Warning: Your browser doesn't support all of the features in this Web site. Please view our accessibility page for more details.

Quick Search [?]WHAT IS THIS?
Searches this and other areas of the Web site as you type. Results appear on this page.
Also searches the entire Web site (with results on a new page) if you press enter or click on 'Go'.

Welcome to Undergraduate Geography

Geography is a multi-faceted, diverse and exciting field of study. It is the key bridging subject linking the Humanities, the Social Sciences and the Sciences. It provides an insight into each of these broad areas of human knowledge. People's impact on the earth, as reflected in the environment forms the central theme. The relationships between society and the environment are highly complex, multifaceted and often contested. In taking Geography not only will students acquire an understanding of people's place in the world but they will also develop a skill set (research, computing/GIS, cartography, surveying) that is of wide applicability in multiple walks of life.

First year timetable available here.

Why study Geography?

A degree in Geography can lead to a career in many different fields after appropriate postgraduate study or training. Recent graduates have excelled and carved out niches for themselves in planning, environmental consultancy, lecturing, teaching, journalism, heritage, marketing, tourism, government and policy institute research, and NGO and CSO development work.

"The support from staff and the facilities available make studying Geography at NUI Galway a highly productive and rewarding experience”
Stephen Galvin, Graduate 2011

What will I be studying?

First year introduces students to key geographical ideas, processes and concepts that impact on and shape the physical and human landscape. Semester 1 introduces human geography while the focus in Semester 2 is on physical geography. A significant element of the first year is our emphasis on field, mapping and lab skills. To help develop students’ abilities in this crucial area of geography we aim to provide two fieldtrip opportunities for all students in their first year in combination with other practical and theoretical exercises.

“As an undergraduate I found the staff of the Geography Department the most easily accessible and always willing to answer any questions, be they about the course, essays or your dissertation. On top of that Geography is one of the broadest subjects to study within the social sciences. I could not recommend Geography enough”
Garret Maher, Graduate 2010

The composite nature of the discipline is reflected in the rich diversity of courses on offer in Second Year and Third Year. The conceptual and critical engagement in these years positions 'Geography' as a fundamental academic concern to understand the complex interactions (human and physical) within the world in which we live. Courses on offer range from Rural to Urban Geography, Coastal Environments to Climatology, Historical Geography to Political and Cultural Geography, Environmental Planning to GIS. One of the key elements of Third Year is the opportunity students have to develop critical analytical skills in designing and executing a supervised research project.

Policies and Regulations

Compulsory Cover Sheet

Extension Request Form

Guide to Referencing

"I found studying in the Geography Department of NUI Galway very enriching; the courses offered a broad and diverse range of engaging subject topics, ensuring that students were exposed to multiple themes and issues both traditional and non-traditional to Geography as an academic discipline"
Kathy Reilly, Graduate 2009


1st year	2nd year	3rd year
			Home

Department of Geography
National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Phone: +353 (0)91 492643
This page was last updated Monday, May 21, 2012