human geography coursework ideas

75+ A-Level Geography Investigation NEA Ideas

In A-Level by Think Student Editor January 5, 2021 Leave a Comment

A-Level coursework is one of the most interesting and stressful parts of an A-Level course: you finally get to have control over what you research and write about…but where do you start? An NEA or Independent Investigation is completely your own research report. Besides all the formatting questions, the first challenge you have to overcome is figuring out what question to research. Where do you begin? How do you filter out all your ideas into just one question?

Don’t worry if you don’t have an idea for your NEA straight away – I definitely didn’t! This article is here to give you some inspiration for the subject for your A-Level Geography NEA.

What is an A-Level Geography NEA?

A-Level Geography NEA is the coursework part of Geography A-Level . It’s a compulsory part of the A-Level, meaning that it’s graded against a set of assessment objectives, like your exams. For your NEA coursework, you choose your own question based on either physical or human geography .

Physical geography NEA ideas could relate to the coast, glaciers, or other areas of the environment. Typically, NEA questions will relate to a topic you’ve studied as part of the exam portion of your A-Level, but they don’t have to be.

Human geography NEA ideas could relate to urban areas, migration, or globalisation and other human development areas. Most of the time, they’ll be focused on your local area , but it doesn’t have to be if you feel like you’d be too restricted!

Linked here are the guidelines for A-Level Geography NEA for all four UK exam boards: AQA , OCR , Pearson Edexcel , and WJEC Eduqas .

What does an A-Level Geography NEA look like?

The exam boards, and your school, allow you to compile your research findings however you like . You can include graphs, charts, photos, in any colour or order you want.

However, there will probably be some rough guidelines, as an NEA is expected to be formatted like a typical research paper . Graphs, charts, and photos should be labelled, and you should use a sensible font and letter size.

The Royal Geographical Society has a student guide to completing an NEA, linked here .

How long is an A-Level Geography NEA?

Generally, there is no official cap on the word count for an NEA report, but most exam boards and schools suggest 3000-4000 words. 2000 words is generally thought to be too little, and anything above 6,000 words is considered too much.

The reason for an official cap on an NEA word count is that everyone’s research is unique, and you’ll have different things to say than other people, which may take more or less words.

My A-Level Geography NEA was 5,000 words, so even though it was a little over the recommended word limit, it was still allowed. When writing your NEA, try and keep your sentences clear and concise.

How much of A-Level Geography is an NEA worth?

For the four UK exam boards, an A-Level Geography NEA is worth 20% of your A-Level. This may not seem like a lot relative to the amount of work you’ll put into an NEA, but it’s worth more than you might think. It essentially replaces one exam.

It’s also worth it for the experience, as many of the formatting and writing techniques you pick up during an NEA can be taken into higher education.

This Think Student article has a list of the most respected A-Level subjects, of which A-Level Geography is a part!

What makes a good A-Level Geography NEA idea?

An NEA is a very individual experience, and what makes an idea “good” is also quite personal . It’s a good idea to pick a question based on something you’re actually interested in, because your enthusiasm will show through your work and boost your investigation that much more.

“Good” NEA ideas are usually the ones that allow you to use several different data sets . This means you aren’t just collecting one type of data, and you have to use different data presentations and a wide range of analysis.

Similarly, your NEA idea should be broad enough to explore a few different ideas, but also be focused in one particular area , e.g. coastal management. NEA ideas are usually either a topic from physical geography or human geography, but it can sometimes be a mix of both.

A-Level Geography NEA ideas

Below is a list of ideas for your A-Level Geography NEA, split into physical and human geography. These are just ideas to get you thinking about what you want to write about – your NEA title needs to be formatted as a question.

I hope these ideas have given you inspiration. Good luck writing your NEA!

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The Ultimate AP Human Geography Study Guide

Advanced Placement (AP)

In your AP Human Geography class, you'll learn about the dynamics of societies around the world in economic, social, political, and environmental contexts. This course focuses a lot on ideas and models, along with terminology that defines the ways in which we've chosen to inhabit and change our surroundings.

This AP Human Geography study guide is designed to guide you through all the big concepts covered in the course , with an emphasis on cumulative preparation for the AP exam.

How to Use This AP Human Geography Study Guide

This guide will help you review for assessments in your AP Human Geography class by providing links to practice resources and tips on effective study strategies. I'll also give advice that's specific to preparing for the final AP exam.

In the first section, I'll detail a step-by-step process you can follow to create and execute a customized study plan for the test. This process includes taking a diagnostic test, evaluating your weaknesses, studying the content areas you struggled with the most, and taking additional practice tests to check your progress.

To follow up the study plan, I'll list a few key study tips to remember as you revisit the course content and take practice exams. I'll also give you notes for each topic area that you can use to study for in-class tests and review for the AP exam.

Having all this information in one place will hopefully make studying for AP Human Geography much less stressful!

4-Step Study Plan for AP Human Geography

In this section, I'll go through the steps of a basic study plan for the AP Human Geography exam. Most of the principles will also apply to your studying for tests throughout the class, but full practice tests are only important when directly preparing for the final exam .

You can use shorter topic-specific quizzes to diagnose your weaknesses in different units of the Human Geography course earlier in the school year.

For planning purposes, here's the estimated time required for each step below:

• Step 1: 2.5 hours
• Step 2: 1 hour
• Step 3: 2 hours
• Step 4: 2.5 hours

It should take approximately eight hours to study for the AP Human Geography exam. Of course, you can always extend the time you spend reviewing content if you're rusty on a bunch of different topics or just want to be extra thorough.

Step 1: Take and Score a Full Practice Test

The first step is to take a full AP Human Geography practice test so you can get a better idea of your current score level . When you take the test, time it to the specifications of the real exam so you'll be able to tell if you have any issues with time management.

Keep in mind that on the test, you only have an hour to answer 60 multiple-choice questions ; this comes out to a minute per question. To be on the safe side, though, try to get your time down to around 45 seconds per question. The only way to get used to this pace is to take practice tests under realistic conditions.

While there are no official practice tests available, we've collected some of the best unofficial ones in our guide .

As you take the practice test, circle or make note of any questions for which you feel anything less than totally confident in your answer . Even if you end up getting these questions right, you should reexamine the content later in your review to increase your comfort level with the material.

When you're done, score your test so you can see where you fall in the AP range. You can use this online calculator for a decent score estimation based on how many raw points you earned.

Then, set a goal for improvement , and decide how many hours you'll need to put into your prep.

If you have a couple of months, you should be able to put in 20+ hours of study time. This will be an appropriate amount of studying if you're hoping to improve by more than one AP point.

If you only need to improve by one AP point or are just looking to raise your score within the same range, you might be able to wait until the month before the test to start the rest of the process. In total, you shouldn't need to study for more than 10-20 hours.

Step 2: Go Through Your Mistakes

If you decide to begin the rest of this process now, go through your mistakes on the Human Geography practice test and categorize them . This is how you'll decide which content and skill areas to focus on in your review.

There's no point in studying concepts and terms you've already mastered. If you want to see real improvements, this is the most important stage of the study process. You can't fix your mistakes unless you know what they are first!

Step 3: Study Appropriate Content

After you finish analyzing your mistakes, start looking at notes that correspond to the areas where you had the most trouble on the test . Make sure you're fully absorbing the information as you read.

In this case, flashcards might be useful because there are so many terms to remember for AP Human Geography. If you found the free-response questions especially challenging, practice a few more of those before you move on to the next step.

You can also use some of the sites I'll link to later in this article to review specific topics with short multiple-choice quizzes.

Step 4: Take a Second Full Practice Test

When you feel that you've fully addressed all your mistakes on the first practice test, you can take a second test to see whether your scores have improved . Compare your new score to the goal you set in the first step, and decide whether you want to go through the study process again or are happy with your current score.

If you're satisfied, you can take a break and just do a bit of light review up until the test.

If you haven't improved, reevaluate how you conducted this process and make some changes to your strategy in the next round. Were you in an environment that was too distracting? Did you skim over your notes without really absorbing them? Are you just generally a bit rusty? These are the kinds of things that can cause your progress to stall.

AP Human Geography: 3 Essential Study Tips

Below are a few of the most valuable strategies to keep in mind as you go through your study plan to prepare for the AP Human Geography exam. These tips should also be helpful for your prep for smaller assessments throughout the school year in your AP class.

#1: Know Your Regions

To get full credit for most free-response questions, you'll have to provide specific examples to support your answers . This means being able to identify the characteristics of world regions in terms of their various cultures, demographics, and physical environments.

You'll see a map of the major regions covered by AP Human Geography in the content section of this guide along with a list of seven units. You should be able to locate each region and identify the relationship it has with each of the seven topic areas .

#2: Memorize Terminology

While knowing your way around a map is important, much of AP Human Geography is about your knowledge of terminology. I highly recommend making flashcards or using online flashcards in your prep (I'll put a link to some of these in the upcoming content section!).

Many multiple-choice questions are essentially just asking for definitions, and some free-response questions begin by asking you to define a term that the rest of the question addresses in more depth.

Even if it's not this direct, knowing your way around the language of the field of human geography will make it far easier for you to understand questions without relying on shaky assumptions or inferences.

#3: Pay Attention to Important Models and Theories

Human Geography is mostly considered a humanities subject, but there are some scientific elements to it. These show up in the form of demographic models that are introduced throughout the course.

It's important to know how to read models and understand what they represent. You should also know how they connect to major theories in human geography and what those theories say about the development of society.

I'll give you a link to a comprehensive list of models and theories at the end of the next section.

Skylar, how many times do I have to explain homophones to you? YOU'RE. NOT. HELPING.

AP Human Geography Topics and Notes

AP Human Geography covers seven major topic areas, or units. In this section, I'll list each of them followed by notes that cover relevant subtopics. You can use these notes in the content review stage of your final study process and throughout the year as you review for in-class tests.

You might find these notes (from CourseNotes) difficult to get through because they're written in such a way that it's hard to pick out key concepts. There are a lot of long paragraphs with no bolding of important terms. If you find these notes borderline incomprehensible, you should try getting a review book that puts all the content in clearer terms . I think Cracking the AP Human Geography Exam is a good starting point.

As a precursor to the notes, here's a map of all the world regions that are discussed throughout the course. You'll need to consider how these topics apply differently to varying locations around the globe:

Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

• Geography and Human Geography

Unit 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes

• The Earth as Humanity's Home
• Fundamentals of Population: Location, Distribution, and Density
• Processes and Cycles of Population Change
• Where and Why People Move

Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes

• Cultures, Environments, and Regions
• A Geography of Languages
• Diffusion of Languages
• Modern Language Mosaics
• Origins and Distribution of Religions
• Religion: Location, Diffusion, and Cultural Landscape
• Religion, Culture, and Conflict

Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes

• Political Culture and the Evolving State
• State Organization and National Power
• Multinationalism on the Map
• The Changing Global Political Landscape

Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

• Livelihoods of Rural Peoples
• Rural Settlement Forms
• Commercial Agriculture
• Global Disparities in Nutrition and Health

Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes

• Civilization and Urbanization
• Urbanization and Location
• Urban Pattern and Structure
• The Changing Nature of the Civic Experience

Unit 7: Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes

• Industrial Activity and Geographic Location
• Resources and Regions: The Global Distribution of Industry
• Concepts of Development
• From Deindustrialization to Globalization

Because terms are so important on this exam, I also recommend checking out this full list of all vocab covered by the course (provided by Quizlet) so you can review all the vocab you'll need to know in one place.

In addition, take a look at this overview of the different human geography theories and models .

When lots of humans get together to form an urban community, they can't help but color on everything. What an adorable species.

Top Resources for Your AP Human Geography Review

Below are some resources you can use to test your knowledge of AP Human Geography content and take practice tests and quizzes.

Official Course and Exam Descriptions

Although there are no official AP Human Geography practice tests available, the College Board has released plenty of sample practice questions you can use in your prep through its free Course and Exam Description (CED) PDFs.

The current CED for 2020 , which has been fully updated for the new test format , contains 15 multiple-choice questions and two free-response questions, as well as a scoring guide.

There's also the 2015 Human Geography CED , which has 23 multiple-choice questions and six free-response questions you can practice with. Just be aware that this guide is not aligned with the new format of the AP exam.

Official Free-Response Questions and Scoring Guides

In addition to Course and Exam Descriptions, the College Board maintains a huge archive of free-response questions that have been asked on the AP Human Geography exam since 2001 . We recommend using these after you've practiced with the sample FRQs in the 2020 Course and Exam Description (see above resource).

Most of these FRQs also come with scoring guidelines and sample student responses so you can get a better sense of how to earn full points on them.

AP Classroom

AP Classroom is a new creation by the College Board that allows AP teachers to keep track of their students' progress through a virtual classroom. Here, teachers can test students' skills by sending them AP Human Geography practice questions on a regular basis.

Highly Rated Review Books

AP Human Geography review books are useful resources that provide access to additional practice questions and tests. They often include diagnostic tests that will help you determine your weak areas accurately and with less legwork on your part.

Especially in a subject like Human Geography that can be a little elusive, books will help you figure out exactly what you need to study and how you should study it.

Some solid review books for this exam include the following:

• The Princeton Review's Cracking the AP Human Geography Exam, Premium 2022 Edition
• Barron's AP Human Geography, Eighth Edition
• REA's AP Human Geography Crash Course

Sporcle Geography Quizzes

As I mentioned in the tips section, it's important to know your world regions for AP Human Geography so you can back up your answers with specific examples .

You don't need to be a complete expert on where every country is located, but these quizzes are both fun and educational, so I recommend checking them out (warning: super addictive!).

• Countries of the World
• Countries of Asia
• Countries of Europe
• Countries of Africa
• Countries of South America
• Countries of North America

Varsity Tutors Diagnostic Tests

Famed test-prep company Varsity Tutors offers four diagnostic tests for AP Human Geography, each with 75 multiple-choice questions . (Be aware that the current test format only consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, so you can skip 15 of these in your practice.)

The tests have automatic scoring, and each is given a preliminary difficulty level rating. There are also tons of mini-quizzes listed by concept if you want to practice topic-specific questions, as well as flashcards that will help you learn all the course terminology .

Albert Practice Questions

Albert offers quizzes on every AP Human Geography topic, with questions categorized by topic and unit. Quizzes here range in length from just three to as many as 62 questions , and the website keeps a running tally of how many questions you've answered correctly. You'll need to pay for an account to access most of the materials, however.

Chapter Quizzes for Human Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities

If you select a chapter of this book on the left-hand navigation bar, you can scroll down and click on a link for a multiple-choice quiz. These quizzes are helpful review materials, even if your class isn't using this particular textbook.

Recap: Using This AP Human Geography Study Guide

This AP Human Geography study guide has covered a review plan for the AP test, tips for success in studying throughout the year, and a list of all the topics covered in the AP Human Geography curriculum and on the exam.

The steps in a successful AP Human Geography study plan should look something like this:

• Step 1: Take and score a practice test
• Step 2: Go through your mistakes
• Step 3: Study appropriate content
• Step 4: Take a second practice test

Again, you can go through this process multiple times if you don't get the results you want in the first round. Just pay close attention to whether or not you're improving. If not, make changes to amp up the effectiveness of your content review.

Some study tips to keep in mind as you study for the AP Human Geography test and any in-class assessments include the following:

• Know your world regions
• Memorize terminology
• Pay attention to major geographic models and theories

After you're clear on the fundamentals of how to study, you can use the notes and prep resources in the second half of this article to prepare for unit quizzes, midterms, and the final AP exam.

What's Next?

Thinking about self-studying for this AP course—or other AP courses? Find out more about whether AP self-study is right for you and which AP classes are the most manageable options .

If you're still planning out your schedule for the future , check out our guide on which other history classes you should take after AP Human Geography.

You might also be interested in these articles that discuss AP credit policies at colleges and which classes you should take in high school based on your college goals.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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AP Human Geography

AP Human Geography introduces high school students to college-level introductory human geography or cultural geography. The content is presented thematically rather than regionally and is organized around the discipline’s main subfields: economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. The approach is spatial and problem-oriented. Case studies are drawn from all world regions, with an emphasis on understanding the world in which we live today. Historical information serves to enrich the analysis of the impacts of phenomena such as globalization, colonialism, and human–environment relationships on places, regions, cultural landscapes, and patterns of interaction. Students also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications.

Major Topics and Concepts

• Concepts and Processes:  Analyze geographic theories, approaches, concepts, processes, or models in theoretical and applied contexts.
• Spatial Relationships:  Analyze geographic patterns, relationships, and outcomes in applied contexts.
• Data Analysis:  Analyze and interpret quantitative geographic data represented in maps, tables, charts, graphs, satellite images, and infographics.
• Source Analysis:  Analyze and interpret qualitative geographic information represented in maps, images (e.g., satellite, photographs, cartoons), and landscapes.
• Scale Analysis:  Analyze geographic theories, approaches, concepts, processes, and models across geographic scales to explain spatial relationships.

Course Materials

AP Course & Exam Registration Requirements

College Board requires students to register for AP exams no later than November 13th (individual schools may set earlier deadlines).

All VLACS AP students are required to enroll in the “course only” section in My AP.  Instructions for joining My AP will be posted on each VLACS course page and instructors are available to help with this process.

Students who plan to take the corresponding AP exam must arrange to take the exam at a local school that administers it. To register for an AP Exam, the local school will enroll the student in an “exam only” section in My AP.  Students should follow these steps:

• Search for a local test site through this resource of contact AP Services for Students at 888-225-5427 [email protected] . That office can give you contact information for local AP coordinators who may be willing to test outside students. Students are then responsible for contacting coordinators on that list to see if one can arrange to test for you. You should do this no later than October 2nd. Note that schools may have their own local deadlines for receiving requests from outside students to test at their school so we recommend doing this as soon as possible
• The AP coordinator who agrees to assist you must provide a join code for an “exam only” section in My AP. You’ll use the join code to join the section so that the AP coordinator can order your exam.

Please note that, if a school allows a student to register after the 11/13 deadline, there will be a $40 late exam fee. There will also be a $40 canceled/unused exam fee if a student registers and then cancels his/her exam or if the student does not show up on test day.

More information is available on the College Board’s website: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/

Competencies

Geographic concepts.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of geographic concepts by summarizing methods of geographic data collection, explaining scales of analysis, and differentiating geographic regions.

Population and Migration

Students will demonstrate an understanding of population and migration by explaining methods used to calculate population density, summarizing the impact of population density, analyzing factors impacting population, and explaining geographic effects of migration.

Cultural Patterns and Processes

Students will demonstrate an understanding of cultural patterns and processes by analyzing the components of culture, explaining cultural landscapes, explaining types of diffusion, and summarizing the relationship between religion and human geography.

Political Patterns and Processes

Students will demonstrate an understanding of political patterns and processes by describing political entities, explaining political boundaries used by geographers, and summarizing the influence that events have on political structures.

Agricultural Practices

Students will demonstrate an understanding of agricultural practices by describing the impact of economic forces, explaining the Von Thunen Model, summarizing the impact of technology, and analyzing environmental consequences.

Urban Land Use

Students will demonstrate an understanding of urban land use by describing the internal structure of cities, explaining design initiatives, describing patterns of residential land use, and analyzing processes that drive urbanization and suburbanization.

Industrial and Economic Development

Students will demonstrate an understanding of industrial and economic development by summarizing the impact of the industrial revolution, explaining spatial patterns of industrial production, and summarizing the consequences of economic changes.

• Credits 1.5
• Estimated Completion Time 36 weeks

Completion of a high school English and social studies course.

Per College Board policy, students must be in high school to enroll in AP courses

• Notes This course meets World History graduation requirements. NH Scholar - Social Studies/Social Science

Related Courses

AP Macroeconomics

AP Microeconomics

Social Problems 1

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AP Human Geography – Expert Complete Guide

• Last modified 2023-10-18
• Published on 2023-10-17

1. What is AP Human Geography about?

At its core, AP Human Geography is the study of how human beings interact with their surroundings, communities, and the world at large. By studying Human Geography, students will be able to understand and apply geographical information from a wide variety of sources and mediums, analyze trends and patterns, and recognize spatial relationships using geographic scales.

AP Human Geography is equivalent to an introductory college-level course in human geography. The exam content includes questions about geographic concepts, and in-depth analysis of maps, geospatial data, infographics, and more.

As a high-level course, AP Human Geography has two main components: content and skills. As with any course, AP Human Geography will teach course content that is relevant to the topic. However, the content may be much more in-depth and dense than other high school courses. In addition, memorizing content is only part of this class. Students will also be developing essential skills in Human Geography that will support their understanding of course materials and guide students toward achieving the true course goals of global citizenship and environmental stewardship.

For AP Human Geography, there are 5 skill categories that the course aims to develop:

• Concepts and Processes: Learning to utilize geographical concepts and processes both theoretically and practically. 
• Spatial Relationships: Learning to understand and find the Big Picture implications. of applied data using patterns and relationships from real data.
• Data Analysis: Learning to analyze qualitative data from different visual sources.
• Source Analysis: Learning to analyze qualitative data from different visual sources.
• Scale Analysis: Learning to use geographical ideas to explain and predict spatial relationships and outcomes.

These skills will be developed by interacting with the course content, which is split into 7 units:

• Thinking Geographically
• Population and Migration Patterns and Processes
• Cultural Patterns and Processes
• Political Patterns and Processes
• Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes
• Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes
• Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes

The first unit acts as an introduction to the course, and prepares students for what to expect in terms of breadth, depth, and work-load during the rest of the class. Consequently, the content from this first unit will be weighted less on the final exam; however, students should still ensure that they understand the content because it is the basis for the rest of the course content. These 7 units will be approached through the lenses of 3 Big Ideas:

• Patterns and Spatial Organization
• Impacts and Interactions
• Spatial Processes and Societal Changes

Whenever you find yourself struggling with understanding a particular concept or how it fits into the bigger picture of the course content, it’s good to come back to these three ideas and determine how they apply to whatever you’re having a hard time with. These ideas are the foundation of the course as a whole, so if you work to understand the content in each of these contexts, you can be confident going into your exam!

2. What is in the AP Human Geography Exam?

The AP Human Geography Exam 2023 is on Tuesday, May 7, 2023 at 8AM in your local time zone. The entire exam is 2 hours and 15 minutes long, although different amounts of time will be allotted to different sections.

The exam includes two sections like almost any other AP exams, with multiple choice and free response questions. Both sections are weighted equally (50%) to determine your final score.

The multiple choice section has 60 questions, and lasts 60 minutes. Your score for this section will be determined based on your correct answers, with more weight put on certain questions. The weight of each question is assessed through the 5 course skills that we mentioned above. Generally, ‘Concepts and Processes’ receives the most weight (25-36%), ‘Spatial Relationships’ receives the second most (16-25%), and the remaining three skills are all weighted between 13-20%. Some questions will be stand-alone, and others will be grouped in related sets divided between quantitative and qualitative sources.

The free response section has 3 questions, and lasts 75 minutes. These questions are similarly weighted based on the 5 skill categories, and additionally follow the same priority levels for each skill category. The first question won’t include any visual stimuli, the second question will have one, and the third question will have two. The purpose of the Free Response section is to demonstrate your holistic knowledge of course content through the skills that you have been developing. These questions may ask you to consider certain concepts or theories in new contexts, or apply them in unexpected ways, so it’s important to look at past or practice exams to get a general idea for what these questions will require.

3. AP Human Geography Exam Score Information

4. how hard is ap human geography.

AP Human Geography is a challenging, yet rewarding class that is equal to a first year human geography course in college. Hence, unlike standard level high school geography courses, AP Human Geography involves much more than just learning to read a map or memorizing location names; students will be expected to engage much more extensively with the material and its deeper implications, focusing on critical thinking and data analysis. For example, some foundational concepts in this discipline are population, migration, and urbanization. However, just understanding these concepts is not enough. In this AP course, students will need to dig deeper to understand the relationships between these concepts, how they’re related to one another, and how they shape human societies.

In addition, analytics is also a more difficult aspect of the subject, since it requires students to utilize the foundational concepts of Human Geography in tandem with practical data to analyze maps, geographic patterns and relationships, interpret data, and explain spatial relationships.

On a more practical side, AP courses require extensively more reading than other high school courses, with many requiring both a textbook and supplementary text. Often, reading between classes can surpass 100 pages, and needs to be read with care to truly understand the material to get the most out of the following lecture. On top of the reading, students will also be expected to study old material and practice for their coming AP exam on top of any other homework for the course. So, the difficulty of this course will most be determined by how much time and energy a student has to dedicate to it.

5. How to study for AP Human Geography?

For a more in-depth guide to studying for AP exams, please read our article Spring Semester AP Study Guide!

Throughout the year, you should take time every week to review old units and concepts to keep them fresh in your memory. You should also prioritize asking peers and teachers for help whenever you have trouble understanding content, as concepts in AP classes stack on one another, and it’s often essential to understand prior material in order to understand later course content. You should also dedicate time to looking at past exams and clarifying anything about the exam requirements and format that you find confusing.

In general:

• Develop a systematic study plan: Since AP Human Geography has a lot of content, you should develop a comprehensive study plan that breaks it down into manageable chunks and topics. You should consider creating a schedule where you highlight specific study goals for each session to help you stay focused. 
• Practice, Practice, practice! Practice is essential for success in any course. You can practice questions from Advanced Placement past AP Human Geography practice test with key , including the latest 2023 exam questions . Aralia also has AP Human Geography preparation courses in all different levels for students. 
• Study with others. To better understand the materials, we recommend you study with classmates, teachers, or online study groups. Study groups will help you clarify ideas and provide different perspectives and insights on topics through discussions. Don’t forget to seek feedback from your teacher or classmates on your practice essays or other written responses! This can also help you to improve your writing skills and address any gaps in your understanding.

A month before the exam:

• Take the full practice test and go through your mistakes. Practice using past exams provided by AP to familiarize yourself with the exam format, such as the types of questions asked and the time limit.
• Review content that you’re less confident with. After receiving the score for your practice exam, review the questions that you didn’t answer correctly. Identify areas and concepts associated with those questions to create a focused study plan to specifically review the areas where you encountered difficulties.
• Take a second full practice test. Once you feel more confident about the areas you are struggling in, take another full-length practice test. This will allow you to assess your progress and work on any remaining areas that require attention.

AP courses can be very challenging and intimidating; however, taking the time to understand what will be expected of you, as well as making a study plan at the start of the year will help you to be successful and confident. AP Human Geography is a unique and valuable opportunity to engage with Geography from a global perspective and gain beneficial skills that will support your academic pursuits for the rest of your life. If you’re considering this course and are interested in the material but intimidated by the requirements, we encourage you to utilize the many resources at your fingertips (everything from you professors and peers to preparatory courses provided by Aralia), and enroll in AP Human Geography with confidence!

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Top 100 Human Geography Research Topics [Revised 2024]

Human geography, a field that examines how humans interact with their environment and each other, offers a vast array of research topics. From economic patterns to cultural dynamics, political landscapes to social disparities, and environmental challenges to technological advancements, human geography encompasses a diverse range of themes that shape our world. In this blog, we’ll delve into some human geography research topics, shedding light on their significance and relevance to our everyday lives.

What Are 10 Examples Of Human Geography?

• Urbanization: The study of the growth and development of cities, including patterns of migration, land use, and urban planning.
• Cultural Landscapes: Analyzing how human culture shapes and is shaped by the physical environment, such as religious sites, historic landmarks, and urban neighborhoods.
• Migration Patterns: Examining the movement of people across regions and countries, including factors driving migration and its impact on demographics and societies.
• Political Boundaries: Understanding the creation, maintenance, and significance of borders between countries, states, and regions, including territorial disputes and geopolitical conflicts.
• Economic Activities: Investigating the spatial distribution of economic activities, such as agriculture, industry, and services, and their impact on local and global economies.
• Population Dynamics: Studying population trends, including birth rates, death rates, and migration flows, and their implications for social, economic, and environmental systems.
• Social Inequality: Exploring spatial patterns of social inequality based on factors such as income, race, gender, and education, and their impact on access to resources and opportunities.
• Environmental Change: Analyzing the interaction between human activities and the natural environment, including climate change, deforestation, and pollution.
• Urbanization: The study of how cities grow and develop, including patterns of migration, land use, and urban planning.
• Globalization: Investigating the interconnectedness of societies and economies on a global scale, including the flow of goods, capital, information, and people across borders.

Top 100 Human Geography Research Topics: Category Wise

Economic geography.

• The impact of urbanization on local economies
• Globalization and its effects on employment patterns
• Economic disparities and regional development
• Innovation clusters and economic growth
• Industrial restructuring in post-industrial cities
• The role of transportation infrastructure in economic development
• Socioeconomic impacts of gentrification
• Foreign direct investment and economic geography
• Informal economies in urban areas
• The geography of poverty and social exclusion

Cultural Geography

• Cultural landscapes and identity formation
• Migration and cultural diversity
• Cultural hybridization in multicultural societies
• Tourism and the commodification of culture
• Indigenous peoples and cultural preservation
• Language diversity and linguistic landscapes
• Religious landscapes and spatial practices
• Food cultures and gastronomic tourism
• Music, art, and cultural expression in urban spaces
• Memory and commemoration in cultural geography

Political Geography

• Geopolitical conflicts and border disputes
• Nationalism and territorial sovereignty
• Political ecology and resource governance
• State formation and territoriality
• Power dynamics in international relations
• Human rights and territoriality
• Secessionist movements and territorial claims
• Geopolitics of natural resources
• Terrorism and political violence
• Diaspora politics and transnationalism

Social Geography

• Gender and space: spatial patterns of inequality
• Urban segregation and socioeconomic disparities
• Health geography: spatial analysis of disease patterns
• Access to healthcare in rural areas
• Social networks and community resilience
• Youth geographies and urban youth cultures
• Aging populations and the geography of elderly care
• Disability studies and accessibility in urban environments
• LGBTQ+ geographies and queer spaces
• Homelessness and housing insecurity

Environmental Geography

• Climate change vulnerability assessment
• Sustainable urban development strategies
• Environmental justice and equity in resource distribution
• Water resources management in arid regions
• Urban heat islands and climate adaptation
• Ecotourism and sustainable tourism development
• Conservation planning and protected areas management
• Renewable energy transitions and spatial planning
• Environmental impacts of industrialization
• Biodiversity conservation in urban areas

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Human Geography

• Spatial analysis of crime patterns
• GIS-based modeling of urban growth
• Mapping food deserts and access to healthy food
• Geospatial analysis of transportation networks
• Remote sensing for land cover change detection
• Participatory GIS and community mapping
• GIS applications in disaster management
• Spatial epidemiology and disease mapping
• GIS-based decision support systems for urban planning
• Digital mapping and the democratization of geographic information

Urban Geography

• The geography of slums and informal settlements
• Gentrification and displacement in urban neighborhoods
• Smart cities and the digital urban revolution
• Urban resilience to climate change and natural disasters
• Transportation equity and accessibility in cities
• Urban green spaces and ecosystem services
• Urban food systems and food security
• Housing affordability and the housing crisis
• Informal economies and street vending
• Urban regeneration and brownfield redevelopment

Rural Geography

• Rural depopulation and demographic change
• Agricultural land use change and rural development
• Rural-urban linkages and commuting patterns
• Rural healthcare access and medical deserts
• Land tenure systems and agrarian reform
• Sustainable agriculture and agroecology
• Rural tourism development and rural livelihoods
• Indigenous land rights and natural resource management
• Rural poverty and social exclusion
• Rural electrification and access to energy

Development Geography

• Global patterns of development and underdevelopment
• Human development indices and quality of life
• Gender mainstreaming in development projects
• Microfinance and poverty alleviation strategies
• Participatory development approaches and community empowerment
• Sustainable development goals (SDGs) and local implementation
• Development-induced displacement and resettlement
• Informal economies and livelihood strategies in developing countries
• Aid effectiveness and the geography of foreign aid
• Global value chains and economic development

Health Geography

• Spatial analysis of disease outbreaks and epidemics
• Access to healthcare services in rural areas
• Environmental health disparities in urban neighborhoods
• Health geography of marginalized populations
• Geographic disparities in healthcare access and outcomes
• Medical tourism and cross-border healthcare
• Mental health geography and spatial inequalities in mental health
• Geographies of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance
• Health impact assessments and public policy
• Climate change and health vulnerability mapping

How To Choose A Project Topic In Human geography?

Choosing a project topic in human geography can be both exciting and challenging. Here are some steps to help you narrow down your options and select a suitable topic:

• Identify Your Interests: Consider your personal interests and passions within the broad field of human geography. Are you fascinated by urbanization, cultural landscapes, political conflicts, environmental sustainability, or social inequalities? Identifying areas that genuinely intrigue you will make the research process more engaging and fulfilling.
• Explore Current Trends and Debates: Stay updated on current trends, debates, and emerging issues in human geography through academic journals, books, news articles, and conferences. Pay attention to topics that are generating significant interest and debate within the field, as these can provide inspiration for your project.
• Consider the Scope and Feasibility: Assess the scope and feasibility of potential project topics. Think about things like whether you can find enough information, if you can get what you need to do your research, and how long it will take to finish your project. Choose a topic that is manageable within the constraints of your research capabilities and timeline.
• Narrow Down Your Focus: Once you have identified broad areas of interest, narrow down your focus to specific research questions or themes. Think about the key issues or challenges you want to explore within your chosen topic area and formulate clear research objectives.
• Consult with Your Advisor or Mentor: Seek guidance from your advisor, mentor, or professors who specialize in human geography. Discuss your interests and potential project topics with them, and solicit their feedback and advice. They can provide valuable insights and help you refine your ideas.
• Consider Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Human geography intersects with various other disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, environmental science, and urban planning. Consider incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives into your project to enrich your analysis and broaden its impact.
• Reflect on Relevance and Impact: Think about why your topic matters and how it could make a difference. Consider its significance in addressing real-world issues, advancing theoretical debates, or contributing to policy discussions. Choose a topic that has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the field of human geography.
• Pilot Research and Preliminary Literature Review: Conduct pilot research and a preliminary literature review to familiarize yourself with existing scholarship and research gaps related to your chosen topic. Identify key theories, methodologies, and empirical studies that will inform your own research.
• Refine Your Research Question: Refine your research question based on your exploratory research and feedback from your advisor. Ensure that your research question is specific, focused, and intellectually stimulating, with clear objectives and hypotheses.
• Stay Flexible and Open-Minded: Keep an open mind and be willing to adapt and refine your project topic as you progress through the research process. Stay flexible and responsive to new insights, unexpected findings, and evolving research trends.

In conclusion, human geography research topics are both fascinating and relevant to our understanding of the world we live in. Human geography helps us understand how people interact with their surroundings. It covers everything from how money moves around to how different cultures shape the land, as well as how politics and the environment affect our lives.

By exploring these research topics in a simple language, we can engage a broader audience and foster a deeper appreciation for the importance of human geography in shaping our past, present, and future.

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