University of Bristol - Science and Engineering
MSc Human Geography: Society and Space
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 31,700 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* overseas full-time tuition
Key Summary
Human geography is a dynamic discipline that has a profound influence on current debates in the social sciences and humanities. Human geographers focus on the relationships between space and society, particularly the interconnection between environment, place and identity; knowledge; globalisation processes; social justice; and a variety of other vital themes relevant to the contemporary world.
This programme provides you with a rigorous grounding in social theory and mainstream debates and techniques in human geography. It also offers a thorough training in qualitative and quantitative methods. Options allow for the development of specialisms in historical-cultural themes, postcolonial and decolonial geographies, spatial modelling, and debates surrounding environmental conflict and science and technology.
You will join a School ranked first in the UK for 'Geography and environmental studies' research (THE analysis of REF 2021). This programme is closely linked to the University's Cabot Institute, which brings together multidisciplinary research into all aspects of global environmental change.
from 25th November 2024- 4th of December 2025
The programme has three mandatory units, which introduce key ideas and techniques and provide foundations for your research during the dissertation in the summer months. You also select three optional units, which provides you the opportunity to shape your MSc programme to suit your research interests.
Unit names
Students must take the following mandatory units
- Dissertation: MSc Human Geography: Society and Space
- Theorizing Society and Space
- Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography
- Research Design, Digital Methods and Data Skills
Students choose 60 credit points from the following units
- Environmental Policy and Politics
- Global Development and Environment: History, Theory, Practice
- An Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing for Environmental Policy and Management
- Sustainability, Risk and Resilience in the Urban Age
- Decolonial Imaginaries for a Planetary Age
- Policy and Management Consultancy
University of Bristol is ranked 8th in the UK and 51st in the world (QS World University rankings 2026)
This programme equips you for a career in high-level public research, business or the creative industries, and provides outstanding academic training for prospective PhD students and those seeking a master's-level qualification.
Graduates from this programme have progressed to a variety of careers, including academia, journalism and writing, urban and town planning, housing justice, food poverty initiatives, creating startup businesses, the third sector and research. Around 40% of our graduates go on to pursue further research training, for example through a PhD.