Overview
Our world is incredibly complex, encompassing oceans, rainforests, mountains and deserts – it's no wonder humankind is fascinated by the planet we inhabit. In this engaging online geography A-level course, you'll delve into both physical and human geography, looking at humanity's relationship with the Earth and our ongoing efforts to live sustainably.
In this A-level Geography course, you'll get to explore the systems of different landscapes, from dry deserts to coastal systems and dynamic glaciers! This will lead you to discover the hazards the natural environment faces when ecosystems are under stress and the implications of developing urban environments and globalisation. Highly prized by employers and universities alike, A-level Geography will teach you critical research, analysis and data presentation skills.
What you'll learn
In unit one of A-level Geography, you’ll begin by studying the drainage basin system and the discharge relationships between drainage basins. You’ll study the main types of river processes – erosion, transportation and deposition – and where they operate, as well as gain an understanding of the characteristics and patterns of river flow. Moving on, you’ll look at the human impact on the hydrological cycle, including flooding and understand methods of prediction, prevention, mitigation and management.
In unit two, you’ll investigate the vertical structure of the atmosphere and its role as a heat engine and gain an understanding of the diurnal spatial and temporal variations in energy budgets. Moving on, you’ll look at the global energy budget and the global pattern of pressure and wind caused by temperature variations. You’ll also examine phase change, the relationship between actual air temperature and the temperature of rising air and much more!
In unit three of CAIE A-level Geography, you’ll start by looking at plate tectonics, investigating the different types of plate boundaries along with the processes and landforms associated with them. Moving on, you’ll delve into chemical weathering processes, gaining an appreciation of the biological agents involved and the factors that can influence it. You’ll also study rocks and weathering, gaining insight into how human activity can significantly impact slope processes.
Moving on to human geography, this section will focus on population. You’ll examine the factors that can cause population increase and decrease and contrasting population structures. You’ll study demographic transition, along with population-resource relationships. Lastly, you’ll look at the management of natural population increase and the difficulties and strategies involved.
In this unit of your online Geography course, you’ll study the concept of migration and the factors that can influence migratory patterns. You’ll look at the different forms migration can take, such as rural-urban migration, counter-urbanisation and intra-urban migration. Next, you’ll delve into international migration, including the reasons that this occurs at a collective and individual level. You’ll also understand the reasons for the growth and decline of rural settlements.
To begin unit six, you’ll look at tropical climates and their unique characteristics, including weather patterns such as monsoons. You’ll study tropical ecosystems, the food chains that can exist within them, as well as nutrient cycling and vegetation. Next, you’ll investigate tropical landforms, the processes of tropical weathering and the effect this has on landforms of granite and limestone in the tropics. Finally, you’ll examine the sustainable management of tropical environments, the issues that can impact this and the strategies employed at a national and international level.
Unit seven will focus on hazardous environments, beginning with the geographical disasters that can occur due to tectonic plate shifting, such as earthquakes. Next, you’ll look at the hazards caused by mass movement caused either by natural processes or human activity. Moving on, you’ll examine how atmospheric disturbances can also cause hazards, such as cyclones or tornadoes. Finally, you’ll investigate sustainable management in hazardous environments, with a focus on case studies.
In unit eight, you’ll begin by taking a look at agricultural systems and the social, economic and political factors that can impact food production. You’ll examine the management of agricultural change through case studies and investigate the factors affecting the location of manufacturing, as well as the impact this has on related service industries.
The final unit will focus on global trade and the factors that can affect it, such as resource endowment and locational advantage. You’ll study the role of the World Trade Organisation and evaluate the impact that importing and exporting has on individual nations. You’ll also examine international debt and aid and how these issues are tackled by the international community as a whole. Moving on, you’ll look at the impact that tourism has on local and national economies, focusing on case studies which explain how tourism destinations are managed.
Extra info
Awarding Body
Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) is the world’s largest provider of A-level courses and GCSE courses, qualifications and exams, delivering assessments to over 8 million learners in over 170 countries.
Recognised through UCAS
This course carries UCAS points. This means that it can be used to gain direct access to University courses and other Higher Education, through the UCAS system.
Course Outcome
Upon successfully completing this home learning course, you will receive the qualification: A-level Geography, issued by Cambridge International. Your certificate is identical to that issued to students at any other school, college or university.
This syllabus (9696) has been chosen by Oxbridge because it is best suited to distance learning.
How is this course assessed or examined?
You can enrol now for A-level Geography examinations from Summer 2023.
You'll be required to complete four standard A-level Geography written exams:
- Paper 1: 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% of A-level, 60 marks
- Paper 2: 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% of A-level, 60 marks
- Paper 3: 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% of A-level, 60 marks
- Paper 4: 1 hour 30 minutes, 25 of A-level, 60 marks
These exams contain a mixture of short and long answer questions and extended response questions.
Entry requirements
A GCSE or equivalent in Geography is recommended for this course. This Geography A-level syllabus is a difficulty level three: the equivalent difficulty of an A-level or BTEC, which is usually suitable for most learners of all ages.
