What will I learn on this module?
You will learn about the ways in which the study site has been drawn into the global economy through a variety of different activities and processes. You will also be able to study the ways in which some of these globalising forces have challenged local values and cultures. We will demonstrate the relationships between global and local change and the interaction between economic, political, social, cultural and environmental change in one particular region.
Within this conceptual framework, you will be mentored by a tutor to help you prepare for the field visit. Research themes might include:
• Patterns and processes of land-use change
• Development of commercial forms of agriculture
• Economic change
• Tourism development
• Heritage and destination place marketing
• Mobilities and demographic change
• Urban change, urban morphology and redevelopment
• Modernisation of rural villages and landscapes
How will I learn on this module?
Essentially on this module you will learn by doing and by engaging in your own primary research project directed by tutors and informed by published staff research. A limited number of lectures will be given prior to the fieldwork experience to provide a broader context for the study and to introduce you to some of the key research agendas in this study area. Most of the learning will take place though in the preparatory research workshops and in the actual field research setting. You will also learn how to work as part of a research team learning about the types of activities that contribute to successful field research projects. The nature of the assessments on this module and the group-working in the seminars prior to the fieldwork are designed to encourage you to develop key transferrable skills such as problem solving, data-analysis, team working, leadership and self-management all of which will help enhance your future employability.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
Support in this module will mainly take the form of your tutor and teaching staff to supervise your research activities in the field and in the seminars that come before the fieldwork. Feedback on your progress will be provided regularly in the preparatory workshops as part of an iterative research mentoring process. This support process will also continue in the field setting. There is an opportunity for one-to-one sessions via the Department’s open door policy. Teaching staff operate an ‘open door’ policy for students meaning you can approach them anytime during normal office hours, or via email, to answer questions, receive feedback and support your learning on the module. Time will be set aside in lectures/workshops to provide opportunities for Q&A on assignments. Feedback on the first assessment will be returned before the fieldwork trip.
All learning materials will be made available through Blackboard, including electronic reading lists.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
• MLO1: Explore the spatial variation of recent socio-economic change in the study site and demonstrate the significance of place-specific characteristics on broader pressures of change.
• MLO2: Evaluate the relationships between wider economic restructuring and local social and cultural change within the study site.
• MLO3: Employ and evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of quantitative and qualitative fieldwork methods.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• MLO4: Demonstrate skills in project design, field observation and report writing.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• MLO5: Demonstrate an awareness of health and safety, moral and ethical dimensions in the design and conduct of geographical field investigations.
How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed via an individual reflexive field notebook (MLOs 1, 2 and 3) worth 60% and a group pre-fieldwork project report (MLOs 1 to 5) worth 40%. Group work is an essential element of this module and the summative assessment strategy is designed to take account of this with a balance between group based and individual assignments. This form of assessment is designed to encourage you to view learning and assessment as a process rather than a one-off, end product.
Feedback on your progress will be provided regularly in the preparatory workshops as part of an iterative research mentoring process. This support process will also continue in the field setting. Summative feedback will be provided in writing for all the coursework.
Pre-requisite(s)
None
Co-requisite(s)
None
Module abstract
This incredibly popular module is regarded by many graduates of this course as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of their studies. Not only does this module provide you with a fabulous opportunity to study aspects of human geography in some truly stunning fieldwork locations but it also provides a valuable opportunity for you to develop key transferrable employability skills such as team working, reflexivity, interpersonal skills and project management together with research planning, data collection and analysis. You will also learn how to access secondary data from a variety of sources and how to complement this with your own primary data collected in the field.
Course info
UCAS Code L700
Credits 20
Level of Study Undergraduate
Mode of Study 3 years Full Time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department Geography and Environmental Sciences
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2025 or September 2026
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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