Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Geography and Geology

at Keele University United Kingdom

You’ll learn to use technology to create new opportunities and to solve a wide range of problems, benefiting every aspect of society from the home to business, government and beyond.

Our teaching is informed by our cutting-edge research, and we also reflect what’s happening now in industry. There’s a strong emphasis on programming – but don’t worry if you don’t have Maths A-level, because the course covers what you need to know. You’ll have access to our own computing labs, based on Microsoft Windows and Linux, plus a wide range of software. Our excellent central location is ideal for industrial placements, with over 40 companies situated on the Keele Science Park alone.

Technical expertise allows developers to understand problem situations and undertake developments in these technical areas, however, to actually create high quality systems requires effective management of software engineering activities. The Software Engineering specialism therefore equips you with the techniques and processes to undertake team-based agile development of software systems, based on the needs of clients and users.

On this course you will look at rocks, minerals and fossils, how they were formed, how they can be exploited as a resource, and what they can tell us about the history of the Earth. You will also cover geological processes such as earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics.

Geology is a practical subject with applied problem-solving laboratory classes and field courses where you will learn how to interpret and map geological features, and explore for future geological resources. We focus particularly on applied research skills: you will learn to collect, analyse and interpret different types of geological data, and to carry out your own research using specialist software and equipment. Furthermore, you will complete a comprehensive fieldwork programme.

Physics will involve regular laboratory sessions, enabling you to investigate unfamiliar phenomena and develop valuable transferable skills such as scientific writing, programming and presentation. Your course will be informed by the research interests of staff.

Our teaching is informed by our cutting-edge research, and we also reflect what’s happening now in industry. Our excellent central location is ideal for industrial placements, with over 40 companies situated on the Keele Science Park alone.

You’ll have access to our own computing labs, based on Microsoft Windows and Linux, plus a wide range of software.

You will explore a range of modules which are linked to a range of specialims which may include information systems, evolutionary systems, or creative computing. There’s a strong emphasis on programming – but don’t worry if you don’t have A Level Mathematics as the course covers what you need to know.

You will study educational topics such as the nature of learning, the history of education, and educational policies and practices that aim to promote inclusion and social cohesion. Studying Education at Keele, either on its own or with another subject, will help you explore the many ways that education can change and effect modern society.
The course further examines topics such as changing ideas around childhood and learning, digital technologies, citizenship, race, play, work, the political nature of schools, and the impact of poverty on both the results and experience of education.
You may also have opportunities to explore these issues abroad by doing an International Year, which can lead to an enhanced degree title in BA (Hons) in Education with International Year.

As a Biology student at Keele, you will explore a range of engaging biological topics, which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels and related philosophical and ethical issues. You’ll be encouraged to examine how bodies work, how animals behave and the uses to which we can put plants. You'll develop your practical skill set through a range of activities which may include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and also in our well-equippedlabs, and you'll be encouraged to consider how biology can be utilised practically which may relate to improving the quality and sustainability of life.
 

Keele takes a broad approach to biology, examining the diversity of life and its evolution from the geological past. You’ll consider topics which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels, exploring related philosophical and ethical issues. You’ll develop your practical skillset through activities which may include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and in our well-equipped labs. You will also explore the behaviour and physiology of whole organisms.

Education at Keele has a strong focus on contemporary issues in education and policy making. Studying education means considering its relationship to the economy, its historical evolution, its impact on people’s life chances and identities, how education is organised, and how learners learn. Keele places education in a very contemporary and even future focused context, exploring the ways in which the world of education is changing, and looking at education from philosophical, historical, psychological, cultural and sociological perspectives. This course examines a wide range of topics which may include the changing ideas about childhood, learning, schooling and education, and factors such as poverty, social policies and digital technologies which impact on these. You will explore a range of educational topics, which could include both present and future developments in education and professional practice, against the wider background of social, cultural and economic change.

Studying History and Politics at Keele will enable you to develop your appreciation of various global histories and political arenas, whilst enjoying the rich history of our local area. In your spare time, you might find yourself exploring the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon metalwork most likely deposited in the 7th century in the then Kingdom of Mercia. The Staffordshire Hoard provides a window to England in the 6th and 7th centuries and also to the warrior elite that existed during these times and now rests less than 5 miles away from Keele.

Whether interpreting acts of resistance, assessing economic change, describing environmental behaviour or understanding acts of oppression, an appreciation of the past is essential to understanding where we are today and how we’re attempting to shape the future. Even societies in the very distant past can be highly relevant in this respect, which is why history and politics work very well together as subjects. You will learn the skills of the historian as you deepen your understanding of eras, continents and cultures from political, social and religious perspectives, and you will learn to use that knowledge to analyse the way in which societies govern themselves today. You’ll develop an understanding of different approaches to history and politics, developing a range of methods used in their pursuit. 

Film and Media Studies are the study of screen art and communication forms that have become central to every aspect of contemporary life. Alongside the detailed analytical and historical study of film, you will analyse diverse cultural texts such as television, photography, advertisements, magazines, digital media and news. You will investigate the relationship between historical and cultural movements and media and film production, exploring how these forms are products of their time and place. You will also combine the analytical and technical study of film and media with the opportunity to produce work of your own, ranging from photography and video to magazines online.

You will learn to harness the concepts and debates in organisational behaviour and management, including the diversity in decision making across the private and public sectors.  You may explore topics, such as: markets and consumers, their behaviours and how to understand and communicate with them and gain an appreciation of contemporary issues facing marketers and managers, such as ethics and sustainability. You may also examine contemporary digital marketing, where skill requirements evolve rapidly and employer demand is high. The variety of optional modules available on this course will also enable you to further develop your skills and insights. 

Our Medicinal Chemistry graduates have excellent employment prospects, whether at the cutting edge of drug discovery or in a wide range of related fields. You might go to work for a pharmaceutical company, either as a research scientist or in a more business related role. Alternatively, you might work in a different organisation as a development chemist, a research assistant, or a site chemist.

Modern industrial society depends on geologists to find natural resources such as minerals, hydrocarbons, metals, aggregates and water, for designing foundations, tunnels and other engineering projects, and environmental projects such as radioactive waste disposal or carbon dioxide sequestration. You will acquire a wide range of transferable skills, including communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, evaluate and synthesise information from diverse sources. You will develop subject specific-skills like the ability to manipulate, analyse and present geospatial data using industry standard GIS and drawing software. You might choose to work in geological, geophysical or environmental consultancy, in construction, mining, in the energy sector, planning or insurance. Many of our graduates go onto further study at Master's/PhD level.