Geography | MGeog | University of Lincoln

An Introduction to Your Modules

† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.

A Sustainable Lincolnshire 2022-23GEH1007MLevel 42022-23Lincolnshire has a diverse physical geography and faces a number of human and societal challenges making it an excellent laboratory to study global issues related to the health and safety of the inhabited earth within the Universitys local to global remit. Local fieldwork introduces students to contemporary issues in the social and natural environment through in-depth studies in the county of Lincolnshire. We visit three types of environment the urban, the rural and the coastal to study environmental hazards and economic and ecosystem sustainability and the interactions between these processes.CoreChallenges of Rural & Urban Living 2022-23GEH1005MLevel 42022-23This module aims to introduce students to the impact of globalisation and the penetration of markets across urban and rural space. The implications for changing urban and rural communities and the challenges of inequalities (economic and social) will be addressed. Students have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the fundamentals of markets through an introduction to micro-economics and theories and indicators of inequalities at global and local scales. The impact of inequalities in different places at different spatial scales will be considered through an introduction to sociological approaches. An understanding of social and economic principles can allow students to appraise contemporary issues relating to the health and safety of urban and rural communities across the globe. Appreciating the nature of globalisation will help them to contextualise contemporary processes and provide a firm grounding for entering employment in todays globalised labour market.CoreEarth Observation & GIS 2022-23GEP1006MLevel 42022-23The aim of this module is to teach students the fundamental theory and practical applications of Earth observation (remote sensing) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Geospatial technologies (involving remote sensing and GIS) have changed the way businesses and policymakers solve problems and the way scientists understand Earth system processes and hazards. These technologies are routinely used by people in their work and their daily life (e.g. via Google Earth). This module aims to introduce students to some of the important sources of geospatial data and the technologies underpinning them, and will highlight ways in which they are used both within geographical science and more widely. In addition students can gain hands-on, skills-based experience in processing and analysing data using GIS and Remote Sensing software. These are vital tools that will enable students to more rigorously assess the safety and health of the inhabited Earth.CoreEarths Changing Surface and the Anthropocene 2022-23GEP1007MLevel 42022-23This module aims to provide a grounding in the key aspects of Geomorphology, including fluvial, coastal, glacial, and hillslope geomorphology, and looks to build a firm foundation in understanding surface processes and hazards. It outlines a local to global framework of Earth surface processes and variability over space and time, drawing on case studies from both locally and across the world. There is therefore excellent complementarity with its sister module The Earth System Processes and Hazards, but with a stronger focus on Geomorphology and mass movements. These two modules taken together aim to develop essential knowledge and understanding that underpin the Department of Geographys distinctive and unifying flavour of the Safety and Health of the Inhabited Earth. The importance of taking the long view (e.g. Holocene and longer perspective) in order to understand Earths changing surface in the context of anthropogenic climate change will be emphasised.CoreEnvironmental Data Monitoring & Analysis 2022-23GEP1002MLevel 42022-23The aim of this module is to provide basic training in several key laboratory and field methods. This is provided via introductory lectures followed by a series of integrated computer and laboratory practical sessions, workshops, and local fieldwork. The lectures aim to demonstrate the importance of laboratory and field experimentation within modern geographical enquiry. The practical exercises aim to provide hands-on experience of the collection, synthesis, analysis, and presentation of environmental data within the contexts of geomorphology/soil science, and meteorology/hydrology. This module therefore aims to provide vocationally-relevant practical tools and insight that enable an informed judgement of the safety and health of the environment in the context of rapid human change.CorePeople, Places, Patterns and Processes 2022-23GEH1006MLevel 42022-23Certain forces are shaping the structure of human populations and societies in the 21st century. The aim of this module is to help students gain foundational understanding of these different forces as well as their effects on human population structure. Students will get an opportunity to explore different aspects of population dynamics across developed and developing societies. From this quantitative starting point, students will be progressed into qualitative exploration of different place identities and attachments, cultural changes, and representations of places at a global scale. Teaching sessions will focus on people, their individual and collective characteristics, spatial distributions, and the undercurrents that account for these spatial patterns. In a broad sense, the module reflects the diversity of geography and it is closely aligned to spatial demography. Consequently, in addition to gaining insights into theoretical basis of population geography, students will also be exposed to the technical foundations of demographic data analysis through hands-on software training.CoreSustainable Environments & Ecosystems 2022-23GEH1003MLevel 42022-23The aim of this module is to introduce students to the links between ecosystems and human health. The module focuses heavily on the role of human activities in changing ecosystems, covering aspects of human impacts on ecosystems as well as policy and regulatory actions to improve and safeguard vital ecosystems. Impacts are assessed in terms of both human and wider environmental factors such as quality of life and access to safe and healthy resources as well as biodiversity, landscape assets and climate resilience. Local and global case studies will be drawn to assess issues such as the sustainable design of built environments, sustainable approaches to waste management and threats linked to overconsumption of natural resources and excess pollution. By exploring a range of relevant case studies we will question assumptions about environmental/ecosystem interactions and equip students with the necessary critical knowledge and overview for deriving real-world solutions to a representative range of current environmental problems.CoreThe Earth System: Processes & Hazards 2022-23GEP1005MLevel 42022-23The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the general principles of physical geography for students with diverse backgrounds. Using a systems-based approach to physical geography, four environmental systems will be examined: geosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. The final part of the module will consider the interactions between physical systems and also the causes and consequences of system change, such as climate change, over time and space. The occurrence and impacts of some key natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, floods and droughts) will also be considered, which will facilitate an improved appreciation of the safety and health of the environment.CoreEarth Observation, Modelling & Visualisation: Representing Reality & Understanding Change 2023-24GEH2009MLevel 52023-24The ability to model the behaviour of natural and human systems, and their interaction, is an increasingly vital tool in understanding both these systems and the consequence of changes such as population growth or climate change; it is therefore essential for assessing the safety and health of the inhabited Earth. This module uses lectures and computer practicals to introduce the numerical modelling of geographical processes and systems. The science and art of model formulation, construction, and testing will be covered in detail. Students will use a number of specially-written models from various areas of physical and human geography.CoreGeographical Research: Theory & Practice 2023-24GEH2008MLevel 52023-24The ability to undertake independent research is a key skill in geography and in many areas of future employment. This module introduces the principles of research design and places methods of data collection in the overall context of research, including identifying a topic of study, carrying out a literature review, and designing research questions and linking them to appropriate methods of data collection, analysis and testing. A field trip to Crete provides the chance to gain practical experience in designing and carrying out field-based research projects in small groups and in focused individual research-project design. The purpose of the Crete field class is to get students practicing real-world geography through direct observation and measurement of their surroundings, and the processing, interpretation and presentation of the data collected. Overall the module aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills required to undertake a piece of independent research while gearing them towards becoming independent researchers.CoreHazards and Society 2023-24GEH2010MLevel 52023-24Modern societal development has created new exposures and risks to such hazards that are not fully understood, or may be perceived in different ways even within the same community. Such vulnerabilities are often only brought into view in the aftermath of a disaster, when losses of life, capital and livelihoods have already occurred, making it vital to assess the physical and social dimensions of hazards in order to increase preparedness. This module is focused around a field-week that will explore the theme of hazards and their relationship to society from both an environmental and human standpoint. This interdisciplinary perspective on hazards and society will offer new insights into the challenges facing contemporary societies in a specific region, while also providing insight into the opportunities offered by geographical research. An overriding aim of the module is to understand how various forms of geographical knowledge can better prepare us for the challenges of environmental hazards and global change more broadly. The aim of this module is to provide experience in practising real geography through field exercises, data collection and interpretation, and presentation of data. This field-week will strengthen students ability to identify research problems, design and execute data collection strategies, and present well-reasoned and coherent interpretations of findings.CoreBiogeography & Planetary Health 2023-24GEP2002MLevel 52023-24This module introduces the key concepts of biogeography and planetary health. The aim of the module is to develop students understanding of the impacts of climatic- and human-induced changes on the distribution and functioning of biomes and terrestrial ecosystems. The module consists of three broad themes. The first theme consists of an introduction to the course and examples of human and climate-induced change from a local to global context. The second part covers the techniques that are used to monitor and quantify ecosystem health and predict changes in current ecosystem patterns. The final theme of the module covers the implication of these changes and strategies to mitigate or cope with these changes.OptionalClimatology & Hydrology 2023-24GEP2003MLevel 52023-24This module will give students an understanding of (1) global meteorology and climatology, focusing on the atmosphere and its interaction with the ocean, and (2) catchment hydrology, including ecohydrology, and hydrological responses of catchments to climate and land use changes with an emphasis on global challenges of water resource management. The first part of the module covers the main characteristics of, and processes behind, climate from global to regional scales. The second part covers global hydrology, including consideration of the physical characteristics of rivers and their geographical variation, and related aspects of river-catchment science and the role of water resources in wider environmental systems.OptionalCultural & Historical Geography 2023-24GEH2003MLevel 52023-24This module explores the role of culture and history in shaping distinctive human geographies across the globe. From this perspective, you will consider how historical processes of marginalisation persist in the modern world, and how todays environmental challenges can be more fully understood through a cultural lens. You will also gain a critical grounding in diverse sources of geographical knowledge particularly textual, film, visual, and oral and their cultural production. These skills will prepare you for a range of policy-oriented and internationally-engaged career opportunities.OptionalDevelopment Studies & the Global South 2023-24GEH2004MLevel 52023-24This module is about the challenges for economic development in the Global South. Such challenges cannot be studied in isolation so the key issues are examined from the perspective of an increasing pace of globalisation. This leads us to assess the role of political and corporate actors at the global scale as well as issues relating to local actors, resources and natural environments. The module begins with a critical introduction to core theories of international development and evidence of different measures of inequality before more contemporary theories relating to urban growth, demographic change, technology and new industrial systems are applied to deepen understanding of the processes that perpetuate global inequality. As well as global systems, new opportunities for locally embedded growth in the form of local business development, tourism and technology-based opportunities will be explored. Finally, the added vulnerability associated with wars, natural disasters and new geopolitics are considered in relation to the development potential of different regions of the Global South.OptionalPlacement (Level 2) 2023-24GEH2007MLevel 52023-24The Level 2 placement provides students with the opportunity to develop their professional skills by spending time with a relevant local employer. Students will spend 150 hours working under the direct supervision of the employer. Tasks will be developed to give the student an insight into the professional working environment in the wider field of geography. Students will then prepare an essay on their professional learning experience, with reflections on how elements of the Geography syllabus relate to at least one core area of their work experience. The Department of Geography counts with an established network of local employers that offer placements on regular basis, and an experienced Placement Officer who helps students finding the most adeguate organization for their placements.OptionalPlanetary Geoscience 2023-24GEP3007MLevel 62023-24OptionalPolitical & Social Geography 2023-24GEH2005MLevel 52023-24This module introduces students to the main schools of thinking in political and social geography as well as key theorists in each field. In particular, contemporary issues concerning the emergence of the nation-state will be considered and how this has influenced the contemporary social and political geographies of everyday life. Mainstream debates about power, space, scale, territory, sovereignty and planetary health will be considered to allow students to examine in greater depth the social and political geographies of social exclusion, segregation, class, ethnicity, sexuality and gender that are tied to the political geographies of statehood, space and globalisation.OptionalQuantitative & Qualitative Geographical Analysis Methods 2023-24GEH2002MLevel 52023-24This module is concerned with developing the essential skills that are required to collect, process, interpret and present primary and secondary research data. It describes and discusses applications of descriptive and quantitative statistics and approaches to collating and analysing quantitative datasets. Students in this module carry out practical research to help them learn techniques for collecting and analysing data. Overall the module aims to provide students with a solid grounding in the proper application of qualitative and quantitative methods in geographical analysis, and an appreciation of their role in the study of contemporary environmental and social issues.OptionalQuaternary Science 2023-24GEP2006MLevel 52023-24This module examines the environmental changes at global, regional, and local scales that have occurred over the last 2.6 million years of Earths history (Quaternary period). Students will gain an understanding of these changes and processes that have implications for past, present, and future environments. A field excursion, practicals, and seminar sessions will provide tools and techniques to investigate past environmental changes. The critical appraisal of a new Quaternary record and comparison of datasets will develop students critical thinking and analysis skills of past, present and future environmental change.OptionalRiver & Coastal Systems: Science & Management 2023-24GEP2007MLevel 52023-24This module will focus on coastal and river geomorphological processes, as a key component of the safety and health of highly populated river floodplains and coastal regions. It aims to develop an understanding of key processes of river and coastal morphodynamics, and include the introduction into methods and tools of monitoring and modelling river and coastal flooding and its impacts. As well as providing an in-depth theoretical framework of catchment and coastal processes and exploring hands-on tools for investigating these processes, the module emphasises how environmental management may help to address human and climate induced challenges in river and coastal systems.OptionalSoG International Study Year 2023-24GEH2011MLevel 52023-24The School believes that an option to study overseas is a valuable educational opportunity for our students. Provision of this option supports the educational aims of the School of Geography and enhances the distinctiveness of its degrees at Lincoln. The optional year is intended to: - enable students to benefit from studying within a cross cultural environment; - expose students to a wider academic and cultural experience; - enhance their future employment opportunities; - by increasing their cultural and professional mobility. This module is optional for students within the School. Study Abroad is a year long module which enables students to spend a year studying abroad at one of the Universitys approved partner institutions. Eligible students must have completed their second year of study to a satisfactory standard and successfully completed the application process for the year abroad. During the year spent abroad, students share classes with local students and study on a suite of locally-delivered taught modules which have been approved in advance by the University. Upon their return, as part of the assessment for this modules, students are required to critically reflect upon their experience of living and studying in a different cultural environment and the skills acquired.OptionalSoG Work Placement Year 2023-24GEH2002XLevel 52023-24OptionalUrban & Regional Economic Geography 2023-24GEH2006MLevel 52023-24Geography examines the relationship between societies and the natural and built landscapes they inhabit. Economic Geography explores the economic processes that influence that relationship, including: sites of production and consumption, economic disparity, and environmental degradation. Factors that influence the economic landscape of regions include traditional economic factors (land, labor and capital) as well as social, cultural, behavioral and institutional factors. In this module students are introduced to traditional, as well as more contemporary ways of thinking about economic landscapes. Many of the big challenges facing global societies, such as climate change, poverty, and unemployment, can be understood by unpacking the economic characteristics of regions. This module equips students with core principles of urban and industrial location, growth, and the evolution of economic perspectives in geography. Economic theory, such as the multiplier effect, and balance of payments, is used to analyse and understand the North-South divide at the international, regional, and local level. Students have the opportunity to apply traditional and more contemporary economic theories using real data sets about income, housing, urban health, and crime. The module also involves critical assessments that will develop the writing and analysis skills necessary for third year, and postgraduate studies, work in the field of economic policy development, landscape and urban planning, and industry. A critical understanding of the reasons for differing economic fortunes between regions aims to give students a more analytical understanding of the inequalities that impact the modern economy. This aims to prepare students for future work in the field of economic development policy as well enabling them to apply this knowledge in industry.OptionalClimate Change: Processes, Politics & Policy 2024-25GEH3013MLevel 62024-25This module examines the physical, social and political characteristics, and the physical causes, of natural and anthropogenic climate change. These key themes will be explored in terms of how society has responded to the physical processes and impacts of climate.CoreDissertation Research Project (Physical) 2024-25GEP3010MLevel 62024-25The Dissertation is an extended piece of original research work on a geographical topic of students' own choice that is carried out under the guidance of a staff mentor. It allows students to draw together and build on the skills and subject expertise they have developed throughout their time at University. Students will be expected to either collect original material for investigation and/or to carry out original analysis of secondary data. Students' allocated supervisor will guide and advise them in their work. The dissertation should be written and presented in the style of an academic research paper but, wherever possible, will highlight the wider-world and vocational relevance of the research.CoreAdvanced Earth Observation GIS 2024-25GEP3008MLevel 62024-25The students will learn and develop key skills using a powerful tool (GIS) that is widely used in commerce and industry (e.g., by local authorities and international government organizations), and this skillset is directly applicable to improving geographical understanding of the safety and health of the inhabited Earth. The goal of this course is to introduce students to advanced skills in spatial data analysis and its applications pertaining to the students interests. In this course, the student will work on a project pertaining to their interest.OptionalCatchments, Coasts and Global Change 2024-25GEP3014MLevel 62024-25This module focuses on the geomorphology of catchment, rivers and coastal systems, and the expected changes that river and coastal systems are likely to experience under the influence of direct anthropogenic perturbations and global change. The module has a global perspective and provides an advanced-level understanding of river and coastal systems in the context of continuous global environmental change. It is suitable for students who want to pursue careers in river and coastal management and restoration. The successful completion of the second-year River and Coastal Systems: Science and Management (GEP2007M) module is highly recommended before undertaking this module.OptionalCoastal Ecosystems: processes and management 2024-25GEP3011MLevel 62024-25This module will focus on the geomorphology of coastal ecosystems, such as estuaries, coastal lagoons, dunes, tidal mudflats, marshes, mangrove forests or seagrass meadows, their ecosystem services that they deliver, as well as the expected changes that coastal ecosystems are likely to be experiencing under the influence of global sea level rise. This will include hands-on practical sessions, including the use of state-of-the-art computer models and the collection and analysis of primary field data. A particular emphasis of this module will be on developing an in-depth understanding how coastal ecosystems may help coastal communities to adapt to climate change, an approach that is widely referred to as ecosystem-based management.OptionalContemporary Climate Change & Processes 2024-25GEP3002MLevel 62024-25This module involves the study of climate, with the emphasis on climatic forcing factors, observation and modelling of the climate system, and ice-climate links: all on the 'contemporary' timescale (past few to next few centuries). The underpinning geophysics are presented, but using the minimum of mathematics, in order to gain the fullest understanding of processes involved. Students can also explore extreme weather events, climate hazards, and the societal implications of climate change.OptionalEnvironmental Histories of the New & Old World 2024-25GEH3003MLevel 62024-25How has the environment shaped human history? How did past societies adapt to environmental changes? What was the impact of colonialism on local to global processes of environmental change? What lessons does the past hold for our present environmental challenges? These are some of the key questions that this module will address by using the laboratory of the past. Case studies will be drawn from across the globe and across different time periods to facilitate an analytical and comparative view of human-environment interactions, equipping you with critical and deep understanding of humanitys entanglements with the environment.OptionalEnvironmental Management 2024-25GEP3012MLevel 62024-25This module examines a range of interdisciplinary environmental management techniques that are used to address critical environmental, human and planetary health issues. Students will gain an understanding of the most appropriate techniques and solutions using a range of global, regional and local environmental case studies. There is a strong emphasis on practice-based skills with guest lectures from practitioners in the field, practical and seminar classes. An innovative assessment will give students the opportunity to be involved in actively influencing sustainable behaviour in the younger generation and giving them a chance to become the teacher. This approach is especially useful in the third year as it exposes students to a wide range of career options in environmental science management and policy/regulation.OptionalGeochemistry: contaminants, resources and global carbon 2024-25GEP3013MLevel 62024-25This module introduces students to key applied concepts within geochemistry with a geographical focus. The course is delivered with weekly lectures supplemented with practical training in the form of laboratory work, fieldwork, workshops, and ICT sessions. Some of the key themes studied include water health, soil health, and global carbon processes. At the end of the module students are expected to have developed an understanding of the interlocking nature of nutrient flows, contamination and global carbon, and how the system needs to be considered as a whole to answer large scale environmental problems regarding sustainability of food, materials, and energy.OptionalGeographies of Health & Wellbeing 2024-25GEH3007MLevel 62024-25This module addresses issues of unequal health and wellbeing at local, regional, and global scales. Three frameworks for interpreting and understanding inequalities form the foundations of the module: medical, social, and transformative frameworks reflect major shifts in thinking about how health and wellbeing are defined, the cause of health inequalities, and appropriate solutions to address inequalities. Each perspective is associated with a range of indicators that are used to assess and identify the spatial and demographic characteristics of inequalities. Examples will be used to demonstrate how these different frameworks can be applied to identify the biological, social, and institutional factors that contribute to inequalities. Case-studies and examples include communicable disease (such as COVID-19) as well as non-communicable illness, and physical as well as mental health issues. A core theme is challenging assumptions about the individual causes of poor health and recognizing the spatial and systemic factors that result in resource scarcity, and unequal access to social services, healthy spaces, and healthy food. In the UK context, issues that students might study include the physical and psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues related to gendering and socialisation, food poverty, health legacies from former industrial activities and migration, epigenetics, and the inheritance of trauma. Issues of wellbeing will also be examined in relation to the changing social and cultural dynamics of deprived areas, such as Sincil Bank in Lincoln, and the relationship between physical space (such as the industrial legacy of high-density housing and poor environmental conditions) and well-being.OptionalGeographies of Innovation 2024-25GEH3005MLevel 62024-25OptionalGeographies of Power, Conflict & Discrimination 2024-25GEH3002MLevel 62024-25The aim of this module is to develop deeper insights into contemporary issues of conflict and discrimination and the role of power. Students are encouraged to analyse and critique the role of power at different scales and across different geographies. Conflict can arise at a very local level, for example over planning permission, as well as at a global level such as tensions over global climate treaties. Examples from both extremes are studied to allow students to appraise the power relations, networks, and tensions that are revealed. This aims to prepare students to enter the labour market in a rapidly changing political environment and help them to appreciate the challenges of developing policies to address the diverse challenges to preserve and enhance the safety and health of the inhabited earth in an equitable manner.OptionalGeography Pedagogy 2024-25GEH3010MLevel 62024-25This module is designed to provide students with an insight into the teaching of geography at secondary school level by combining university lectures with a placement in a secondary school geography department. The module is particularly aimed at those considering a career in geography teaching and provides students with an opportunity to engage with education research. The module will examine how this research impacts directly on classroom practice. Students can gain an insight into some of the key ideas in geography pedagogy and how these are implemented in school lessons. This is delivered in partnership with our School of Education.OptionalGlobal Systems & Societies: Ageing, Migration & Mobility 2024-25GEH3006MLevel 62024-25Many pressing contemporary social and economic issues relating to the health and safety of the inhabited earth (including poverty, unemployment, environmental degradation and community transitions) can be linked to demographic processes. Students can apply analytical skills to investigate demographic changes as well as examine broader processes of demographic change in the light of contemporary theory. Building their understanding of the social, economic, political and cultural processes that affect population geographies aims to provide a global awareness that is increasingly important in the modern workplace. It will also be an essential grounding for postgraduate study in the areas of human geography and demography.OptionalHuman Impacts on Ecosystems, the Environment and Planetary Health 2024-25GEP3004MLevel 62024-25This module uses the concept of planetary health to introduce students to a wide range of critical environmental issues facing the world today. Using a range of global and regional environmental problems, incorporating case studies on climate change, natural resources, land-use change and agriculture, pollution, degradation and threats to environments, ecosystems, and society. Students will critically explore the causes, consequences, and impacts of humans on ecosystem and planetary health issues, as well as learn how to question assumptions about the underlying processes.OptionalNatural Hazards 2024-25GEP3006MLevel 62024-25This module covers a number of selected topics related to the geosphere where natural phenomena and circumstances (and sometimes human attempts to manage them) may result in harmful - and frequently catastrophic - effects on both humans and their environment. In each case the nature and underlying causes of the natural hazard are explained and the effects, including those on the biosphere in general and humans in particular, are examined and discussed in some depth. Students are encouraged to consider how hazards, exposure routes and consequences can be understood within a source-pathway-target risk assessment framework. Such a framework is designed to enable students to understand how to analyse risk, define the chain of impact from source to target, and identify ways of controlling and managing risk. Each topic is illustrated with current or past examples and with the aim of diagnosing and improving the safety and health of the inhabited Earth.OptionalOverseas Fieldwork 2024-25GEP3005MLevel 62024-25This module will put into practice knowledge gained in previous modules, and - by focusing on the physical and human processes that have shaped the environment and will influence future change - it will provide experience of process interpretation and understanding in an unfamiliar setting. The module is designed to allow students to work within an overseas environment and carry out a study that will result in the design, implementation, and production of a research report that is mainly based on student-led fieldwork. Introductory lecture sessions will take place in Lincoln prior to fieldwork. Knowledge and understanding on the actual field class can be gained via enquiry-based learning, followed by group/individual data collection and follow-up analysis, set in the context of wider research, and student-centred research presentations. Follow-up sessions will provide the opportunity to analyse and create a written presentation of research findings. Currently, the Overseas fieldwork module takes place in Chile, although this is subject to change. Students who choose to participate in the optional field trip are responsible for covering their travel to the site.OptionalPlacement (Level 3) 2024-25GEH3009MLevel 62024-25The Level 3 placement will require a student to carry out a specific project for local employer. The student is expected to undertake a specific project task to address a particular requirement of the host organisation. The aims and extent of the consultancy project is agreed between the host organisation, the module leader and the student prior to the commencement of the placement. This might include consultancy research, analytical research, public engagement or the development of a new teaching class/activity. The approach, outcome and an evaluation of the project are finally presented in the form of a professional report and a poster. The Department of Geography counts with an established network of local employers that offer placements on regular basis, and an experienced Placement Officer who helps students finding the most adequate organization for their placements.OptionalPlanetary Geoscience 2024-25GEP3007MLevel 62024-25OptionalPolicy and Politics of Climate Change 2024-25GEH3012MLevel 62024-25This module will complement the module Contemporary Climate Change and Processes and provides a foundation for examining and understanding the policy and politics of climate change (natural and anthropogenic), and drawing from different sub-disciplines including political science, human and political geography, science and technology studies, and critical environmental science. Policy and politics are explored using a variety of geographical examples from around the developed and developing world to explore how society and its institutions respond to climate change. During the module, students are expected to critically describe and understand contemporary policy and politics of climate change; examine societal and policy responses at different geographical scales and in different developmental contexts; and critically examine the institutional context of how policy and politics of climate change continue to evolve.OptionalProject Essay 2024-25GEP3009MLevel 62024-25The aim of this module is to allow students to develop an extended piece of work that advances their understanding and engagement with one of their other chosen topics. Students are given an extended essay/project to work on that builds their core understanding from another module. Appropriate supervisors are allocated to guide students on additional reading and other sources of information. Students have the option of either a research or theory based project which they develop independently based around the contemporary issues identified by the module leader in that given field.OptionalRiver Systems & Global Environmental Change 2024-25GEP3003MLevel 62024-25The aim of this module is to help students develop a conceptual, factual and practical knowledge of channel, floodplain and catchment response to environmental change resulting from natural and anthropogenic perturbations. It has a global perspective and considers river systems on all of the Earths inhabited continents. The impact of climate change on river morphodynamics is evaluated over three time periods: the Last Glacial to Interglacial Transition (c. 22,000-11,700 years before the present); the Holocene Epoch (c. 11,700 years before the present until today); and the historical period (generally the last 1000 years or so). The modules aims to provide an advanced level understanding of river catchment systems and global environmental change worldwide and is suitable for students who want to pursue careers in river management and flood control, or postgraduate studies in river science.OptionalRural Geography 2024-25GEH3008MLevel 62024-25The aim of this module is to apply learning about economic and social development processes to the rural environment in order to understand contemporary challenges faced by rural places in the global north. Demographic changes and the effects of ageing, gentrification and counterurbanisation will be explored in a range of European and North American contexts. The role of demographic change influencing economic, social and political change will be a core feature of this module. Building on the first year core module challenges of urban and rural living more detailed analysis of the changing composition of rural economies will focus principally on rural entrepreneurship across a diverse range of non-agricultural activities. The module will also develop concepts from social, cultural and economic geography covered at level two, including the role of power in shaping rural places, the economic development trajectories of rural regions and issues of social inequalities governance and local planning. Students will be encouraged to think about rural places as part of an inter-dependent urban-rural system but also to identify specific patterns of change, opportunities and challenges that are embedded within rural places. Such perspectives are integral to a contemporary approach to addressing the health and sustainability of rural communities and their economies and can equip students with the knowledge to succeed in a rural environment, whether in business, policy-making or an increasing range of third-sector and community-based activities.OptionalUrban and Regional Political Ecology: Environment, Development and the City 2024-25GEH3011MLevel 62024-25This module introduces students to the multi-disciplinary field of political ecology, which considers the relevance of power and politics for shaping the relationship between humans and their environments. This module will be of interest to students curious about the relationships between nature and the environment and control over crucial resources. After taking this course, students should be able to identify and explain ways in which power and politics influence the human-environment relationship, analyse socio-environmental issues under the lenses of political ecology, and be knowledgeable about how to use such an analysis for empirical research. Students should be able to understand the core concepts and theories of differing political ecology approaches as well as the major urban environmental challenges in the Global North and South and their policy possibilities.OptionalConfronting Future Social and Environmental Challenges 2025-26GEH9006MLevel 72025-26This module challenges students to critically assess how to confront future social and environmental challenges in the contemporary world. Students can do this by presenting a journal article project related to their MGeog course through student-led weekly seminars, as part of a seminar series open to the School of Geography. At the end of the academic year, students will also need to produce a poster of their work which will be presented at a Lincoln School of Geography Master's Conference. As part of this, students will also need to form a student-led steering committee to organise the conference with student ownership throughout the entire lifecycle.CoreContemporary Interdisciplinary Debates in Geography 2025-26GEH9003MLevel 72025-26This module is built around emerging interdisciplinary research themes in Geography. Research seminars will introduce key topics and wider reading will be signposted to allow students to engage in academic debates from different perspectives. As a module that crosses MGeog and MA programmes, the design will allow students to concentrate on their own disciplinary perspective and participate in interdisciplinary groups and discussions to highlight the interplay between different paradigms and different sub-fields of geography.CorePreparing for Research 2025-26GEP9003MLevel 72025-26This module takes students through the research process at Master's level by showing them how to critically examine relevant background literature and design a viable research project through writing a proposal on a relevant geographical area of their choice. Reference will be made to the theory of how ideas develop in science and/or social science. We will also discuss academic writing and communication and dissemination.CoreResearch Project (MGeog) 2025-26GEP9006MLevel 72025-26The Research Project is an independent piece of work that is conducted throughout the Master's stage. The aim is to produce a journal article fit for publication. The research project is an independent piece of work developed by each student and they are expected to choose their own research topic related to their degree; develop the research design; perform the data collection, analysis, and interpretation; and produce an original piece of research.CoreAdvanced Research Methods in Development Geography 2025-26GEH9017MLevel 72025-26This module will focus on research methods and how these can integrate with theory and practice, focusing on the field of Development of the Environment. It will survey a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods that can be used for researching processes of uneven development in both Global North and South contexts. Students can also learn how to assess the suitability of particular research methods for various types of research projects, and how qualitative and quantitative methods can be integrated. Finally, the module will cover the practical skills necessary for the work of development institutions in policy and non-government organisations.OptionalAdvanced Research Methods in Water and Planetary Health 2025-26GEP9004MLevel 72025-26This module introduces students to relevant research methods in the field of Water and Planetary Health. Teaching will focus on how to independently work with and apply specialist Geographic research methods, such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), analytical statistical methods, laboratory techniques, and some programming skills (e.g. Matlab, R, Python). The teaching of geographical research methods will be based on the practical work on field, remote sensing, public authority, or unpublished research data within the thematic field of Water and Planetary Health. The research methods taught during this module will specifically focus on linking up hydrological process understanding with a biological, economic, social, and medical implications for human health and wellbeing, and will aim to strengthen students' ability to practically apply the taught methods for their studies within their programme.OptionalCoastal Ecosystems: Processes and Management (M) 2025-26GEP9009MLevel 72025-26This module will focus on the geomorphology of coastal ecosystems, such as estuaries, coastal lagoons, dunes, tidal mudflats, marshes, mangrove forests, or seagrass meadows, the ecosystem services that they deliver, as well as the expected changes that coastal ecosystems are likely to be experiencing under the influence of global sea level rise. The theoretical background knowledge on the local-global scale importance of coastal ecosystems in the context climate change mitigation and adaptation provided will be complemented by hands-on practical sessions, including the use of state-of-the-art computer models and the collection and analysis of primary field data. A particular emphasis of this module will be on developing an in-depth understanding how coastal ecosystems may help coastal communities to adapt to climate change, an approach that is widely referred to as ecosystem-based management.OptionalConflict, Migration & Development 2025-26GEH9010MLevel 72025-26The aim of this module is to develop deeper insights into contemporary issues and processes of conflict, migration, and their links to human development. Conflict and migration can occur at local, national, and international scales due to myriad political, social-cultural, economic, humanitarian, and environmental factors. Equally, conflict and migration can interact in a dependent manner, with violence forcibly triggering displacement, and the consequences of migration being linked to the outbreak of conflict each of which hold implications for development. This module will focus on key contemporary questions in the field, drawing from examples at a range of scales, which will allow students to appraise the complexity of conflict and migration in relation to development. An additional focus on environmental- and resource-related conflicts and migrations in the context of globalisation and rapid economic growth will add a further dimension to the module. Students can also learn about the political and policy relationships mediating the relationship between conflict, migration, and development, including why migration has recently been framed as a security issue, and the role of governmental and non-governmental organisations in the prevention and resolution of conflict. This will aim to prepare them to enter the jobs market in a rapidly changing political environment and help them to appreciate the challenges of developing policies to preserve and enhance the safety and health of the inhabited earth in an equitable manner.OptionalEnvironmental Histories of the New & Old World (M) 2025-26GEH9011MLevel 72025-26This module is designed to provide students with a thorough grounding in the origins, contemporary understanding, and practice of environmental history both in relation to environmental impacts on humans and human impacts on landscapes and environments. Case studies of human-environment interaction drawn from different geographical and temporal settings will facilitate an analytical and comparative approach to the past, while grounding in historical-social process will ensure that students can gain an understanding of the importance of context, social actors, and human agency. Critical consideration of how debates and research in environmental history can be applied to social and environmental challenges today will provide an added dimension of societal relevance. In line with the Schools focus on the health and safety of the inhabited earth, the ways in which human activity has shaped landscapes and environmental changes as well as the impacts for human society will provide a cohesive theme throughout the module.OptionalGlobal Challenges in Development Research 2025-26GEH9013MLevel 72025-26At the heart of the concept of development are notions of improvement or betterment. However, what is to be improved, at what scale, for whom, where, and how are all contested. Development theories seek to explain development processes and development inequalities based on particular definitions of development. They have also informed the formulation of policy and aid initiatives by transnational actors in the post-war period to achieve development goals around the world. This module will examine the theory and practice of research on uneven development in both Global North and South contexts, particularly since the 1950s. In particular, it will aim to prepare students for a career in development geography research, through working with development related organisations (including policy institutes and third sector organisations). This knowledge will be put into practice through interactive research-focused workshops with researchers and practitioners in the field, culminating in a development symposium where students will have the opportunity to showcase their work.OptionalGlobal Challenges in Development Research 2025-26GEH9013MLevel 72025-26At the heart of the concept of development are notions of improvement or betterment. However, what is to be improved, at what scale, for whom, where, and how are all contested. Development theories seek to explain development processes and development inequalities based on particular definitions of development. They have also informed the formulation of policy and aid initiatives by transnational actors in the post-war period to achieve development goals around the world. This module will examine the theory and practice of research on uneven development in both Global North and South contexts, particularly since the 1950s. In particular, it will aim to prepare students for a career in development geography research, through working with development related organisations (including policy institutes and third sector organisations). This knowledge will be put into practice through interactive research-focused workshops with researchers and practitioners in the field, culminating in a development symposium where students will have the opportunity to showcase their work.OptionalGlobal Perspectives on Rural Development 2025-26GEH9009MLevel 72025-26This module examines contemporary global approaches to rural development through practical examples and critical theory. Students can draw from contemporary research articles and new policy reports and strategies that cut across international and local scales. The main assignment offers the scope for students to examine a rural development initiative within a selected part of the world and to contextualise this in line with mainstream theories and other examples drawn from academic research. Although focusing on rural areas, the importance of understanding the increasingly inter-connected and interdependent relationships between urban and rural will be emphasised throughout.OptionalPsychology of Environmental Behaviour and Resource Management 2025-26GEH9008MLevel 72025-26Many of the environmental problems faced by societies, such as climate change and declining water quality, are related to how people behave in their homes, at work, and in natural landscapes. How people interact with environments is also influenced by their perceptions of risk and hazard in the built and natural landscapes. This module examines theories and perspectives on environmental behaviour, behaviour change, risk perception, research methods (including spatial analysis of big data and behavioural methods), and policy responses to environmental challenges that involve incentivising pro-environmental behaviour.OptionalRiver Systems & Global Environmental Change (M) 2025-26GEP9008MLevel 72025-26The aim of this module is to help students develop a conceptual, factual, and practical knowledge of channel, floodplain, and catchment response to environmental change resulting from natural and anthropogenic perturbations. It has a global perspective and considers river systems on all of the Earths inhabited continents. The module aims to provide an advanced level understanding of river catchment systems and global environmental change worldwide and is suitable for students who want to pursue careers in river management and restoration, flood control, or postgraduate studies in river science.OptionalSystem Modelling for Water & Planetary Health 2025-26GEP9007MLevel 72025-26The collective impact of humanity on Earth has affected the quality and function of water natural systems, and in turn the environmental conditions and ecosystem services that support societies. The combined reduction of water availability and water quality, the overexploitation of aquifers, and the rapid growth in per capita consumption are driving to a deterioration of natural systems on which human civilisations depend. The changing climate affects the functioning of the oceans, land cover, and freshwater systems. These are the biophysical systems that underpin global food production, exposure to disease and natural hazards, and the availability of safe spaces to live. These challenges are likely to worsen in the near future, and there will be a growing need of professionals with advanced modelling skills. This module treats modelling of water and closely related resources with a special focus on environmental challenges that current and future populations face.OptionalWater and Planetary Health: An Interdisciplinary Approach 1 2025-26GEP9002MLevel 72025-26This module will be at the core of the Master's level teaching, aiming to provide the academic basis for this programme for students with a large range of different backgrounds. Teaching will focus on interdisciplinary concepts in the field of Water and Planetary Health. Planetary Health, broadly defined as the health of human civilisation and the state of the natural systems on which it depends (The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on Planetary Health), is an emerging discipline allowing to analyse and solve complex current-day challenges related to the interactions between human activities and the natural environment and human health. Water on earth is one of the elements where these links are particularly relevant. This module gives a comprehensive introduction into the Water and Planetary Health theme and discusses how water on earth and the processes controlling it are interacting with human activity.Optional

Key Information

MGeog Geography

Key Information

Welcome to MGeog Geography

Did You Know?

How You Study

What You Need to Know

Field Work

Placement Opportunities

How you are assessed

An Introduction to Your Modules

Fees and Scholarships

Entry Requirements 2022-23

United Kingdom

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