Student testimonials
Undergraduate
Annushka Amar
"The Geography department at King's College London is unique relative to other institutions, as it allows one to either concentrate in depth on physical or human geography or maintain a good balance of both disciplines throughout the three years. With a broad range of exotic, diverse and exciting fieldtrips in the second year and a positive, strong tutorial network system throughout all three years, the department successfully provides a fascinating, challenging and stimulating course."
Shaun Bradford
"The three years I spent at King's undertaking my Geography degree were thoroughly enjoyable. The degree was hugely varied - there are modules for everyone, catering for different interests and providing opportunities to study subjects from Urban Japan right through to Hydrology.
The highlights of the degree for me were the second year fieldtrip to San Francisco and the dissertation in the third year. The fieldtrip was superbly structured by the lecturers, but provided us with total responsibility for the angle of study that was pursued. We focused upon the social inequalities in the transportation netweok of San Francisco, resulting in four of us being interviewed and published in the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the proposed introduction of the congestion charge in the city.
The dissertation followed on from the fieldtrip - where we had total responsibility to study almost anything, and this flexibility and scope allowed me to put the skills I had aquired during the three years into use in the way in which I wanted. The outcome of having a 10,000 word study that was entirely produced by me was immensely satisfying.
Upon completion of the degree I have been surprised by how highly valued the degree is, both the subject and King's itself, in the job market despite the difficulties with the current economic climate. I would recommend this excellent programme to anyone."
Benjamin Butler
"One of the most exciting opportunities offered by the Geography Department at King's is the option to study abroad during the second year of the degree programme. With the potential to expand my social networks outside the UK, live and understand a different culture and better my skill set through studying in a different educational system, I jumped at the chance to study 12 months at the University of California, Berkley.
California is a hotspot, in terms of cultural diversity, ethnicity and in everything considered geographic. For physical geographers, what better place to read a course in seismology that actually stood on the San Andreas Fault itself? For human geographers, the same wow factor potential to study avenues exist as they do for physical geographers. Where better to study the flows and impact of third to first world migration and the impact of NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) than on the Mexican border?
Whilst on exchange, the Geography Department at King's monitor your progress and assign you a tutor with whom contact is maintained to ensure both your life abroad and academic progress continue in a manner that is sustainable. Most importantly, the Geography Department seek to ensure you benefit and take all you can from this experience that few other undergraduates at British universities have the opportunity of taking.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time whilst on exchange, had many wonderful experiences which have served to broaden both my outlook and perspective, and as such, I would recommend to anyone that taking part in a study abroad scheme is well worth the consideration."
PhD
Kathleen Noreisch
"Deciding to do a PhD in Geography at King's is definitely not a decision I will regret. Having done the MA in Cities, Culture and Social Change at King's, I knew that the Geography department provided a friendly and supportive atmosphere for postgraduates, which was exactly what I was looking for. The Cities group has gone from strength to strength since I arrived with more and more academics and PhD students joining the department. The varying research interests of the academics in the department combined with the reality of living in a bustling metropolis provides constant inspiration. Supervision, infrastructure and IT support have been excellent, although the most valuable part of being at King's has to be the moral and intellectual support afforded by close contact to other PhD students through the sharing of offices in the department. Doing a PhD can be a lonely experience but my time at King's has shown that in the right environment, this doesn’t have to be the case!"
Jennie Middleton
"I am now in my third and final year of PhD research in the Geography Department at King’s. My research is on the ‘Walkable City’ and is a mixed method approach investigating pedestrian movement in London. Throughout my time at King’s I have been involved with the Cities research group in the Department. The support from staff and students within this group, via formal and informal discussions, has been invaluable to the development of my PhD. I strongly believe that this large network of related research interests that produces such lively, vibrant discussions is something that is very unique to the Geography Department at King’s. Each term several high profile speakers from both other academic institutions and the policy arena take part in the Cities Seminar Series, which again presents invaluable opportunities for productive dialogue. The Department also has strong international links and I was fortunate to recently take part in a staff and student travelling seminar series in Scandinavia; a fantastic experience! However, perhaps the most positive aspect of my time in the Geography Department at King’s is the thriving PhD community that makes it anything but the isolating experience you so often hear about."
Ben Clifford
"I am in my third year of being a PhD student in the Department of Geography and would recommend it to anyone. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. In addition to the supportive and rigorous academic environment, the department also enjoys a good physical and social environment. The department occupies a great building overlooking the River Thames with the West End on your doorstep and there are fantastic facilities in place to support PhD students. What’s more, the friendly and relaxed atmosphere is really nice, and regular social events help feel like you really fit in here. And academically, the department’s research groups, like the Cities Group, take great effort to involve students in seminars and their intellectual life, which I’ve found really helpful. Overall I would not hesitate in recommending the department and the College as a great base for anyone looking to do a PhD in Geography."
Matthew Blackett
"Having decided I wanted to complete a PhD my next decision was where to do it. I decided on the Department of Geography at KCL for two reasons: I wanted to study in central London and I wanted to be part of a department and College with an internationally renown reputation for being at the cutting edge of scientific research. The Geography Department at KCL satisfied both these criteria. The department has an unparalleled record of research both in the human- and physical-geography fields with a network of international research projects spanning the globe. In addition to being a highly regarded research institution, the department also has an active social scene with research groups regularly meeting in an informal setting and with department-wide activities commonly being organised. Since starting here in 2004, I have not only learned many new things as part of my research work, but I have also enjoyed working in the department. I am certain I made the right decision to come here to complete my research."