Program Overview

Overview of the Geography PhD Program

The graduate program in the Department of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder aims to train scholars and professionals to produce and disseminate knowledge and make outstanding contributions in the public and private sectors.

Requirements

Prerequisites

• All entering graduate students are required to possess knowledge of basic geography, which can be acquired through various means, including formal courses, auditing, self-study, or other methods.
• This knowledge enables students to perform at the expected level in the PhD program's required core classes.

General Requirements

• The PhD degree requires demonstration of proficiency in a broad subject of learning, critical evaluation of work in the field, ability to work independently, and an original contribution to the advancement of knowledge.
• Minimum requirements include 30 credit hours of coursework (numbered 5000 or above) and 30 credit hours of dissertation.
• Ordinarily, the number of coursework hours and dissertation hours will exceed 30 each.
• At least 20 hours must be taken at the University of Colorado, with up to 10 credit hours transferable from another institution upon approval.
• A 3.00 (B) average or higher must be maintained in all coursework.
• Six semesters of residence are required, with four semesters at the University of Colorado.
• Students with a University of Colorado master's degree in geography may apply all credit hours from 5000-level courses or above (except thesis credits) to the PhD requirements with department approval.

Language Requirement

• The department's minimum language requirement is a demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language.
• Methods of satisfying this requirement are determined by the student's Advisory Committee and may include timed translation, publication in the language, and/or coursework.
• If more than the minimum proficiency is needed for library and/or field research, the choice and number of languages, as well as the required level of skill and methods of testing these skills, are determined and approved by the student's Advisory Committee.
• The language requirement must be satisfied before the comprehensive exam is taken.

Preliminary Exam

• The Graduate School requires all students in the doctoral program to pass a preliminary exam.
• In geography, this requirement is met by obtaining a grade of B or better in each of the three required courses:
  • GEOG 5152: History and Theory of Geography (3 credit hours)
  • GEOG 5161: Research Design in Geography (3 credit hours)
  • GEOG 5023: Advanced Quantitative Methods for Spatial Data (4 credit hours) or GEOG 5722: Field Methods in Human Geography

Comprehensive Exams

• Following successful completion of the preliminary exam, doctoral students must pass a comprehensive exam for advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
• The comprehensive exam consists of two parts:
  1. An exam on three subfields of geography with written and oral components.
  2. Completion of a written dissertation proposal and oral defense.
• The student and their Advisory Committee set the subfield topics, create a reading list for each subfield, and evaluate the written and oral responses, as well as the proposal defense.

Dissertation

• In addition to the minimum 30 hours of coursework, a student must register for a total of at least 30 hours of dissertation credit, with a maximum of 10 hours in any one semester.
• Coursework and work on the dissertation may proceed concurrently throughout the PhD program, but at no time shall a doctoral student register for more than 15 hours of 5000-level courses and above.
• Following successful completion of comprehensives and admission to candidacy, students must register continuously, with a minimum of five dissertation hours each semester.
• Students may also register for classes in addition to the five dissertation hours.

Learning Outcomes

By the completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a familiarity with the history of core foundational knowledge and familiarity with core theoretical frameworks utilized within the discipline.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge and the appropriate application of qualitative and quantitative methods specific to the student’s area of research.
• Demonstrate, in both written and oral formats, a thorough understanding of three subjects relevant to their dissertation, based on questions provided by their advisory committee.
• Develop a research proposal that demonstrates their ability to develop high-quality research based on novel research questions coupled with the application of appropriate methodologies.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate their research, in both written and oral forms, to the academic community.