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What is the relationship between change and human societies? What are the effects of migration on towns and ? is the study of the relationship between people and places.

Why study human geography? Human geography is a wide-ranging discipline that “There has never been a draws together many of the strands important for more exciting time to study understanding the today. It examines human societies and how they develop, their , geography at . It helps and , all within the context of their explain much of what is going environment. With the rise of globalisation and climate change, it has become increasingly relevant. on in the world right now.” Students are attracted to a subject that allows them Dr Martin Degg, to examine the relationship between global and local issues and equips them with the analytical and University of Chester practical skills needed in many careers. First year lays the foundations of the subject, What will I study at university? covering core geographical methods and theories, There are over100 geography courses in the UK and may include some . Later that offer specialism in human geography. Some on in the degree, students can find themselves courses are combined with subjects such as: specialising in areas as diverse as: • • Urbanisation, which explores why people move • to urban areas from rural • Business • , including the • English relationships between societies and the Other combined courses include a focus on specific • Postcolonial culture, which explores the cultural areas of human geography, such as: identities of settlers and colonised people • Human Geography with , which explores human-environment interactions

and their affects • Geography and Planning, including the role that town and country planning has on changing settlements and landscapres • Population and Geography, exploring the implications of population change by births, deaths and migration on society and the environment SOCIAL SCIENCE FOR SCHOOLS Careers in social science Human geography What skills will I gain? Human geography students leave university with a broad range of transferable skills, including: • Analytical and critical thinking • Research and report writing • and presentation skills • Data collection and evaluation • Technical skills including Geographical Information Systems (GIS) skills

After my degree... what next? Geography-based skills are also valued in the private Graduates of human geography are highly sector, and many graduates go on to work in the employable, as employers recognise the value of a industry. Some popular options, such as discipline that combines and chartered surveying or , will involve essay writing with proficiency in using data and further study to gain vocational qualifications. . Because of the growing need to assess Because of the training in social science research environmental impact, such skills are much in methods, a degree in human geography also forms demand by many different kinds of organisation. an excellent foundation for postgraduate work.

Geography graduates have one of the highest Human geography is also transferable to broader rates of graduate employment. In 2011, 83 per career options including: cent of graduates of human geography were in • Accountancy employment or doing further study six months • after graduating, according to the • Marketing Statistics Agency. Graduates may consider careers • Computing in related areas such as: • Urban regeneration and conservation • International development What do students say? • Tourism “My human geography degree has given me Many human geography graduates gain jobs in the ability to think critically and holistically the public sector, local government departments about the current and future challenges we or government agencies responsible for town face in an increasingly interconnected world planning, , housing, environmental - from climate change to economic crises services and recycling, regeneration and economic - as well as equipping me with a diverse, development. Those who enjoy collecting and flexible skill-set opening up a wealth of analysing spatial and environmental information will career options.” find opportunities in the armed services, energy and suppliers, as well as in government and Human geography graduate, University of Bristol business. SOCIAL SCIENCE FOR SCHOOLS Further resources

• Royal Geographical Society (RGS) supports • Centre for Population Change was established education, research and fieldwork in in January 2009, and funded by the ESRC as geography. The professional body for the UKs first research centre on population , it has a comprehensive microsite change. Based jointly at the University of ‘Study Geography’ which includes guidance Southampton and the National Records of on why students should study geography, Scotland, the ESRC Centre for Population how to choose the best degree course and Change brings together expertise from the details of career options after graduation. of Southampton, St Andrews, It also has some useful information about Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Stirling as well gaining professional accreditation for your as the National Records of Scotland and the geographical skills by becoming a Chartered Office for National Statistics. . www.cpc.ac.uk www.rgs.org • Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) • Lancaster Environment Centre is a research partnership consists of 22 public sector and teaching body based at the University of organisations that fund, carry out and use Lancaster which brings together academics, environmental research and observations. government and commercial LWEC aims to ensure that decision makers organisations. Interdisciplinary research teams in government, business and society have the address the century challenges of how to , foresight and tools to mitigate, address environmental change and promote adapt to and benefit from environmental and sustainable resources. change. www.lec.lancs.ac.uk www.lwec.org.uk

• Centre for Human Geography is based at • 21st Century Challenges is a Royal Brunel University. Its academics conduct Geographical Society public talk series. The collaborative research projects in , website explores a number of key challenges and South with a focus on where Geography is at the heart of issues citizenship, children and youth with a view to concerning places, societies, environments having an impact on policy. and livelihoods, both locally and globally. The www.brunel.ac.uk/shssc/research/chg site also has a schools section with useful resources to suppliment the 21st Century • Institute of is a think- Challenges. tank specialising in international development www.21stcenturychallenges.org affiliated to the University of Sussex. It has around a hundred researchers, and produces publications on a wide range of topics from urbanisation to food security. www.ids.ac.uk/study