School of Geography

Welcome to the School of Geography! On this page you’ll find everything you need to know about starting your studies. 

Scroll to the section that applies to you – new student, returning student or postgraduate student. We’ve also included some helpful links at the end of the page to direct you to anything else you might need. 

If you’re a postgraduate researcher, find your faculty welcome and induction information to help you get started.

I’m a new student        

What do I need to do before I arrive?

For undergraduate students 

If you’re a new student, you’ll need to register from the 1st September and read the welcome letter that we have sent to you.   

For postgraduate students 

If you’re a new student, you’ll need to register from 1st August and read the welcome letter that we have sent to you.   

For international students 

There is a detailed “Prepare for Leeds” webpage here.   

For home students, there isn’t anything you need to prepare specifically. You will be given all the information you need before you come with regards to registration, setting up a bank account if you don’t have one for example.   

The IT department has developed the IT induction page for all new students to familiarise yourself with the university’s IT resources.

What does my welcome week timetable look like?

To find the locations for your sessions, you can use this map.

If the location of your session is marked TBC, please check the timetable regularly.

The welcome week runs from 25th to 29th September 2023 and consists of different talks and activities. During the week, you will:  

  • Know more about the school and your course  
  • Meet other students and lecturers  
  • Know your academic personal tutor and other support available at the school  
  • Socialise with other students and get involved in wider communities  

You should prioritise attendance because the activities are designed so that you can meet one another, meet the staff and create a sense of belonging to the school. If you cannot attend any of the induction sessions, please contact us.  

How will I meet my academic personal tutor? 

Academic personal tutors (APTs) will be allocated within the first couple of weeks of the term, and we will email you regarding your first meeting with your designated APT. You will meet with your personal tutor over the academic year in semester 1, semester 2 and before dissertation submission but you can request additional meetings if you require support.  

APTs are there to help you with any queries you have on your studies and help you keep track of your progress throughout your course. You can find more information about personal tutoring here.  

Where can I go for support? 

For any non-academic, administrative or general queries, you can contact the Student Information Service team at studentinfo@leeds.ac.uk. If you’d like to speak to someone face-to-face, you can find the team in these locations.   

To contact the school:  

Outside of school:  

You can find relevant information for your studies at the School of Geography’s linktr.ee. 

How will I find out more about my programme?

During induction week you’ll meet your programme leader who will tell you all about the programme you are on, how it works, how it fits together, and the modules assigned to it. You’ll also meet the other students on that programme. The 2023/24 programme catalogue is also a valuable resource of programme information.

How will I get to know other students?

For new undergraduate students 

Check out all your School and Faculty run welcome week socials and activities including a scavenger hunt, a wellbeing session and much more! 

Join the Uni buddy  programme

The University Buddy Scheme offers friendship and peer support to help you feel at home and part of our community, as well as enjoying getting involved in student life. The scheme is open to all students, and you can apply at any point during your student journey. You'll be matched with a new or returning student from anywhere in the University at the same study level as you and with someone who has similar interests. 

Join the Faculty of Environment Student-run Instagram 

If you have any questions, please e-mail foe-studentexperience@leeds.ac.uk 

Undergraduates aged 21 or older when they start their studies with us (defined as mature students by the university) will be eligible for the 21+ Network. The network is an opportunity to meet other mature students within your school, from the Faculty of Environment, or from other departments at the university. Members of the network also receive updates via a Microsoft Team on relevant opportunities and activities happening within your school, faculty, or across the University. Students will be automatically enrolled, so please keep an eye on your emails for information about the 21+ Network. Students will be added to the Microsoft Team in late September/early October. If you have any questions about opportunities for mature students, please email either the faculty contact, Sophie Renville (S.Renville@leeds.ac.uk) or the University’s Lifelong Learning Centre lifelonglearning@leeds.ac.uk 

Interested in a leadership role? Find out more about the role of School Rep and how to apply! 

Academic Representation at The University of Leeds - Become a School Rep (luu.org.uk) 

What is the role of course representatives and how do I volunteer?

You can help to improve the student academic experience by representing students on your course. You can represent students from your course in school meetings (and in other more informal settings) providing positive and constructive critical feedback to University and School staff. The role is a vital part of the communications channel between staff, students, and LUU. You would be expected to actively seek student opinion and ideas to share with School and University staff. You can put this feedback forward at a variety of meetings, and most often at the Student Staff Forum.  
As a Course Rep you will work in a community alongside your school’s staff, School Reps, and other students to effectively create change. By representing students on your course you will enhance the student learning experience by voicing and challenging academic issues.  

To find out more about becoming a Course Rep and how to apply please read the role information and then apply via the form by Monday 9th October (12pm). Further information will be given to you during induction week. 

What previous course reps have said: 

‘I loved being able to bridge the gap between the university and students - by both relaying feedback and responding to it by taking action. One of these ways was improving communications between students through a faculty Instagram page which shared events, opportunities and updates for students. This was a casual and informal way for students to be updated on what's happening around them.’ 

‘I really enjoyed feeling like a part of the university community and getting to learn about its inner workings and feeling like I was making a difference’. 

‘Being a course rep allowed me to get to know my coursemates more. It is also a great opportunity to improve the course experience’. 

‘It was such a rewarding experience, especially because I got to understand each individual in my cohort so much better, making lasting connections.’ 

If you have any questions in the meantime please e-mail the Faculty Student Experience Officer at foe-studentexperience@leeds.ac.uk. 

For postgraduate students 

You can join the School of Geography Taught Postgraduate Buddy programme, which is open for applications (links below) and has been designed to help you make connections with other students in your year group, based on your preferences including hobbies and interests. You can choose to be matched one to one or in a small group. 

Find a buddy in the School of Geography

The deadline to apply is Friday 7th October, so that we can match you quickly, in your first few weeks. Look out for an invitation to the Meet Your Peers Socials in October, which will be an opportunity to meet your buddy, other students and join the programme! If you have any questions, please e-mail  foe-studentexperience@leeds.ac.uk 

Check out all your School and Faculty run welcome week socials and activities including a scavenger hunt, a wellbeing session and much more! 

Join the Uni buddy programme 

The University Buddy Scheme offers friendship and peer support to help you feel at home and part of our community, as well as enjoying getting involved in student life. The scheme is open to all students and you can apply at any point during your student journey. You'll be matched with a new or returning student from anywhere in the University at the same study level as you and with someone who has similar interests. 

Join the Faculty of Environment Student-run Instagram 

Are there any specialist software or systems that I need for my programme and where do I find out information about it?

The majority of our teaching will be through Minerva. Certain modules use specific software and you will be taught how to use this software in those modules. Your module leader will inform you if you’ll need to use any specialist software.

Do I need to provide my core reading texts?  

No, our libraries (virtual and physical) are stocked with all the core reading texts so there’s no need to purchase any of them unless you choose to. You can find your reading lists by clicking on the relevant module listed on the 2023/24 programme catalogue.

Interested in a leadership role? Find out more about the role of School Rep and how to apply! 

Academic Representation at The University of Leeds - Become a School Rep (luu.org.uk) 

What is the role of course representatives and how do I volunteer?

You can help to improve the student academic experience by representing students on your course. You can represent students from your course in school meetings (and in other more informal settings) providing positive and constructive critical feedback to University and School staff. The role is a vital part of the communications channel between staff, students, and LUU. You would be expected to actively seek student opinion and ideas to share with School and University staff. You can put this feedback forward at a variety of meetings, and most often at the Student Staff Forum.  

As a Course Rep you will work in a community alongside your school’s staff, School Reps, and other students to effectively create change. By representing students on your course you will enhance the student learning experience by voicing and challenging academic issues.  

To find out more about becoming a Course Rep and how to apply please read the role information and then apply via the form by Monday 9th October (12pm). Further information will be given to you during induction week. 

If you have any questions in the meantime please e-mail the Faculty Student Experience Officer at foe-studentexperience@leeds.ac.uk. 

Are there any societies I can join for the school/programme?

Yes! you can join GeogSoc, who you will meet during induction week. You can find out more here.

The sustainability society is the newest society within the Faculty of Environment, and we are open to all who would like to get involved and socialise with new people. We aim to provide opportunities for members to meet each other through fortnightly socials, faculty sports teams as well as via trips and volunteering opportunities. 

Leeds has one of the largest students’ unions in the country. Leeds University Union (LUU) exists to represent, support and entertain you throughout your student years. The union has over 300 activities to choose from – you can get involved in anything from football to chess, wine tasting to skydiving, dance to ‘a cappella’. You can even try your hand at Quidditch! Through the Global Community you can connect with students from over 140 different countries and take part in a range of international activities.  

How does assessment work on my programme?

The School has a Code of Practice on Assessment (CoPA) which will be shared with you during induction week.You’ll be assessed using a variety of methods from written assessments and exams to presentations, group work, podcasts and posters. The assessment method will depend on your programme and modules. Your module leaders will be able to provide more information on how the module will be assessed. You can also check the module catalogue for more information on the module content and assessment methods. 

Where can I find relevant career information for undergraduate students?  

The Careers Centre run drop-in sessions as well as mock interviews, CV checking and a lot of resources to support students with their career choices.

I’m a returning student 

What do I need to do before I arrive? 

You’ll need to register online and enroll into modules before you start your course. Anything else you need will be emailed to you before the academic year starts.  

What does my welcome week look like? 

To find the locations of your sessions, you can use this map. 

If the location of your session is marked TBC, please check the timetable regularly.

The welcome week will run from 25th to 29th September 2023. The week consists of different talks and activities that are designed to introduce you to the academic year ahead along with the services and support that’ll be available for you. You should prioritise attendance because the activities are designed so that you can meet one another, meet the staff and create a sense of belonging to the school. If you are not able to attend any of the induction sessions, please contact us.  

Where can I go for support?  

For any non-academic, administrative or general queries, you can contact the Student Information Service team at studentinfo@leeds.ac.uk. If you’d like to speak to someone face-to-face, you can find the team in these locations.   

To contact the school:  

Outside of school:  

You can find relevant information for your studies at the School of Geography’s linktr.ee. 

How will I get to know other students? 

Check out all of your School and Faculty run welcome week socials and activities including a scavenger hunt, a wellbeing session and much more! 

The University Buddy Scheme offers friendship and peer support to help you feel at home and part of our community, as well as enjoying getting involved in student life. The scheme is open to all students and you can apply at any point during your student journey. You'll be matched with a new or returning student from anywhere in the University at the same study level as you and with someone who has similar interests. 

Join the Faculty of Environment Student-run Instagram 

If you have any questions, please e-mail foe-studentexperience@leeds.ac.uk

Interested in a leadership role? Find out more about the role of School Rep and how to apply! 

Academic Representation at The University of Leeds - Become a School Rep (luu.org.uk) 

What is the role of course representatives and how do I volunteer? 

You can help to improve the student academic experience by representing students on your course. You can represent students from your course in school meetings (and in other more informal settings) providing positive and constructive critical feedback to University and School staff. The role is a vital part of the communications channel between staff, students, and LUU. You would be expected to actively seek student opinion and ideas to share with School and University staff. You can put this feedback forward at a variety of meetings, and most often at the Student Staff Forum.  
 
As a Course Rep you will work in a community alongside your school’s staff, School Reps, and other students to effectively create change. By representing students on your course, you will enhance the student learning experience by voicing and challenging academic issues.  

To find out more about becoming a Course Rep and how to apply please read the role information and then apply via the form by Monday 9th October (12pm). Further information will be given to you during induction week. 

What previous course reps have said: 

‘I loved being able to bridge the gap between the university and students - by both relaying feedback and responding to it by taking action. One of these ways was improving communications between students through a faculty instagram page which shared events, opportunities and updates for students. This was a casual and informal way for students to be updated on what's happening around them.’ 

‘I really enjoyed feeling like a part of the university community and getting to learn about its inner workings and feeling like I was making a difference’. 

‘Being a course rep allowed me to get to know my coursemates more. It is also a great opportunity to improve the course experience’. 

‘It was such a rewarding experience, especially because I got to understand each individual in my cohort so much better, making lasting connections.’ 

If you have any questions in the meantime please e-mail the Faculty Student Experience Officer at  foe-studentexperience@leeds.ac.uk 

Where can I find relevant career information and support?   

The Careers Centre run drop-in sessions as well as mock interviews, CV checking and a lot of resources to support students with their career choices Careers | University of Leeds 

Other useful links