A Level Geography

Studying this A Level Geography course will give you the opportunity to explore geographical subjects such as tectonic hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions; glacial processes of erosion, transport and deposition; how political and economic decisions are accelerating globalisation; and the role water plays in supporting life on earth. Depending on the degree you aspire to study and the career you wish to achieve, the A Levels we recommend studying alongside this course are A Level Environmental Science, A Level Physics, and A Level Chemistry.

Degrees this subject could lead to

After completing your Geography A Level, you could progress to study a degree in subjects such as global studies, geography, environmental sciences, politics, economics and sciences.

Future career options

Potential future careers could include travel and tourism, environmental management, civil engineering, agriculture, and horticulture.

A Level geography via distance learning

This A Level Geography course is exactly the same as an A Level you would study at school or college, meaning you will take the same exams and get the same qualification. The only difference is that our courses are designed to be studied from home at your own pace, and you will receive full tutor support via email.

Course Content

Specification code: Edexcel 9GE0

Topic 1 Tectonic processes and hazards

• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes
• Tsunami
• The earth's internal structure
• Plate tectonic theory
• Continental drift
• Paleomagnetism
• Plate boundaries
• MEDCs and LEDCs
• Tectonic mega-disasters
• Prediction and forecasting
• Hazard management

Topic 2 Glaciated landscapes and change

• Climate change
• Volcanic eruptions
• The cryosphere
• Ice masses
• Periglacial processes
• Periglacial landforms
• Tundra
• Glacial mass balance
• Glacier movement
• Rate of movement
• Glacial erosion
• Glacial transportation
• Glacial deposition
• Formation of lowland depositional features
• Fluvioglacial landforms
• Proglacial features
• Biodiversity
• Water cycle
• Carbon cycle
• Human activity

Topic 3 Globalisation

• The influence of technology
• International political and economic organisations
• Special economic zones
• Benefits of SEZs
• KOF index
• Transnational corporations (TNCs)
• The global shift
• Push and pull factors
• International migration
• A global culture
• Cultural erosion
• Gross domestic product
• Social measures of development
• Effects of globalisation
• Retention of cultural values
• Fair trade
• Ethical consumption schemes
• Recycling

Topic 4 Regenerating places

• Economies
• Places change
• Reasons for change
• Measuring change
• National and regional influences
• Global and International influences
• The negative multiplier effect
• Media sources
• Representations of place
• Infrastructure investment
• North-south divide
• Planning policies
• Government policy
• Local interest groups
• Rebranding
• Regeneration strategies
• The living environment

Topic 5 The water cycle and water insecurity

• Hydrological cycle
• Water stores
• Types of precipitation
• A tropical rainforest: the Amazon
• Water budget
• River regimes
• Storm hydrograph
• Urbanisation
• Drought
• The ecological impact
• Flooding
• The water cycle and climate change
• Rising demand and diminishing supply
• Physical and economic scarcity
• Water conflicts and the future
• Techno-fix
• Sustainable schemes

Topic 6 The carbon cycle and energy security

• The biogeochemical carbon cycle
• Human effects
• Carbon budgets
• Carbon sequestration in oceans
• Thermohaline circulation
• Terrestrial sequestration
• The greenhouse effect
• The greenhouse effect and climate change
• The concentration of carbon
• Photosynthesis
• Energy consumption
• Fossil fuels
• Biofuels

Topic 7 Superpowers

• Economic power
• Military power
• Political power
• Cultural power
• Natural resources
• Demographics
• Hard power vs soft power
• Types of polarity
• Geopolitical polarity and stability
• Emerging nations
• Strengths and weaknesses
• The role of TNCs
• Global action
• International alliances
• Arctic oil and gas
• Intellectual property
• Political spheres of influence
• Conflicts in the middle east
• Importance of China and India
• Economic problems

Topic 8 Health, human rights, and intervention

• Human development
• Happy planet index
• Sharia law
• Bolivia under Evo Morales
• Goals of development
• The importance of education
• UNESCO
• Health and life expectancy
• The importance of IGOs
• Millennium development goals
• Human rights
• The transition to democracy
• Levels of political corruption
• Equality
• Geopolitical interventions
• Short-term responses
• Just war theory
• The effectiveness of development aid
• Recent military interventions
• The cost of inaction