Department life for undergraduates

When you study with us, you will join a vibrant and welcoming department. We have a collaborative international community of students, staff, and alumni. You will be supported by approachable academic staff, who take the time to get to know you and enable you to make the most of your experience of studying with us. 

91% of students in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science said that teaching staff supported their learning well or very well (National Student Survey, 2023).

We hold an Athena SWAN silver award, which recognises our focus on gender equality. Athena SWAN promotes representation, progression and success for all. It focuses specifically on the advancement of women's careers across higher education in all academic fields. The charter also promotes and recognises work that supports transgender staff and students.

GeogSoc is our active student society that organises social and academic events throughout the year, including extra-curricular trips, formal and informal get-togethers. You will also have a student mentor to help you make the transition to university.

The Department is based in a custom-designed building with specialised research facilities. These include laboratories and dedicated instrumentation.

You'll have access to superb controlled environment facilities, including a large area of experimental polytunnels and glasshouses. There are also extensive opportunities for field work at the University's experimental farms.

Find out more about our facilities

The University of Reading is ranked 1st in the UK for environmental and ethical performance (People and Planet University League 2023/24). You will study on our parkland campus at Whiteknights, which has been voted among the best and most popular green spaces in the UK for 13 consecutive years in the Green Flag awards. We treat our campus as a laboratory; both staff and students make the most of their immediate surroundings for field work.