A Level Geography

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

You will have two years to complete your A Level Geography course. If you want to fast-track, the course can be completed in under a year.

The only deadlines involved in studying this course are concerning the A Level exam timetables. Please see the exams and assessments section for more information on this.

To achieve your A Level Geography qualification, you must complete the exams, fieldwork and coursework required. There are three written exams for this course which will cover the topics studied on this course. A breakdown of the exam papers can be found in the following section.

When you enrol on your course, you will have the option to add your exams to your enrolment, or you can select the course-only option.

Fieldwork

As part of this course, you must undertake fieldwork that meets the minimum requirement of four days. You can choose to add this on with us as part of the exams and fieldwork package. The fieldwork will be based on a range of habitats in Lincolnshire. Once you have completed your fieldwork, you must complete a written report that is 3,000-4,000 words long based on your fieldwork.

Choosing to add the exams and fieldwork package

You will need to contact our team to find out the exact dates for the fieldwork. Fieldwork and exams must be completed in the same year.

If you choose to add your exams and fieldwork to your enrolment, all you need to do is contact us when you are ready to complete your fieldwork and sit your exams, and we will book and pay for them on your behalf. Please note that the A Level exam timetable typically takes place during May and June each year. You are advised to contact us well in advance of when you intend to complete your fieldwork and exams so that we can confirm your place with the exam board (cut-off dates apply).

Please note, our A Level exam centre locations for this course are as follows:

• Doncaster
• Bolton
• Mitcham
• Taunton
• St Neots, Cambridgeshire
• High Wycombe
• Romford

As mentioned above, your fieldwork will take place in Lincolnshire, so you must be able to travel to complete your fieldwork.

The course-only option

If you do not add your exams and fieldwork to your enrolment, you will be responsible for booking and paying for your assessments yourself. If you select this option, you must source and liaise with your chosen exam centre in order to book your exams and fieldwork, Open Study College will not be able to book your exams for you. In this instance, you are advised to contact Pearson Edexcel exam centres well in advance of their intended exam dates, as cut-off dates sometimes change.

This course will be studied entirely via distance learning, meaning you will complete your learning either from home or a place that suits you. Full tutor support will be available via email, so if you have any questions or need some guidance, your tutor will be here to help. Your course materials will include a series of self-assessment exercises and tutor-marked questions to allow both yourself and your tutor to monitor your progress.

The study method you choose depends on your personal learning style. Your options are:

• Study pack: if you choose the study pack option, you will be sent a set of printed course materials.
• Study online: if you choose this option, you will be sent your login details to our online portal through which you will access your course materials digitally. You can access your course via a desktop/laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Upon successful completion of your exams, you will be awarded an A Level Geography qualification issued by Edexcel. You will also receive UCAS points relevant to the grade you achieved to support your university application.

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.

The final grade you achieve in your A Level will be translated into UCAS points. Based on your grade, you will be awarded up to 56 points per A Level which can then be added together to reach the UCAS points you need to be accepted by your chosen university.

To help you achieve the best possible grade from home, we recommend that you complete the tutor-marked assessments included in your course materials. These are designed to provide you with detailed feedback to help you fine-tune your technique before you sit your exam. Completing your tutor-marked assessments will also help your tutor to provide you with a predicted grade if this is required for your UCAS application.

To find out more about Open Study College, the A Levels we offer and how they work, download our A Level prospectus.