Programme Specifications

Economics

Geography

JANUARY 2013

September 2023

• Provide training in the principles of economics and their application appropriate to the type of degree concerned: single honours, joint honours or combined studies
• Stimulate students intellectually through the study of economics and to lead them to appreciate its application to a range of problems and its relevance in a variety of contexts
• Provide a firm foundation of knowledge about the workings of economic systems and to develop the relevant skills for the constructive use of that knowledge in a range of settings
• Develop in students the ability to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired to the solution of theoretical and applied problems in economics
• Equip students with appropriate tools of analysis to tackle issues and problems of economic policy
• Develop in students, through the study of economics, a range of generic skills that will be of value in employment and self-employment
• Provide students with analytical skills and an ability to develop simplifying frameworks for studying the real world. They should be able to appreciate what would be appropriate levels of abstraction in order to study a range of economic issues
• Provide students with the knowledge and skill base, from which they can proceed to further studies in economics, related areas or in multidisciplinary areas that involve economics
• Generate in students an appreciation of the economic dimension of wider social political and environmental issues.

Physical Geography is the study of the natural world and the processes that shape it. The Physical Geography programme at Aberystwyth aims to develop an understanding and explanation of the processes structuring the natural world and of how and why that world has changed in the past, is changing now and will continue to change in the future. It explores the operation of environmental processes from the mirrco- to the global scale and examines their physical and human impact and the issues that arise for environmental management. By providing both a broad-based foundation in Physical Geography and the opportunity to specialise within particular sub-fields as the degree progresses, the Physical Geography programme fosters a scientifically rigorous approach to the study of these themes and prepares graduates for a wide range of prospective careers.

The Aims of the BSc Physical Geography Major degree scheme are:

• To develop a broad and deep understanding of geography, its content, methods and philosophy

• To provide a structured programme of delivery that is academically rigorous and meets current and future benchmarking requirements

• To encourage selected specialist knowledge and understanding through research-led Level 3 optional modules in those areas where the Institute has expertise

• To produce graduates with a wide range of analytical, critical and technical abilities within geography.

• To develop powers of critical, analytic thinking and logical argument

• To develop competence in a range of subject-specific and transferable skills including literacy, numeracy, computer literacy, graphicacy, problem setting and problem solving, report writing and fieldwork skills

• To encourage independent study and thought, enquiring minds, and a commitment to personal scholarship of the highest standard

• To enable students to combine a primary interest in Physical Geography with a significant secondary interest in their ‘minor’ subject.

Sections 10 to 16 of this form relate to the Physical Geography component of the Major programme. This is a generic programme specification for BSc Physical Geography Major degree schemes.

The learning outcomes of this programme are designed to meet the expectations of the latest QAA benchmarking statement for Economics (2007). The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas.

On completion of the programme students should: 

• Be able to evaluate critically geographical ideas, concepts and approaches across the whole of the subject and within particular branches of Geography
• Be able to carry out independent research, applying a range of cartographic, computational, literary and technical skills
• Have developed a range of geographical skills and be able to apply them to a variety of geographical issues
• Be able to recognize that their learning experience has been positively reinforced by exposure to research
• Be able to evaluate their own performance in a range of learning contexts and under different modes of assessment
• Be able to work independently, in a team and with a social awareness of the contribution made by scholarship and applied research in their discipline to social and environmental policy
• Have the necessary skills and awareness to seek employment in a variety of professional careers or to begin postgraduate research and study.

To achieve these aims, the Economics Major degree comprises the following elements:

1. A coherent core of economic principles. The understanding of these might be verbal, graphical or mathematical.
2. Economic principles should cover the microeconomic issues of decision and choice, the production and exchange of goods, the pricing and use of inputs, the interdependency of markets, the relationships between principals and agents, and economic welfare.
3. Economic principles should also include the macroeconomic issues of employment, national income, the balance of payments, the distribution of income, inflation, growth and business cycles, money and finance.
4. The understanding should extend to economic policy at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic levels. In all these, students should show an understanding of analytical methods and model-based argument and should appreciate the existence of different methodological approaches.
5. Relevant quantitative methods and computing techniques. These would include appropriate mathematical and statistical methods, including econometrics. Students should have exposure to the use of such techniques on actual economic, financial or social data, using suitable statistical or econometric software.
6. A knowledge and appreciation of the nature, sources and uses of economic data, both quantitative and qualitative.
7. Students should also have some knowledge of and an ability to select and apply appropriate methods that the economist might use to structure and analyse such data.
8. The applications of economics. Students should have the ability to apply a core of economic principles and reasoning to a variety of applied topics. They should also be aware of the economic principles that can be used to design, guide and interpret commercial, economic, social and environmental, policy.
9. Students should have the ability to discuss and analyse government policy and to assess the performance of the UK and other economies.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Lectures, tutorials, seminars and problem based scenarios, group work, presentations and computer practicals. Dissemination of individual module outlines complete with reading lists, assessment methods and assignment instructions. Contact with module co-ordinators and lecturers. Feedback on assignments. University e-learning facility (ALTO).

Assessment -
Coursework - planning, preparatory research, writing and feedback.
Examination - seen, unseen and open book.
Project work - case studies, presentations and group work

On completion of the degree scheme, students will be able to:

• A1 Demonstrate appreciation of the reciprocal relationships between human activity and the physical environment, including the impact of human activity on landscape form and environmental quality.

• A2 Describe and account for spatial variations in the makeup of the Earth's physical environments at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

• A3 Describe the physical and chemical processes that are responsible for forming the Earth's physical environments.

• A4 Understand the relationships between process and form in the physical world as interrelated and interdependent systems involving flows of energy and mass.

• A5 Develop insight and understanding into the contribution that geographical study makes to an informed concern about the Earth and its people, in academic, practical and policy terms.

• A6 Demonstrate an awareness of the range and nature of data sources available to the geographer and employ and evaluate a substantial range of observational, recording and analytic strategies used in geographical field enquiry and data analysis.

• A7 Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the different forms of representation of the physical environment – including text, maps, mathematical equations, chemical equations, visual images, and models (including hardware, numerical and conceptual models).

• A8 Account for and evaluate the development of Physical Geography as a dynamic, plural and contested discipline, and discuss the relationship of Geography with other disciplines in the physical and natural sciences.

• A9 Critically evaluate the range of philosophical and methodological approaches employed by geographers in their analysis and interpretation of the Earth’s natural environment.

Teaching & Learning

At Level 1, student development towards learning outcomes A1 – A5 is promoted via the Physical Geography module programme, delivered through lectures supported by independent study and reading by students. Student development towards learning outcomes A6 – A9 is promoted through a combination of lectures, practical classes and related exercise-based assignments, including field exercises.

At Levels 2 and 3, the teaching programme consists of four elements. (i) Core Knowledge and Understanding Modules in Level 2 develop student capacities relating to outcomes A1 to A7 through lectures supported by independent study and reading by students. (ii) Core Skills Modules at Level 2 promote learning outcomes A6 to A9 through a combination of lectures, practical classes and field classes, variously supported by fieldwork exercises, group or individual exercise-based assignments and independent reading as appropriate. Field classes may also address issues related to A1 to A5. (iii) Optional modules taken at Level 2 and Level 3 and delivered through lectures and seminars supported by independent study and reading, contribute to student development towards some or all of outcomes A1 to A9.(iv) Small group teaching in both Level 2 and Level 3 cover themes relating to outcomes A1 to A9. Independent research undertaken by students towards their Dissertation may also contribute towards the development of knowledge relating to some or all of outcomes A1 to A9.

Assessment

The knowledge and understanding learning outcomes are assessed through a wide range of methods depending on the assessment requirements of individual modules.

At Level 1, student capacities relating to learning outcomes A1 to A5 are assessed through unseen examination essays, unseen short-answer examinations, exercise-based coursework assignments and project work. Student capacities relating to outcomes A6 and A7 are assessed through practical and field exercises.

At Levels 2 and 3, student capacities relating to learning outcomes A1 to A9 may be variously assessed as appropriate through coursework assignments, the Dissertation project, fieldwork assignments, oral presentations, coursework essays, project essays, seminar presentations, and seen, unseen and free-time examination essays.

10.2.1 Cognitive and intellectual skills

Students should be able to demonstrate a range of cognitive and intellectual skills together with techniques specific to economics. Key intellectual features that characterise the economist's approach include (no particular order of importance):

1. First there is the ability to abstract and simplify in order to identify and model the essence of a problem.
2. Second is the ability to analyse and reason - both deductively and inductively.
3. Third is the ability to marshal evidence and to assimilate, structure, analyse and evaluate qualitative and quantitative data.
4. Fourth is the ability to communicate results concisely to a wide audience, including those with no training in economics.
5. Fifth is the ability to think critically about the limits of one's analysis in a broader socio-economic context.
6. Sixth is the ability to draw economic policy inferences, to recognise the potential constraints in their implementation and to evaluate the efficacy of policy outcomes in the light of stated policy objectives.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Lectures, tutorials, seminars and problem based scenarios, group work, presentations and computer practicals. Individual module outlines complete with reading lists distributed. Contact with module co-ordinators and lecturers. Feedback on assignments. On-line information.

Assessment -
Coursework - planning, preparatory research, writing and feedback.
Examination - seen, unseen and open book.
Project work - case studies, presentations and group work

10.2.2 Subject specific skills

Economics graduates should also possess subject-specific, rigorous skills. These skills may be summarised as follows.

1. Abstraction. From the study of economic principles and models, students see how one can abstract the essential features of complex systems and provide a useable framework for evaluation and assessment of the effects of policy or other exogenous events. Through this, the typical student will acquire proficiency in how to simplify while still retaining relevance. This is an approach that they can then apply in other contexts, thereby becoming more effective problem-solvers and decision-makers.
2. Analysis, deduction and induction. Economic reasoning is highly deductive, and logical analysis is applied to assumption-based models. However, inductive reasoning is also important. The development of such analytical skills enhances students' problem-solving and decision-making ability.
3. Quantification and design. Data, and their effective organisation, presentation and analysis, are important in economics. The typical student will have some familiarity with the principal sources of economic information and data relevant to industry, commerce, society and government, and have had practice in organising it and presenting it informatively. This skill is important at all stages in the decision-making process.
4. Framing. Through the study of economics, a student should learn how to decide what should be taken as given or fixed for the purposes of setting up and solving a problem, ie what the important 'parameters' are in constraining the solution to the problem. Learning to think about how and why these parameters might change encourages a student to place the economic problem in its broader social and political context. This 'framing' skill is important in determining the decision-maker's ability to implement the solutions to problems.

10.2.1      Intellectual skills 

On completion of the degree scheme, students will be able to: 

• B1  Abstract and synthesise information 

• B2  Critically judge and evaluate evidence 

• B3  Critically interpret data and text 

• B4  Make justified decisions 

• B5  Assess the merits of contrasting theories, explanations and policies 

• B6  Develop a reasoned argument 

• B7  Find ways to overcome problems

• B8  Write in an appropriate academic style in reporting, reviewing and discussing geographical themes 

• B9 Appropriately and critically employ material from academic literature and correctly cite and reference sources 

• B10  Take responsibility for their own learning and review and reflect upon that learning 

• B11 Use geographical and other appropriate terminology correctly

Teaching and Learning

Student development towards outcomes B1 to B11 is primarily promoted through small group sessions (Levels 1-3), practical classes and field classes (Levels 1-3), and one-to-one tutoring for the Dissertation project (Level 3). Learning is supported through personal tutorials, practical and field exercises. The application of these skills in the context of specific areas of geographical enquiry is demonstrated through lectures for core and optional modules at Levels 1, 2 and 3.

For example, skills of abstracting and sythesising information, critically judging and evaluating evidence, critically interpreting data, making justified decisions, assessing the merits of contrasting theories and explanations, developing a reasoned argument and finding ways of overcoming problems may all be developed as part of projects undertaken during the Level 2 field course.

Assessment

Assessment of student capacities in relation to outcomes B1 to B11 are central to criteria employed in the evaluation of a range of assessment forms employed at all three levels of the degree scheme. The common assessment criteria employed in the Department are directly linked to the learning outcomes of the degree programmes and therefore permit the identification of the means through which learning outcomes are assessed.

Learning outcomes B1, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9 and B11 are assessed through most forms of assessment employed in the programmes, including seen and unseen exams, coursework essays and reports, , group and individual presentations and the Dissertation. Learning outcome B2 is assessed primarily through coursework essays. Learning outcome B4 is assessed primarily through the Dissertation and related exercises. Learning outcome B7 is assessed through the Dissertation, practical and statistical exercises.

10.2.2      Professional practical skills / Discipline-specific skills 

On completion of the degree scheme students will be able to demonstrate competence in the following professional geographical skills: 

• C1  Planning, designing and executing a piece of rigorous geographical research or enquiry, including the production of a final report

• C2  Undertaking effective fieldwork (with due regard for safety and risk assessment, research ethics and equality, diversity and inclusion) 

• C3  Presenting geographical data effectively through the use of appropriate media including maps, diagrams, statistical tables and academic prose. 

• C4  Employing a variety of social survey and interpretative methods for the collection, analysis and understanding of information from the human world, including questionnaire surveys and interviews. 

• C5  Combining and interpreting different types of geographical evidence. 

• C6  Analysing the geographical implications of current events, policy decisions and social, economic, political and cultural processes.

• C7  Interrogating and interpreting the production and presentation of policy documents, print and broadcast media, landscape and textual material. 

• C8  Recognising the moral and ethical issues involved in geographical and social scientific debates and enquiries. 

The teaching of discipline-specific professional and practical skills is delivered in a number of contexts. Field classes at Levels 1 and 2 contribute to the development of skills C1-C8 inclusive, with learning supported by the practical experience of group and individual field exercises and projects. Practical classes at Levels 1 and 2 contribute to the development of skills C3, C4, C5 and C7, supported by practical group and individual exercises. Small group sessions at Levels 1, 2 and 3 address issues relating to outcomes C5-C8 inclusive; whilst outcomes C6 to C8 are also addressed at Level 1 through lectures on a core module and related exercise-based assignments. Finally, independent student research for the Dissertation (if selected), and associated one-to-one tutoring, may contribute to student development towards any or all of C1 to C8 inclusive.

Additionally, the application of these skills in the context of specific areas of geographical enquiry is demonstrated through lectures for core and optional modules at Levels 1, 2 and 3. 

Assessment

The above skills are assessed through a variety of methods at all three levels of the degree scheme. Assignments reporting on fieldwork exercises and activities – which may include written reports, field notebooks and diaries, and oral presentations – assess student capacities against outcomes C1 to C8 inclusive. Similarly, the Dissertation project may, depending on the topic, assess any or all of outcomes C1 to C8 inclusive. Group and individual exercises related to practical classes assess skills C3, C4, C5 and C7. Coursework essays, project essays and examination essays may all assess C3, C4, C5, C6, C7 and C8 as appropriate to the context of the assessment.

From learning economic principles, the typical student acquires a facility with some key concepts that are present in most of the decision problems that they are likely to face subsequently in their careers. This transferability is evidenced by the wide range of careers into which graduates in economics move. The development of these skills is particularly emphasised in the course of an undergraduate degree through the study of economic principles and economic methods.

Key skills include:

1. Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, using a range of media and formats which are widely used in Economics and its applications.
2. Demonstrate effective self-management in terms of time, planning and behaviour, motivation, self-starting, individual initiative and enterprise.
3. Demonstrate self reflection and criticality including self awareness, openness and sensitivity to diversity in terms of people, cultures, and the impact of economic decisions on a wide range of issues.
4. Demonstrate the skills of learning to learn and developing a continuing appetite for learning; reflective, adaptive and collaborative learning.

Students should also be able to demonstrate mastery of the following key concepts:

5. Opportunity cost - a problem solver or decision-maker must routinely ask 'what would have to be given up if...', where the answer does not always involve a simply calculated financial cost. It is often the case that actions are proposed that fail to recognise forgone alternatives. Opportunity cost allows the economist to think about the costs in terms of all resources. There are many examples of economic policies which enhance efficiency yet reduce equity and vice-versa, or where gains in one time period involve costs in other time periods. All of these examples encourage an appreciation of inevitable trade-offs.
6. lncentives - economists are trained to recognise and evaluate the incentives implied by particular rules, and how to establish sets of rules that actually lead people to react in ways that give rise to some intended outcome. The ability to think logically about these issues is essential in the effective design of both policy and strategy
7. Equilibrium, disequilibrium and stability - these are concepts that economists make heavy use of and the typical graduate will have seen these deployed in economic argument with great regularity. The concept of equilibrium is a state where no participant has any incentive to change behaviour. The ability to recognise disequilibria and appreciate their stability properties, and to think coherently about reactions to this, are essential ingredients of good decision-making
8. Strategic thinking - economists learn the importance of strategic thinking, and the roles of opportunities, strategies, outcomes, information and motivation in the analysis of strategic actions, including conflict, bargaining and negotiation
9. Expectations and surprises - economists learn that behaviour partly depends on experience and partly on peoples' perceptions of what is expected to happen. Thus behaviour may change when unanticipated events occur. Effective decision-making requires the skill of reacting in a context where people's behaviour is based on expectations that may be confounded by subsequent surprises. Students in economics will have been exposed to these issues and this will enhance their potential effectiveness as decision-makers
10. The relevance of marginal considerations - economists are trained to recognise that important decisions often relate to small variations in key variables and parameters. An action is worth undertaking if the additional benefit that accrues is greater than the additional cost incurred. The typical student in economics will be fully aware of the importance of the margin relative to the average
11. The possible gains from voluntary exchange - economists study and measure the net gains that people, institutions and countries can obtain from economic interaction in the form of specialisation, employment, exchange and trade. The identification and measurement of gains relative to costs and the barriers to maximising net gains are important in devising appropriate policies to optimise the use of scarce resources with respect to various individual, institutional, political. social and environmental objectives
12. Systems and dynamics - many economic decisions or events can start a complex chain of events. Economists gain an understanding of the interrelationships between economic phenomena and how effects can accumulate or die away. The ability to see beyond the direct or short-term effects is a crucial insight that economists can bring to analysing the effects of both deliberate decisions and external shocks.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

Formal teaching in lectures. Use of seminars and tutorials to reinforce subject teaching, often by means of problem based scenarios and case studies. Guided learning is provided by individual module outlines and supplementary reading lists specifying sources of relevant information, available in hardcopy and on blackboard- Group work and presentations may be used as appropriate. Prompt feedback on assignments is provided.

On completion of the programme the student will be able to take responsibility for themselves and their work. The student will be able to demonstrate ability in the following key skills which are transferable to a non-academic context: 

• D1  Working independently 

• D2  Working as part of a team 

• D3   Respecting the views, beliefs, opinions and values of others 

• D4   Listening to and engaging with other speakers 

• D5   Effective verbal communication in a range of settings, including group discussions and debates and formal presentations. 

• D6   Effective written communication in a variety of forms 

• D7 Use of information technologies to process, store, present and communicate information, including spreadsheets, databases, word processing, e-mail and the internet

• D8 Identifying, retrieving, sorting and handling information from conventional and digital sources.

• D9   Time management and self-regulation of work regimes 

• D10  Research issues and solve problems 

• D11  Adapting to change 

• D12  Reading comprehension and interpretation of a range of written material 

• D13  Observational skills

• D14  Collating, processing, interpreting and presenting numerical data

• D15  Identifying appropriate career pathways and developing the capacity to compete effectively for employment opportunities. 

The programme aims to promote, develop and nurture students’ awareness of and competence in these key transferable skills, many of which students will already possess in a greater or lesser degree of competence. Some of these skills are integral to teaching and learning activities across the programme (D1, D4, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11, D12). Others are developed through specific modules and learning activities, including fieldwork (D2, D13, D16), practical classes and exercises (D14,D16), oral presentations (D5). Most significantly, skills-based modules have a progressive syllabus from Level 1 to Level 3 (culminating in the Dissertation) which specifically addresses a number of these skills, including D1- D12 and D15.

Assessment of student capacities in relation to many of the above outcomes (D6-D10, D12) is central to criteria employed in the evaluation of a range of assessment forms employed at all three levels of the degree scheme. These include coursework essays, practical exercises, fieldwork projects, project essays, the Dissertation independent research project and seen, unseen and free-time examination essays. In addition, a number of the above skills are explicitly assessed at various points during the programme through a range of methods, including the Dissertation project (D1, D11), reports on fieldwork group project (D2, D13, D16), oral presentations (D5), study skills assignments (D7, D8),, group debates and discussions (D3, D4), tutorial careers assignments (D15) and statistical exercises (D14).