Highlight Modules

Here at DGES we offer over 70 modules across all three years of our degree schemes, that cover the very latest topics in Geography and Earth Sciences. With so much choice, and so much flexibility, out students find that they can tailor their degree schemes to their interests. Here's just a handful of Highlight Modules from Year 1 that our current crop of students recommend you study! 

Climate Change: Impacts, Perceptions, Adaptations – Year 1, Semester 2

  • This module is designed to provide students with a factual and conceptual understanding of some of the major geographical issues that form part of the 'climate change debate'. The module explicitly considers both the physical and social/political dimensions of the debate, placing particular emphasis on 'global warming'. Students will study aspects of the physical basis for climate change, the socio-political background to the climate-change debate, and how we can adapt as a response.

    This module is particularly well suited for students registered on Geography BSc, Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Major or Joint Honours derivatives.

Earth Surface Environments – Year 1, Semester 1

  • This module provides a valuable introduction to the dynamic process systems operating upon the Earth's surface. Particular attention is paid throughout to integrating an understanding of contemporary process with an understanding of contemporary and ancient landforms. A range of global environments is examined, including fluvial, glacial and arid environments, illustrating their landform assemblages, the process systems operating in them and the problems encountered when attempting to manage them.

    This module is well suited for students registered on Physical Geography, Geography BSc, Environmental Earth Science, and Major or Joint Honours derivatives.

Power, Place and Development – Year 1, Semester 1

  • The aim of this module is to illuminate to students how places are social phenomenon (rather than simply points on a map) as well as how places change and develop through a number of overt and covert social struggles. Concepts such as sovereignty, mobility, security and citizenship are introduced, and students will examine how they situate taken-for-granted ideas about rights, privilege, the 'proper' and the normative. Through historical and contemporary case studies in the United States, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, we will see how legal frameworks, aid policies and social/cultural norms can produce spatial outcomes that are oppressive, violent and unjust at both the local (e.g., ghettos and shanty towns) and global scale (e.g., the east and the global south).

    This module is well suited for students registered on Human Geography, Geography BSc, and Major or Joint Honours derivatives.

Rocks and Minerals – Year 1, Semester 1

  • Student undertaking this module will gain familiarity with the more common minerals and rocks, learn the principles of classification and methods of identification, and will be able to identify them both in hand-specimen and under the microscope. You will gain practice in the systematic description of rocks and minerals and appreciate the importance of practical work in geology. In the early lectures, minerals will be defined and their classification explained. The accompanying practical classes will introduce how the main varieties of minerals are identified and provide practice in mineral recognition. The formation of Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks will also be considered as physical and chemical systems, and the classification of different geologies will be introduced.

    This module is well suited for students registered on Environmental Earth Science, Environmental Science, Physical Geography, Geography BSc, and Major or Joint Honours derivatives.

Full module details, including information on lecturing staff, assessment type and key reading lists can be found here.