Geography or environmental science: which should I study?
Geography may suit you if you want to study places, people, landscapes, and spatial patterns, with programmes that may include physical and human perspectives. Environmental science may suit you if you prefer an interdisciplinary focus on ecosystems, climate, pollution, natural resources, and environmental management, with an emphasis on scientific investigation. Compare modules, fieldwork, laboratory work, statistics, and GIS in specific courses.
Key points
- Geography can include human geography, physical geography, mapping and GIS, development, cities, and environmental topics.
- Environmental science may draw on biology, chemistry, earth science, data analysis, policy, and sustainability.
- Both subjects can involve fieldwork, quantitative methods, environmental policy, and careers related to planning, conservation, research, or sustainability.
Things to check
- The boundary between the subjects varies: some geography degrees are strongly environmental, while some environmental science degrees include substantial social science and policy.
- Check the official course curriculum and assessment methods for the universities and academic year you are considering.