Geography and Environmental Sciences Foundation Year
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Geography and Environmental Science professionals provide solutions to many of the environmental issues facing urban and rural environments and populations. These include physical planning; use of resources; environmental health; environmental management and life cycle analysis. Increasingly it also includes the emergency aspects of environmental, economic and social development brought about by climate change, new ways of living, unstable earth systems and human conflict.
This foundation year bridges the gap between school and undergraduate level study, providing a broad introduction to the subjects. The course provides both academic knowledge and practical skills, and makes use of high quality, current technology and on-site laboratories. It is the first step towards developing the skills you will need to engage successfully with life beyond the classroom, preparing you for working in an environmental context.
Super Satisfaction: 100% of students studying Human Geography at Northumbria believed that their course was intellectually stimulating and they were positively challenged to achieve their best work (NSS, 2024).
Teaching: Human Geography at Northumbria is ranked 3rd in the UK for Teaching, Learning Opportunities, and Academic Support (NSS, 2024).
Research Powerhouse: Geography and Environmental Studies at Northumbria is ranked 2nd for research power in the UK (REF, 2021). This is a rise of 39 places compared to 2014.
Quality Teaching: Geography & Environmental Science at Northumbria is ranked top 10 in the UK for Teaching Quality & Student Experience (Times Good University Guide, 2025).
Following successful completion of the foundation year you will qualify to join any of the following degrees:
UCAS Code
F920
Level of Study
Undergraduate
Mode of Study
1 year Full Time followed by a further 3 years Full Time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2025
Fees
Fee Information
Find out what our Geography and Environmental Sciences students and staff are taking part in and achieving.
This department encompasses all of our work in cold and palaeo environments, social and cultural geographies, communities and resilience, environmental geochemistry and health, and ecology.
Geography and Environmental Sciences at Northumbria University encompass all of our work in physical and human geography, environmental science and management, health & safety, and disaster management. To find out more hear what our students and lectures have to say about this department.
Royal Geographical Society honours Northumbria geographer.
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Northumbria professor contributes to Netflix series, Life on Our Planet.
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Northumbria scientists collaborate on climate change board game.
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RESEARCH: Green Blue Infrastructure.
Find out moreVisit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Geography and Environmental Sciences. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Geography and Environmental Sciences. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Geography and Environmental Sciences. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
Take a look at the facilities for the Geography and Environmental Sciences department.
Palaeo and Environmental Research Laboratory
Watch as you learn more about the facilities available whilst studying a Geography and Environmental Sciences degree.
Virtual Tour
At the heart of each Northumbria campus, our libraries provide a range of study space and technology to suit every learning style.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Geography and Environmental Sciences. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
From Antarctica to the Arctic, global warming to disaster risk reduction, Geography takes place at a truly global scale at Northumbria. Research in this department is focused in five groups.
Disasters, Development and Resilience
Cold and Palaeo-Environment Group (CAPE)
Social and Cultural Geographies Research Group
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Geography and Environmental Sciences. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
You can boost your CV and develop your experience whilst studying at Northumbria.
Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Geography and Environmental Sciences. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.
80 UCAS Tariff points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our University regardless of personal circumstances or background. To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo
Subject Requirements:
There are no specific subject requirements for this course.
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.
Additional Requirements:
There are no additional requirements for this course.
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.
If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
UK Fee in Year 1: £9,535
* This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift, as decided by the UK Government, up to the maximum amount for fees permitted by UK law or regulation for that academic year. To give students an indication of the likely scale of any future increase, the UK government has recently suggested that increases may be linked to RPIX ( Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments)
International Fee in Year 1:
ADDITIONAL COSTS
You are expected to have your own outdoor winter clothing suitable for standard UK winter conditions for use on field trips - approximate cost £300-£500. Print costs can exceed the £10 allocation made to all students.
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
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To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
Northumbria University is committed to developing an inclusive, diverse and accessible campus and wider University community and are determined to ensure that opportunities we provide are open to all.
We are proud to work in partnership with AccessAble to provide Detailed Access Guides to our buildings and facilities across our City, Coach Lane and London Campuses. A Detailed Access Guide lets you know what access will be like when you visit somewhere. It looks at the route you will use getting in and what is available inside. All guides have Accessibility Symbols that give you a quick overview of what is available, and photographs to show you what to expect. The guides are produced by trained surveyors who visit our campuses annually to ensure you have trusted and accurate information.
You can use Northumbria’s AccessAble Guides anytime to check the accessibility of a building or facility and to plan your routes and journeys. Search by location, building or accessibility feature to find the information you need.
We are dedicated to helping students who may require additional support during their student journey and offer 1-1 advice and guidance appropriate to individual requirements. If you feel you may need additional support you can find out more about what we offer here where you can also contact us with any questions you may have:
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