Admission Requirements
For admission to graduate study for the M.A. and M.S. degrees, a student normally should have completed the minimum preparation for an undergraduate major in Geography or related discipline with a 3.00 grade point average in all work. Students with majors in other fields are encouraged to apply.
In addition to the general University admission requirements for advanced degrees the student must provide letters of recommendation from three faculty members of colleges previously attended.
Students for whom English is a second language must present a score of at least 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with their application for admission.
Requirements
Areas of primary concentration are urban geography, physical geography, resource management, culture, environment and society, GIS, and cartography. The M.A. and M.S. degrees are in part designed to meet the needs of students preparing for careers in research or administration in government and industry, urban and regional planning, and in secondary education and community college teaching. The M.A. and M.S. degrees also provide a predoctoral program in geography for students planning to take advanced work leading to professional careers in university teaching, research, or public service. Students are encouraged to follow a program that combines breadth of knowledge with depth in one field of interest.
The student will plan a program of study with their adviser during the first term of residence (the first term after admission to the program). The program of study must include a minimum of 45 graduate credits for thesis students and 54 graduate credits for non-thesis students. Of these, a minimum of 30 graduate credits must be in geography for the thesis option, to include 6-9 credits of Geog 503 (Thesis); a minimum of 34 graduate credits must be in geography for the non-thesis option, including 3 credits of Geog 501 Research. Both thesis and non-thesis programs must include the following: Geog 521, Geog 522, and Geog 523.
Students seeking the M.A. degree must demonstrate their competence in the use of a foreign language for geographic research; those preparing for an M.S. degree must show proficiency in advanced skills in geography or an equivalent research technique (8 credits of Techniques/Skills coursework).
Students in the M.A. program must complete a thesis. Those in the M.S. program may choose between thesis and non-thesis options. The thesis option requires the presentation of the student’s independent research into a topic approved by the student’s graduate committee. It normally involves field work and is an original contribution to knowledge in the field of geography. A final oral examination by the student’s committee includes a thesis defense.
Candidates electing the non-thesis option must register for 3 credits of Geog 501 to work closely with their advisor on writing a paper, which must be approved by their advisor and two additional readers from the Geography faculty. A final oral presentation of the paper is required for completion of the degree. All graduate students must attend the Academic Area's speaker series.
The School follows the University requirement for minimum and continuous enrollment.