Geography

Geography

Admissions overview at Downing College  

Why study Geography at Cambridge?

Geography is one of the most exciting, challenging and relevant subjects you can study at university. Within our department, we have colleagues who study how glaciers are melting, how animals transform and are transformed by cities, how the UK’s place in the global economy is changing, and much more. Our teaching is research-led, which means that lecturers and supervisors draw on their own cutting-edge work to develop papers. Students also learn human and physical geography research methods and put them into practice throughout the degree, but especially in the dissertation, in which they are charged with coming up with an original piece of geographical research themselves.  

Students attend lectures at the Geography Department and small group supervisions at the College. Supervisions are conducted both by Downing fellows and specialist colleagues in other colleges. Our first-year students take on topics as wide ranging as climate change, globalisation, biodiversity and colonial history in order to get a broad view of geography and develop their own unique interests. In the second and third years, students begin to specialise in human or physical geography, although many prefer to keep a balance between the two. 

Why study Geography at Downing College?

One reason why many students consider Downing to study Geography is, incidentally, geography. We are located adjacent to Downing Site, a cluster of university buildings which include the Department of Geography. Just across the street from the College on its other side is the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), which is also part of the department. Students frequently visit SPRI to enjoy its engaging museum exhibitions, attend seminars or lectures, and conduct primary research in its extensive collections.  

There is much more to Downing College than its convenient location, however. It is an inclusive, close-knit and thriving academic community where you will meet people from across the world and find a welcoming home during your three years of study. Each Downing Geography student will have a Downing geography fellow serve as their Director of Studies (DoS). The College has three fellows in Geography - Professor Michael Bravo, Dr Francesco Muschitiello (DoS for Part IB), and Dr Dino Kadich (DoS for Parts IA and II) - whom students will encounter throughout their degree in formal and informal ways. At College level, the academic welfare of students is overseen by their Director of Studies, whose responsibilities include interviewing applicants, offering advice on the selection of papers, suggesting which lectures and classes to attend and making arrangements for weekly supervisions. Students also have opportunities to chat informally with fellows at college events, including those organised by the Brammer Society, the College’s geography subject society. 

Downing geographers engage in a diverse set of activities outside of lecture halls and supervision rooms, including participating in college groups like the JCR committee (the students’ organisation), the Downing Dramatic Society, the Board Games Society, and the Choir, as well as in college sports such as rowing, cycling, football, netball, and ultimate frisbee. Since everything is geographical, we often find that students bring their activities and interests back into the classroom; either way, pursuing sports and cultural activities is a great way to foster friendships and develop skills that students will carry long after they leave Downing.  

Who are we looking for?

While we have rigorous standards for our students, our primary focus is not on statistics but individuals. We are in search of people with a profound sense of curiosity about the world, its inhabitants, and the diverse elements that shape it. We are looking for students who are interested in posing and exploring incisive questions about the human and physical worlds, who have a passion for learning and the ability to think critically and creatively.  

Our standard conditional offer for this subject is usually A*AA at A level or 41-42 points overall and 776 at Higher Level in IB.  All Colleges may modify offers to take account of individual circumstances.  Further information can be found here. 

We do not require any particular subject knowledge or A-levels for admission. It is not even essential to have studied Geography (although most students will have done so). Students who are particularly interested in Contemporary Human or Historical Geography might find Economics, English Literature, History and Sociology to be useful supporting subjects; those interested in Physical Geography may find Biology, Geology, Mathematics and Physics useful. However, a variety of subjects can prepare students to become successful geography undergraduates.  

At present, Geography applicants receive one interview, typically with two geography fellows. The interview is largely subject-based, although more general questions may also be asked. Applicants will be given a written piece to study just before each interview, a discussion of which will form part of the interview. There is no requirement to sit a written test or to bring any material along to the interview. 

Further advice about entry requirements and interviews for all subjects can be found in the Apply to Downing section of this website. 

What Geography students have studied? 

According to the University, most Geography students (who had studied A levels and started at Cambridge in 2018, 2019 and 2023) achieved at least A*A*A (64% of entrants).

99% of these students took Geography at A level.

Other common subjects were: 

• Economics
• English (Language, Language and Literature, or Literature
• History
• Mathematics
• A science 

The majority of students who studied IB achieved at least 42 points overall.

How can you find out more about Geography?

The Department of Geography maintains a list of suggested readings for interested students. This list is only a starting point, however; they are not ‘set’ texts and there is no expectation you will have read any of the recommended books.  

It is sometimes said that geography is what geographers do. This diversity means that it is difficult to come up with an all-encompassing definition of the field or reading list to go along with it, but it also means that prospective students can engage with many different approaches to geography to find what resonates with them. Geographers are often engaged with contributing to public understandings of important issues; for example, our colleague Clive Oppenheimer collaborated with filmmaker Werner Herzog to create a documentary film called Into the Inferno, about volcanos and the communities that surround them. When Cambridge geographers undertake public-facing activities such as these (though usually much smaller in scale than a feature film!), they are usually posted in the ‘Latest news’ section of the department website, alongside the latest publications and events going on in the department. 

Prospective applicants might also benefit from engaging with current events from a range of credible sources such as newspapers, current affairs journals, novels or magazines, such as The Conversation, The New Scientist, The Economist, The London Review of Books, National Geographic, The Geographical Magazine, and Geography Review. The student-run Cambridge University Geographical Society periodically publishes its own magazine, Compass.  

Further details about the Geography course at the University of Cambridge can be found on the University of Cambridge website.