Degree Requirements
The Master of Arts degree in Geography requires either 24 hours of approved graduate work in geography or related disciplines and six semester hours of thesis for a total of 30 semester hours (for a thesis degree), or 36 hours of approved graduate work for a non-thesis Master’s degree.
The thesis option requires the successful completion of two courses: GEOG 8000 - History and Philosophy of Geography and GEOG 8700 - Research Methods. The non-thesis option also requires GEOG 8026 - Quantitative Analysis in Geography in addition to GEOG 8000 and GEOG 8700. Students are expected to attend General Seminar. The remainder of the program consists of courses scheduled by the student with the approval of the Graduate Program Committee. One course in each of the following areas of geography is also required: Geographic Methods and Techniques, Human Geography and Physical Geography. At least one-half of all course work must be graduate only "0"-level courses. Procedures for examinations and theses are outlined in the Geography Graduate Student Handbook.
To earn a graduate minor in geography, a student must earn grades of at least "B" in three graduate level geography courses. One of these must be GEOG 8000, History and Philosophy of Geography.
Four graduate concentrations in Geography are available in:
Geospatial Database Concentration
The concentration allows students in geography to develop skills in databases and that would complement their education in geographic information systems. It would better prepare them for employment in the area or for further studies. The initial non-credit course would allow students in geography to understand the fundamentals of databases to complete the other graduate courses in ISQA. Database administration and Database Management represent the core database courses. The electives allow students to develop a particular expertise in a related area.
Required Courses in Geography
GEOG 8056 Geographic Information Systems I
GEOG 8666 Geographic Information Systems II
Required depending on previous experience:
ISQA 8050 Data Organization and Storage (non-credit course) – Offered Fall/Spring
Required Courses in ISQA:
ISQA 8306 Database Administration - Fall
ISQA 8410 Database Management - Spring
One elective from the following:
ISQA 8310 Data Communications - Fall/Spring
ISQA 8380 Managing the Distributed Computing Environment - Fall/Summer
ISQA 8736 Decision Support Systems
ISQA 8525 Graphical User Interface Design
Human Geography
The geography graduate program recognizes a concentration in the area of human geography. This shall consist of a minimum of nine graduate hours in human geography courses, to be completed with a grade of "B" or better, to include:
Required Course:
GEOG 8000 History and Philosophy of GeographySelect two additional courses from this list:
GEOG 8500 Special Topics in Geography*
GEOG 8650 Land Use
GEOG 8130 Economic Geography
GEOG 8800 Internship in Env/Reg Planning
GEOG 8126 Urban Geography
GEOG 8156 Geography Gender and Work
GEOG 8210 Seminar in Cultural Geography
GEOG 8906 Urbanization of Developing Areas
Physical/Environmental Geography
The geography graduate program recognizes a graduate concentration in the area of physical/environmental geography. This shall consist of a minimum of nine graduate hours in physical /environmental geography courses, to be completed with a grade of "B" or better. To include:
Select three courses from this list:
GEOG 8580 Soils
GEOG 8500 Special Topics in Geography*
GEOG 8016 Conservation of natural Resources
GEOG 8106 Biogeography
GEOG 8266 Process Geomorphology
GEOG 8326 Climatology
GEOG 8336 Soil Genesis, Morphology and Classification
GEOG 8346 Water Resources
Geographic Information Science and Technology
The geography graduate program recognizes a graduate concentration in the area of geographic information science and technology. This shall consist of a minimum of nine graduate hours geographic information science and technology courses, to be completed with a grade of "B" or better. To include:
GEOG 8670 Advanced Cartography
GEOG 8630 Advanced Remote Sensing
GEOG 8500 Special Topics in Geography*
*courses offered through GEOG 8500 will be submitted for inclusion in a concentration accompanied by a letter from the student's adviser or from the graduate program chair with the course title and specifying the concentration to which it applies.