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“The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together”. Barack Obama
Students follow the WJEC Eduqas course.
What does the course involve?
This specification encourages students to apply geographical knowledge, theory and skills to the world around them, enabling them to develop a critical understanding of the world’s people, places and environments in the 21st century.
The focus of the specification is to develop an enthusiasm for and competence in geography by using contemporary real-world contexts, from a range of specified spatial scales, and through engagement with and practical application of geographical skills and techniques in the field.
The course has four components:
Component 1: Changing Landscapes and Changing Places
Component 2: Global Systems and Global Governance
Component 3: Contemporary Themes in Geography
Component 4: Independent Investigation
This is the Non-Examined Assessment (NEA) that is integral to all A Level Geography courses. Students will devise their own investigation of a geographical question or issue at a local scale, collect data and present their findings in a written report.
How will you be examined?
This is a linear course with exam papers that assess Components 1, 2 and 3 at the end of the two years. Together, these are worth 80% of the total marks. The questions for Components 1 & 2 will involve a mixture of data response, structured short answer and extended writing tasks. Component 3 is examined through essays – one for each theme. For Component 4, students will produce a written report of between 3000-4000 words which will be marked by their teachers before being externally moderated. It is worth 20% of the total marks.
What could you do after completing the course?
Students often take undergraduate courses within the field of Geography, such as Human and/or Physical Geography, Marine Geography, Environmental Geoscience, or Earth Science. However, the skills and qualities developed through studying Geography are highly transferable into a wide range of roles and different working environments. UCAS highlight the employability of Geographers as having a ‘highly desirable suite of skills which are of a premium to all types of organisations’.
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