Daearyddiaeth
Daearydduaeth - 3 Year Degree - F801
The BA Daearyddiaeth degree scheme is a broad-based Geography course - exploring aspects of both the human and the natural world - that allows students to undertake a significant proportion of their studies through the medium of Welsh. Students on the Daearyddiaeth scheme study the human and physical processes structuring the globe, and the political and environmental issues that arise as a consequence of human interactions with the Earth. Examples are taken from around the world, but many of the modules in the BA Daearyddiaeth scheme have a particular focus on Wales, its geography and its environment.
Students on the BA Daearyddiaeth single honours scheme (L702) are able to select just over half of their degree through the medium of Welsh. Students choosing to study Geography in combination with another subject, as a Daearyddiaeth Major or Joint Honours degree, may be able to increase the proportion of Welsh-medium teaching closer to 100%.
Teaching and Learning
Aberystwyth has an excellent reputation for the quality of its teaching and learning and was highly rated for the overall satisfaction of its students in both Human Geography and Physical Geography in the 2007 National Student Survey. The BA Daearyddiaeth scheme has a flexible modular structure which enables students to combine essential training in key geographical skills with the pursuit of specialist interests. Students on the Daearyddiaeth scheme are taught through lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical classes, field courses and individual supervision, in both English and Welsh, and assessed through a mixture of formal exams and coursework, including essays, reports and presentations. Students may opt to sit any exam and submit any assignment in Welsh.
Core modules in the first year of the Daearyddiaeth scheme include four Welsh-medium modules: Amgylcheddau Wyneb y Ddaear; Pobl, Lle a Chenedl; Cyflwyniad i Ddaearyddiaeth Ddynol; and the tutorial module. Students also take three English-language core modules, and up to four option modules, which may include two Welsh-medium options: Amgylchedd Cymru and Methodoleg Maes Amgylcheddol. In the second and third year, the core tutorial modules and the Dissertation project are taken through the medium of Welsh, and a number of specialist Welsh-medium option modules are available including: Daearyddiaeth Wleidyddol; Daearyddiaeth Cyfalafiaeth Hwyr; Geomorffoleg Afonol; Daearyddiaeth y Wladwriaeth; Daearyddiaeth Geltaidd; and Adnoddau Ynni a'r Amgylchedd.
Fieldwork and Opportunities to Travel
All Daearyddiaeth students take part in an Induction Field trip to Gregynog Hall near Newtown at the start of the first year, which is structured around a 'Mock Earth Summit' and is an excellent way to get to know other students on the course. In the second year, all Single Honours and Major Daearyddiaeth students participate in a compulsory residential fieldcourse, normally either a human geography trip to New York, or a combined human and physical geography course in Ireland. These field courses introduce students to different environments and cultures, exploring themes such as urban change, landscape and power, and migration, and also develop research skills and group work.
Our fantastic surroundings also provide Aberystwyth with unique academic advantages for the local study of all aspects of geography. Field weekends in Wales are available to students on the Daearyddiaeth scheme through the Methodoleg Maes Amgylcheddol module, run in collaboration with other Welsh universities.
Career Opportunities
The Daearyddiaeth degree scheme provides an excellent foundation for a wide range of careers, developing key transferable skills and relevant general and specialist knowledge. Geographers are employed across a diverse spectrum of professions, in Wales and beyond. Our graduates can be found working for the Welsh Assembly Government, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency, local authorities, charities and voluntary sector organisations and private companies, and as environmental consultants, teachers, planners and economic development officers, among many other jobs.
Guidance on careers, applying for jobs, and building a strong CV, is provided through tutorials and specialist sessions run for geographers by the Careers Advisory Service. Students can opt to spend a year in employment, and the GO Wales scheme is available to help students find work experience in Wales and employment opportunities on graduation.