2023/24 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BA Economics and Geography

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:

AAA (preferably including Geography)

If Geography is not included, we would expect two A-levels from History, English, Economics, Sociology, a modern language, Psychology, Mathematics and Biology

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

School of Geography

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme in 2022/2023 or before. For students entering the programme from September 2023 or after, you can find the details of your programme: BA Economics and Geography (Joint Honours) (For students entering from September 2023 onwards)

BA Economics and Geography (Joint Honours) at Leeds seeks to provide students with the knowledge and skills to understand and provide sustainable solutions to global issues in business, the environment and society.

BA Economics and Geography is a broad-based, flexible programme that addresses key global challenges. Each year of the programme is designed around a combination of compulsory core modules, and a selection of optional economic and human geography modules, as well as opportunities to take optional discovery modules across the University (e.g. Transport Studies and Health Economics). Through this wide choice of modules, students can tailor their degree to specialise in what they want to learn, whilst at the same time experience key content and skills development in both their Economics and Geography joint honours subjects.

As well as specialist subject knowledge in both joint honours subjects, BA Economics and Geography has a very strong focus on the development of transferable and analytical skills, with the aim of producing graduates that can identify and solve problems using state of the art tools and techniques. BA Economics and Geography helps students develop skills in presenting ideas in reports and orally, in data collection, presentation and analysis, in the use of specialist mapping and statistical software, economic analysis, and project-management in both team and individual settings (depending upon options taken from different baskets).

Structure and content

Students will study 360 credits of modules over their degree, split evenly between Levels 1, 2 and 3.

Level 1 develops a grounding in the foundational concepts and themes in economics and human geography, plus key skills in academic writing, digital learning and data analysis. Core modules worth 70 credits provide foundations in economic theory and applications, mathematics and statistical for economics (known as 1B), lessons of economic history, and urban geography. Students are required to take at least one more optional geography module that consider: geographies of a changing world, population and social issues, planetary environmental crisis and digital geographical skills. Candidates who have only completed only GCSE Maths (or equivalent) are required to take a further 10-credit foundational pre-requisite module in Mathematics and Statistics for Economics (1A). Students have an additional 20-30 credits of modules to select from either human geography or economics; or up to 20 credits of broadening discovery modules can be taken from across the University.

Level 2 provides 40 credits of core learning and training in: research approaches in Human Geography, intermediate microeconomics, and also intermediate macroeconomics. Students supplement this by taking at least further 20 credits of economics and 20 credits of optional geography modules. Optional modules in geography cover geo-politics and international development, service planning for changing populations, economic geography, the development of modern cities, citizenship and identity, sustainability, GIS and employability/careers skills. Optional modules in economics cover a broad range of economic issues including: business, labour, international economics, plus ethics; skills: research, mathematical, policy and statistics/econometrics; economic specialisms drawn from other parts of the University (i.e. transport and health economics); and there is also a new optional synthesising model that consider the evolution of economic ideas. An additional 20 credits of broadening discovery modules can be taken from across the University.

There is opportunity for work-based learning include an optional Year in Industry between Levels 2 and 3, during which students can gain full-time work experience in a paid industrial placement in the private or public sectors. Alternatively, students can spend a year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions around the world. Both of these options extend the degree by 12 months.

At Level 3 students undertake a significant and independent core final year project in either of their joint-honours subjects– either an Economics Joint Honours Final Year Project (30 credits) or a Human Geography Dissertation (40 credits Candidates will normally study at least 40 credits of optional Economics modules, with the exception of those who undertake an Economics Final Year Project who will normally study at least 30 credits of optional modules. Candidates will normally study at least 40 credits of optional Geography modules, with the exception of those who undertake a 40 credit Human Geography Dissertation who will normally study at least 20 credits. Optional geography modules cover subjects such as: urban social movements, creating alternative futures, population and health geographies, retail location planning, global insecurities, the Mediterranean migration crisis, transport analysis, and sustainability. Students are also able to choose from a geography module basket a research, work-based or teacher placement module (working with an external organisation).



Optional economics modules cover a broad range of topics and issues including: developmental, environmental, behavioural, and international economics, political economy of work, transnational corporations, famines, unions, modern theories of money and monetary policy, public enterprise and regulation, and economics of business and corporate strategy; and advanced skills: macroeconomics, microeconomics, applied econometrics, and economic evaluation of health. At Level-3 Students are also able to take 20 credits of broadening discovery modules taken from across the University.

Geographical fieldwork is an important feature throughout the degree programme and puts theory into practice by allowing students to experience real world learning. Geographical fieldwork is designed to encourage students to develop their own research, plan and manage projects, and to develop teamwork skills. Fieldtrips include both residential and day trips; and travel to destinations across the UK and Europe. Much of the Level 2 and 3 fieldtrip provision is associated with optional modules.

All students are assigned a personal academic tutor in the School of Geography to guide them through each year of their studies, as well as support from fellow students through our peer mentoring scheme. Students also benefit from support to develop their academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Assessment

Students are assessed using a range of methods throughout their programme. There will be timed examinations, MCQs, essay and report writing, presentations, practical exercises, posters, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, research-based projects (e.g. dissertation) and reflective logs (depending upon options taken from different baskets).

All assessments are closely tied to the learning objectives of the course to ensure students graduate equipped with cutting-edge knowledge and skills, as well as being structured to help develop the key transferable qualities that employers are looking for within the workplace.

Assessments are reviewed annually to ensure they remain fair and inclusive, and to maintain an element of flexibility within module choices such that students can select a package of learning to best reflect individual learning styles and long-term career goals.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

At level 1, students are required to pass a minimum of 50 credits in Economics and 40 credits in Geography. The further 30 credits should be used to take further modules in one or both main subjects; and/or up to 20 credits in discovery modules.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Optional modules:

Basket 1: Candidates must take this module if they have completed only GCSE Maths (or equivalent):

Basket 2: Candidates must choose at least ONE , but may choose TWO of the following optional human or physicalgeography modules:

Basket 3: Depending on choices from Basket 1-2, candidates may choose the following optional economics module

Discovery modules:

All candidates can take between 0 and 20 credits of Discovery options. This can include additional modules taken from Baskets 2 or 3.

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Students must study 120 credits in Level 2.
Over levels 2 and 3 combined students must pass:
- Economics: a minimum of 80 credits (at least 40 credits at both Level 2 & Level 3) - Geography: a minimum of 80 credits (at least 40 credits at both Level 2 & Level 3)
- The remaining 80 credits must be used to ensure that a sufficient total of credits at the appropriate level for award are taken; by taking further modules in the named subjects, or by taking up to 40 credits of discovery modules.
In order to be eligible for an honours degree, students must meet the normal Rules for Award by passing all modules which are designated to be passed for award or progression and by passing the required number of credits at each level as specified in the Curricular Regulations (at least 200 credits at level 2 or above, of which at least 100 should be at level 3). Students must pass at least 100 credits at Level 2 and all ‘pass for progression’ modules to proceed to the next level of the programme.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Optional modules:

Candidates will normally study between 20 and 40 credits from the following optional modules:

Please note that LUBS2430 is a pre-req for the Economics Joint Honours Final Year project (LUBS3302) and also HECN3010.

If students are interested in studying Economics at postgraduate level, students are recommended to choose LUBS2230 which is often seen as a pre-requisite for entry to postgraduate courses in Economics at leading UK Universities.

Candidates will normally study between 20 and 40 credits from the following lists of optional Geography modules:

Students wishing to take GEOG2150 will need to have taken GEOG1400 at Level 1.
Students wishing to take GEOG2100 will have either GEOG1400 or GEOG2150 as prerequisites.

NOTE 10-credit variants of GEOG2020 and GEOG2062 are available (GEOG2140 is mutually exclusive with GEOG2020 and GEOG2661 is mutually exclusive with GEOG2062.

Discovery modules:

Candidates may choose to study up to 40 credits of discovery modules across Level 2 and 3.

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Students must study 120 credits in Level 3.

Over levels 2 and 3 combined students must pass:

- Economics: a minimum of 80 credits (at least 40 credits must be at level 3)
- Geography: a minimum of 80 credits (at least 40 credits must be at level 3)

- The remaining 80 credits must be used to ensure that a sufficient total of credits at the appropriate level for award are taken by taking further modules in the named subjects, or by taking up to 40 credits of discovery modules.

In order to be eligible for an honours degree, students must meet the normal Rules for Award by passing all modules which are designated to be passed for award or progression and by passing the required number of credits at each level as specified in the Curricular Regulations (at least 200 credits at level 2 or above, of which at least 100 should be at level 3). Students must pass at least 100 credits at Level 3 and all 'pass for progression' modules to proceed to gain the degree.

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 30 - 40 credits from the following final year project modules

Candidates will normally study at least 40 credits from the following optional Economics modules, with the exception of those who undertake a 30 credit Economics Joint Honours Project (LUBS3302) who will normally study at least 30 credits:

Candidates will normally study at least 40 credits from the following optional modules, with the exception of those who undertake a 40 credit Geography dissertation (GEOG3615) who will normally study at least 20 credits:
There will be three field class options. Students can choose one of the following only: GEOG3050, GEOG3145, or GEOG3135.
These are mutually exclusive modules, you can only choose one and require pre-enrolment due to limited places
NOTE: students who wish to take GEOG3615 (above) and either GEOG3535, GEOG3665, GEOG3675, GEOG3145, or GEOG3135 as their only L3 Geography modules must secure the permission of the Econ-Geog Programme Manager or the Geography Director of Student Education before confirming their module choices. Students do not have to take any of these optional fieldwork modules.
Students that took GEOG2470 Sicily: Exploring the Migration Crisis cannot take GEOG3145 Exploring the Mediterranean Migration Crisis.

-GEOG3535, GEOG3665, and GEOG3675 are mutually exclusive
-GEOG3290 and GEOG3291 are mutually exclusive
-GEOG3981 and GEOG3982 are mutually exclusive
Students wishing to take GEOG3195 will need to have taken either GEOG1400 at Level 1 or GEOG2150 at Level 2.
Students wishing to take GEOG3440 will need to have taken either GEOG2060, GEOG2661 or GEOG2062.

Students wishing to take GEOG3440 will need to have taken either GEOG2060, GEOG2062 or GEOG2661.

Discovery modules:

Candidates may choose to study up to 40 credits of discovery modules across both level 2 and 3.

Last updated: 22/08/2023 15:06:04

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