Oxford Brookes University

What you'll study

This joint honours degree integrates historical enquiry with geographical perspectives, enabling you to examine how places, peoples and environments have changed through time and how past processes shape present-day social and environmental challenges. Teaching combines lectures, seminars, practical workshops, fieldwork and independent research.

• Core themes in Geography: human geography (urban, political and social geography), physical geography (landscapes, climate processes), environmental management, and applied skills such as GIS, remote sensing and quantitative methods.
• Core themes in History: period and thematic studies that may include medieval, early modern and modern history, social and cultural history, imperial and global histories, and historiography and theory.
• Skills and methods: archival research and use of primary sources, historical argumentation, field-based observation, spatial analysis, data handling, and digital methods including GIS and database skills.
• Independent research: a substantial dissertation or project that allows you to pursue an extended piece of original research drawing on archives, fieldwork, spatial analysis or a combination of methods from both disciplines.
• Optional modules and placements: a range of optional modules lets you tailor the degree towards environmental policy, heritage and public history, urban studies, development and sustainability. Opportunities for work placements, volunteering with heritage organisations, and short field courses are commonly available.

Entry requirements

Oxford Brookes considers a variety of qualifications. Typical applicants hold A‑levels, BTEC qualifications, the International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers or equivalent qualifications. Admissions decisions also take account of your personal statement, reference and any relevant experience.

• General requirements commonly include a set of academic qualifications at a level appropriate for undergraduate study; specific grade profiles are published by the university and may vary by year.
• GCSEs or equivalent: passes in English language and mathematics are usually expected.
• International students: equivalent international qualifications and evidence of English language proficiency are required.
• Non-traditional applicants: mature students and those with relevant work experience are encouraged to apply; contextual information and interviews may be used in assessment.

Career prospects

Graduates with combined skills in geography and history are well placed for careers that require research, critical thinking, communication and data analysis. Employers value the degree’s blend of spatial awareness, historical perspective and practical skills.

• Typical graduate roles include work in heritage and museums, archives, conservation, planning and urban policy, environmental management, and community and cultural organisations.
• Other common pathways are roles in local and national government, non-governmental organisations, charities, journalism, publishing and marketing, and the private sector (e.g. consultancy and data analysis).
• Many graduates proceed to teacher training (PGCE) to teach geography or history in schools, and others continue to postgraduate study or research in related disciplines.

Why study at Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes offers an applied and vocational approach to teaching with a strong emphasis on practical skills, fieldwork and employer engagement. The university’s geography provision includes dedicated GIS and mapping facilities and a programme of residential and day field courses that support hands-on learning.

• Location advantage: being based in Oxford gives ready access to a wide range of local archives, libraries and cultural institutions that enrich historical study and research.
• Support for employability: Brookes has established links with local authorities, heritage organisations and environmental employers, and provides careers support, placement advice and opportunities for industry-relevant projects.
• Research-informed teaching: modules are informed by active research across human and physical geography and by historical scholarship, giving students exposure to contemporary debates and methods.