Geography
Exam Board: AQA
STRUCTURE OF COURSE
This award is a two year A Level qualification.
Two teachers will deliver the content of the A Level over the 2 year course. The taught content will be split equally and will reflect the interests and skills of the individual teacher. Students will be given the opportunity to voice their opinion on the option topics taught for both the physical and human sections.
ASSESSMENT
Assessment at the end of the 2 year course:
Component 1: Physical Geography (40%) 1 hour 30 minute exam
Component 2: Human Geography (40%) 1 hour 30 minute exam
Component 3: Independent Investigation (NEA – 20%)
CONTENT
Physical Geography:
- Water and Carbon cycles
- Hazards
- Coastal Systems and Landscapes
Human Interactions:
- Contemporary Urban Environments
- Changing Places
- Global Systems and Governance
Independent investigation
An individually planned geographical enquiry which must include data collection in the field. The investigation must be based on a question or issue defined and developed by the student relating to any part of the specification content.
POSSIBLE CAREER PATHS
Geography is a wide-ranging subject in terms of its content and the variety of skills that are developed. For this reason it can lead to a huge variety of different career paths. Take a look at the Schools & Education pages at www.rgs.org for a detailed insight into the wide range of careers that geography can lead to.
It stands you in good stead for careers in: Town Planning, Climate Change Policy, Politics, Law, Civil Engineering, Public Relations, Marketing, International Aid and Policy Planning, Marine Science and the Environment Agency (to name but a few).
COMPLIMENTARY SUBJECTS
Studying Geography at A Level goes hand in hand with many subjects as it has aspects that are both science and arts based. There are statistical skills as well as essay writing, and so it goes very well with Economics, History, Government and Politics, English Language, Sociology, Maths, Biology,, Chemistry and Physics.