About this course
This course is not open to applicants for 2024 entry. Search similar degrees by browsing our course finder.
On this BSc Population Sciences degree (formerly known as Population and Geography) you'll explore the effects of changing populations and societies in the 21st century. You’ll look at population and geography across the developed and developing world. These skills will allow you to pursue careers such as population analyst, regional planner or social researcher. The programme responds to employers’ increasing demand for quantitative skills.
This course covers how human populations change and the causes and consequences of these changes. Topics you'll cover include migration, population growth, global health, inequality, and globalisation.
You'll learn from experts with international research experience. There is also an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge on a field trip. In previous trips, students have visited research institutes in Ghana, India and South Africa. You’ll collect data and observe population issues first hand.
As part of this course you’ll also:
- develop advanced quantitative, analytical and methodological skills
- examine what population policies aim to do and how successful they are
- study global and regional issues, from reproductive health, Aids and poverty to globalisation and climate change
- carry out a piece of individual research on an area of your choice
We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes.
Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).
Learn more about these subject areas
Course location
This course is based at Highfield.
Awarding body
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
Entry requirements
For Academic year
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Other requirements
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
- our Ignite your Journey scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
- skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Course structure
Your degree consists of a set of core and compulsory modules and a selection of optional modules. You can choose your options from:
- geography
- related disciplines such as statistics, anthropology or criminology
Year 1 overview
Your first year will consist of foundation modules in both population and human geography, along with modules which introduce generic study skills. You'll also learn analytical methods for studying social and geographic data.
Year 2 overview
Your second-year modules will further expand your population and human geography knowledge. You will take modules which will develop your analytical and methodological skills for studying social and geographic data. You must also take 2 optional modules. For example, you could explore global health issues or social enterprise.
Year 3 overview
In your third year, you will have the flexibility to develop a specialisation of your own through optional modules in both population and geography, and through your research project. The research project, or dissertation, gives you the opportunity to carry out a substantial piece of individual research on an area of population or geography of your choice.
Examples of research topics that have been chosen include:
- research on the fertility intentions of young people in the UK
- maternal mortality and abortion in sub-Saharan Africa
- population projections of the future 'young adult' workforce in the UK
Students choose 2 geography modules, 1 demography module and 2 options from geography, economic, social and political sciences or other fields.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
The modules outlined provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our course to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Find out why, when and how we might make changes.
For entry in academic year 2025 to 2026
Year 1 modules
You must study the following modules in year 1:
A Global World
The module aims to introduce students to the broad topic of globalisation. As a team-taught module, specific topics may change with occasional changes to the teaching team. At the time of writing, specific topics include: trade and the global economy (e.g...
Population and Society
This module aims to introduce students to key population issues in both the UK and world-wide.
Simple Liars, Damned Liars and Experts: the use of empirical research in social science
A key skill of a social scientist is to be able to assess the quality of evidence presented based on strong methodological foundations. We need to understand what constitutes evidence, including how it can be produced, agreed, disputed, disseminated and m...
Understanding the Social World
This module lays down the foundations for conducting social research in any discipline within the social sciences, focused around criminology, economics, international relations, politics, population sciences, social policy and sociology. The module will ...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 1:
Intercultural Communication in a Global World
In a world of fast and easy communication, we are increasingly working and studying alongside people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Understanding our intercultural encounters allows us to develop awareness of ourselves and others, as ...
Introduction to International Relations
Explore the forces that shape our world by studying the structures, actors, and policy-making processes of international relations. This module equips students with the knowledge and skills to assess and apply competing theories of world politics, and to ...
The Earth System
The module will look at the challenges posed to human societies living on a dynamic planet and how these societies adapt (or not) to a range of environmental and socio-economic hazards. Pre-requisite for GEOG2006 One of the pre-requisites for GEOG...
Year 2 modules
You must study the following modules in year 2:
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
The module will introduce the concepts and techniques underpinning geographic information systems.
Introduction to Social Data Analytics
This module will develop understanding of how to quantitatively analyse data in the social sciences, building on the foundations from the research methods modules in the first year. It will be focused around the common methods for data analysis that are n...
Population Analysis
The module will discuss age-sex structures and relevant demographic measures, standardisation, the principles of the Lexis chart, period and cohort measures, life tables, uncertainty in demographic outcomes and measures, review of simple population estima...
Population Change in Low and Middle Income Countries
This module aims to introduce you to the variety of demographic experiences in low and middle-income countries across the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and, Asia. We will explore the patterns of historical and...
Population Processes in High Income Countries
The module studies key population issues specific to high income countries, such as international migration, population ageing and low fertility. The module examines the causes, consequences and policy implications of the current population processes. Th...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 2:
Geographies of Wellbeing, Inequality and Place
In contemporary neoliberal societies individuals are increasingly positioned as responsible for their own wellbeing. In the first half of this module we look at how health and wellbeing are often reduced down to a lifestyle choice. But is health and wellb...
Global Sustainability Challenges
The global challenge that is 'sustainability' impacts every dimension of all of our lives. Regardless of your degree, the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability have important implications for your studies, your daily ...
Intercultural Communication in a Global World
In a world of fast and easy communication, we are increasingly working and studying alongside people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Understanding our intercultural encounters allows us to develop awareness of ourselves and others, as ...
New Cultural Geographies
The module will look at key concepts in cultural geography.
Race and Ethnicity in Society
This module will explore the issues of race, racism, racial conflict, and race relations in contemporary Britain and worldwide. Although we will mainly refer to Britain, global examples will also be used. The module will examine theoretical perspectives o...
Social Enterprise
This is an interactive and practical module aiming to inspire students to social enterprise and entrepreneurship by giving them an experiential introduction to human centred design processes. The emphasis in this module is on the translation of knowled...
Theorising International Politics
Although a ‘common sense’ view of world politics is often presented in non-academic contexts, there is little agreement among experts on what international relations is, and how we should think about the discipline. This module enables students to critica...
Year 3 modules
You must study the following modules in year 3:
Applied Social Quantitative Analysis
This module will develop the skills of the student as a social researcher to conduct in depth analyses of secondary, large scale datasets, leading up to the use of these techniques in the final year dissertations and ensuring that students have appropriat...
Project/Dissertation
The BSc dissertation project is designed to allow students to do an in-depth study of an area in demography that they are particularly interested in, and to enable them to demonstrate skills and knowledge acquired throughout their undergraduate career. P...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 3:
Intercultural Communication in a Global World
In a world of fast and easy communication, we are increasingly working and studying alongside people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Understanding our intercultural encounters allows us to develop awareness of ourselves and others, as ...
Social Enterprise
This is an interactive and practical module aiming to inspire students to social enterprise and entrepreneurship by giving them an experiential introduction to human centred design processes. The emphasis in this module is on the translation of knowled...
Social Stratification, Divisions and Resilience
This module looks at the changing nature of material, social and cultural inequalities in contemporary societies, how they affect our everyday lives, and how we respond to them.
Victims or Perpetrators? Social and Psychological Perspectives on Older People and Crime
This module combines the disciplines of social gerontology, social psychology, and sociology to address the intersection of crime and later life, including experiences of crime and criminal behaviour and social responses to these. It encourages students t...
Learning and assessment
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- classes and tutorials
- coursework
- individual and group projects
- independent learning (studying on your own)
Course time
How you'll spend your course time:
Year 1
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:
How we'll assess you
- coursework, laboratory reports and essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
- written and practical exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 1:
Year 2
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 2:
How we'll assess you
- coursework, laboratory reports and essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
- written and practical exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 2:
Year 3
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 3:
How we'll assess you
- coursework, laboratory reports and essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
- written and practical exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 3:
Academic support
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
Course leader
Afshin Zilanawala is the course leader.
Careers and employability
Employability skills
This degree will allow you to develop and evidence subject-specific and targeted employability skills. This includes the required skill set for a range of future careers, further study, or starting your own business.
The skills you can expect to focus on and gain from this course include:
- Research
- Critical thinking
- Self-management
- Communication
The employability and enterprise skills you'll gain from this course are reflected in the Southampton skills model. When you join us you'll be able to use our skills model to track, plan, and benefit your career development and progress.
Download skills overview
Career pathways
Graduates commonly work in a range of organisations or sectors including:
Charities,
environmental consultancies,
Local Councils,
planning departments,
utility companies.
- Business analyst
- Environmental consultant
- Geographical information systems officer
- Marketing executive
- Secondary school teacher
- Social researcher
- Town planner
- University lecturer
- Market researcher
- Nature Conservation officer
- Political risk analyst
- Sustainability consultant
- Transport planner
- Data analyst
- Research officer
- Business development manager
- Data analyst
- Analyst consultant
- Quantity surveyor
- Digital account executive
- Education support manager
- Assistant statistician
- Global media investment analyst
Year in employment
You can apply for a year in employment placement on this course. This is a great way to improve your employability and confidence in your career prospects. Recommended by 100% of students who've taken part, you can apply for a UK or global placement in any sector.
Careers services and support
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:
- work experience schemes
- CV and interview skills and workshops
- networking events
- careers fairs attended by top employers
- a wealth of volunteering opportunities
- study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Your career ideas and graduate job opportunities may change while you're at university. So it is important to take time to regularly reflect on your goals, speak to people in industry and seek advice and up-to-date information from Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise professionals at the University.
Fees, costs and funding
Tuition fees
Fees for a year's study:
- UK students pay £9,535.
- EU and international students pay £24,200.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and standard exams.
Find out how to:
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.
Explore:
Bursaries, scholarships and other funding
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
Scholarships and grants
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.
Support during your course
The Student Hub offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
Funding for EU and international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
How to apply
What happens after you apply?
This course is not open to applicants for 2024 entry. Search similar degrees by browsing our course finder.
Equality and diversity
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000