geography phd cambridge

We value your privacy

We use cookies to allow this site to work for you, improve your user experience, and to serve you advertising tailored to your interests. Let us know if you agree to all cookies. You can manage your preferences at any time

Your Privacy

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

Personalise what you see on this page.

United States

LOOKING FOR

Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate courses
CHOOSE ONE OR MORE

Popular universities

University of Kent
University of East Anglia UEA
University of Chester
Coventry University

University of Aberdeen

University of Portmouth
Nottingham Trent University
University of Sunderland
London Metropolitan University
London South Bank University
University of East London
BROWSE ALL UNIVERSITIES

Course search

Popular undergraduate courses.

Computer Science
LLB Bachelor of Laws
Biomedical Sciences
Physiotherapy
Sports Science

Open days search

Upcoming open days.

Sheffield Hallam University
Birmingham City University
University of Worcester
University of Gloucestershire
Bangor University
University of the Arts London

Article search

PhD in Geography University of Cambridge

Course options

Qualification.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

University of Cambridge

TUITION FEES
ENTRY REQUIREMENT
UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

The Geography Department welcomes applications from well-qualified candidates with previous training in geography or a related discipline and normally a relevant master's qualification. The PhD is a full-time three-year research degree (or five-year part-time), examined by a thesis.

In the first year, students attend a comprehensive training programme based around seminars and workshops dealing with the debates in geography, the practice of developing and designing research projects, and the methods and techniques required to undertake the empirical elements of research. Research in Geography embraces both natural sciences (physical geography) and the social sciences and humanities (human geography). This PhD can, in principle, be taken in any of the topics covered by the Department of Geography and may, in part, be delivered through co-operation with other departments in social sciences, humanities and physical sciences depending on each student's individual needs. The University also offers a comprehensive range of training courses for personal and professional career development.

Module Options

Tuition fees.

Afghanistan
Antigua & Barbuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Burkina Faso
Central African Republic
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Czech Republic
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast
Korea DPR (North Korea)
Liechtenstein
Marshall Islands
Netherlands
New Zealand
Northern Ireland
Palestinian Authority
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Republic of Ireland
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Korea
South Sudan
St. Kitts & Nevis
Switzerland
Trinidad & Tobago
Turkmenistan
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Western Samoa

£ 28,401 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

University league table, campus address.

University of Cambridge, The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1TN, England

Subject rankings

Subject ranking.

1st out of 73

Entry standards

Graduate prospects

Student satisfaction

Suggested courses

Geography and Environment PhD

Loughborough University

Geography & Environmental Science league table

Geographical Information Systems MSc

University league table

Is this page useful?

Sorry about that..., how can we improve it, thanks for your feedback.

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

Events and open days
Fees and finance
Student blogs and videos
Why Cambridge

Qualifications directory

How to apply
Fees and funding
Frequently asked questions
International students
Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
How the University and Colleges work
Visiting the University
Term dates and calendars
Video and audio
Find an expert
Publications
International Cambridge
Public engagement
Giving to Cambridge
For current students
For business
Colleges & departments
Libraries & facilities
Museums & collections
Email & phone search
Graduate Admissions
Prospective Graduate Students

Studying at Cambridge

Department of Geography
MPhil in Geography
Postgraduate study
MPhil study
MPhil in Anthropocene Studies
MPhil in Conservation Leadership
MPhil in Holocene Climates
MPhil in Polar Studies
How to apply (MPhil)
PhD degrees

Studentships

Environmental Science PhD topics
Advice – demystifying postgraduate research admissions
Videos about postgraduate study
Current PhD students
Visiting PhD Students scheme
Post-doctoral research
Contact details

Master of Philosophy Degree Course Full-time, one year (12 months)

The MPhil in Geography is a 12 month full-time programme of research that introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge. It involves carrying out an original piece of research and is examined on the basis of a dissertation; there are no taught courses, although, if relevant, you may participate in training offered by the Social Sciences Research Methods Programme or other similar programmes offered by the University.

If you are exploring the possibility of doing the MPhil in Geography you will:

have done an undergraduate degree in Geography or related subject, either in the Physical Sciences or the Social Sciences / Humanities or spanning the two;
be looking for a research-focused course that allows you to develop skills and gain knowledge as an independent researcher, possibly, but not necessarily, with a view to going on to do a PhD;
be eager to pursue a piece of research under the supervision of one of our members of academic staff.

The deadline for applications for October 2024 admission is 26th March 2024 . Applications can be made from September 2023 for October 2024 admission. You will be expected to have made contact with a potential supervisor before making an application to discuss ideas for a research project.

The Department strongly encourages early application to enable you to engage with any potential supervisors.

Cambridge Funding Competitions deadline

GATES Scholarships for US Citizens 11th October 2023

All other Scholarships 5th December 2023

Please note these deadlines include all references which must have been submitted in advance of these funding deadlines.

Please note that this MPhil is not a taught programme – it is a research MPhil.

Applicants wishing to pursue 1+3 study via a UKRI funded studentship should follow the link for more information.

Expected academic standard

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK High 2.1 Honours Degree or equivalent.

Applications

Please apply via the University Postgraduate Admissions webpage, which also gives information about the Finances (fees and maintenance) associated with the course.

For further details please contact the Department’s Postgraduate Administrator .

Apply now for entry in 2024

Update: Prof Charlotte Lemanski has replaced Prof Mia Gray as the MPhil Geography Director

See more videos about Postgraduate study at the Department of Geography

Full course details

How to apply, including deadlines

About this site
Site privacy & cookie policies
Login with Raven
Page last updated: 2nd October 2022 by Webmaster

University A-Z
Contact the University
Accessibility
Freedom of information
Terms and conditions
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Spotlight on...
About research at Cambridge

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

Undergraduate courses
Events and open days
Fees and finance
Postgraduate courses
How to apply
Postgraduate events
Fees and funding
International students
Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
How the University and Colleges work
Term dates and calendars
Visiting the University
Annual reports
Equality and diversity
A global university
Public engagement
Give to Cambridge
For Cambridge students
For our researchers
Business and enterprise
Colleges & departments
Email & phone search
Museums & collections

Degree Committee for the Faculty of Earth Sciences & Geography

Coronavirus Guidance
About the DC overview
Meeting dates
Department contacts
Prospective Students overview
Continuing students
Current Students overview
Change in student status overview
Changing course, dept or mode
Extending submission deadline
Intermission
Withdrawal and reinstatement
Working Away from Cambridge
Supervision reports
First year review
Exams MRes & MPhil (taught) overview
Rules and Regulations
After the examination
Exams MPhil by thesis overview
Before you submit
Thesis submission
The oral (viva)
Results overview
Corrections
Revising a thesis
Exams PhD overview
Submitting a hardbound copy
PhD not awarded
LWA Research Fund
Complaints and appeals
Supervisors overview
Supervisor appointment
Roles and responsibilities overview
Supervisor role: postgraduate admissions
Supervisor role: current students
Supervisor role: examinations
Guidance for supervisors
Supervision reporting
Examiners overview
PhD or MPhil by thesis exam overview
Examiner appointment
Pre-viva actions
Post-viva actions
Submitting reports
Fees and expenses
Examining a revised thesis
MRes or MPhil (taught) exam overview
Senior/Chair of Examiners
External Examiner for taught courses
Examiners and Assessors
Plagiarism or poor scholarship
Appeals procedures
Higher Degrees overview
PhD under Special Regulations
ScD and LittD

Postgraduate courses in Earth Sciences & Geography

Degree Committee for the Faculty of Earth Sciences & Geography
About the DC
Current Students
Supervisors
Higher Degrees

Full details of the postgraduate courses available in the departments of this Faculty, and how to apply, can be found on the University's postgraduate admissions webpages . The Postgraduate Admissions pages also contain detailed information on the University's entrance requirements, costs, funding opportunites, and specific advice for international applicants.

The Faculty is part of the NERC Doctoral Training Partnership in Earth System Science , and we host, and participate in, a number of EPSRC-funded Centres for Doctoral Training .

British Antarctic Survey

The Faculty is partnered with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), with whom we admit some research students under joint supervision. Prospective BAS/Cambridge students should visit the BAS website for notice of their annual studentship competition. Admissions for a Cambridge PhD at BAS are, as for university departments, subject to the University of Cambridge's selection process and entrance requirements.

Further details of the application deadlines and the University's funding competitions are found here .

Refer to the relevant course on the University Graduate Admissions website and departmental webpages for details of any deadlines for departmental funding competitions.

Degree Committee for Earth Sciences & Geography, School of Physical Sciences, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1RX. Tel: 01223 746764 / 746766

[email protected]

Site privacy & cookie policies.

Contact the University
Accessibility
Freedom of information
Privacy policy and cookies
Statement on Modern Slavery
Terms and conditions
University A-Z
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Research news
About research at Cambridge
Spotlight on...

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

Undergraduate courses
Events and open days
Fees and finance
Postgraduate courses
How to apply
Postgraduate events
Fees and funding
International students
Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
How the University and Colleges work
Term dates and calendars
Visiting the University
Annual reports
Equality and diversity
A global university
Public engagement
Give to Cambridge
For Cambridge students
For our researchers
Business and enterprise
Colleges & departments
Email & phone search
Museums & collections
Course Directory

PhD in Land Economy

Postgraduate Study

Why Cambridge overview
Cambridge explained overview
The supervision system
Student life overview
In and around Cambridge
Leisure activities
Student unions
Music awards
Student support overview
Mental health and wellbeing
Disabled students
Accommodation
Language tuition
Skills training
Support for refugees
Courses overview
Course search
Department directory
Qualification types
Funded studentships
Part-time study
Research degrees
Visiting students
Finance overview
Fees overview
What is my fee status?
Part-time fees
Application fee
Living costs
Funding overview
Funding search
How to apply for funding
University funding overview
Research Councils (UKRI)
External funding and loans overview
Funding searches
External scholarships
Charities and the voluntary sector
Disabled applicants
Widening participation in funding
Colleges overview
What is a College?
Choosing a College
Terms of Residence
Applying overview
Before you apply
Entry requirements
Application deadlines
How do I apply? overview
Application fee overview
Application fee waiver
Life Science courses
Terms and conditions
Continuing students
Supporting documents overview
Academic documents
Finance documents
Evidence of competence in English
Terms and Conditions
Applicant portal and self-service account
After you apply overview
Confirmation of admission
Student registry
Previous criminal convictions
Deferring an application
Updating your personal details
Appeals and Complaints
Widening participation
Postgraduate admissions fraud
International overview
Chat with our students
Immigration overview
ATAS overview
Applying for an ATAS certificate
Current Cambridge students
International qualifications
Competence in English overview
What tests are accepted?
International events
International student views overview
Akhila’s story
Alex’s story
Huijie’s story
Kelsey’s story
Nilesh’s story
Get in touch!
Events overview
Upcoming events
Postgraduate Open Days overview
Virtual tour
How we use participant data
Research Internships
Postgraduate Newsletter

Primary tabs

Overview (active tab)
Requirements
How To Apply

Land Economy offers a full-time and a part-time PhD programme. The Department currently has over 70 PhD students at different stages of the programme, working in a range of areas.

Our department leads the field in the UK's latest Research Excellence Framework rating of Land Economy's joint submission with Architecture. 87.5% of our impact case studies were judged to be 'world-leading', including research on the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Further information is given on the Department's website .

The aims of the PhD programme are:

to enable students of high calibre to pursue their education at an advanced applied level drawing on the primary disciplines of economics, planning and environmental policy, with additional specialisms in finance and law;
to provide students with opportunities both to build on and develop material which they may have studied at the undergraduate level as well as to broaden their knowledge base;
to provide opportunities for education in a multidisciplinary environment so as to advance the understanding of cognate disciplines and their applications;
to provide opportunities for learning with colleagues from different social, economic and legal systems;
to provide students with appropriate skills and experience to enable them to use information and resources critically and to equip them with the means to undertake their own research; and
to provide an educational environment with a strong research ethos that brings together students from a wide variety of backgrounds and fosters an international approach to common problems.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the Postgraduate Open Day page for more details.

See further the Postgraduate Admissions Events pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, doctor of philosophy, department of land economy, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Easter 2024

Michaelmas 2024, easter 2025, funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

Environmental Policy MPhil
Land Economy Research MPhil
Land Economy MPhil
Planning, Growth and Regeneration MPhil
Real Estate Finance MPhil

Postgraduate Admissions Office

Admissions Statistics
Start an Application
Applicant Self-Service

At a glance

Bringing a family
Current Postgraduates
Cambridge Students' Union (SU)

University Policy and Guidelines

Information compliance

Equality and Diversity

Terms of Study

About this site

About our website

Contact the University
Accessibility
Freedom of information
Privacy policy and cookies
Statement on Modern Slavery
University A-Z
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Research news
About research at Cambridge
Spotlight on...

Our cookies

We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on PGS, to make sure the PGS ads you see on other sites are relevant , and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can’t be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by click on “Accept” below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies .You can manage your preferences now or at any time.

Privacy overview

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

Functional cookies

Performance cookies

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

Marketing cookies

PhD in Geography

University of cambridge, different course options.

Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

PhD/DPhil - Doctor of Philosophy

Subject areas

Course type.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK High II.i Honours Degree.

MA Cities Culture and Creativity

Liverpool john moores university, secondary geography pgce with qts, university of chester, secondary school direct (geography) pgce with qts, mphil/phd geography and international development, phd human geography, university of plymouth.

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

Undergraduate courses
Events and open days
Fees and finance
Postgraduate courses
How to apply
Postgraduate events
Fees and funding
International students
Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
How the University and Colleges work
Term dates and calendars
Visiting the University
Annual reports
Equality and diversity
A global university
Public engagement
Give to Cambridge
For Cambridge students
For our researchers
Business and enterprise
Colleges & departments
Email & phone search
Museums & collections
Postgraduates
Department of Earth Sciences
Earth Science for Society overview
Our climate science research
Natural hazards and disaster risk
Sustainable Earth
Geoscience in Context Seminar Series
The Cambridge Green Challenge
Disabled Access
Sedgwick Museum
People overview
Academic Staff
Professional Services Staff
Research Staff
Research Students
Emeritus and College Teaching Staff
All members of the Department
Prospective Undergraduates overview
Subject Overview
Career Prospects
Career Profiles overview
Anna Prescott
Course Structure
Field Trips
Meet The Staff
Subject Masterclass
Admissions Criteria
Prospective Postgraduates overview
MPhil by Research Thesis (1 Year)
PhD in Earth Sciences
PhD (Overseas Students)
Potential PhD Supervisors
Research Areas
Postdoctoral Research Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Briony Bowe
Dr Joel Gill
Bethany Jackson
Jenny Knight
Greg Palmer
IA Earth Sciences overview
Introduction to Part IA Earth Sciences
IB Earth Sciences A overview
Introduction to Part IB Earth Sciences A
IB Earth Sciences B overview
Introduction to Part IB Earth Sciences B
II Earth Sciences
III Earth Sciences overview
Introduction to Part III Earth Sciences
Field Trips overview
Part IA—Arran
Part IB—Sedbergh
Part IB—South West England
Part II—Skye
Part II—Greece
Part III—Spain
Field Trip Dates
IA Arran Photo Competition 2020
MRes Resources
MPhil and PhD Resources
Research overview
Climate Change
Mineral Sciences
Palaeobiology
Research Groups and Projects overview
Deep Earth Seismology Group
Cambridge Volcano Seismology Group overview
All about Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Online Activities
Could you be a Volcano Seismologist?
Frequently Asked Questions
Additional Resources
Cambridge Nuclear Energy Centre
BP Institute
Cambridge Quarternary Group
Godwin Laboratory for Palaeoclimate Research
Institute of Theoretical Geophysics
Our Research Mission
Resources overview
Computing overview
Computer accounts for visitors overview
Computing facilities
Visitor network registration form
Network connection
Departmental Facilities overview
Laboratories
Analytical instrumentation overview
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Electron Probe Microanalysis
Nexion ICP-MS overview
Solution ICP-MS Applications
Laser Ablation - ICP-MS
iCap-Q ICP-MS overview
Sample Preparation / Standards
Data processing
Element XR ICP-MS
Neptune Multi-Collector ICP-MS
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Raman Microscopy
X-Ray Diffractometry overview
X-Ray Current Equipment
XRD Data Analysis Service
Conservation and rock storage
Health and Safety overview
Safety Forms
Departmental Codes of Safe Practice
Safety Appendices overview
Fieldwork Safety
Use of Laboratories (PROCESS)
Permission to Work Out of Hours in Laboratories
Accidents and Incidents
Safety Handbook
Committee Dates and Membership
Visit or Contact the Library overview
Library Floor Plan
Library Resources overview
Earth Sciences eJournals (A–F)
Earth Sciences eJournals (G–M)
Earth Sciences eJournals (N–Z)
Undergraduate Resources overview
Reading Lists overview
IA Earth Sciences
IB Earth Sciences (A & B)
Part II - Core 1 Geophysics
Part II - Core 2 Ancient Life and Environments
Part II - Core 3 Petrology
Part II - Core 4 Climate
Part II - Core 5 Mineralogy
Part III - Option 1 Continental Tectonics
Part III - Option 2 Lithospheric Dynamics
Part III - Option 3 Deep Earth Structure
Part III - Option 4 Records of Environmental Change in Earth History
Part III - Option 5 Advanced Topics in Sedimentary Geology and Stratigraphy
Part III - Option 6 Evolution and Composition of the Earth's Mantle
Part III - Option 7 Volcanology
Part III - Option 8 Planetary Chemistry and Evolution
Part III - Option 9 Magma Dynamics
Part III - Option 10 Chemical Weathering
Part III - Option 11 Reconstructing Climate and Ocean Physics
Part III - Option 12 Magnetoelastic Coupling
Part III - Option 13 Magnetism of Earth and Planetary Materials
Part III - Option 16 Vertebrate Paleontology
Part III - IDP 2 Earth Sciences
Past Tripos Papers
Part II & III Re-print Collection
Previous Part II Mapping Projects
Previous Part III Student Projects
Digital Map Library
Department Publications
Earth Sciences eBooks overview
eBooks Authors A–C
eBooks Authors D–L
eBooks Authors M–R
eBooks Authors S–Z
Earth Sciences Library
Alumni overview
Alumni News
Alumni Events
Alumni Publications
Support the Department overview
Earth Sciences General Fund (Unrestricted)
Earth Sciences Fieldwork Fund
Earth Sciences Student Support Fund
Sedgwick Museum Collections Store
Alumni-funded Awards and Prizes overview
Reekie Memorial Prize
Class of 2005 Award
Class of 2008 Award
Dave Thompson Award
Data Protection for Alumni and Supporters
Undergraduates

Penny and Emily in front of lava flows during the eruption of Kilauea in Summer 2018

Key information

Important information for research students is contained within the Research Students Handbook , so please read and retain for future reference.

Useful information can also be found on the following pages, but raven authentication is required to access:

Demonstrating in the Department of Earth Sciences
Transferable Skills Training for research students and postdocs
Expenses forms

MPhil Thesis

The website of the Degree Committee for Earth Sciences and Geography has information for MPhil students , including where and when to submit an MPhil thesis , and the format of an MPhil thesis .

The website of the Degree Committee for Earth Sciences and Geography has information for PhD students , including where and when to submit a PhD thesis , and the format of a PhD thesis :

Department of Earth Sciences: not to exceed, without prior permission of the Degree Committee, 275 numbered pages of which not more than 225 pages are text, appendices, illustrations and bibliography. A page of text is A4 one-and-a-half-spaced normal size type. The additional 50 pages may comprise tables of data and/or computer programmes reduced in size.'

Grad Talks take place every Friday during term time, 17:00 in Harker 1. Grad talks are a chance for students to share their research and to gain useful feedback.

Quick links

Researcher Development Programme
Research Integrity
VITAE Researchers Portal
Careers Service
Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning
Postgraduate student code of practice
CAMCORS for submitting supervision reports
Degree Committee for the Faculty of Earth Sciences & Geography information for postgraduate students
Library and transferable skills session
Library and transferable skills session (pdf)
Organising Information

Get a flavour of research in the Bullard Labs:

Department of Earth Sciences University of Cambridge Downing Street Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 3EQ United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1223 333400 Fax: 01223 333450

Contact: [email protected] Site Privacy & Cookie Policies

Bullard Laboratories Department of Earth Sciences University of Cambridge Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0EZ United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1223 337191 Fax: 01223 360779

Quick Links

Department Directory

Support the Department

Social media

Read our blog

Contact the University
Accessibility
Freedom of information
Privacy policy and cookies
Statement on Modern Slavery
Terms and conditions
University A-Z
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Research news
About research at Cambridge
Spotlight on...

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

Undergraduate courses
Events and open days
Fees and finance
Postgraduate courses
How to apply
Postgraduate events
Fees and funding

International students

Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
How the University and Colleges work
Term dates and calendars
Visiting the University
Annual reports
Equality and diversity
A global university
Public engagement
Give to Cambridge
For Cambridge students
For our researchers
Business and enterprise
Colleges & departments
Email & phone search
Museums & collections
Undergraduate Study
Why Cambridge overview
Cambridge explained
Student life
Courses overview
About our courses
Teaching and learning

Facilities and resources

Subject A-Z
Colleges overview
What is a College?
Choosing a College
College contacts
Area links scheme
Finance overview

Tuition fees

Living costs
Financial support
Music awards
Applying overview
Application timeline
Before you apply
After you apply
International overview
Chat with our students
Why Cambridge?
What can I study?
Entry requirements
Tuition fees and costs
International visits and events
Visas and immigration
Year abroad
Get in touch!
Open Days and Events overview
Upcoming events
Cambridge Open Days
Virtual Tour
Think Cambridge
Applicant Webinar Series
Subject Masterclasses
Teachers and advisers' events
HE fairs and exhibitions
Find out more overview
Publications
Sign up to our Newsletter
Order a Prospectus
Widening participation

Parents and supporters

Teachers and advisers

Getting here
Student life overview
In and around Cambridge
Accommodation
Student societies
Students' Union
Support overview
College welfare

Disabled students

Care leavers overview
Realise student snapshot
Travel Fund
Counselling
Student parents and childcare
Mature students overview
Mature student applications
Second undergraduate degrees
Estranged students
Young carers
Area links scheme overview
East Midlands overview
Leicester City
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire
East of England overview
Bedfordshire
Cambridgeshire
Hertfordshire
Peterborough
Southend-on-Sea
Greater London overview
Barking and Dagenham
City of London
City of Westminster
Hammersmith and Fulham
Kensington and Chelsea
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
North East overview
Middlesbrough
North Tyneside
Northumberland
Redcar and Cleveland
South Tyneside
Stockton-on-Tees
North West overview
Blackburn with Darwen
Telford and Wrekin
Northern Ireland
South East overview
Bracknell Forest
Milton Keynes
Oxfordshire
Southampton
Isle of Wight
Buckinghamshire
West Berkshire
South West overview
Bath and North East Somerset
Bournemouth
Gloucestershire
North Somerset
South Gloucestershire
Wales overview
North Wales
Mid and South Wales
West Midlands overview
Herefordshire
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
Wolverhampton
Worcestershire
Yorkshire and Humber overview
East Yorkshire
Huddersfield and Kirklees
Kingston-upon-Hull
North East Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Yorkshire
Isle of Man
Financial support overview
Cambridge financial support
Government financial support
Family contribution
Outreach Scholarships overview
Stormzy Scholarship
Formula 1 Scholarship
Geography Scholarship
Student Funding and Sharia Law
Music awards overview
Choral awards overview
Which Colleges have Choral Awards?
Are there any restrictions?
Can I join when I arrive at Cambridge?
Pooled applicants
What will happen at the audition?
Aural tests for choral award auditions
Open day and finding out more
Cambridge Choral Experience
Instrumental awards overview
Organ scholarships overview
College vacancies and course restrictions
When are the auditions and interviews?
What do the Organ Trials involve?
How do I apply?
Further information
Choosing high school subjects
Improve your application
Entry requirements overview
Qualifications we accept
Sixth Term Exam (STEP)
International entry requirements
Application statistics
UCAS application
Admission tests overview
BioMedical test (BMAT)
Engineering test (ENGAA)
Law test (LNAT)
Natural Sciences test (NSAA)
Mathematics test (TMUA)
College admission assessments
My Cambridge Application
Disruption to your studies
Written work and portfolios
Cambridge interviews overview
Prepare for an interview
Application decisions overview
Admissions Policy
Unspent criminal convictions
Contextual data
Outcome of your application overview
Terms of Admission
Admissions complaints
After you get your exam results overview
Information for new students
Applying for reconsideration overview
Reconsideration eligibility criteria
Tuition fees and costs overview
International financial support
Tuition fee status
International visits and events overview
International webinar series
Teachers and advisers' events overview
Teachers and Advisers' Webinars
Teachers and Advisers' Conference
Widening participation overview
Access and Participation Plans
Insight Discover
Insight Explore
Sutton Trust Summer Schools
Apply: Cambridge
Safeguarding
Parents and supporters overview
Parents' Newsletter
Teachers and advisers overview
How similar are Oxford and Cambridge?
Written assessment
Helping students prepare
School/college reference
Teachers' Newsletter
Events for Teachers and Advisers
Inspiring Educator Awards
Why Cambridge
International
Open Days and Events
Find out more

We live in an interdependent world caught up in chains of events which span the globe. We depend upon an increasingly fragile physical environment, whose complex interactions require sophisticated analysis and sensitive management.

The course information on this page is for 2024 entry. Details for 2025 entry will be published in March 2024.

A degree with global relevance

Geographers study some of the biggest challenges facing our planet, from food security, climate and biodiversity emergencies to pandemics and globalisation, and social inequalities and urbanisation to volcanoes and melting ice sheets. Our Geography course tackles these issues. You do not have to choose whether to specialise in physical or human geography as you can do both in all three years.

Our library, at the heart of the Department, contains around 20,000 books, journals and periodicals, and is also a fantastic study space. You will also work in our computer suite and physical geography labs, with some teaching taking place at the Scott Polar Research Institute, another integral part of the Department.

Fieldwork and travel

We are committed to fieldwork, a fundamental part of the course, providing an enjoyable way to develop research skills. There are one-day excursions each year, depending on your choice of papers and a compulsory field class of five to eight days in either September at the start of the second year, or in the second year Easter vacation. Recent locations include destinations in both mainland Europe and the British Isles and we are aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of these trips. Students are required to contribute to the cost of residential field trips, but the costs are very substantially subsidised, and financial help is available for eligible students.

Course costs

Information on tuition fee rates for Geography is available on the tuition fees page .

Additional course costs

Waterproof clothing and footwear - for fieldtrips students are strongly recommended to have waterproof clothing and appropriate footwear (eg walking boots or walking trainers) for walking over sometimes rough terrain. Costs for these items will vary, largely depending on personal preference and choice over supplier and brands.
General printing costs - undergraduates are provided with printing credit in the Department (eg for essays and coursework). In recent years this has been £7 per term or the equivalent of 175 black and white pages. This is usually sufficient for a student's needs.
Students are not required to buy any books in support of their studies, as these are very well provided by the Department, University, College and other Faculty libraries.

Years 2 and 3

Residential and multi-day field classes - students are asked to contribute to the costs of their second year trip. We expect this contribution to be about £150. This covers all transport, accommodation and meals. If there is a case of financial need then students can apply to their College for support.
Students are free to choose their dissertation topic and therefore the place of data collection/work and whether this is in the UK or abroad. Costs therefore vary from one dissertation to another. Costs are usually incurred in the summer between the second and third years when data collection/analysis usually takes place.

Often students are able to apply for some support, and for travel awards, which may be available through the University and/or their College.

Some Department funding is available to support partial dissertation costs. Further information can be provided by the Department of Geography.

Changing course

Students may transfer into Geography after completion of either one or two years of another subject. Depending on their first subject, most students usually join the second year of the Geography degree, which provides them with good preparation for the third year. It is also possible to complete two years of another subject and join the third year of Geography directly. A student who joins in the third year submits a 10,000 word Critical Review Essay in place of the dissertation.

Some students also change to another subject after completion of either their first or second year of Geography. In recent years students have transferred from Geography to Human, Social and Political Sciences, and to Management Studies.

To be able to change course, you need the agreement of your College that any change is in your educational interests, and you must have the necessary background in the subject to which you wish to change – in some cases you may be required to undertake some catch-up work or take up the new course from the start/an earlier year. If you think you may wish to change course, we encourage you to contact a College admissions office for advice. You should also consider if/how changing course may affect any financial support arrangements.

Cambridge Geography graduates are highly skilled in dealing with complex problems, in information retrieval, data management, statistics and specialist software, and are used to working independently and communicating efficiently. Your geography degree opens many career doors, allowing you to compete alongside those with degrees in STEM as well as the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Our graduates enter many different careers, including industry and commerce, social enterprises and charities, planning, teaching, finance, social and community work, environmental management and conservation, the media, politics, and the Civil Service.

Course outline

The degree allows you to study both human and physical geography, although you can choose to specialise in one of these areas from the second year.

You typically have six to eight lectures each week (with associated reading), as well as practicals, laboratory work and field classes. In addition, you normally have three supervisions a fortnight at which you discuss a topic beyond the material given at lectures, usually based on reading, essay writing, preparation of presentations or answering data response questions.

Year 1 (Part IA)

You’re introduced to key themes and issues by studying two core papers, which have recently been:

People, Place and the Politics of Difference – topics are varied, but may include globalisation; cultural geography; sustainable development; historical geography; urbanisation; geopolitics; uneven economies and inequality; health and disease
Environmental Processes and Change – topics are varied but may include tectonics and volcanism; glacial processes; Quaternary climate change; biogeography; atmosphere and climate

For each paper, you are assessed at the end of the year.

You will also attend a range of lectures and lab classes (both physical and computer-based) introducing you to geographical research skills across the subject. These are assessed by means of coursework.

Year 2 (Part IB)

All students take a compulsory paper, Living with Global Change, which examines key concepts and current issues in geography, usually based around the theme of geographical risk (the exact focus varies from year to year).

In addition, you can begin to specialise and select three papers from a choice of six. The list below give examples of the choice that may be offered, but these can change from year to year:

Development Theories, Policies and Practices
Citizenship, Cities and Civil Society
Glacial Processes
Biogeography
Quaternary Climates and Environments

You will also undertake project work involving field, lab and computer skills and techniques. Projects vary according to which you papers you choose, but everyone takes a course in quantitative methods.

You will also take part in a field class (five to eight days); these trips usually include a mix of different types of geography and help you to develop knowledge and skills for your dissertation.

Assessment in the second year is based on a mix of written examinations for the four papers, and submission of a portfolio of coursework.

Year 3 (Part II)

You can choose either to specialise further or maintain a balance across the subject as a whole. You select four papers from a choice of 12. Papers on offer vary each year but recent examples include:

Global Urbanism
Work and Employment
Political Ecology
Postcolonialism and Decoloniality
Geographies of the Arctic
Environmental Knowledges
Volcanology
Legal Geographies
Geographies of Food and Power
Demographic Continuity and Change
Life within Limits

These papers are assessed by either written examination or a combination of written examination and coursework, which typically takes the form of a project or extended essay, academic report or poster presentation.

You also submit a dissertation of 10,000 words on a topic of your choice. Planning for this starts in the second year. Data are usually collected in the summer between your second and third years, with analysis during the third year.

Entry Requirements

This page details the standard entry requirements for this course. Check the document below for any variations between Colleges (some may ask for an A* in a particular subject for example):

Typical offers require

A Level: A*AA IB: 40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level Other qualifications : See Entrance requirements .

Subject requirements

Required: No specific subjects required by all Colleges Some Colleges require: A Level/IB Higher Level Geography Useful preparation: Geography

See Entrance requirements and Choosing your post-16 subjects for general guidance and conditions of entry.

Admission assessment

Some Colleges may require applicants for Geography to take a written assessment if shortlisted for interview - please check the document above for details. You will not need to register in advance for this assessment and the Colleges will provide details directly to you.

Check the College Admission Assessments page for more information.

Submitted work

Some Colleges may ask applicants to submit one or two examples of your written work from a relevant A Level/IB (or equivalent) course. Some may be asked by their College to do some reading in advance of their interview, but if this is required the College will provide full details in the letter inviting the student to interview.

All undergraduate admissions decisions are the responsibility of the Cambridge Colleges. Please contact the relevant College admissions office if you have any queries.

Typical Geography entrants (A Level and IB)

For 2017, 2018 and 2019 entry, the majority of entrants from an A Level background achieved at least grades A*A*A (59% of entrants). These successful applicants typically took Geography (99%) alongside a wide range of other subjects. For the same period, the majority of IB entrants achieved at least 42 points overall and/or grades 776 at Higher Level.

This information is intended to give you a sense of the academic standard of our typical A Level entrants. We welcome applicants from a range of qualification backgrounds .

Find out more about Geography at Cambridge

Department of Geography - Explore Geography in more detail on the department website.
Geography at Cambridge - A detailed guide to the Geography degree.
Facilities - Information about the facilities available to Geography students.
Student Profiles - Current students describe their experience of studying Geography.
Cambridge University Geographical Society - Find out more about the Cambridge University Geographical Society.
Time for Geography - Time for Geography
HE+ - For 6th Form students who want to further their interest in Geography

Discover Uni data

Contextual information.

Discover Uni allows you to compare information about individual courses at different higher education institutions. This can be a useful method of considering your options and what course may suit you best.

However, please note that superficially similar courses often have very different structures and objectives, and that the teaching, support and learning environment that best suits you can only be determined by identifying your own interests, needs, expectations and goals, and comparing them with detailed institution- and course-specific information.

We recommend that you look thoroughly at the course and University information contained on these webpages and consider coming to visit us on an Open Day , rather than relying solely on statistical comparison.

You may find the following notes helpful when considering information presented by Discover Uni.

Discover Uni relies on superficially similar courses being coded in the same way. Whilst this works on one level, it may lead to some anomalies. For example, Music courses and Music Technology courses can have exactly the same code despite being very different programmes with quite distinct educational and career outcomes. Any course which combines several disciplines (as many courses at Cambridge do) tends to be compared nationally with courses in just one of those disciplines, and in such cases the Discover Uni comparison may not be an accurate or fair reflection of the reality of either. For example, you may find that when considering a degree which embraces a range of disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry and geology (for instance, Natural Sciences at Cambridge), the comparison provided is with courses at other institutions that primarily focus on just one (or a smaller combination) of those subjects.You may therefore find that not all elements of the Cambridge degree are represented in the Discover Uni data.
Some contextual data linked from other surveys, such as the National Student Survey (NSS) or the Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE), may not be available or may be aggregated across several courses or several years due to small sample sizes. When using the data to inform your course choice, it is important to ensure you understand how it has been processed prior to its presentation. Discover Uni offers some explanatory information about how the contextual data is collated, and how it may be used, which you can view here: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/about-our-data/ .
Discover Uni draws on national data to provide average salaries and employment/continuation data. Whilst starting salaries can be a useful measure, they do not give any sense of career trajectory or take account of the voluntary/low paid work that many graduates undertake initially in order to gain valuable experience necessary/advantageous for later career progression. Discover Uni is currently piloting use of the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data to demonstrate possible career progression; it is important to note that this is experimental and its use may be modified as it embeds.

The above list is not exhaustive and there may be other important factors that are relevant to the choices that you are making, but we hope that this will be a useful starting point to help you delve deeper than the face value of the Discover Uni data.

Course Film

Geography at cambridge.

Available at all Colleges except Peterhouse

See Cambridge Open Days . Browse our events listing for other events.

Cambridge Admissions Office

Cambridge Admissions Office Student Services Centre New Museums Site Cambridge CB2 3PT
01223 333308
[email protected]
www.cao.cam.ac.uk

About this site

Our website

Participant data and booking policies

Information for

Mature students

Care leavers and estranged students

Contact the University
Accessibility
Freedom of information
Privacy policy and cookies
Statement on Modern Slavery
Terms and conditions
University A-Z
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Research news
About research at Cambridge
Spotlight on...

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

Undergraduate courses
Events and open days
Fees and finance
Postgraduate courses
How to apply
Postgraduate events
Fees and funding
International students
Continuing education
Executive and professional education
Courses in education
How the University and Colleges work
Term dates and calendars
Visiting the University
Annual reports
Equality and diversity
A global university
Public engagement
Give to Cambridge
For Cambridge students
For our researchers
Business and enterprise
Colleges & departments
Email & phone search
Museums & collections
Which career?
Using your degree

Undergraduate
Masters student
PhD student
Societies overview
How Societies and the Careers Service can work together
Top Tips for Working with Employers and Alumni
Top Tips for working with the Careers Service
Postdoc overview
Academic careers
Research in industry
Careers beyond research
Career planning for researchers
Academic Application Toolkit
Applications for non-academic roles
Interview preparation
Careers resources for postdocs
Alumni overview
Graduate Outcomes survey
University Alumni Office
Staff overview
View Cambridge Graduate Outcomes
Employer overview
Advertise your opportunities overview
Post a Vacancy
Vacancy Policy
Employer Events overview
Careers Fairs & Festivals
Presentations & Networking Events
Employer-led Skills Sessions
Employer 1:1s & Library Chats
Events Policy
Raise your Profile overview
Connect with us on Handshake
Become a Supporter
Targeted Emails
Working with societies
I'm looking for ideas
I've got a few ideas
I have a clear idea
Sign up for our Newsletters
A-Z of careers overview
Academia (AHSS)
Academia (STEM)
Arts and heritage management
Banking and financial markets
Business and management
Commercial arts
Consultancy
Counselling and psychotherapy
Data science
Defence and Armed Forces
Engineering
Entrepreneurship and self-employment
Environment
Financial services
Graduate medicine
International development
International organisations
Law - barristers
Law - public interest
Law - solicitors
Marketing and communications
Museums, libraries and archives
Performing arts
Property and real estate
Public policy and political risk
Public sector
Science - hands off
Science - research
Security and intelligence
Social work
TV, radio and film
Teaching and Education
Career Essentials
Using your degree overview
Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic
Archaeology
Architecture
Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Chemical Engineering
Computer Science
History and Modern Languages
History and Politics
History of Art
Human, Social, and Political Sciences
Land Economy
Management Studies
Mathematics
Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics
Natural Sciences
Psychological and Behavioural Sciences
Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion
Veterinary Medicine
Catch up on past talks
What's on
Mature Students’ Careers Q&A Video series
Researching employers
Exploring your options overview
Alumni Careers Connect
Self-reflection toolkit
Taking time out
Finding jobs & work experience overview
Jobs in Handshake
External vacancy sources
Speculative applications
Using recruitment agencies
Safe job hunting
Vacation work and work experience
Applying for jobs overview
CVs and cover letters
Application forms
Selection - individual tasks
Selection - group tasks overview
Psychometric tests
Practice interviews
Negotiating job offers
Appointments
Equality, diversity and inclusion overview
Disability support overview
Talking about disability to employers
Reasonable adjustments
Frequently asked questions about disability
Disability resources and funding
Careers Service accessibility
Further study
International Student Support
Careers Service blog
Key resources and tools
Graduate digital publications
Volunteering
About the Careers Service overview
Meet our team
Activate your Handshake account
Our policies and guides
Got a question?
What's on overview
Careers Fairs & Festivals
Employer Skills Sessions
Navigating the academic job market

Using your degree: Geography

Careers Service
A-Z of careers

degree_geography_0.png

What do Cambridge graduates do?

Cambridge geography graduates find their way into many careers. Key employment sectors are typically the manufacturing and utility industries, public service and teaching. The top three sectors that Cambridge graduates joined were manufacturing and utilities (circa 10% of those who responded), followed by public service (circa 6%) and then teaching (6%). Of course many geographers continue on to further study (circa 26% of the most recent survey) and this may be something that you want to consider.

Will employers want my degree?

The majority of employers that recruit Cambridge graduates do not require a certain degree. They are usually more interested in what you can do rather than what you have studied. Want to know what role would suit you? Take a look at recent profiles of geography graduates and think about whether these roles might be of interest to you. Try looking for ideas for help with identifying your personal strengths and preferences. Then search Handshake for internships, jobs or graduate schemes you are interested in. Note the selection criteria that usually focus on "competencies” rather than having studied a certain subject and see which ones are a good fit.

Using my degree

Geography graduates who want to use their degree often think about working in environment related fields , property or in land management. Be aware that all of these sectors have a wide variety of roles. For example HR, Marketing, IT, Finance and Logistics. So if you are interested in a certain sector think about what you are good at and which roles might be a good fit for you. Network with alumni who studied Geography. You can see what they do, their career to date and contact them for further information. Use LinkedIn in a similar way.

Read our blog to get inspiration about your career choices. It brings together news, opinions, advice, and perspectives from Cambridge students and graduates.

Use Handshake - join today to explore career options, book an appointment, find jobs and internships, connect with employers, and enhance your network.

Our YouTube channel features videos on topics including finding internships, writing successful CVs, graduate schemes, and virtual careers fairs.

LinkedIn Learning is a resource available to all students and staff - use it to explore courses and start learning creative, business and technology skills.

Contact the University
Accessibility
Freedom of information
Privacy policy and cookies
Statement on Modern Slavery
Terms and conditions
University A-Z
Postgraduate
Research news
About research at Cambridge
Spotlight on...

Geography Reading List

For prospective students.

Geography is an exciting subject to study at university that spans key topics across the arts and sciences ranging from cultural representations of landscape in art and cinema to the latest research on global environmental change. A key part of making the transition from school to university is the development of intellectual curiosity and independent reading. The list of suggested readings provides a flavour of the types of different sources that you will be using at university ranging from whole books to articles in prestigious international journals. You may wish to share these suggestions with your teacher or classmates.

Christophe Bonneuil and Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, The Shock of the Anthropocene (London: Verso, 2016).

This timely and provocative book explores whether humankind is now a geological agent in its own right and what critical perspectives we can adopt to better understand global environmental change.

Andrea Wulf, The invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the Lost Hero of Science (Hodder & Stoughton, 2016)

In this prize-winning new biography Andrea Wulf describes the life and ideas of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) who is widely regarded as the founder of modern geography. Humboldt was a decisive influence on Darwin and is also credited as a pioneer of ecological thought.

Matthew Gandy, “Marginalia: aesthetics, ecology, and urban wastelands,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 103 (6) (2013) pp. 1301-1316.

There is now increasing recognition that cities have high levels of bio-diversity. This paper explores the significance of marginal spaces such as wastelands for changing conceptions of urban nature.

Derek Gregory et al. The Dictionary of Human Geography ed. by Derek Gregory, Ron Johnston, Geraldine Pratt, Michael Watts and Sarah Whatmore (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009)

This dictionary is a unique source book that comprises hundreds of succinct essays by leading experts on a range of key topics in the discipline along with extensive suggestions for further reading.

Philip Gibbard and John Lewin, “Filling the North Sea Basin: Cenozoic sediment sources and river styles,” Geologica Belgica (2016) 19 (3-4)

This paper examines how the North Sea basin has been shaped by the long-term interaction between tectonics and climate. Using a diversity of data sources we are able to reconstruct past environments and understand how contemporary landscapes have been produced over time.

Clive Oppenheimer, Eruptions that shook the world (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011)

Volcano eruptions are among the most dramatic and significant geological events. In this fascinating book the vulcanologist Clive Oppenheimer, who is a professor in the department of geography at Cambridge, considers how volcano eruptions have intersected with key episodes of human and environmental history such as mass extinctions, the fall of empires, or more recent instances of political instability.

Olive Heffernan, “Climate research is gaining ground,” Nature Climate Change 6 (2016) pp. 335–338.

An extremely useful overview of recent advances in research into climate change including reflections on the challenging institutional and policy context.

Neil Roberts, The Holocene: an environmental history Third edition (Oxford: Wiley, 2014)

An overview of global environmental change since the last Ice Age around 15,000 years ago that also includes the growing scale of human impact on the planet. The most recent edition also includes a fully expanded and updated bibliography.

Matthew Gandy, “Learning from Lagos,” New Left Review 33 (2005), pp. 37-53.

This paper explores recent debates about Lagos and the understanding of African urbanization in the post-colonial era. In particular it critiques the architectural celebration of poverty and informality in the absence of historical and political analysis.

Ron Martin and Peter Sunley, “Deconstructing clusters: chaotic concept or policy panacea,” Journal of Economic Geography 3 (2003) pp. 5–35.

In this path-breaking article, the Cambridge based geographer Ron Martin, and his colleague Peter Sunley, provide a critical overview of the idea of “clusters” as a focal point for understanding regional economic disparities.

If you are struggling to get hold of a book or journal article that you want to read, do ask a librarian in a big city library or a university library to help you to locate journal articles if you would like to read them.

For offer holders

You are not expected to read extensively in preparation for your course at Cambridge. However, the following books should provide some useful background material for each of the first-year papers.

For Human Geography: People, Place and Politics of Difference

Held, D. (ed) 2004 A Globalizing world? Culture, Economics, Politics , Routledge / Open University Press, 2nd edition

Murray, W.E. 2006 Geographies of Globalization , Routledge

Gough, J., Eisenschitz, A. and McCulloch, A. 2006 Spaces of Social Exclusion , Routledge

For Historical Geography

Davis, M. 2000 Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the Making of the Modern World Economy , London: Verso

Graham, B and Nash, C (eds) 2000 Modern Historical Geographies , Prentice Hall

Pomeranz, K. 2000 The Great Divergence: China, Europe and the Making of the Modern World Economy , Princeton University Press

For Society Environment and Development

Adams, W.M. 2001 Green Development: environment and sustainability in the Third World , Routledge, 2nd edition

Allen, T. and Thomas, A. (eds) 2000 Poverty and Development into the 21st Century , Oxford University Press

Lawson, V. 2007 Making Development Geography , Hodder Arnold, London

For the Physical Geography courses (Environmental Processes and Environmental Change)

Barry, R.G., Chorley, R.J. and Chase, T. 2003 Atmosphere, weather and climate , Routledge

Masselink, G. and Hughes, M.G. 2003 An introduction to coastal processes and geomorphology , Hodder Arnold

Gaston, K. and Spicer, J. 2004 Biodiversity , Blackwell, 2nd edition

Francis, P. and Oppenheimer, C. 2004 Volcanoes , Oxford University Press

If you would like to buy something relevant to your Geography course, two books which are highly recommended as being particularly useful are:

Thomas, D and Goudie, A (eds) 2000 The Dictionary of Physical Geography , Blackwell, 3rd edition

Johnston, R et al (eds) 2000 The Dictionary of Human Geography , Blackwell, 4th edition

For more information, please consult the Department of Geography website via the link below.

For Offer Holders

Documents for Offer Holders

Meet the two new Entrepreneur-in-Residence MPhil students

Kai Hu and Pallavi Goel are this year’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence MPhil students, supported by the generous donation from the College’s first Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Sheryl Cuisia.

Two new Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Scholarships awarded

Students from Bangladesh and Nigeria have been awarded the Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Scholarships at King’s.

Winners of the E-Lab Residential Prize announced

This year’s top prize has been awarded to the social network for activists CAUSE, while a second prize went to Crea, an engineering consultancy.

Study at King's

Undergraduate Study
Graduate Study
Life at King's
Access and Outreach

Visit King's

Opening Times
The Shop at King's
Conference & Dining
Events Calendar
Chapel Services
Choir Concerts
Concerts at King's

King's Alumni

Events for Members
Donate to King's
Keep in Touch
Useful Information

About King's

Archive Centre
Accessibility Guide

Information

Accounts and Legal
Job Vacancies
Filming & Photography

Skip to Content
Berkeley Academic Guide Home
Institution Home

Berkeley Berkeley Academic Guide: Academic Guide 2023-24

About the Program

Geography is an inquiry into the patterns and processes that make up the surface of the Earth. It is a broad field of inquiry that, in our department, includes glaciers and climate change, the origins of agriculture and the evolution of plant life, the culture of cities and the dynamics of the global economy.

Such a wide range of themes gives each student great freedom to choose a research topic, develop an intellectual style, and select approaches to gathering evidence and making persuasive arguments. That freedom also includes opportunities to go outside of the department and make use of the tremendous resources of the campus as a whole. Our goal is to help each student find his or her own combination of intellectual rigor, creativity, and independence.

Ph.D. Program in Geography

The program is divided into three major areas:

Global Development and Political Economy
Earth System Science
Geospatial Representation and Analysis

Within these domains, a wide range of faculty interests are represented, such as political ecology, economic geography, cultural geography, post-colonial studies, urban studies, geography of race and gender, climatology, geomorphology, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). Faculty members come with a broad spectrum of regional specialties as well, including Africa, South and East Asia, the Arctic, the Everglades and Mississippi Delta, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

The faculty has been expanded in recent years to include a number of affiliates in other departments with expertise in such fields as GIS, gender and social movements, natural resources, fluvial geomorphology, environmental engineering, landscape ecology, and urban planning.

Berkeley students are expected to be independent, and we welcome those who have had professional experience and wish to return to deepen their education. Students are encouraged to range freely through the curriculum and to follow their inspiration where it leads, working in tandem with faculty advisors. Students choose their own mentors, often utilizing two or three faculty in equal measure; these may include faculty affiliates and members from other departments.

While faculty have their own research agendas and teaching specialties, and often collaborate with students, we believe students should march to their own drummer. We expect students to read extensively, develop the necessary research skills, and produce well-crafted thesis and dissertation. Many students publish their findings along the way, as well. Berkeley Geography offers the highest quality graduate training for future scholars and teachers at the collegiate level, as well as for those going into professional careers in government, NGOs and consulting.

Visit Department Website

General Admission Requirements for Graduate Study

Applying for graduate admission.

Thank you for considering UC Berkeley for graduate study! UC Berkeley offers more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of interdisciplinary scholarship. A complete list of graduate academic departments, degrees offered, and application deadlines can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Prospective students must submit an online application to be considered for admission, in addition to any supplemental materials specific to the program for which they are applying. The online application can be found on the Graduate Division website .

Admission Requirements

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;

A satisfactory scholastic average, usually a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 scale; and

Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in your chosen field.

For a list of requirements to complete your graduate application, please see the Graduate Division’s Admissions Requirements page . It is also important to check with the program or department of interest, as they may have additional requirements specific to their program of study and degree. Department contact information can be found here .

Where to apply?

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page .

Additional Departmental Application Requirements

In addition to the information and documents required by the Graduate Division, the Geography Department asks all prospective applicants to include the following materials in their application:

Statement of purpose outlining the applicant’s intellectual objectives in her or his graduate career. Students can refer to the Graduate Division Statement of Purpose Guide here: http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/statement-purpose/
Personal history statement. Students should indicate any challenges, hardships or obstacles they may have overcome. The department would like to know if students have supported themselves through school, if they are a first generation college student, if they took on a leadership position, tutored or mentored underrepresented students, or took advantage of unique opportunities. Students can refer to the Graduate Division Personal Statement Guide here: http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/personal-statement/
Three letters of academic appraisal , preferably from former instructors.
GRE Scores are OPTIONAL during the upcoming Fall 2021 application cycle . Students who have previously taken or would like to take the GRE are welcome to send their scores with their application, but there will be no disadvantage to students who choose not to submit GRE scores.
Applicants are asked to list the faculty they have contacted or expect to contact concerning their application, as well as the faculty in the department whose research is of particular interest to them and who they can foresee as a potential advisor.
Resumes or CVs are optional, but highly recommended.
Writing samples are optional.

Important Notes:

The geography department does NOT admit students for a Master’s degree. Students may only apply for the Ph.D. program in geography.
The department does NOT offer admission for spring terms; students may only apply for programs that begin with the fall term.

If you have questions regarding your application to the Ph.D. program in geography, please email Bobby Ewing, Graduate Student Affairs Officer, at [email protected] .

Doctoral Degree Requirements

General program outline.

First Year Curriculum and Course Enrollment

All students take GEOG 200A in their first year. This course is designed to help each student to see, think, and write geographically; to learn how to make and to judge arguments; and to prepare a thesis proposal. Students with a Human Geography focus will also take GEOG 200B and GEOG 200C following GEOG 200A .

Those with an Earth Systems Science focus are exempt from GEOG 200B and GEOG 200C (these students will take a course identified by their faculty adviser). All students in the doctoral program must take at least 12 units every semester (primarily in the form of appropriate graduate seminars) before taking the qualifying exam and advancing to candidacy. In addition, students must enroll in the Geography Colloquium ( GEOG 295 ). This is a weekly colloquium which features invited speakers.

Analytic Paper

By the end of the third year, students entering with only a bachelor's degree must hand in a paper that would be suitable—in length and in quality—for submission to an academic or scientific journal. Students entering with a master's degree are exempt from this requirement.

The analytic paper may be an investigation of an intellectual problem in the form of an original synthesis of secondary literature; it may advance a new idea, or question an existing theory or notion, by assembling information that already exists in the literature; or it may use original information gathered from archives or in the field.

The student should have a proposal for the paper by the end of the first year, and must be in constant and close consultation with their main adviser. The adviser will determine the appropriate format and length of the paper. The paper must be handed in, and approved by the main adviser, no less than a month before the qualifying exam. A copy of the paper with the adviser's approval should be turned in to the Graduate Student Affairs Officer.

Dissertation Prospectus

Prior to taking the qualifying exam, all students must prepare a preliminary dissertation prospectus of between five and ten pages for their exam committee. A prospectus is a valuable first step in writing a dissertation, as it requires students to clarify their project and create a plan for carrying out their research. Before students begin their dissertation research, they must have a dissertation prospectus meeting—during which the student discusses their proposal—with at least two members of their QE committee.

Qualifying Exam

The qualifying exam must be taken by the end of the third year, although it is recommended that students entering with a master's degree take it by the end of their second year. The exam is based on a discussion of three broad geographic fields built around bibliographies produced in consultation with the examining committee.

Immediately after passing the QE, students will apply to the Graduate Division for advancement to candidacy. Advancing to candidacy by the end of the third year qualifies a student for the Dissertation Completion Fellowship .

Additional Departmental Requirements

As part of their training, all students will be expected to serve as graduate student instructors (GSIs) for at least one semester.
Students will be expected to complete an annual review with their first-year mentor or their faculty advisor each year to ensure timely completion of degree requirements.
All students are expected to give an exit talk during the semester in which they file their dissertation.

Timeline of Degree Conferral

The dissertation is written under the supervision of a committee of three university faculty members, one of whom must be from outside the geography department and a member of the Berkeley Academic Senate. All students must give the department a copy of their thesis before their final report to the Graduate Division will be signed. Upon final acceptance of the dissertation, the degree of Ph.D. is awarded. It is expected that the student will complete the Ph.D. by the end of the sixth year in the program.

GEOG 200A Contemporary Geographic Thought 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 The class has several goals. One is to give students a sound basis upon which to judge arguments. A second is to help students see, think, and write geographically--that is, to interpret the making and meaning of our physical and human landscapes. A third goal is to introduce students to the tremendous range of geographical inquiry and what is probably the major strength of geography as a form of thought: to wit, making links across space, among peoples, and between humans and the earth. The fall semester class also serves to introduce students to the practices and expectations of scholarly work more generally, including professionalization, publishing, and public speaking. Contemporary Geographic Thought: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Required of all first year graduate students

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Five hours of seminar per week.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Geography/Graduate

Grading: Letter grade.

Contemporary Geographic Thought: Read Less [-]

GEOG 200B Contemporary Geographic Thought 2 (Geographical Difference and Differentiation) 5 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 'Geographical Difference/Differentiation' is a 5 unit course with Seminar and Workshop components. The Seminar reads canonical work in social theory against contemporary Geography, including metropolitan traditions of critique of capitalism, urbanization, space and time, discipline-biopower-sovereignty, and the now; Southern traditions of agrarian, subaltern and materialist postcolonial studies; Black radical and oceanic traditions that stretch Geography in new ways; and finally, geo-graphy as a form of Earth-writing concerned with the unraveling subject, ruined landscapes mixtures of form. The Workshop runs in parallel on particular weeks, focusing on geographic problematization and the research process. Contemporary Geographic Thought 2 (Geographical Difference and Differentiation): Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Required of all first-year graduate students

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar and 2 hours of workshop per week

Additional Format: 15 weeks of instruction with three hour seminars each week and 2 hour workshops for six weeks.

Contemporary Geographic Thought 2 (Geographical Difference and Differentiation): Read Less [-]

GEOG 200C Foundations in Geographic Thought 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021 This course is meant as a Foundation in Geography theory. But this course is more about geographic methods of dissolution or abolition than it is about constructing a coherent, systematic body of work founded in a unified body of geographic thought and/or tradition. We will read some texts that are often considered foundational but we will read them with and through people who contested, undermined, and remade them. We will engage with similar undoings of the work of both Geographers and people who have been central to geographic thought. Foundations in Geographic Thought: Read More [+]

Objectives & Outcomes

Course Objectives: The ultimate course goal will be (1) to learn some of the key foundational concepts and approaches central in contemporary geographic thought; (2) to develop the critical skills necessary to splinter, crack, and shatter these foundations and approaches, and finally (3), with the shards, ashes, and remnants collectively reconstruct a form of Geographic thought that might be of some utility for this political moment.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Four hours of seminar per week.

Instructor: Kosek

Foundations in Geographic Thought: Read Less [-]

GEOG 203 Nature and Culture: Social Theory, Social Practice, and the Environment 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Fall 2011, Fall 2008 The relationship between societies and natural environments lies at the heart of geographical inquiry and has gained urgency as the rate and scale of human transformation of nature have grown, often outstripping our understanding of causes and effects. The physical side of environmental science has received most of the emphasis in university research, but the social basis of environmental change must be studied as well. Recent developments in social theory have much to offer environmental studies, while the latter has, in turn, exploded many formerly safe assumptions about how and what the social sciences and humanities ought to be preoccupied with. This seminar allows students to explore some classics in environmental thought as well as recent contributions that put the field on the forefront of social knowledge today. Nature and Culture: Social Theory, Social Practice, and the Environment: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Sayre

Nature and Culture: Social Theory, Social Practice, and the Environment: Read Less [-]

GEOG 205 Black Geographies 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 1998 This graduate seminar explores the inextricable connection between blackness and geography. Considering Katherine McKittrick’s claim that Black geographies are “‘the terrain of political struggle itself’ or where the imperative of a perspective of struggle takes place,” we will situate the spatial relations of blackness by placing Black people at the core of spatial production and examine the mechanisms by which this takes place. In this course we ask: what are the limitations and possibilities of traditional geographies? How does Black geographic thought produce wider material and conceptual space for geographic knowledge? How does Geography account for and understand blackness as condition, experience, and imaginary? Black Geographies: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: The course is organized around on two themes: (1) “Black Spatial Matters” involves our analysis of critical approaches to nature, space, place, and other geographic matters that meaningfully contribute to theorizations of blackness; and (2) “Black Space Matters,” through which we will focus on the political economic means by which the production of Black space is foundational to imaginative Black placemaking, self-actualization, and ways to catalogue future and existing spaces. Each text that falls under the “Black Spatial Matters” category will be followed by a corresponding “Black Space Matters” text. The two texts should be thought directly in relation to one another. Throughout the course we will engage such themes as Black cities, Black economies, Black poetics, and Black value by drawing on intellectual histories and politics of Black feminist, queer, indigenous, post-colonial, and critical race studies.

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar per week.

Instructor: Summers

Black Geographies: Read Less [-]

GEOG 206 Research Seminar in Comparative Urban Studies 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 In this seminar students will discuss research design, method, writing, and engage with one another’s research and dissertation projects. Two-thirds of each class meeting will be devoted to discussion of students’ work in progress. Each student will present their ongoing projects 3-4 times throughout the semester and receive constructive feedback from the seminar participants. One third of each class meeting is used for professional development workshops on topics of analyzing fieldnotes, engaging literature, publishing journal articles, gender and racial dynamics in academia, job talks and Job market, converting dissertation into a book, using maps, tables, and numbers in presentation, and doing a social science with something to say. Research Seminar in Comparative Urban Studies: Read More [+]

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for GEOG 206 after completing GEOG 206 . A deficient grade in GEOG 206 may be removed by taking GEOG 206 .

Instructor: Hsing

Research Seminar in Comparative Urban Studies: Read Less [-]

GEOG 214 Development Theories and Practices 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2011, Spring 2010, Spring 2009 This course examines how concepts and theories of "development" have been produced, maintained, used, and challenged in different regions of the world economy. It will offer a framework for analyzing how changing and contending models of development both reflect and shape social processes and practices. Development Theories and Practices: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of consultation per week.

Instructor: Hart

Development Theories and Practices: Read Less [-]

GEOG 215 Seminar in Comparative and International Development 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2017 This seminar is designed for students intending to do research on topics of comparative development, the organization of work, and access to resources in different regions of the world economy. Participants in the seminar will be expected to write a research proposal and to participate actively in reading and responding to each other's work. Seminar in Comparative and International Development: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week.

Instructors: Hart, Hsing

Seminar in Comparative and International Development: Read Less [-]

GEOG 220 Capital, Value, and Scale 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2013, Spring 2009, Spring 2007 This seminar focuses on major works in political economy and social theory concerning capitalism, human action, and space-time. We grapple with what "value" means in "Capital", paying particular attention to issues of historical specificity, abstract labor time, and the "value theory of labor." We spatialize the argument by a close reading of David Harvey, and we look at attempts to understand capital's relation to human action and other forms of value, in anthropology and the work of Pierre Bourdieu. Finally, we take up the issue of scale in hope of formulating a coherent conceptual framework for integrating across scales, from the human-body (or even smaller scales) up to global, economic, cultural and ecological processes Capital, Value, and Scale: Read More [+]

Capital, Value, and Scale: Read Less [-]

GEOG 221 Speculative World-Building: Games and Simulation 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2018 This class will introduce the theory, background, and practice of (analog) gaming, and simulation, or, more generally speculative world-building. These activities are increasingly important in contemporary culture, and also in science, policy, business, planning, and government, in situations where understanding how the world works, how the world might work, or how things might work differently are important. In addition to approaching games as objects of study, students will design new games on topics of their choice, alone or in groups, as a practical component of this class. Speculative World-Building: Games and Simulation: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: This class is a revised version of a class called ‘Spatial simulation modeling’ (Geography 228), but replaces computer simulation with board games as a vehicle for exploring how to abstractly represent processes and relations in the world. The aim is to develop an understanding of practices of ‘world-building’, using board games as an accessible point of entry to these practices. To do computer simulation requires learning how to program (‘to code’ as people insist of calling it today), which is a fine ambition but is distinct from the much more fundamental practices of abstraction, quantification, systems analysis, and so forth that underpin building simulation models. Working with board games instead of computational models will helps us get to the heart of those practices a lot more easily without the distraction of learning to program.

Student Learning Outcomes: It is important to note that this is not a game design class; it is not a game theory class; and it is not a cultural studies of games class, although students may learn a little (or even a lot) about all these things, particularly the first. We will look at a lot of games during the semester, as a way to understand games as systems of interacting mechanics, preparatory to student projects which will develop either entirely new games or (probably more likely) develop variants of existing games to align the game’s model of the world more closely with aspects they wish to explore.

Instructor: OSullivan

Speculative World-Building: Games and Simulation: Read Less [-]

GEOG 228 Spatial Simulation Modeling 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2015 Simulation is now a widely adopted approach to science. This class will examine what simulation models are, and why and how they are used. Models that focus on spatial processes (aggregation, segregation, diffusion, movement, growth) will be closely considered. A particular concern will be to explore how simulation models may help elucidate the relationships between processes and the spatial outcomes they produce. Spatial Simulation Modeling: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Computer literacy, some programming background may help, but is not required, as all necessary skills will be covered in the class

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar per week.

Instructor: O'Sullivan

Spatial Simulation Modeling: Read Less [-]

GEOG 230 Economies of Race 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 This course examines the economy as a domain of social analysis for understanding the black experience. Throughout the course we will examine what forms economic institutions and practices take across the black Diaspora. We will examine the central place of race within capitalist economies, largely overlooked by mainstream economic analyses and unpack its implications for equality in wider capitalist markets, state systems, and policy initiatives. Through historical and ethnographic accounts we will explore how people across the Diaspora cope with crises and inequality, both individually and collectively, and how historical narratives are brought to bear on those methods, and on notions of the future. Economies of Race: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture per week.

Instructor: Lewis

Economies of Race: Read Less [-]

GEOG C241 Glaciology 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2018 A review of the mechanics of glacial systems, including formation of ice masses, glacial flow mechanisms, subglacial hydrology, temperature and heat transport, global flow, and response of ice sheets and glaciers. We will use this knowledge to examine glaciers as geomorphologic agents and as participants in climate change. Glaciology: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor

Instructor: Cuffey

Formerly known as: 241

Also listed as: EPS C242

Glaciology: Read Less [-]

GEOG 244 Complex Environmental Systems 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 Applying a complex-systems approach to environmental problems can yield valuable insight into risk, potential drivers of change, likely outcomes of perturbation, and whether it is even possible to forecast or manage system behavior. This course explores complex-systems theory and applications in geography, ecology, and earth science. Case studies include climate change, coupled human-environmental systems, vegetation community change, river networks, forest fires, earthquakes, and peatlands. Complex Environmental Systems: Read More [+]

Instructor: Larsen

Complex Environmental Systems: Read Less [-]

GEOG 246 Geomorphology of California 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2011, Fall 2009, Fall 2006 Numerous tectonic and Earth surface processes act in concert to produce the physical landscapes of our planet. This course examines three major regions of California (the Sierra Nevada, the Basin and Range, and the Southern Coast Ranges) as specific case studies for demonstrating how landscapes can be understood using concepts from tectonics, geomorphology, and geography. Two four-day field trips and preparatory readings for them will illuminate the integrated action of tectonics, geologic structure and lithology, drainage network development, hydraulics, soil production, hillslope transport, fluvial transport, aeolian transport, and glacial/perigicial processes. A term project will be required. Geomorphology of California: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Graduate standing in either geography or earth and planetary science and consent of instructor. Undergraduates need consent of instructor and 140A-140B or 140B and Earth and Planetary Science 117

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Additional Format: Seminar. Two major field trips of four days' duration, each with 12-hour days.

Geomorphology of California: Read Less [-]

GEOG 247 Digital Transformations in Land, Housing, and Property 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023 Technology shapes how land is known, used, valued and imagined. This seminar responds to how 21st century digital innovations are changing real estate planning and development; the commodification and trade of land, housing, and property; and politics and practices of dwelling globally. We will develop theoretical perspectives on what the digital brings to property via case studies of cloud computing, urban housing, and agrarian and rural land. Digital Transformations in Land, Housing, and Property: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: Attend to how these transformations extend and shift patterns of state control, capital accumulation, and grassroots politics. Situate digital transformations within existing property relations that characterize particular geographies. Understand how the state, capital, and grassroots actors employ digital technologies to remake global land, housing, and property.

Instructor: Fields

Digital Transformations in Land, Housing, and Property: Read Less [-]

GEOG 249 Spatiotemporal Data Analysis in the Climate Sciences 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2008 This graduate seminar teaches objective techniques for spatiotemporal data analysis focusing primarily on Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and its derivatives. The context will be climate data analysis, but the technique is readily translatable to other fields. The goal is to get the student sufficiently comfortable with the technique so they can use it in their research. Spatiotemporal Data Analysis in the Climate Sciences: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: A first course in linear algebra. Access to MATLAB

Instructor: Chiang

Spatiotemporal Data Analysis in the Climate Sciences: Read Less [-]

GEOG C250 Seminar in Sociology of Forest and Wildland Resources 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013 Individual projects and group discussions concerning social constraints to, and effects of, natural resource planning and management. Application of sociological theories to problems of managing wildland ecosystems. Students will examine topics of individual interest related to the management of wildland uses. Enrollment limited. Seminar in Sociology of Forest and Wildland Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Fortmann

Also listed as: ESPM C255

Seminar in Sociology of Forest and Wildland Resources: Read Less [-]

GEOG 251 Topics in Cultural Geography 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2020, Fall 2017 Research seminar on selected topics in cultural geography. Topics in Cultural Geography: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Two hours of seminar and one hour of consultation per week.

Instructor: Groth

Topics in Cultural Geography: Read Less [-]

GEOG 252 Topics in Economic Geography 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Spring 2016, Spring 2015 Research seminar on selected topics in economic geography. Topics in Economic Geography: Read More [+]

Instructors: Hsing, Watts

Topics in Economic Geography: Read Less [-]

GEOG 253 Topics in Urban Geography 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Fall 2012, Spring 2012 Research seminar on selected topics in urban geography. Topics in Urban Geography: Read More [+]

Instructors: Groth, Hsing

Topics in Urban Geography: Read Less [-]

GEOG 254 Topics in GIS 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016 Research seminar on selected topics in GIS. Topics in GIS: Read More [+]

Topics in GIS: Read Less [-]

GEOG 255 Topics in Political Geography 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2019, Spring 2019 Research seminar on selected topics in political geography. Topics in Political Geography: Read More [+]

Instructors: Hart, Kosek

Topics in Political Geography: Read Less [-]

GEOG 257 Topics in Climatology 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016 Research seminar on selected topics in climatology. Topics in Climatology: Read More [+]

Topics in Climatology: Read Less [-]

GEOG 260 Topics in Biogeography 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Spring 2015, Spring 2013 Research seminar on selected topics in biogeography. Topics in Biogeography: Read More [+]

Instructor: Byrne

Topics in Biogeography: Read Less [-]

GEOG 279 Statistics and Multivariate Data Analysis for Research 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2015 An introduction to advanced statistical methods for research. Topics include hypothesis testing, distribution fitting, ANOVA and MANOVA, PCA, cluster analysis, ordination, discriminant analysis, regression, time series analyses, causality, and data mining techniques. Students will complete assignments that use real datasets and will gain feedback in working with their own datasets. Statistics and Multivariate Data Analysis for Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Basic probability/statistics; familiarity with MATLAB or other programming is helpful but not required

Statistics and Multivariate Data Analysis for Research: Read Less [-]

GEOG 280 Advanced Field Study in Geography 3 - 7 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018 All day Saturday. Each additional unit requires four hours of field work per week. Extended field project required. Advanced Field Study in Geography: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture and 11 hours of fieldwork per week

Additional Format: One hour of Lecture and Eleven hours of Fieldwork per week for 15 weeks.

Advanced Field Study in Geography: Read Less [-]

GEOG 282 Geographic Information Systems: Applications in Geographical Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2009 This course introduces graduate students to a range of applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in geographical research, and theoretical considerations of the meaning, strengths, and limitations of the methods. We first review, in general, how geographic variables can be represented in a database. This leads to an extended discussion of the application of GIS methods to a variety of problems in physical and human geography, using topographic data, census data, and other sources, manipulated by widely used GIS software. Students build skills and understanding through work on example problems. Finally, the broad question of how GIS represents geographic variables, and the strengths and limitations of the technique, are re-visited using perspective gained from examples. Students will be expected to elaborate these issues in the context of their own research programs. Geographic Information Systems: Applications in Geographical Research: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

Geographic Information Systems: Applications in Geographical Research: Read Less [-]

GEOG 285 Topics in Earth System Remote Sensing 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2019 Questions asked about a changing planet are strongly influenced by data collected across a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Remote sensing of globally distributed ecosystems and human landscapes enables the exploration of questions not possible without the extension of those dimensions. This course will focus on developing scalable Earth system research questions using a variety of tools including advanced remote sensing methods, image acquisition including UAV systems, data synthesis and analytical approaches, literature review, progress reporting, and student presentations. Topics in Earth System Remote Sensing: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: To develop a better understanding of what questions can be approached across a range of geographical dimensions, and further develop the student’s toolbox for exploring those questions and presenting results.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory per week.

Instructor: Chambers

Topics in Earth System Remote Sensing: Read Less [-]

GEOG 295 Geography Colloquium 1 Unit

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 Invited lectures on current research and field work. Geography Colloquium: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Required of all graduate students not yet advanced to candidacy

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of colloquium per week

Additional Format: Three hours of colloquium per week.

Grading: Offered for satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade only.

Geography Colloquium: Read Less [-]

GEOG 296 Directed Dissertation Research 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 Directed Dissertation Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Advancement to Ph.D. candidacy

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Zero hours of Independent study per week for 15 weeks.

Directed Dissertation Research: Read Less [-]

GEOG N296 Directed Dissertation Research 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2023 10 Week Session, Summer 2023 3 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session Directed Dissertation Research: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week 10 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to four hours of independent study per week for 10 weeks. One to four hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks. One to four hours of independent study per week for 6 weeks.

GEOG 297 Directed Field Studies 1 - 6 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2019, Spring 2019 Directed Field Studies: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Open to students directly engaged in field studies

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-6 hours of fieldwork per week

Additional Format: One to Six hour of Fieldwork per week for 15 weeks.

Directed Field Studies: Read Less [-]

GEOG 298 Directed Study for Graduate Students 1 - 6 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022 Special tutorial or seminar on selected topics not covered by available courses or seminars. Directed Study for Graduate Students: Read More [+]

Grading: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered.

Directed Study for Graduate Students: Read Less [-]

GEOG 299 Individual Research 1 - 8 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023 Individual research for graduate students in consultation with staff member. Individual Research: Read More [+]

Individual Research: Read Less [-]

GEOG N299 Individual Research 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2023 10 Week Session, Summer 2022 10 Week Session, Summer 2021 Individual research for graduate students in consultation with staff member. Individual Research: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to Four hour of Independent study per week for 8 weeks. One to Four hour of Independent study per week for 6 weeks.

GEOG 301 Professional Training: Teaching Practice 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018 Professional Training: Teaching Practice: Read More [+]

Subject/Course Level: Geography/Professional course for teachers or prospective teachers

Professional Training: Teaching Practice: Read Less [-]

GEOG C301 Communicating Ocean Science 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 For graduate students interested in improving their ability to communicate their scientific knowledge by teaching ocean science in elementary schools or science centers/aquariums. The course will combine instruction in inquiry-based teaching methods and learning pedagogy with six weeks of supervised teaching experience in a local school classroom or the Lawrence Hall of Science with a partner. Thus, students will practice communicating scientific knowledge and receive mentoring on how to improve their presentations. Communicating Ocean Science: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: One course in introductory biology, geology, chemistry, physics, or marine science required and interest in ocean science,junior, senior, or graduate standing; consent of instructor required for sophomores

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2.5 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion, and 2 hours of fieldwork per week

Additional Format: Two and one-half hours of Lecture, One hour of Discussion, and Two hours of Fieldwork per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Ingram

Also listed as: EPS C301/INTEGBI C215

Communicating Ocean Science: Read Less [-]

GEOG C302 Effective Scientific Communication 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2009, Fall 2007 This course will introduce methods of organizing and delivering oral presentations, initating and organizing manuscripts, and utilizing digital communication methods, such as web-based media. Students will develop effective communication techniques through in-class experience. This class will have an emphasis on the sciences but will be useful and open to graduate students of all disciplines. Effective Scientific Communication: Read More [+]

Additional Format: Two hours of Seminar per week for 15 weeks.

Instructors: Resh, Rhew

Also listed as: ESPM C302

Effective Scientific Communication: Read Less [-]

GEOG 375 Pedagogical Practices in Geography 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022 This course centers the work of teaching as a foundational aspect of our practice as geographers. Undoubtedly, the interdisciplinary nature of geography provides multiple avenues from where we can address some of our most pressing social, environmental, economic and political dilemmas. But how do we bring theory to practice? And how do we do this in a classroom setting? To answer these questions, this course offers pedagogical frameworks and practical skills for how theory and practice connect for both instructors and students. We will begin with a review of pedagogical literature and an analysis of how foundational scholars like Paulo Freire and bell hooks approach teaching as an act of community-making and empowerment. Pedagogical Practices in Geography: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of workshop per week

Additional Format: Three hours of workshop per week.

Instructor: Negrín

Pedagogical Practices in Geography: Read Less [-]

GEOG 601 Individual Study for Master's Students 1 - 6 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 Individual study for comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the field adviser. Individual Study for Master's Students: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: For candidates for master's degree

Credit Restrictions: Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for master's degree.

Subject/Course Level: Geography/Graduate examination preparation

Individual Study for Master's Students: Read Less [-]

GEOG N601 Individual Study for Master's Students 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2009 10 Week Session Individual study for comprehensive or language requirements in consultation with the field adviser. Individual Study for Master's Students: Read More [+]

Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5-7.5 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1.5-5.5 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One and one-half to Five and one-half hours of Independent study per week for 8 weeks. Two and one-half to Seven and one-half hours of Independent study per week for 6 weeks.

GEOG 602 Individual Study for Doctoral Students 1 - 6 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022 Individual study in consultation with the major field adviser, intended to provide an opportunity for qualified students to prepare themselves for the various examinations required of candidates for the Ph.D. Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: For candidates for Ph.D

Credit Restrictions: Course does not satisfy unit or residence requirements for doctoral degree.

Individual Study for Doctoral Students: Read Less [-]

Contact Information

Department of geography.

507 McCone Hall

Phone: 510-642-3903

Fax: 510-642-3370

Department Chair

Jovan Scott Lewis, Ph.D.

597 McCone Hall

[email protected]

Head Graduate Advisor

John Chiang, PhD

547 McCone Hall

[email protected]

Graduate Student Affairs Officer (GSAO) and Department Scheduler

Bobby Ewing

505 McCone Hall

[email protected]

Print Options

When you print this page, you are actually printing everything within the tabs on the page you are on: this may include all the Related Courses and Faculty, in addition to the Requirements or Overview. If you just want to print information on specific tabs, you're better off downloading a PDF of the page, opening it, and then selecting the pages you really want to print.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

IMAGES

Cambridge Department of Geography
Geography book Cambridge IGCSE
Mastering Paper 1, Cambridge IGCSE Geography Course
Geography at Cambridge
Cambridge International A and AS Level Geography by Garrett Nagle, Paul
Geography for Cambridge IGCSE

VIDEO

Countries Flags Now and Then part 8 #shorts
Look closer at our Department of Geography
Chalk Talks
Geography MCQS Practice -4। भूगोल के महत्वपूर्ण प्रश्नों का संग्रह। महामैराथन
Geography MCQS Practice -3।UGC NET/JRF Dec.2023। भूगोल के प्रश्नों का महत्वपूर्ण संग्रह
Phd Admission 2023 #shorts

COMMENTS

Department of Geography, Cambridge » PhDs in Geography and the Scott
PhDs in Geography and the Scott Polar Research Institute. The Department has a large community of around 80 PhD students working on their own projects. The PhD students at Geography and the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) study a broad range of topics that reflect the diverse interests of the academic staff in the Department. 1.
PhD in Geography
The Geography Department welcomes applications from well-qualified candidates with previous training in geography or a related discipline and normally a relevant master's qualification. The PhD is a full-time three-year research degree (or five-year part-time), examined by a thesis. In the first year, students attend a comprehensive training ...
Department of Geography, Cambridge » Postgraduate study
Contact details. The Postgraduate Office in the Department of Geography manages the admission process for PhD students and Masters/MPhil students, and oversees the development of the postgraduate Training Programme and the MPhil programmes. graduate.enquiries @ geog.cam.ac.uk. +44 (0)1223 333375.
Human Geography, Social Science and Humanities PhD Opportunities
The Department of Geography has a strong PhD community in the social sciences and humanities, funded by UK research councils, the Gates Trust and the Cambridge Overseas Trust. We currently have 12 students funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council,. In October 2013, five new students will commence research, funded by the economic ...
Department of Geography, Cambridge
The Department has a large community of postgraduate students. Many are working for the PhD degree, awarded on the basis of individual research and requiring three years of full-time study. The Department of Geography also runs a range of Masters/MPhil courses. Read more
Department of Geography
The Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership is a ground-breaking course that equips students with the applied leadership and management skills needed to create positive change in conservation. ... Geography - PhD. The PhD is a full-time three-year research degree (or five-year part-time) examined by a thesis of up to 80,000 words. ...
Department of Geography, Cambridge » PhD students
Prof Chris Sandbrook. Maria-Prisca Kouakou Keessy. (Thesis title will be available in due course.) Prof Rachael Garrett. Ellen Kujawa. Identifying data gaps and understanding policy in transboundary natural hazard management. Funding: Cambridge International Scholarship. Prof Amy Donovan. Alice Lawrence.
MPhil in Geography
MPhil in Geography. The MPhil in Geography is a 12-month full-time programme of research that introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge. The course aims to develop general transferable skills and act as a bridge between first degree and PhD. Through the supervision process and the writing of an MPhil thesis students ...
PhD in Geography at University of Cambridge
The PhD is a full-time three-year research degree (or five-year part-time), examined by a thesis. In the first year, students attend a comprehensive training programme based around seminars and workshops dealing with the debates in geography, the practice of developing and designing research projects, and the methods and techniques required to ...
Department of Geography, University of Cambridge
The Department of Geography is one of the constituent departments of the University of Cambridge and is located on the Downing Site. The department has long had an international reputation as a leading centre of research and is consistently ranked as one of the best geography departments in the UK. In 2022 the department was ranked by The ...
Department of Geography, Cambridge » MPhil in Geography
Master of Philosophy Degree CourseFull-time, one year (12 months) The MPhil in Geography is a 12 month full-time programme of research that introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge. It involves carrying out an original piece of research and is examined on the basis of a dissertation; there are no taught courses, although ...
Postgraduate courses in Earth Sciences & Geography
Admissions for a Cambridge PhD at BAS are, as for university departments, subject to the University of Cambridge's selection process and entrance requirements. ... Degree Committee for Earth Sciences & Geography, School of Physical Sciences, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1RX. Tel: 01223 746764 / 746766. [email protected] Site ...
PhD in Earth Sciences
Cambridge C-CLEAR DTP. The Cambridge Climate Life and Earth Doctoral Training Partnership (C-CLEAR DTP) awards around 12 3.5-year NERC-funded PhD studentships each year to start in October. A wide range of projects are available, within seven world-class departments and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), under the broad themes of:
Department of Land Economy
The Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy programme is a Master of Studies (MSt) degree offered by the. Department of Land Economy. The Department is a world leader and the top UK research institution in its field. according to the Times Higher Education's ranking. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework assessment, 67% of the Department ...
PhD in Land Economy
Overview. Study. Requirements. Finance. How To Apply. Land Economy offers a full-time and a part-time PhD programme. The Department currently has over 70 PhD students at different stages of the programme, working in a range of areas. Our department leads the field in the UK's latest Research Excellence Framework rating of Land Economy's joint ...
PhD in Geography at University of Cambridge
Find more information about PhD in Geography at University of Cambridge .
MPhil and PhD Resources
The website of the Degree Committee for Earth Sciences and Geography has information for PhD students, ... University of Cambridge Madingley Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB3 0EZ United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1223 337191 Fax: 01223 360779. Quick Links. Department Directory. Library.
Geography, Ph.D.
The PhD is a full-time three-year research degree (or five-year part-time), examined by a thesis. Features. In the first year, Geography students at University of Cambridge attend a comprehensive training programme based around seminars and workshops dealing with the debates in geography, the practice of developing and designing research ...
Geography PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in Cambridge
Search Funded PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in Geography in Cambridge. Search for PhD funding, scholarships & studentships in the UK, Europe and around the world. PhDs
Geography
Cambridge Geography graduates are highly skilled in dealing with complex problems, in information retrieval, data management, statistics and specialist software, and are used to working independently and communicating efficiently. Your geography degree opens many career doors, allowing you to compete alongside those with degrees in STEM as well ...
Using your degree: Geography
What do Cambridge graduates do? Cambridge geography graduates find their way into many careers. Key employment sectors are typically the manufacturing and utility industries, public service and teaching. The top three sectors that Cambridge graduates joined were manufacturing and utilities (circa 10% of those who responded), followed by public ...
Geography Reading List
If you would like to buy something relevant to your Geography course, two books which are highly recommended as being particularly useful are: Thomas, D and Goudie, A (eds) 2000 The Dictionary of Physical Geography, Blackwell, 3rd edition. Johnston, R et al (eds) 2000 The Dictionary of Human Geography, Blackwell, 4th edition.
Geography < University of California, Berkeley
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 'Geographical Difference/Differentiation' is a 5 unit course with Seminar and Workshop components. The Seminar reads canonical work in social theory against contemporary Geography, including metropolitan traditions of critique of capitalism, urbanization, space and time, discipline-biopower-sovereignty, and the now; Southern traditions of ...
Buried ancient Fenland yew trees offer climate change insight
This cross-section of a subfossil yew trunk contains 380 tree-rings, providing the age when it died. Analysis by the Cambridge Tree-Ring Unit found some of the ancient trees were 400 years old ...

We value your privacy

Your Privacy

Manage consent preferences

Personalise what you see on this page.

LOOKING FOR

Popular universities

Course search

Open days search

Article search

Popular topics

PhD in Geography University of Cambridge

Course options

University of Cambridge

Course summary

Module Options

University information

Subject rankings

Suggested courses

Geography and Environment PhD

Geographical Information Systems MSc

Is this page useful?

Study at Cambridge

Studentships

Master of Philosophy Degree Course Full-time, one year (12 months)

Cambridge Funding Competitions deadline

Expected academic standard

Applications

Study at Cambridge

Postgraduate courses in Earth Sciences & Geography

British Antarctic Survey

[email protected]

Study at Cambridge

PhD in Land Economy

Primary tabs

Key Information

Easter 2024

Similar Courses

Postgraduate Admissions Office

At a glance

University Policy and Guidelines

About this site

Our cookies

Privacy overview

Manage consent preferences

PhD in Geography

Course Summary

Subject areas

UK fees Course fees for UK students

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

MA Cities Culture and Creativity

Study at Cambridge

Key information

MPhil Thesis

Quick links

Get a flavour of research in the Bullard Labs:

Quick Links

Social media

Study at Cambridge

Facilities and resources

Tuition fees

A degree with global relevance

Fieldwork and travel

Course costs

Additional course costs

Changing course

Course outline

Year 1 (Part IA)

Year 2 (Part IB)

Year 3 (Part II)

Entry Requirements

Typical offers require

Subject requirements

Admission assessment

Submitted work

Typical Geography entrants (A Level and IB)

Find out more about Geography at Cambridge

Discover Uni data

Course Film

Cambridge Admissions Office

About this site