What makes Geography at Loughborough distinctive is our world-renowned expertise in four areas of geography, each of which is directly reflected in the structure and content of our courses.Physical geographers at Loughborough are renowned internationally for pioneering new ways of thinking and working in hydrological and ecosystem science, and polar and alpine research. In human geography, our staff have led intellectual agendas in children, youth and families’ research and developed distinctive contributions to knowledge on migration, identity and the state.When it comes to designing your degree, undergraduates benefit directly from staff research expertise through the modular choices available. Our MSci programme specialises in physical and environmental geography from Year 1.This specialist integrated master’s course is designed for students with a passion for physical and environmental geography. It has a strong skills base and places a big emphasis on fieldwork and practical/ laboratory work.Physical geography is the study of the processes that shape the surface of the Earth and the resulting landforms and natural resources. It has a strong science base and encompasses subjects such as geomorphology, climate and ecology. Students explore landscapes characterised by features such as rivers, lakes, glaciers, dunes and forests and also consider the interactions between humans and natural resources and hazards.Students on the MSci Integrated Masters programme in Geography must undertake residential fieldwork in first and second year and there are optional field courses in year three. Research projects in years three and four give students the opportunity to shape their degree towards a particular physical geography specialism.For careers in physical and environmental geography it is vital that students have a strong grounding in cartography, quantitative techniques, using geographical information systems and remote sensing to manage spatial data, and field skills. These are all embedded throughout the curriculum.What makes the MSci Geography at Loughborough distinctive is our world-renowned expertise in hydrological and ecological systems, polar and alpine research, and coastal and continental dune systems. You will be taught by academics working on the cutting edge of understanding questions such as the role of lake systems in carbon capture, the impact of glacier retreat on the distribution of hydrological resources and the role of forests in mitigating the impact of climate change. Answers to these questions contribute towards our understanding of Earth’s response to future environmental change.