Master's degree in Geography
The Geography Program offers three options for the M.S. degree: General Geography, GIS & Cartography, and Community and Environmental Planning. Additionally, all of these options may be completed using one of three tracks: the thesis, professional paper, or non-thesis (portfolio) track.
CREDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR M.S. THESIS OR PROFESSIONAL PAPER OPTION:
The specific courses (program of study) that a graduate student enrolls in will be tailored to each individual, based on their academic background, professional interests, and the focus of their thesis work.聽聽However, the minimum requirements for the M.S. Degree include:
- 30 graduate semester credits beyond the Bachelor鈥檚 degree.
- At least 20 of the total credits must be taken within the major discipline.聽
- At least 20 of the total credits must be in coursework and at least half of the coursework credits (minimum 10 credits) must be at the 500 level or above.聽 Courses below the 400 level do not count towards the M.S. course requirements.
- Up to 10 of the 30 credits may be taken as research and/or thesis.
- Enroll in one credit of graduate seminar per year.聽 (Requirement may be waived by faculty advisor in favor of a different course/seminar if there is a time conflict.)
- Complete a research methods course related to their field of study, and at least one course in graduate level statistics (or comparable analytical course) at the university.聽
In addition to these specific requirements, a list of required/suggested coursework must be approved by the committee no later than the second semester in residence, but earlier if possible.聽 Other suitable courses (e.g., emphasizing analytical skills) can be substituted at the discretion of the student鈥檚 committee.
CREDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR M.S. NON-THESIS OPTION:
The non-thesis option must be approved by a student advisor and is generally decided on before the student is accepted into the program.聽 The minimum requirements for this option are:
- 36 graduate semester credits beyond the Bachelor鈥檚 degree.聽 (Thesis credits cannot be counted towards the 36 total required credits under this option.)
- At least 32 credits of coursework (not including research credits), with at least half of the coursework credits at the 500-level or above.聽 400-level courses used to fulfill this requirement must include a鈥淕raduate Increment鈥.
- A maximum of 4 credits of research.
- At least 20 credits (including coursework and research credits) must be within the major discipline.
- Enroll in one credit of graduate seminar per year.聽 (Requirement may be waived by faculty advisor in favor of a different course/seminar if there is a time conflict.)
- Students whose work requires any assessment of quantitative data should take at least one course (or
series of courses) in graduate-level statistics (or comparable analytical course).
In addition to these specific requirements, a list of required/suggested coursework must be approved by the committee no later than the second semester in residence, but earlier if possible.聽 Other suitable courses (e.g., emphasizing analytical skills) can be substituted at the discretion of the student鈥檚 committee.
Cartography & GIS Concentration: 34 credits are required for the thesis and professional paper tracks; 40 credits are required for the non-thesis track.
Community & Environmental Planning Concentration: 33 credits are required for the thesis and professional paper tracks; 39 credits are required for the non-thesis track.
M.S. Geography Degree with No Concentration
The M.S. Geography degree with no Concentration offers the most flexibility and is appropriate for students who are focused on human or physical geography as well as those who have interests in human-environment interactions, climate change, land-use and environmental planning, community resilience, cartography, GIS, and geospatial analysis. In the general Geography Master's degree, students may tailor their program to their individual interests once they complete the core requirements.
For specific core requirements for the degree, please visit the the page of the graduate catalog.
M.S. Geography Degree with a Concentration in Cartography and GIS
The M.S. degree in Geography with an Concentration in Cartography and GIS is appropriate for those whose work is focused on spatial mapping and analysis. Beyond the core requirements specified for the general Geography M.S., an additional 16 credits are required. Remaining credits will be selected in consultation with the graduate committee to support the research program and student's career goals.
For specific core requirements for the degree, please visit the the page of the graduate catalog.
M.S. Degree in Geography with a Concentration in Community and Environmental Planning
The M.S. degree in Geography with an Concentration in Community and Environmental Planning is appropriate for those interested in working in community planning, hazard mitigation, and land-use planning. Beyond the core requirements specified for the General MS (10 credits), an additional 23 credits are required. Remaining credits will be selected in consultation with the graduate committee to support the research program and student's career goals.
For specific core requirements for the degree, please visit the the page of the graduate catalog.
M.S. Geography Degree Requirements for All Options
For the M.S. Geography degree (in any option), students are required to complete one of the following
tracks:
- Thesis track: Successfully complete and defend a thesis or one or more papers (i.e., articles) of publishable quality before an examining committee.
- Professional Paper track: Successfully complete and defend a professional paper or one or more papers (i.e., articles) of publishable quality before an examining committee. The difference between a thesis and a professional paper is that while the thesis is directed toward advances in the discipline, the professional paper may be directed toward advances in the profession. A professional paper may also consist of one or more papers of publishable quality intended for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
- Non-thesis (Portfolio) track: Requires the successful completion of a portfolio and written and oral comprehensive examinations described in the addendum of the "PDF of Graduate Degree Requirements" downloadable through the link above.