Program Overview

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Department of Geography

The Department of Geography offers various programs, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates.

Undergraduate Program

• The undergraduate program in Geography provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the discipline, including its principles, theories, and methods.
• The program offers several tracks, including:
  • Geography Program
  • Environmental Studies Program
  • International and Global Studies

Graduate Program

• The graduate program in Geography trains students at the highest level to assume leadership roles in research, teaching, and applied work in Human Geography, Human Environment Geography, and Physical Geography.
• The program offers several degree options, including:
  • PhD Program
  • MA/MS Degree

Learning Goals and Assessment

The graduate program in Geography has several learning goals, including:

• Learning Goal 1: Master the existing scholarship in the study of Geography with the goal of using this scholarship in the pursuit of their own research.
• Learning Goal 2: Engage in and conduct original research.
• Learning Goal 3: Prepare to be professionals in careers that require training at the highest level in Geography.

Assessment of graduate student achievement of these goals includes:

• Grades in graduate courses
• Completion of written and oral qualifying examinations
• Review by faculty of student progress
• Placement in positions and careers that require ability and scholarship in this field

Roles of the Graduate Program

The graduate program in Geography plays several roles in helping students achieve these learning goals, including:

• Close advising to assure that students are being prepared in a coherent and academically rigorous fashion
• Effective monitoring of student progress by the faculty advisor, the dissertation committee, and the graduate program director
• Exit surveys completed by students upon graduation
• Evaluations of teaching effectiveness of instructors in graduate courses

PhD Program

The PhD program in Geography trains students to assume leadership roles in research, teaching, and applied work in Human Geography, Human Environment Geography, and Physical Geography.

• The program requires students to:
  • Prepare and defend a PhD dissertation proposal
  • Engage in and conduct original research
  • Complete a PhD dissertation
• Assessment of student achievement includes:
  • Public defense of dissertation
  • Critical reading of dissertation by committee of graduate faculty members and a committee member from outside of the graduate program
  • Achievement of students as evidenced by professional placement, selection for conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and individual grant attainment.

MA/MS Degree

The MA/MS degree in Geography provides students with advanced training in the discipline, including its principles, theories, and methods.

• The program requires students to:
  • Complete a master's thesis or final project
  • Engage in and conduct original research
• Assessment of student achievement includes:
  • Completion of written and oral qualifying examinations
  • Review by faculty of student progress
  • Placement in positions and careers that require ability and scholarship in this field

Curriculum Statement

The graduate program in Geography offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes courses in:

• Human Geography
• Human Environment Geography
• Physical Geography
• Research methods and statistics
• Geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing

Graduate Funding

The graduate program in Geography offers several funding opportunities, including:

• Teaching assistantships
• Research assistantships
• Fellowships
• Grants

Information for Instructors & Teaching Assistants

The graduate program in Geography provides resources and support for instructors and teaching assistants, including:

• Teaching assistant training programs
• Mentorship and advising
• Evaluations of teaching effectiveness

The Graduate Geographers Project (GGP)

The Graduate Geographers Project (GGP) is a program that provides graduate students with opportunities to engage in professional development and networking activities, including:

• Workshops and seminars
• Conference presentations
• Peer-reviewed publications
• Individual grant attainment.