RGS recognition for undergraduate provision

Cardiff University’s School of Geography and Planning secures prestigious Royal Geographical Society (RGS) accreditation.

The School’s BSc Geography (Human) programme has been officially recognised by the RGS, the learned society and professional body for geography. This means that the programme has been assessed in line with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) subject benchmark statement for geography.

Accreditation formally acknowledges that the BSc Geography (Human) programme is an example of good practice in geography learning and teaching and that the ‘knowledge, skills and other attributes expected of high-quality geography graduates are being delivered’.

As a result of this latest accreditation, the School now holds accreditation for all of its undergraduate programmes, with the BSc Geography (Human) and Planning recognised by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the BSc Urban Planning and Development recognised by the RTPI and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Responding to the news, Professor Jon Anderson, Director of Teaching and Learning at the School of Geography and Planning, said: “We are proud to have achieved accreditation from the RGS following a rigorous peer review assessment and that all of our undergraduate provision is now endorsed by the UK’s leading learned societies or professional associations. This further increases students’ access to dynamic professional networks of practitioners, academics and policymakers.”

He added: “We are very proud of this achievement, which demonstrates that the content, delivery and learning outcomes of our degree programmes will help current and prospective students thrive in a competitive jobs market, and make an invaluable contribution to the fields of geography and planning. They will also be empowered to make a positive and transformative change to people, places and environments around the world.”

Head of School, Professor Paul Milbourne, said: “This is excellent news, and a testament to the hard work, creativity, expertise and passion of our staff – academic and professional services – who strive to deliver the very best educational and pastoral experience for our students. I would particularly like to recognise the efforts of Jon Anderson, both in coordinating the accreditation process on behalf of the School and in developing our teaching and learning provision.”

The RGS peer review panel, which conducted the assessment of the School’s content and delivery, was made up of academics and professional geographers working in public and private sectors.

The School of Geography and Planning will host the RGS Annual Conference this summer (28-31 August 2018). Chaired by Professor Paul Milbourne, the theme of the conference is 'Geographical landscapes / changing landscapes of geography'.

Watch Professor Milbourne discuss what delegates can expect from this year’s conference.