Program Overview

Introduction to the New Mexico Doctoral Program in Geography

The New Mexico Doctoral Program in Geography is a collaborative effort between the Geography faculty at New Mexico State University and The University of New Mexico. This unique program offers students a chance to study in New Mexico's diverse landscapes and provides access to faculty and institutional resources on both campuses.

Program Overview

The program is designed to build both theoretical and applied knowledge in geography, enabling students to pursue a wide range of career pathways. It focuses on environmental change, dryland resource management, complex cultural landscapes, and the methods needed to understand them. Students will learn qualitative and quantitative research methods and how to use them in combination to create a mixed-methods approach to geographic research.

Program Structure

• The program is administered jointly by the two universities, with students residing in either Las Cruces (for NMSU) or Albuquerque (for UNM).
• Students will take classes on either campus, whether remotely or in-person, and will travel to both campuses and experience field trips to other locations during the first-year sequence of core courses.
• Each student develops an individualized program of study in consultation with their dissertation committee, with individual requirements based on existing expertise and future career goals.
• Students will work with faculty advisors to develop a dissertation research project within the program's three specialty areas, using appropriate research methodologies.

Research Areas

The program's main regional foci are:

• New Mexico and the broader Southwest region
• The Mexico-U.S. borderlands
• Latin America The two geography departments have complementary strengths, with the NMSU faculty specializing in applied geographic research and teaching, and the UNM department specializing in basic research.

Program Requirements

• At least 48 credit hours of graduate coursework
• At least 18 credit hours of graduate coursework after completion of the Master's degree
• At least 24 credit hours of graduate coursework at the home university
• At least 18 credit hours of graduate coursework in UNM or NMSU courses numbered 500 or above
• At least 18 hours of dissertation credits, which are in addition to other coursework requirements
• At least three hours of graduate credit in the semester in which the comprehensive examination is taken
• At least one hour of graduate credit in the semester in which they complete degree requirements There are three formal course requirements for all students: Geog 601, GEOG 602, and GEOG 603.

Conclusion

The New Mexico Doctoral Program in Geography is a unique and innovative program that offers students a chance to study geography in a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment. With its focus on environmental change, dryland resource management, and complex cultural landscapes, this program provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a wide range of career pathways in geography.