific disciplines, your professional work ethos and your presentation and communication skills.  Once secured by obtaining your Masters Degree, you will have gained confidence in the level of your academic expertise and practical field skills, which in turn will enhance your employability in both highly specialised related professions and also on broader, unrelated professional paths.

Contacts

 

Course information: The programme leader for this course is Dr Gareth Hoskins (tgh@aber.ac.uk)

 

Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences,

Aberystwyth University,

Penglais Campus,

Aberystwyth University,

Ceredigion,

SY23 3DB

Tel +44(0)1970 622 2630

www.aber.ac.uk/en/iges

 

Apply for this Course

 

Other Important Information:

• University Accommodation
• Aberystwyth Student Life
• About Aberystwyth (external site)
• Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences