Includes an introduction to: * biogeography, climate/vegetation patterns and ecological processes * role of major biogeochemical cycles * structure and functioning of major ecosystem types (UK focus) e.g. woodlands, grasslands, agro-ecosystems, aquatic ecosystems * human influences on ecosystems, including examples of management * climate change and air pollutants: impacts of ecosystems * environmental impact assessments * the key UK and EU laws that influence the management of threatened habitats * ecological data handling and descriptive statistics

This module includes a residential field course to a UK location. The module will cover a range of topics that may include cultural geography, biodiversity, geology, geomorphology, ecology, climate change and tourism impacts. Underpinning theory and linkage to wider research contexts are introduced in the lectures. Staff-led and student-led data collection methods are introduced and undertaken in the field. Students are then introduced to the analysis and synthesis of this field information through class and IT-lab sessions both during and after the field course.

The aims of this module are to enable students to understand the dynamic processes that produce rocks and geological structures, and be able to recognise them in the laboratory and in the field. The geological evolution of the Earth and the importance of plate tectonics in the formation of rocks and geological structures will be studied, together with introductory igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic petrology. The module will also consider weathering, erosion, transport and deposition of Earth surface materials and the dynamic endogenic and exogenic processes that impact on anthropogenic activities and cause geohazards.

This module provides students with an opportunity to explore the Earth’s systems. The module provides an account of the history of the Earth, and considers the major environmental systems in turn, focussing on the features and processes that define each system. Students will be able to develop an understanding of how the different systems interact and the importance of these interactions for shaping the surface of the Earth and its biological communities. The relationship between environmental / climate changes and human activities is a central theme throughout the module.

After an Introduction to the module and the types of assessment used the module will reflect on the development of geographical and environmental thought from the 19th century through to 20th century including a review of environmental determinism, regional geography and the rise of positivism. This will provide the basis for better understanding the rise of modern environmental concern and the Green Movement, including the work of John Muir and the emergence of the National Park concept. The module then moves on to explore different theoretical explanations framed during the 20th century for how society is structured and how we measure change and difference in society. This includes an examination of radical perspectives. It then returns to explore the major streams of environmentalism, and the rise in importance of sustainable development into mainstream consciousness in the 21st century. The module ends with a reflection upon how this impacts on people’s perceptions of nature.

This module will typically introduce topics like the creation of places, peoples’ relationship with landscape, how nations are built and geopolitics. It will also investigate ideas around modernity and modernisation, colonial and postcolonial geographies, globalisation, class, race and gender. The module will also look at power, identity, inequalities alongside communities and consumption and explore writing and reading places Students will also learn how to conduct an archival enquiry using either on-line or local archives.

Students will receive an introduction to a number of concepts on the topic of space and place at degree level. This will include looking at historical allocations of space, how those allocations have changed over time, and how the development of those geographic spaces have created places. The topic of mobility will also be introduced, focussing on historical patterns, challenges and solutions, and how those can be used to inform future policy. Geographical Information Systems will be used throughout to develop essential skills in spatial mapping and analysis.

The module introduces the framework of society with a particular relationship between people and their environment (human space at a range of geographical scales from local to global) and economic change, helping students to place Hertfordshire and the UK within broader geographical spaces and tiers of governance. Through lectures, a field visit, workshops and problem-based group learning students explore the interaction of people with the environment and will develop an understanding of the approaches adopted by geographers towards governing and planning human space and society and managing conflict within these spaces. Lectures will introduce the political and legal framework of England, concepts surrounding regional and local economic change, consider the UK political outlook at national and local level and introduce the planning system and issues around this. Lectures will also consider Britain’s changing relationship with Europe.

Students will complete assignments, within their discipline of choice, that include opportunities for development of their personal transferable skills. They will reflect on their development with the assistance of a personal tutor and will produce a portfolio of evidence based on the set assignments and wider experience such as from the work place or other areas of responsibility. Skills assessed are: autonomy and taking responsibility for themselves (A); group working (GW), oral and written communication (COM), information management (IM), problem solving (PS), numeracy (NUM), self-evaluation and reflective practice (SERP).

Census provides geographers with a substantial resource for studying demographic change but also to understand migration, the labour market, and social deprivation. The skills students gain in this module using the Census will be applied in third year modules and contribute to the students’ employability. Secondly, it will focus on cities and cover a range of issues including housing, urban regeneration, and crime. Cities are the sites of many problems in our society but also provide inspiring examples demonstrating how communities have overcome them. This topic will include a one-day field visit and workshop studying a live regeneration project. The third topic students will cover is transport policy and travel planning. Here, students will learn about best practice in green travel planning and other key aspects of transport including policy implementation and delivering resilient transport infrastructure.

In Semester A the module reflects on exclusion and marginalisation from an urban UK perspective. It starts with an introduction to the module and assignments, before introducing key exclusion and marginalisation theory. It then explores the regional and sub-regional patterns of exclusion and marginalisation in the UK whilst also exploring how these phenomena manifest themselves in everyday lives and livelihoods. In Semester B we start by exploring exclusion and marginalisation from a rural perspective which is then examined at a European level. The module concludes by exploring exclusion and marginalisation from colonial and oriental perspectives within a broader global context and addresses human agency and activism as a response to these issues.

Students will complete tutor group-based assignments, tutorials and activities within their discipline that include opportunities for development of their personal transferable skills in line with the aspirations set out in the University of Hertfordshire’s Graduate Attributes. They will reflect on their development of academic and transferable skills with the assistance of a personal tutor at a number of individual and group tutorials. Students will also attend an enterprise workshop to introduce them to an enterprise mind-set and considerations for self-employment. One component of the assessment is work experience (a minimum of 56 hours must normally be completed). Students must produce a reflective review on their work experience which records their employability skills and techniques. The combination of attendance at scheduled sessions (minimum 50%), completion of work experience hours and reflective review is assessed by the student's personal tutor and an overall grade of Pass or Fail is awarded for the module.

This module will cover ecological theory and practice, related environmental and conservation issues and explore environmental assessments. The role of the agri-environment and the ecological basis of food production will be explored. There is a compulsory integrated field course before the module begins, where a range of practical ecological and field skills will be practiced.

This module introduces the underpinning concepts and ideas behind GISci and their application and use in answering geospatial questions. Topics covered may include basic remote sensing as input to a GIS, the two main GISci data models, geospatial data collection and input methods including GPS concepts, digital cartographic issues such as map projections, symbology and visualisation of data, spatial data structures and GISci data models, geospatial databases, basic analysis techniques for both raster and vector data including Boolean logic operations, and a review of current technological trends such as OpenGIS (GML) and DistributedGIS.

The Research Project provides the opportunity for an individual, extended, in-depth study of a selected aspect of those disciplines covered by the programme, and may address one or more of the Division's research objectives. Lecture, workshop and tutorial sessions (which may be group and/or individual) provide support for the student, and students are allocated a University supervisor. The work may involve fieldwork, laboratory work, questionnaire surveys, or many other research procedures.

This module seeks to provide students with an in depth understanding of selected topical issues in social and cultural geography within an urban context, as well as and acquaint them with approaches to theory and research in the discipline. The module also focuses on urban planning issues, policy and practice. The topics covered will reflect current theoretical debate and will reflect research interests of academic staff, these may typically include urban deprivation, social capital, regeneration, gender & the city, iconographic city, postmodernism and urban design. Case studies will be used in seminars and in field trips to further understanding.

This module provides students with an in-depth understanding of selected topical and historical issues within geopolitics, geostrategy, historical geography and international relations. It does so using an historical narrative of the key events in, mainly, Eurasian history, such as charting the development of nation states, border disputes, state formation, diplomatic relationships and broader concepts such as imperialism, post-colonialism and globalisation. In addition, contemporary world events are examined in detail and the spatial consequences assessed. Such topics are by their nature fluid, but can include terrorism, world order, migrant crises, food security and climate change. The module is conceptually grounded in ideas and epistemologies, theories of geopolitical thought, and the ontological development of this thought and how it has changed over time constantly shaping the world and the contested perceptions of it.

This module tackles the uneasy relationship that exists between development and tourism in the marginalised world. It critically examines key theories and concepts that relate to development, tourism and marginalisation. The module also analyses the impacts that marginal geography and development have had on the relational identity of ‘others’ and ‘insiders’ working in the tourist industry in different parts of the World. Students will learn to conceptualise, understand and offer solutions to some of the problems surrounding development and tourism in the marginalised world with special emphasis on mountain development. They will also learn how to apply participatory theory through the use of participatory techniques in order to problem solve in marginal environments. A residential field course is integral to this module.

The sandwich placement will provide students with the opportunity to expand, develop and apply the knowledge, understanding and skills learnt in the taught years of the degree in a work-based situation. The employer will appoint a work-place supervisor, and the student will also have a University supervisor. Students will write a major report on their placement which is normally agreed with and then assessed by both the employer and university supervisor.

Topic areas that may be covered include- sustainability and sustainable development; the economy and the environment; business opportunities and the environment; environmental governance; environmental ethics; corporate social responsibility; water management; energy management; waste management; environmental economics; environmental management systems; strategic environmental assessment; environmental impact assessment; environmental risk assessment and environmental auditing.

Learning and teaching methods may include taught courses, a research project, field studies or a mixture of these components. The Year Abroad will be for two academic semesters or their equivalent. The students will therefore follow a programme negotiated by the Associate Head of School or nominee and an equivalent representative of the host institution. Prior to commencement of the Year Abroad, the student, the programme officers from the University of Hertfordshire and from the host institution will agree a learning agreement and mode of attendance.

This module enables students to critically engage with some of the issues surrounding institutional implementation of GISci and systems, in a context appropriate for future employment. The students will be introduced to corporate implementation issues, reviewing known issues and problems to enable them to avoid these in the future. The Internet will be heavily used to research developments in GISci, as well as for data discovery and mining for student projects, Internet-delivered advances, such as distributed GIS, Location Based Services and real-time updated GIS will be discussed. Following training on GI techniques, students will be introduced to project management techniques and will be expected to undertake an individual project, producing a report on their work.

The module examines a number of in-depth topics related to countryside access management and outdoor education. Students will develop a critical awareness of the underpinning laws and policies in the UK. They will develop an in-depth understanding the context (history of outdoor recreation), UK access legislation and practice, the development of rights of way, definitions and responsibilities, history of open access, role of stakeholders. They will explore outdoor education by considering visitor management and interpretation, models of outdoor education, policy and regulation, the educational background and adventure education. Students will also undertake fieldwork and practical workshops.

This module will investigate the types, causes and effects of the main natural hazards, which may include geological, geomorphological, hydrological, biosphysical and atmospheric hazards that result in significant mortality, ill-health and damage to the built and natural environment around the world. The causes and effects of hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and other ground movements, tsunami, floods and droughts, storms, glaciers, and diseases, may be studied. The role of humans in turning natural hazards into disasters will be evaluated using case histories. Disaster risk reduction, including, hazard and risk assessment, mitigation, adaptation and disaster management will be covered. Vulnerability modification will be discussed, which may include: environmental controls, hazard-resistant design, planning, preparedness, forecasting and warning systems. The implications for public health and sustainability, and the effects of climate change will be considered for these natural hazards.