We welcome applications from the United States of America

We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from the United States of America.

Overview

Top reasons to study with us

  • 11

    11th for Geography and Environmental Science

    The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide (2025)

  • 13

    13th for Geography

    The Complete University Guide (2025)

  • 16

    16th for Geography

    The Guardian University Guide (2025)

Gain first-hand experience of the ways people interact with their environment and how they form communities, cultures and economies. With a strong emphasis on fieldwork, you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge and skills from world-renowned lecturers.

In this programme, you will benefit from studying at the multidisciplinary Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC). You will study a diverse range of modules that are developed and taught by our world-class academics who are leading experts in human, environmental and political geography, development studies and Anthropology, political economy and science and technology studies.

First year modules equip you with a well-rounded introduction to some of the key themes of human geography, as well as helping you to develop skills used by geographers to analyse problems within the discipline. In addition to the Human Geography modules, you will be given the opportunity to take two other subjects alongside your first year studies. You may use this opportunity to explore some of the many subjects offered within the Lancaster Environment Centre, study further social sciences such as Sociology or Politics, or gain transferable skills in Economics or Marketing, for example.

In the second year, you will undertake a series of core modules that focus on human geography skills and concepts and research project skills. Optional choices include our Communicating Geography module in which you can help teach the subject in a local school, gaining valuable classroom experience.

You will spend your third year studying at on of our overseas partner universities building your global outlook and connectivity.

In your final year you will undertake a dissertation project, guided by your academic supervisor, researching a topic of your choice. While completing the dissertation, you will use the key research, analytical and academic writing skills you have learnt throughout your degree. In addition, you may select from a range of optional modules which cover topics such as food and agriculture, health, enterprise and global consumption, as well as field courses to Croatia.

Lancaster University will make reasonable endeavours to place students at an approved overseas partner university that offers appropriate modules which contribute credit to your Lancaster degree. Occasionally places overseas may not be available for all students who want to study abroad or the place at the partner university may be withdrawn if core modules are unavailable. If you are not offered a place to study overseas, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent standard degree scheme and would complete your studies at Lancaster.

Lancaster University cannot accept responsibility for any financial aspects of the year or term abroad.

Careers

Studying human geography provides you with insights into the complex relationship between people and place – insights which can lead you into a multitude of fascinating careers. Our graduates have found work in a diverse range of institutions, from city councils and secondary schools to architecture firms and environmental consultancies. Human Geographers are also well placed to secure roles and opportunities in sectors that might not be obvious such as marketing and sales, travel and tourism, and commercial business. This is down to your transferable skills in communication, software competencies, project management and data analysis. Graduates from our courses are also well-paid, with the median starting salary of graduates from Lancaster Environment Centre being £24,347 (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023).

Here are just some of the roles that our BA and MArts Human Geography students have progressed into upon graduating:

  • Senior Policy Advisor - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
  • Trainee Teacher – Teach First
  • Graduate Planner – Savills UK
  • Digital Marketing Executive – Newicon Ltd
  • Town Planner - Cassidy + Ashton Architects, Building Surveyors & Planners
  • Sustainability Consultant – Evora Global
  • Modular Planning Analyst – ASDA
  • Sustainability, Communications and Engagement Assistant – University of Nottingham
  • Court Clerk - HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS)
  • Academic Development Assistant – Fauna and Flora International

Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, you also graduate with the relevant life and work based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development. Visit our Employability section for full details.

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. You may need to have qualifications in relevant subjects. In some cases we may also ask you to attend an interview or submit a portfolio. You must also meet our English language requirements.

Find more about these qualifications and others not shown here

Learn about how we will assess your application

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Contact Admissions

If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, please complete our enquiry form and one of our team will get back to you.

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.

Core

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Fees and funding

Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.

Our Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2025/26 are:

Home International
£9,535 £29,820

Fees and funding information

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Scholarships and bursaries

You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.

You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:

Scheme Based on Amount
Lancaster ScholarshipBased on Entry grades Amount £2,000 in your first year of study
Lancaster Opportunity ScholarshipBased on Contextual offer Amount £1,000 per year of study
Lancaster BursaryBased on Household income Amount £1,000 per year of study
Lancaster Global Scholarship - UndergraduateBased on Entry grades Amount £2,000 in each year of study for applicants joining Part 1 of our undergraduate programmes.

We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.

Browse Lancaster University's scholarships and bursaries.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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