Geography (Human) with a Foundation Year

Foundation Year
Our Foundation Year provides an excellent alternative route to Keele, providing a unique opportunity to better prepare for your chosen degree, and with guaranteed entry onto your undergraduate course once you successfully complete your Foundation Year. This extra year of study can improve your academic skills, expand your subject knowledge, give you a better understanding of higher education and, perhaps most importantly of all, build your confidence. On the Keele Foundation Year, you'll study on campus, joining our undergraduate community from the outset, with access to all the facilities and support that you'd get as an undergraduate student at Keele.

International Students
For International Students, Foundation Years are delivered through our dedicated on-campus provider, Keele University International College. Applications for International Foundation Years are also handled by KUIC; please do not apply via UCAS as the University will not be able to process your application and you may still be charged the UCAS application fee. To find out more and to apply for an International Foundation Year, visit https://kuic.keele.ac.uk/

Geography (Human)
Are you curious about the human world and the different ways we inhabit our planet? Explore the dynamics of human behaviour, social inequalities, and global challenges in our accredited Geography (Human) BSc programme. Our contemporary curriculum offers hands-on experience that is essential for your career progression, featuring engaging projects in our laboratories, immersive fieldwork, and valuable industry placements. By the time you graduate you’ll have a robust portfolio of skills, opening doors to exciting careers such as geospatial data analyst, international development worker, or town planner.

Why choose this course?
• Top 5 in England for Geography (NSS 2025, broad-based universities)*



• No.1 in the West Midlands and Top 5 in the UK for Geography (Daily Mail University Guide, 2026)



• Accredited by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)



• Our unique 600-acre campus offers a fantastic natural environment to perform fieldwork



• Geography and Environmental Sciences No.1 in the West Midlands for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide, 2026)



Develop your understanding of human geography and explore the fascinating relationship between people, place and the environment on our Geography (Human) BSc. Study key topics such as globalisation, sustainable development and social and spatial justice. Acquire robust research skills, and develop the essential practical skills required by future employers.

Our programme has been designed to provide you with a solid grounding in human geography during year one, laying the foundation for advanced study in years two and three.

Studying human geography will develop your understanding of human societies, their culture and how they interact with the environment. You will cover key topics including how people and communities organise space and place, understand the main geographical issues at local, regional and global scales, evaluate key environmental, ecological, and sustainability issues society faces, develop knowledge around sustainable development principles, learn about how humans impact on natural systems, and engage with contemporary research to broaden your expertise.

A major part of the curriculum is the practical application of geography. You will gain professional skills using digital, statistical and laboratory-based methods for collecting and analysing geographical data in our state-of-the-art Central Science Labs. Through different field courses in the local area, across the UK and optional international activities, you’ll gain hands-on experience in applying these techniques, and develop key technical skills using specialist software such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing.

Career focused courses, a vibrant student community and a beautiful 600-acre campus – this is Keele.

Whether you’re a passionate natural scientist, or eager to explore law, business, humanities or social sciences, our innovative courses are designed with your future in mind. Many of our courses offer a placement opportunity – just one of our initiatives that prepare you for real-world success.

Recognised for outstanding student experience and teaching quality, we were ranked a Top 10 UK university for student satisfaction across 15 subjects (National Student Survey 2025, broad-based English universities) and achieved Double Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (2017 and 2023).

Located in the Staffordshire countryside, but within easy reach of a bustling town, vibrant city and our noisy neighbours of Manchester and Birmingham, Keele truly offers the best of both worlds: a close-knit campus community and an exciting local area to explore.

We’d love to see you on campus soon.