department of geography phd requirements

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PhD in Geography

Phd in geography, university of north carolina at charlotte.

Now accepting applications for Fall 2024

GRE requirement waived for 2024 Admissions

The priority deadline for funding consideration is February 15th, 2024

The PhD in Geography is our department’s core doctoral program reflecting the multi-disciplinary research and teaching expertise of our exceptional and award-winning faculty. Graduate students engage in coursework from within and across three areas of focus: Urban and Regional Analysis, Earth and Environmental Systems, and Geographic Information Science. A broad range of elective courses build upon shared training in the theoretical and methodological foundations of Geography, advanced research approaches (quantitative and/or qualitative) and spatial technologies and analysis. Independent research follows yielding a dissertation that advances knowledge in Geography and its related disciplines.

Doctoral students in Geography at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are members of a student-centered, well-resourced and collegial department comprised of social, physical and applied scientists. As many as half of our PhD students are supported through competitive Graduate Assistantships or Fellowships and our students are frequent recipients of the university’s most prestigious scholarships and national awards. Currently, the program’s Graduate Assistantships include a 9-month stipend of $21,000 plus tuition and health care support through a Graduate School GASP Award.

Our commitment to professional development translates into student involvement in faculty-led research and outreach teams; summer field work grants; financial support to present at national and international conferences; and preparation for teaching and research excellence both pre and post-graduation. Doctoral students in the program have established a tradition of engagement and leadership in the department, across campus, and within national and international professional associations such as the American Association of Geographers and its regional and specialty groups.

The program is structured to be completed within 4 years and our graduates find professional success across the occupational spectrum – as tenure-track professors, international researchers, community planners, analysts with local to national scale governments, post-doctoral fellows, applied scientists, spatial entrepreneurs, private sector consultants and more.

We are now accepting applications for Fall 2024 Admission. Applications received before February 15, 2024 will be given priority consideration for available assistantship and fellowship funding.

Please note that our program will continue to waive the GRE requirement for applicants seeking admission for Spring and Fall 2024. If applicants wish to submit GRE scores they may still do so and those will be considered in the review process.

Admission and requirements? Please refer to UNC Charlotte Graduate Catalog

Ready to apply? Please refer to UNC Charlotte Graduate School Admissions

Questions? Please contact program director Dr. Isabelle Nilsson [email protected]

Resources for PhD in Geography Program

• PhD GEOG Students
• PhD GEOG Course Listing
• PhD GEOG Proposed Plan of Study Form
• PhD GEOG Milestone Checklist
• PhD GEOG and GURA Dissertations
• Typical Timeline for UNC Charlotte Doctoral Programs
• Fellowships, Awards and Competitions

Alumni Dr. Paul McDaniel and students Tonderai Mushipe and Jaeho Ko connect at Race, Ethnicity and Place (REP) conference in Austin, TX, Fall 2018.

Publications by our PhD Geography Students and Recent Alumni (and their faculty co-authors)

• J. Claire Schuch & Tonderai Mushipe . 2021. “Light Rail and Neighborhood Change: Comparative Perspectives of Residents, Local Media, and Other Stakeholders” Housing Policy Debate , https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2021.1949371
• Elizabeth Delmelle, Isabelle Nilsson & Providence Adu . 2021. “Poverty Suburbanization, Job Accessibility, and Employment Outcomes” Social Inclusion , DOI: 10.17645/si.v9i2.3735
• Brisa U. de Hernandez, J. Claire Schuch , Janni Sorensen & Heather A. Smith. 2021. “Sustaining CBPR Projects: Lessons Learned Developing Latina Community Groups.” Collaborations: A Journal of Community-based Research and Practice , DOI: http://doi.org/10.33596/coll.69
• Paul H. Jung & Jun Song. 2021. “Multivariate Neighborhood Trajectory Analysis: An Exploration of the Functional Data Analysis Approach” Geographical Analysis , https://doi.org/10.1111/gean.12298
• Yu Lan , Michael R. Desjardins , Alexander Hohl & Eric Delmell e. 2021. “Geovisualization of COVID-19: State of the Art and Opportunities” Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization , DOI: 10.3138/cart-2020-0027
• Maryam Khabazi & Isabelle Nilsson. 2021. “Connecting people with jobs: Light rail’s impact on Commuting patterns” Travel Behaviour and Society , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2021.03.003
• Claudio Owusu , G ary S.Silverman , David S.Vinson, Rajib Paul , Kathleen M. Baker & Eric M. Delmelle. 2021. “Predicting coliform presence in private wells as a function of well characteristics, parcel size and leachfield soil rating” Science of the Total Environment , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143701
• Daidai Shen , Jean-Claude Thill & Jiuwen Sun. 2021. “The determinants of city population in China” Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science . https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-020-00170-8
• Minrui Zheng , Wenwu Tang, Akinwumi Ogundiran & Jianxin Yang. 2020. “Spatial Simulation Modeling of Settlement Distribution Driven by Random Forest: Consideration of Landscape Visibility” Sustainability , https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114748

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – Geography

Program overview.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is founded primarily upon specialized advanced training and research. Students normally specialize in a single sub-disciplinary area and are expected to engage in research leading to a dissertation that makes an original and significant contribution to geographic knowledge and ideas. Formal requirements include: completion of departmental course requirements, a skills package, and a minor. Students must also pass two qualifying exams (one general and one specific), defend a dissertation proposal, and write and defend a dissertation. The dissertation should make a significant and original contribution to geographic research. Incoming Ph.D. students should already have earned a Master’s degree and must provide evidence of the successful completion of the Master’s degree to the Graduate Director by the end of the first semester in residence. Degree requirements for the PhD-Geography are detailed here. Please note that significant requirement changes went into effect for students beginning the program in Fall 2014.

• Prospective Students
• Major Requirements
• Application Information
• Tuition and Financial Aid
• Current M.S. Students
• Advisor and Committee
• Grad Student Handbook
• Becoming a Dissertator
• Finishing Your Doctorate

If you are interested in the PhD-Geography degree program, we recommend that you explore the department website, including faculty and student webpages, to learn more about UW-Madison Geography before you apply. Feel free to contact the Graduate Program Director by email ([email protected]) or phone (608-262-3861) for additional information. Be sure to tell us about how your interests intersect with ours and ask any questions you may have about the program. You’ll learn the most about program logistics and funding from the Grad Director; you’ll learn the most about academic content from your interactions with faculty and students.

If you’re interested in arranging a visit, contact the Graduate Program Director. We’re happy to meet with you while you’re here, arrange for departmental tours and answer any questions you may have. We encourage you to work independently to set up meetings with faculty and students, but are happy to assist in making those arrangements.

Each spring, once admissions and funding decisions are made, the department makes special arrangements for admitted applicants to visit in late March or early April. Ask our Graduate Program Director about these visit opportunities.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is widely regarded as one of the best public universities in the country, and the Geography Department is considered strong, not only on campus, but also within the discipline.

Geography is broad and we welcome students with different backgrounds into our graduate programs. We have found that students from different backgrounds do very well in our graduate programs once they have completed breadth requirements in geography.

Prospective graduate students who have thought about the details of their graduate study, such as the names of individual faculty members with whom they might want to work, courses they might take, and research that they might pursue, are often at an advantage over students who have not given these matters any thought.

The University has special funds for fellowships for U.S. students from minority groups and we encourage such individuals to apply to our program. Applications from international students are also welcome.

GPA Requirement

Minimum grade point average (GPA) for admission required by the Graduate School is 3.00 (4.00 scale). Because of strong competition within the Geography Department, our standards are somewhat higher. Applicants with less than a 3.25 GPA should have particularly impressive letters of recommendation; other types of excellence may also help a student who lacks a high GPA.

Application Deadline

December 15 Please note – this program does not admit in the spring and summer.

GRE(Graduate Record Examinations)

Not required

English Proficiency Test

Proficiency with the English language is vital to functioning in the University classroom. Students whose native language is other than English need to submit the TOEFL scores along with the application. The TOEFL score for students admitted into this department is much higher than that required by the Graduate School, typically over 615 (paper based test), 260 (computer-based test), or 105 (iTOEFL). An international student whose native language is not English but wishes to be considered for teaching assistantships will need to have taken the speaking part of the TOEFL test and have the score reported on the application. See the UW Graduate School Policy on English language proficiency  as well as university policies related to TA spoken English proficiency.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Face to face

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Credit Requirement – 51 credits

Minimum Residence Credit Requirement – 32 credits

Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement – Half of degree coursework (26 credits out of 51 total credits) must be completed graduate-level coursework; courses with the Graduate Level Coursework attribute are identified and searchable in the university’s Course Guide.

Overall Graduate GPA Requirement – 3.00 GPA required.

Assessments and Examinations – Students must pass a general exam covering one of the breadth areas and a specific exam devised and graded by individual’s committee. Student must orally defend dissertation proposal before a thesis committee.

Language Requirements – Competence in a non-English language can be used to fulfill skills requirement.

Doctoral Minor/Breadth Requirements – All doctoral students are required to complete a minor. Students who choose to complete the Culture, History and Environment doctoral minor can use no more than one Geography course for the minor and that course must be outside of the student’s primary subarea of study

REQUIRED COURSES

Breadth Requirements Students must complete the equivalent of one undergraduate-level course in each subarea (Physical Geography, Human Geography, People-Environment Geography, Cartography/GIS). One course taken for breadth can also be used to fulfill degree requirements. Typically, these courses are not seminars. Most students complete this coursework for breadth requirements prior to entering the program. Students who begin the program lacking one or more of the breadth courses are expected to complete such coursework by the end of the 2nd semester in the Ph.D. program.

Coursework GEOG 765 Geographical Inquiry and Analysis: An Introduction (1 cr); two (3 cr) geography seminars with two different faculty members (cannot use seminars completed as M.S. student); skills coursework (6 credits of intermediate or advanced courses)—any coursework completed as a graduate student can be used. Competence in non-English language OR quantitative and/or qualitative skills.

Before Applying:

• Read the program overview. • Visit our faculty webpage to identify potential shared research interests and contact faculty to discuss your interests. • Make a visit to UW-Madison, if possible. (You are welcome to contact our Graduate Program Director if you want to visit.)

Online Application:

• Complete the Graduate School online application .

• You must have, or be in process of completing, a Master’s degree to apply directly to the Ph.D. program. (The degree does not have to be in Geography.) Students with a Bachelor’s degree who plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Geography should apply to the MS-Geography or MS-Cartography/GIS (Thesis Option) and indicate their intent to continue to the Ph.D. in their statement of purpose and by checking the appropriate box on the application form.

Required Documents:

• Letters of Recommendation are submitted online by your references. Each recommender will receive an electronic invitation to submit a letter on the applicant’s behalf. You can check to see if your recommendations have been submitted in the online application status system.
• Effective Fall Semester, 2020, the Department of Geography at UW-Madison no longer requires (nor considers) the GRE for admission to all Geography and Cartography/GIS MS and PhD programs. 
• TOEFL/IELTS scores are required of all applicants whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English. TOEFL scores are sent electronically from ETS. Use ETS institution code 1846
• It is extremely important to clearly identify your topical or methodological interest within the field of geography. If you know your research topic, please state it in the document. Also see the graduate school’s guidelines on preparing a statement of purpose .
• Unofficial copies of these documents should be uploaded electronically as PDFs directly into the online application. Please include the issuing institution in the file name of each transcript you upload.(e.g., UWMadisonTranscr.pdf). Official transcripts or academic records from each institution attended will be requested from applicants who are recommended for admission. Please do NOT send official documents until requested.
• International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by an official English translation. Documents must be issued by the school with the official seal/stamp and an official signature .
• Complete the supplemental application form to indicate your primary and secondary area of interest within Geography. This form is contained within the online application for MS-Geography and PhD-Geography applicants.
• Upload a CV/resume . Please include your name in the file name of the document.
• Application fee paid to the Graduate School ($75) – Note that an additional fee is required of international applicants due to the additional processing required.

Students in the PhD. program are eligible for Federal Student Aid.

To apply for financial aid, please visit the  FAFSA Website  and complete the online registration. When applying for aid you will need the  University of Wisconsin – Madison Institution Code: 003895 .

For more information about Federal Student Aid, please visit the  UW Office of Student Financial Aid .

Further funding information is available from the Graduate School at .

Master’s students who intend to continue on to the Ph.D. program must apply to the Graduate Admissions Committee by January 5 in the second year of their master’s program by submitting the following materials to the Graduate Program Director/Graduate Studies Committee:

• statement of interest indicating plans for the Ph.D. • letter of support from current (MS) advisor • letter of support from prospective PhD advisor (if different)

The Graduate Admissions Committee will evaluate these internal applications in the Spring (typically in February) along with all other applications to decide which of these internal applicants will be admitted to the Ph.D. program.

With admission, students who entered the program with a multi-year funding guarantee will receive the remaining three years of support. Students who entered the program without a multi-year funding guarantee can be admitted into the PhD program with or without 3 years of financial support.

Receipt of guaranteed Ph.D. funding is conditional on successful completion of M.S. requirements (including defense of thesis). If the student fails to complete M.S. requirements by the end of the twelfth week of their fifth M.S. semester, the student’s guaranteed support from the department will be deferred. Guaranteed support will not resume until the academic-year semester that follows the academic-year semester when M.S. requirements are met prior to its twelfth week. Any university support provided to the student during the lapse period will count against contract duration.

If circumstances beyond the control of the student prevent the student from meeting the deadline, an appeal may be made to the Graduate Studies Committee to use one semester of the financial aid allotment from the Ph.D. program to complete the M.S. requirements. In their appeal, the student must clearly explain the circumstances that prevented completion in two years.

The chair (or co-chair) of a doctoral student’s Dissertation Committee is the student’s Advisor. This individual must be UW-Madison graduate faculty in Geography or affiliated with Geography. The committee must have at least 4 members, all designated as “readers” (responsible for reading the entire dissertation). The committee must have members from at least 2 University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate programs. Three members must be UW-Madison graduate faculty (or former graduate faculty up to one year after resignation/retirement). At least 2 members must be from UW-Madison Geography or affiliated with UW-Madison Geography. At least one committee member must be from outside the major field of study. The fourth member and any additional members can be UW-Madison graduate faculty (or former graduate faculty up to one year after resignation/retirement) or qualified individuals from within or outside UW-Madison. Inclusion of committee members who are not UW-Madison graduate faculty must be approved by the student’s Advisor. Students can add a 5th committee member, who can serve as “non-reader” (not responsible for reading the entire dissertation, able to provide input on specific areas of expertise).

See Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Graduate Study Applications Process.

For more information about admission or the application process, please contact the Graduate Program Director by email ([email protected]) or at (608) 262-3861.

The Geography grad handbook is updated every year with faculty changes and any policy changes implemented by the Program or the Graduate School. Students are held to the terms of the handbook that is in effect when they matriculate, unless changes in University or Graduate School policy require otherwise.

Please note – this handbook is associated with the  MS-Geography, MS-Cartography/GIS (Thesis Option), and PhD-Geography programs . Please visit the GIS Professional Program website for the handbook associated with the professional programs.

• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 21-22.0 – published September 2021
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 20-21.0 – published August 2020
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 19-20.0 – published August 2019
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 18-19.0 – published August 2018
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 17-18.0 – published September 2017
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 16-17.1 – published February 2017
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 16-17.0 – published August 2016
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 15-16.0 – published August 2015
• Graduate Student Handbook – Version 14-15.0 published August 2014

Any questions, comments, edits for this handbook should be directed to the Graduate Program Director.

Once you finish your coursework (at least 32 credits’ worth!), including your minor*(9 credits) and your skills (6 credits), and your seminars, you’re well on your way to becoming a Dissertator. To get there, though, you’ll need to jump these additional hurdles:

• The General Qualifying Exam : The general exam tests the candidate’s broad knowledge in the subfield. Its scope and depth are motivated by the faculty’s belief that any student earning a Ph.D. should be able to teach an introductory course in the subfield. It follows, therefore, that students should be able to demonstrate knowledge at the intermediate level in all areas of that subfield. Each subfield (Human, Physical, People-Environment, and Cartography/GIS) conducts these exams differently. It is the student’s responsibility to talk with their dissertation adviser to gain a complete understanding of the nature of these exams and the way they are administered.
• The Specific Qualifying Exam : The specific exam evaluates a candidate’s preparation in their own research areas. This exam is different from the dissertation defense in that the exam is centered around how well the candidate understands the theories, techniques and issues in their own research areas and is administered and graded by the student’s dissertation advisor.
• The Ph.D. dissertation proposal is defended in front of the dissertation committee. This committee is not the same group of faculty who graded the general qualifying exam although some members may serve on both.

Together, the Qualifying Exam + Proposal Defense = Preliminary Exams (known as “prelims”).

Necessary Paperwork – At least 3 weeks prior to your Proposal Defense, see the Graduate Program Director to request a Prelim Warrant from the Graduate School. The signed Warrant is the signal that the Grad School needs to change your status to DISSERTATOR!

Dissertator Status (also known as Ph.D. Candidacy) – Once you’re a Dissertator, you must enroll continuously every fall and spring for 3 credits (no more, no less!). At this point, time begins to matter, as well – you have 5 years to complete your degree or risk re-taking your Preliminary Exams.

* If you plan to pursue a Specific Minor (Option A), you should complete this PHD Minor Agreement Form and have it signed by both your advisor and by the department in which you intend to complete those nine credits. You can learn more about the PhD Minor in the Graduate School Academic Guidelines .

The Graduate School has a very useful webpage that discusses the steps to completing your doctorate, including deadlines, details, and instructions about formatting and finishing your dissertation.

A few notes about these pages:

• Don’t forget to enroll in the semester (fall, spring or summer) in which you intend to complete your degree!
• Don’t forget to request your warrant at least 3 weeks before your defense. Work with the Graduate Program Director to make this request.
• When “department style requirements” are referred to, consult with your advisor or use the AAG format.
• We recommend that you deposit your dissertation electronically. In addition, the Geography Department will require a printed copy and an electronic file of your thesis.

Exit Interview – All graduating students are expected to have an exit interview with the Graduate Program Director. The purpose of the interview is for us to get some feedback from you on the effectiveness of our graduate program.

Thesis Defense – You should plan ahead for the defense to give committee members ample time to read your dissertation. You must check with the Graduate Program Director three weeks before your scheduled defense to be sure that you have all of the official paperwork done (such as requesting the warrant for the defense). See the back of the degree plan form for details.

Please note, these awards, except for the Barbara Bartz Petchenik Award in Cartographic Design, are designated for students in the MS-Geography, MS-Cartography/GIS (Thesis Option), and PhD-Geography programs. Students in the Accelerated Non-Thesis Masters in Cartography/GIS  are eligible to participate in the Petchenik Award competition.

Awards by name:

• Trewartha/Odebolt Conference Travel Awards
• Trewartha Graduate Research Awards
• The Leopold Geomorphology Graduate Research Award
• Whitbeck Graduate Dissertator Awards
• Olmstead Award for Outstanding Publication by a Graduate Student
• Olmstead Award for Outstanding Teaching
• Olmstead Award for Outstanding Citizenship
• Barbara Bartz Petchenik Memorial Graduate Award in Cartographic Design**
• Campus-wide TA awards
• L & S Teaching Fellow

For awards involving travel reimbursement, we recommend you review the campus requirements.

Departmental awards:, trewartha/odebolt conference travel awards (typically ~$500):.

Principle: Intended to support graduate student conference travel. The travel grant may be used for participation in major conferences in any of the subfields of geography. However, not all conferences are qualified. The Graduate Studies Committee will decide on the qualification of conferences for this travel fund and the amount to be awarded per request depending on the costs of attending the conference and the number of people who have applied.

Eligibility: Each Master’s student may receive conference travel support once during their tenure as Master’s student in the department and no more than once each academic year. Each Ph.D. student may receive conference travel support up to 5 times during their tenure as Ph.D. student in the department, but no more than once each academic year.  Activities that qualify for this travel support are: presentation of paper or poster, serving as a judge at paper competition or a panelist/discussant or as chair of a session at the qualified conferences.

Amount and Application Procedure:  Application should be submitted as a single PDF document to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]) and should include title of paper, poster, or session + an abstract as appropriate, an image representative of your work for use in dept news/PR  ( Any raster format or PDF, EPS, or AI ), and an itemized budget (eg, travel, registration, other).

Deadline: Sept 15 and Feb 15

Reimbursement Procedure: Contact the department for information about reimbursement procedures.

Acknowledgement: Recipients should acknowledge the Trewartha / Odebolt fund for this support in their publications/presentations.

Trewartha Graduate Research Awards ( typically ~$400 for M.S. students and ~$600 for Ph.D. students ):

Principle: Trewartha Research Grants are intended to defray costs related to thesis or dissertation research, including research travel to study site, purchases of research experiments and materials, and similar costs.

Eligibility: A Master’s student may receive this support once during their tenure here as a Master’s student. Master’s students should apply during their first year so that the funds can be used for the summer. Ph.D. students may receive this support once during their tenure here as a Ph.D. student.

Amount and Application Procedure: Application should be submitted as a single PDF document to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]) and should include a description of research (not to exceed one page or approximately 500 words), plan as to how this award will directly facilitate the research activities and the completion of the graduate degree, proposed itemized budget, including other pending funding sources that could be used for this research.

Deadline: Oct 15 and March 15

Acknowledgement: Recipients should acknowledge the Trewartha fund for this support in their publications.

The Leopold Geomorphology Graduate Research Award:

Principle: This award is intended to support Ph.D. research work in the area of geomorphology.

Eligibility: Ph.D. students whose Ph.D. work substantially engages with the field of geomorphology are eligible to this support. A Ph.D. student may receive the Whitbeck Dissertator Award (see below) or the Leopold Geomorphology Graduate Research Award once during their tenure in the department.

Application Procedure: Application should be submitted as a single PDF document to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]) and should include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Description of research (not to exceed two pages or approximately 1000 words)
• Plan as to how this award will directly facilitate the research activities and the completion of the Ph.D. degree

A supporting letter from the major advisor should be sent separately by the advisor to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]).

Deadline: March 15

Acknowledgement: Recipients should acknowledge the Leopold fund for this support in their publications.

Whitbeck Graduate Dissertator Awards:

Principle : This award is intended to support dissertators while they are in the final writing stages of the Ph.D.

Eligibility : Ph.D. candidates (ABD) in their final year are eligible for this support. A Ph.D. student may receive a Whitbeck Dissertator Award once during their tenure in the department.

Amount and Application Procedure: Each academic year, a maximum of 2 awards of equal amounts will be awarded.  Application should be submitted as a single PDF document to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]) and should include:

• Description of dissertation (not to exceed two pages or approximately 1000 words)
• Plan as to how this award will directly facilitate the final write up of the dissertation and completion of the Ph.D. degree

Distribution: This award is distributed via the payroll system and, as such, is subject to payroll taxes. Recipients are eligible for health insurance and receive remission of the out-of-state portion of tuition.

Acknowledgement: Recipients should acknowledge the Whitbeck fund for this support in their publications.

Olmstead Award for Outstanding Publication by a Graduate Student ($100 award)

Description: Awarded to a student who has written an outstanding publication, as judged by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Application Procedure: Graduate students are encouraged to submit a publication as nomination for this award.  Papers published or accepted in the prior calendar year. Nominations should include a PDF of the publication as well as a cover letter indicating (a) why the publication (and journal) is significant and of particular merit and (b) the student’s specific contribution (especially if there are multiple authors). Submit materials to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]).

Olmstead Departmental Award for Outstanding Teaching ($100 award)

Description: This award may be given for accomplishment in any aspect of teaching by a graduate student in the department, including:

•   mentorship of others teaching in the department
•   lecturing or classroom acumen
•   conscientious use of pedagogy
•   an articulate teaching philosophy
•   graduate students nominated by the department for other campus teaching awards.

Application Procedure: Nomination letters should include the name of this award and the course(s) in which the individual has taught and should be submitted to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]).

Olmstead Award for Outstanding Citizenship ($100 award)

Description: This award may be given in appreciation of outstanding participation in departmental activities and culture by a graduate student.  Qualifications for nominations may include:

•   vision or effort in representing the student body in departmental committees
•   active involvement in departmental events, such as Yi-Fu Tuan lectures, the recruitment weekend, and social occasions
•   initiative in organizing cultural events and outings related to the department
•   furthering geography’s contribution to the Wisconsin Idea

Application Procedure : Nomination letters should include the name of this award and a description of the contribution for which the student is being recognized and should be submitted to Marguerite Roulet ([email protected]).

Barbara Bartz Petchenik Memorial Graduate Award in Cartographic Design

Description: Given to students for excellence in cartography and map design, including artistic and technical skills. Prizes awarded at both the graduate and undergraduate level (often both 1st and 2nd place cash awards)

Application Procedure: Open to any geography student who made a map in the past year. Submit map(s) to Prof. Rob Roth.

Deadline: early April

Campus-wide TA Awards :

The College of Letters & Science, with additional funding from the Graduate School, takes a leading role in recognizing the critical role of TAs in undergraduate instruction by organizing the campus-wide TA awards, which are distributed at the end of the fall semester.

• Up to five winners in each award category per year
• $500 award funded by the College of Letters & Science and the Graduate School
• Teaching Assistants from all UW-Madison schools and colleges are eligible to apply
• Departments may nominate up to three TAs per year and may distribute those nominations across the award categories as they see fit, but a department or program may nominate an individual TA in only one of the four categories per year.
• Nominees are required to submit a personal statement. Visit the Award FAQ page to read statement guidelines for each award category.

Campus-Wide TA Awards recognize:

Early Excellence in Teaching   – recognizes outstanding and inspirational performance on the part of TAs with fewer than four semesters of teaching experience;

Exceptional Service  – recognizes TAs who, in addition to their regular duties, perform exceptional service related to the educational mission of their department and our university (volunteerism, committee work, mentoring, etc.). Nominations should focus on the service performed outside of the TA’s regular duties, above and beyond what is normally required.

Innovation in Teaching  – recognizes TAs who bring extraordinary creativity to their work and have developed or adapted teaching methods or techniques in new and innovative ways.

Capstone Ph.D. Teaching  – recognizes TAs who have performed as outstanding teachers throughout their UW-Madison tenure. Nominees must be dissertators at the end of their graduate program and planning to defend their dissertations by the end of the school year. Therefore, Teaching Assistants may be nominated only once for the Capstone Ph.D. Teaching Award.

L&S Teaching Fellow  L & S Teaching Fellow

Description: The Teaching Fellow Award is granted to TAs from the College of Letters and Sciences, the College of Ag. And Life Sciences, and the School of Human Ecology who have achieved outstanding success as students and teachers.  Winners of this award are named L&S Fellows and serve as instructors at the L&S TA training session at the start of the fall semester.  Previous award was $1000.

Application Procedure: By Nomination of the faculty in early February

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PhD in Geography

The PhD is a highly individualized degree that emphasizes advanced training and research. Students develop and demonstrate both depth and breadth in geographical inquiry. They gain an understanding of the major epistemological and methodological questions that have shaped the development of geography as a discipline and master a set of research methods that are appropriate to their area of specialization. Students acquire a detailed understanding of a particular sub-field of geography, conduct and disseminate independent research in that sub-field and broaden their backgrounds through study in one or more allied disciplines. The program is intended to lead students into innovative research as demonstrated in research seminars, independent investigations, and the completion of a dissertation. The student's academic performance must be marked by initiative, intellectual integrity, a sense of problem, and critical acumen.

Students can enter the PhD program through two routes:

• after earning a Bachelor’s degree   or
• after earning a Master’s degree

Admission to the PhD is limited to those who have achieved distinction in previous undergraduate and graduate work (a 3.2 GPA on a 4 point scale is a generally accepted criterion) and who have demonstrated the determination and initiative required for doctoral success.

Accelerated PhD Program for students entering with a Bachelor's Degree

Geography phd requirements - university of illinois academic catalog.

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Department of Geography

Geography graduate program at uconn, master's program.

Students take a small number of core courses in research methods and design, and select an area of specialization in consultation with their advisers for the remainder of their course work and research. Potential students are encouraged to review titles of recent M.A. Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations for departmental and faculty interests and specializations.

Candidates for the M.A. in Geography may pursue either Plan A or Plan B:

• The thesis plan requires the completion of 21 credits of course work, 9 credits of research,  and the successful preparation and oral defense of a thesis.
• The non-thesis plan requires the completion of 30 credits of course work, a scholarly research paper, and a comprehensive final examination.

Detailed degree requirements are available in the graduate school catalog .

For additional information please contact the Coordinator of the Graduate Program: Professor Nat Trumbull .

Ph.D. Program

We are particularly proud of our Ph.D. program. The typical completion time is three to five years, depending on preparation, and we have been successful in placing our graduates in tenure-track faculty positions. One reason for the quick completion time and successful placement of our graduates is the close one-to-one relationship we develop between our students and faculty as evidenced by the large number of student publications co-authored with faculty and the large number of small enrollment classes we are able to offer.

Potential students are encouraged to review titles of recent M.A. Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations for departmental and faculty interests and specializations.

The fundamental requirements for the Ph.D. degree are the completion of necessary courses, a Ph.D. examination, a dissertation proposal and defense, and successfully defending a Ph.D. Dissertation. Detailed degree requirements are available in the graduate school catalog .

We strongly advise that students discuss their pending application with a potential Ph.D. adviser from the Department.

The department offers a very competitive funding package, including stipend, tuition, and fringe benefits. The graduate stipends start at over $24,000 for the academic year 2020-21.  More details can be found here:  https://payroll.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2008/2019/04/Graduate-Assistant-Stipends-Fall-2020-Spring-2021.pdf .

Last updated: 09-01-2022

Department of Geography

College of social & behavioral science, main navigation, geography phd.

The PhD is the pinnacle degree in the field of Geography, and provides the advanced training required for careers in research and academia. PhD students develop a research-intensive dissertation in close collaboration with their advisor and committee.  PhD students are eligible to receive teaching and research assistantship funding. These positions are awarded on a competitive basis and include a tuition waiver and subsidized health insurance. A Master's degree is required to enter the PhD program. Advisors may also expect basic proficiencies in statistics, GIS, cartography, writing, and mathematics – consult your prospective advisor to learn more about prerequisites.

Like the   Geography MS, the course requirements for the Geography PhD are designed to be flexible, allowing you to specialize in the area of your interest. All students are required to take GEOG 6000 (Advanced Geographical Data Analysis) and GEOG 6961 (Geographic Thought and Inquiry). Two research courses (e.g. seminars) can be taken from a variety of offerings, and students can fill the remaining elective requirements from courses in Geography or from other departments at the University of Utah.

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The basic purpose of the graduate program in the Department of Geography is to train scholars and professionals to produce and disseminate knowledge and to make outstanding contributions in the public and private sectors.

Students wishing to pursue graduate work in geography leading to candidacy for advanced degrees should read the  Doctoral Degree Requirements  section carefully. Also see university catalog course requirements .

Prerequisites 

The minimum requirement for admission to the Ph.D. program is the successful completion of a Master's (MA or MS) degree program.

Requirements

The Ph.D. degree is not conferred merely upon the satisfactory completion of a course of study. The candidate must also demonstrate proficiency in three broad areas of concentration within your chosen subfield, be able to critically evaluate work in the field, show the ability to work independently in his/her chosen field, and make an original contribution of significance to the advancement of knowledge.

The minimum requirements include  30 credit hours of coursework numbered 5000 or above and 30 dissertation credit hours . Ordinarily the number of coursework hours and dissertation hours will be greater than 30 each. At least 20 hours of coursework must be taken at the University of Colorado; up to 10 credit hours from another institution may be transferred upon approval (after one semester of residency).  A 3.00 (B) average or higher must be maintained in all course work.

Six semesters of residence are required beyond the bachelor’s degree, of which four must be at the University of Colorado; this may include 2 semesters for the Master’s degree.  Students with a University of Colorado MA Degree in Geography may, with Departmental approval, apply all credit hours from 5000 or above courses (except thesis credits) to the Ph.D. requirements.

Ph.D. Language Requirement 

The Department’s minimum language requirement is a demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language. Ways in which this requirement may be satisfied are determined by the student’s Advisor and PhD Committee, and may include timed translation, publication in the language, and/or course work. 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 that all students in the doctoral program successfully 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; GEOG 5161, Research Design in Geography; and GEOG 5023, Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Geography or GEOG 5722, Field Methods in Human Geography. Following completion of the Preliminary Exam requirement, students undertake preparation for Comprehensive Exams. 

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: an exam on three subfields of geography with written and oral components, and completion of a written dissertation proposal and oral defense. Working together, the student and an Advisory Committee of five faculty set the subfield topics. The student creates a reading list for each subfield, and usually spends a semester reading and preparing for the subfields exam. The Advisory Committee sets the subfields exam questions, and evaluates the written and oral responses, as well as the proposal defense. Upon successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam, a student can turn full attention to dissertation research and writing. 

Dissertation

In addition to the minimum of 30 hours of coursework required for the doctorate, 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. Not more than 10 of these hours may be obtained before the student has been approved as a candidate for the doctorate (i.e. before the Comprehensive exam has been passed). Coursework and work on the dissertation may proceed concurrently throughout the Ph.D. program, but at no time shall a doctoral student register for more than 15 hours of 5000 level and above courses. 

Following successful completion of comprehensives and “admission to candidacy,” students must register continuously. Students admitted to “candidacy for degree” will register for and be charged for a minimum of 5 dissertation hours each semester. Students may also register for classes in addition to the 5 dissertation hours. After “admission to candidacy,” those not making use of campus facilities may register for 3 dissertation hours (part-time status). Continuous registration during the academic year will be required until completion of the dissertation defense. It is expected that the student and advisor will consult each semester as to the number of hours for which the student will register, consistent with the classifications described above.

See Theses & Dissertations  for a list of past work.

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geography and Environmental Engineering

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About the PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering Program

A PhD student in the Geography and Environmental Engineering program will explore the current state of knowledge in his or her field. Information and ideas developed by others are critically examined and placed in proper context.

Subject areas are identified that are important to achieving the goals of the discipline, but which have not been explored or developed. The student will propose new research to improve understanding in this key area. A research proposal should then outline, in an orderly and logical manner, how key questions are addressed. While pursuing these research hypotheses, the student must take time to consider alternative explanations for experimental observations, and devise new experiments that critically test assumptions and theories.

The student will learn to state problems clearly and solve them in a reliable and efficient manner. Whatever lines of reasoning one uses, one must be as sure as possible that the conclusions are correct, particularly since there is always some uncertainty in science and engineering. The student must think through their research plans to avoid unproductive activities. Because research involves managing time and resources, the PhD student is receiving excellent preparation for future professional work.

Students have the option to focus their study: Track in Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, and Health (ESRH) .

Doctoral students in the Geography and Environmental Engineering doctoral program have the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with faculty from a wide variety of disciplines, including:

• Air pollution and greenhouse gases
• Energy systems
• Public health
• Water quality
• Economic dimensions of environmental health
• Anthropological dimensions of environmental health

PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering Program Highlights

Fully funded.

Students are guaranteed tuition, health insurance, and stipend coverage for 5 years. 

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Opportunities to work across departments in the Schools of Public Health, Engineering, and more

WRITE AND PUBLISH

Help with academic writing and grant proposals embedded into coursework, with opportunities to learn from published faculty and peers

TEACHING TRAINING

Teaching assistantships, training, and support for learning to teach, and opportunities for paid TA positions as well

What Can You Do With a Graduate Degree in Geography and Environmental Engineering?

• Research or Teaching Faculty
• Research Scientist
• Environmental Engineer (water/wastewater engineer, hydrogeologist, ecologist)
• Data Scientist
• Postdoctoral Research

Curriculum for the PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering

Browse an overview of the requirements for this PhD program in the JHU  Academic Catalogue and explore all course offerings in the Whiting School  Course Directory .

Admissions Requirements

For general admissions requirements, please visit the Graduate Admissions  page.

Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative

The  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI)  is an endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically Black college and university (HBCU) or other minority serving institution (MSI) for undergraduate study are eligible to apply .  Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative  applicants for the  PhD in Geography and Environmental Engineering  are automatically vetted for eligibility for the VTSI fee waiver during the application process.

Faculty Advisers

The following faculty may be willing to advise PhD students. If you identify a faculty member that you want to work with who is not on this list, we encourage you to ask them about their availability.

Peter DeCarlo

Peter studies the chemical composition of gas particles in the air to improve our understanding of climate, air quality, and health impacts of pollutants.

Paul Ferraro

Paul ­ is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor with joint appointments in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and the Carey Business School. He is known for his research on behavioral economics and the design and estimation of impacts of environmental programs.

Ciaran Harman

Ciaran, an associate professor of landscape hydrology and Russell Croft Faculty Scholar, studies how the structure of landscapes controls the movement of water from rainfall to streams, and how that structure evolves over time.

Thomas Hartung

Thomas Hartung, MD, PhD, steers the revolution in toxicology to move away from 50+ year-old animal tests to organoid cultures and the use of artificial intelligence.

Scot Miller

Scot Miller combines satellite data and statistics to understand greenhouse gas emissions across the globe.

Roni A. Neff

Roni Neff, PhD '06, ScM, researches ways to cut food waste and address climate change through more resilient, equitable, and healthy food systems.

Carsten Prasse

Carsten's research focuses on the occurrence and fate of organic contaminants in the urban water cycle and their impact on environmental and human health.

Need-Based Relocation Grants Students who  are admitted to PhD programs at JHU  starting in Fall 2023 or beyond can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to be able to attend JHU.   These grants provide funding to a portion of incoming students who, without this money, may otherwise not be able to afford to relocate to JHU for their PhD program. This is not a merit-based grant. Applications will be evaluated solely based on financial need.  View more information about the need-based relocation grants for PhD students .

Questions about the program? We're happy to help. [email protected]

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• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Health
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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Geography

The Geography Ph.D. program offers concentrations in the following areas: cultural-regional geography of Africa, East Asia, Latin America, Russia/Eurasia, and the United States; geographic information science (including cartography and remote sensing); and physical/environmental geography.

Research Skills Requirement

Research skills are important elements of any graduate program and should complement the student's research topic. Coursework necessary to meet this requirement should commence early in the program. Selection of a particular Research Skills option must be approved by the student's advisor and student's committee members. A student's Research Skills requirement may be met by one of the following:

1. Demonstrate a reading, writing, and speaking capability in a single foreign language sufficient to enable the student to do field work without an interpreter. An examination for competence, including written and oral portions, will be conducted by the appropriate language department having expertise in that language.

2. Demonstrate a satisfactory capability in one research skill from the list below. The actual courses must be approved by the student's advisor and committee members.

 a. Computer Science - complete a computer-programming course in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (e.g., C++, Fortran, or Visual Basic) with a grade of B or higher and create a substantial computer program that illustrates a geographic application of that language. Both the course and computer program must be approved by the Computer Programming Committee of the Department of Geography.

 b. Mathematics - complete nine hours of courses at the 500 level or above with a grade of B or better.

 c. Statistics - complete nine hours of courses outside the Geography Department at the 500 level or above with a grade of B or higher.

 d. An outside discipline relevant to the student's field(s) of specialization within geography, e.g., anthropology, biology, economics, geology, history, psychology - complete nine hours of courses at the 500 level or above with a grade of B or higher. (Atmospheric science courses may be used for this option, but not courses listed or cross-listed as geography.) Students may petition the Graduate Affairs Committee to have nine hours of courses at the 500-level or above in multiple departments fulfill this requirement.

Students whose native language is not English may, in some cases, use their native language to fulfill the Research Skills requirement but only if the language is considered an adequate research tool for their program and is justified by the student's advisor and committee members. Using a native language to fulfill part of the Research Skills requirement must have GSC approval.

Responsible Scholarship Requirement

As part of the University requirement that all PhD students receive "training in responsible scholarship relative to the field of study," the Department of Geography will conduct a non-credit training seminar in responsible scholarship to be held at the beginning of spring semester each year. This requirement must be completed prior to taking the comprehensive exam. The seminar consists of eight (8) contact hours between seminar leaders and PhD students. Seminar leaders will include faculty members in the Geography Department who represent the broad range of research fields in Geography and who have expertise and experience in the topic(s) they cover. Topics to be addressed will include (but are not limited to): human subjects, data management, conflicts of interest, appropriate research conduct, collaborative research, authorship of research articles and grant applications, citation ethics, plagiarism, copyright, peer review, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, mentor/student responsibilities, classroom behavior and ethics, and professional liability. The format will consist of readings, policy reviews and resources, short presentations, case studies, and discussion.

Engagement and Enrollment in Doctoral Programs

Prior to the semester in which the comprehensive exam is held, all doctoral students must complete minimum program engagement equivalent to two full-time semesters. This may be accomplished through either of the following:

1. Two semesters (fall and/or spring) of full-time enrollment in KU coursework, as defined by University policy

2. At least 18 hours of enrollment in KU coursework spread out over several part-time semesters

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination is scheduled when the student and the advisor believe that competence in the specialty or specialties has been achieved. Normally the process occurs after the student has completed nearly all of his/her coursework, although Graduate School regulations stipulate that the testing can take place as soon as five months after enrollment in the Ph.D. program. Admittance to the examination is by approval of the GSC. In petitioning for admittance, the student must submit the following materials at least three weeks prior to the scheduled examination (forms are available for 1 and 2 in the departmental office).

1. a program sheet listing courses taken, grades received, etc.

2. demonstration that the Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirements have been satisfied (see description above).

3. demonstration that the Residency Requirement has been satisfied (see description above).

4. a written dissertation proposal approved by the advisor (see Theses and Dissertations tab on main menu).

5. a list of examination committee members. The Graduate School requires that the committee consist of at least five members of the graduate faculty. People outside the university can be appointed ad hoc members as necessary. At least one member must be from a KU department outside of geography and at least three members must represent the department. Members are chosen by the student in consultation with the advisor on the basis of expertise in the areas of specialization. They must also be approved by the GSC and recommended by the department to the Graduate School.

6. The date and time proposed for the oral portion of the examination.

The comprehensive examination normally focuses on the student's areas of specialization, including proposed dissertation research. It consists of two parts: written questions submitted by the committee members and then an oral examination. At least four members of the committee must submit written questions. The procedure is for each examiner to give his/her questions to the chair of the student's committee at least one week before the written examinations begin. The committee chair has the responsibility of screening these questions for overlap and clarity, and then administering them, one set per day. The questions may be open-book or closed at the discretion of the individual submitting the questions, and the student normally will have up to eight hours to complete each set of questions. At the conclusion of the written portion of the examination, the committee chair will poll the committee. A majority of the members must approve their individual written portions of the examination in order for the second (oral) portion to take place. Three grades are possible for the overall examination: "honors," "satisfactory," and "unsatisfactory." In the unsatisfactory case, the student may be allowed to repeat the process upon recommendation of the committee. Such repetition can be undertaken no sooner than ninety days after the last testing. The comprehensive examination may be taken no more than three times. Approval of the Graduate School must be secured for the scheduling of this procedure and the request must be submitted three weeks prior to the proposed date for the examination.

The doctoral program generally includes sixty hours of work beyond the M.A. of which eighteen to thirty hours will be satisfied by the dissertation. No specific credit-hour figure can be set for a doctoral degree because each program is designed on an individual basis. Of greater importance is the student's demonstrated competence in the selected area(s) of specialization. The program is comprised of formal courses, seminars, individual research and reading, and preparation of a dissertation. Although no "outside minor" is formally required of candidates, the department favors study in auxiliary departments.

Programs are planned with the advisor and then approved by the GSC. Such approval must be secured at latest by the second month of the second semester of study. Changes in the approved program can be initiated by the student at any time but must be approved by the advisor and the GSC. Program sheets are available in the department office and must be filed before the comprehensive examination can be scheduled. Required Courses.

Geog 805 (History of Geographic Thought). Geog 980 (Seminar in Geography: Colloquium) for 1 credit hour during each of the first two semesters of residence at KU. Non-credit 8-hour Responsible Scholarship session held just before classes start in the spring semester.

Hald-day (non-credit) orientation before classes begin the fall of your first semester.

Major Areas of Study.

The capabilities and interests of the department fall into four areas of study: geographic information science, physical, human, and regional geography. A student concentrating within one of these divisions will develop a program in consultation with professors in that area. This program usually will include work in other aspects of geography and related disciplines. A student also may develop a second concentration if he or she takes at least nine hours in that specialty and includes a professor from that second area on the committee for the comprehensive examination. This second area of concentration may lie outside of geography.

Major Areas of Study for the Ph.D. in Geography

The level of competence attained in the major study should be such that the graduate can teach upper-level seminars and conduct research in that area. If a second area of concentration is chosen, it is often complementary to the first.  Here the graduate is expected to have knowledge sufficient to teach undergraduate courses at the introductory and intermediate levels, even if teaching is not the ultimate career objective.

In addition to the area(s) of specialization, the candidate is expected to have a broad background in general geography as well as knowledge of those research skills most appropriate to the areas of specialization.  This background is primarily gained through coursework requirements in the bachelor's and master's degree programs, which are prerequisites for Ph.D. work.

PhD Comprehensive Exam Procedures

In order to give committee members sufficient time to read and discuss responses to the written comprehensive examination questions, at least seven (7) calendar days must elapse between the date of the last written exam question and the meeting for the oral examination. The gap between the last written exam question and the oral exam may be up to 30 calendar days. Any exceptions to these policies must be unanimously agreed upon by all examination committee members and the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Serious work on the dissertation should begin no later than the third full-time semester of study for the Ph.D. and well before the scheduling of the comprehensive examination. When selecting a topic, the student first should make sure that an advisor exists who is able and willing to supervise on that subject. Then, usually in close consultation with this advisor, a proposal is developed to articulate the research idea for the rest of the examination committee. The advisor also serves as chair of this committee.

The dissertation committee, consisting of the advisor and at least four others, is designated immediately following the passing of the comprehensive examination and is usually comprised of members of the examination committee. This committee must include at least one member from a KU department outside of geography and must have at least two members from Geography. Committee members must be approved by the GSC and recommended to the Graduate School. After successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student is officially admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. By passing to the candidacy stage, the examination committee records its view that this person has a satisfactory dissertation proposal as well as the capability to complete the proposed task of research and writing. Although formal coursework is finished at this point, continued scholarly and professional development obligates the candidate to continue attendance at special-interest seminars and colloquia while still in residence.

After passing the comprehensive oral exam, every student must be continuously enrolled, including summer sessions, from the time of candidacy until the dissertation is deposited at the Graduate School office. The Graduate School further stipulates that a minimum enrollment of six hours is required each semester (plus three in summer) until a total of eighteen is achieved. Thereafter the enrollment may be dropped to one hour per semester, assuming that the dissertation is deposited in the Graduate School office within six months after the defense. Students who exceed this six-month limit must enroll in three hours per semester until the dissertation is so deposited.

When the dissertation committee has tentatively approved the dissertation, approval is sought from the Graduate Studies Committee to schedule the final oral defense. At least five months must elapse between the successful completion of the comprehensive examination and the date of this oral defense. The final oral defense committee has the same composition requirements as does the dissertation committee. Approval of the Graduate School must be secured for the scheduling of this exam and the request must be submitted to the GSC three weeks prior to the proposed date for the examination. Submission procedures for the dissertation are described on page two of this booklet.

When the final oral defense has been passed and the dissertation completed, both electronic and hardbound copies need to be prepared. Both should include an abstract of no more than 150 words. A hardbound copy is required for the department.The KU Libraries recommend the following binders that can bind paper copies of your thesis and additionally offer print-from-electronic file services: 1)  Heckman Bindery  or 2)  Acme Bookbinding . The student must turn in a receipt showing that arrangements have been made for such work prior to the deadline for graduation set by the Graduate School. It is also customary for the student to provide a bound copy for the advisor.

The dissertation must be submitted to the graduate school and UMI Dissertation Publishing electronically using Portable Document Format (PDF). Instructions for this process are available at the KU graduate school website. See also  UMI’s website . In addition to this electronic submittal, a student must submit a paper copy of the title page and an “acceptance page” with original signatures to the College Graduate Studies office in 108 Strong Hall. Formats for both of these are at the graduate school website. A copy of the title page should also be turned in to the Geography office.

The Graduate School has established a maximum time limit of eight years between initial enrollment in the doctoral program and completion of all degree requirements. For people earning both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from KU, the combined time limit is ten years.

Geography Degrees

• Geography BA
• Geography BGS
• Geography BS
• Geography Minor
• GIS Certificate
• Climate Change Certificate
• Geography MA
• Geography MS
• Geography PhD
• Dual Program: Geography MA & Master of Urban Planning
• Graduate GIS Certificate
• Geography NDS

Atmospheric Science Degrees

• Atmospheric Science BS
• Atmospheric Science Minor
• Atmospheric Science MS
• Atmospheric Science PhD
• Atmospheric Science NDS

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PhD students work closely with a faculty supervisor(s), who is selected by the student at the time of admission, and with a Supervisory Committee. The Supervisory Committee consists of the supervisor(s) and at least two graduate faculty members (at least one of which must be appointed to geography). 

Program Requirements 

The department expectation is that PhD degrees will be completed on a full-time basis within four years of initial registration. The School of Graduate Studies requires that the thesis be submitted within six years of initial registration in the program.

Students enrolled in a PhD program are required to complete the requirements: coursework, annual progress reports, comprehensive exam, proposal exam, candidacy, internal thesis defense exam, and external final oral exam.

Coursework — Physical

Completion of 3 half-credit courses including:

• the core course GGR1200H
• one (1) half-credit course in geography
• one (1) half-credit course in any subject

Students enrolled in a collaborative specialization should view the  Collaborative Specializations page  for any additional requirements.

Coursework — Human

Completion of 6 half-credit courses including:

• the core course GGR1110H
• two (2) half-credit courses in geography
• one (1) half-credit course which must be taken outside the department
• two (2) half-credit courses in any subject

Annual Progress Reports

The supervisory committee must meet at least once per academic year to review the student’s progress and plans for the following year.

Comprehensive Exam

Students will take a written and oral comprehensive exam between June of year one and no later than December of year two. See the  Examinations  page for further details. 

Proposal Exam

Students will defend a research proposal before their supervisory committee between June of year two and no later than September of year three. See the  Examinations  page for further details. 

The department requires students to achieve candidacy by the end of year two. A student can achieve PhD Candidacy and receive a notation on their transcript once they have completed three requirements: coursework, comprehensive exam, and proposal exam. School of Graduate Studies policy requires that candidacy is achieved by the end of year three.

Thesis Defense Exam

The thesis shall constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of the field and must be based on original research conducted while registered for the PhD program. The topic for the thesis will have been approved at the proposal defense. The completed PhD thesis will be examined in a Departmental Thesis Examination. The examination committee consists of the supervisory committee. One or more additional members can be from outside the Department of Geography & Planning if required.  

See the  Examinations  page for further details. 

Final Oral Exam

The Final Oral Examination is the capstone experience of the PhD program. Students will defend their dissertation before an Examination Committee. In addition to the supervisor and other members of the supervisory committee, the Examination Committee will include an appraiser (external to the University), at least one graduate faculty member who has not been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis, and a chair designated by the School of Graduate Studies. 

For further details on the PhD program requirements above, please see the  Geography Graduate Handbook . 

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• Ph.D. in Geography

Geography and the Environment

PhD in Geography

The doctoral program in geography provides an opportunity to develop expertise in a range of topics across human geography, nature-society geography, community geography, physical geography and geospatial methods. Our faculty members work closely with the small group of doctoral students admitted each year to mentor them in publishing, grant writing, fieldwork and teaching.

We take the training of doctoral students as both scholars and educators very seriously. Students in our doctoral program are fully funded. Our graduate courses are small and provide students a grounding in both foundational and cutting-edge aspects of the discipline. We work with our doctoral students to create innovative and robust research projects designed to prepare them for careers in academia and beyond. We also provide opportunities for our students to gain teaching experience, both as teaching assistants and as instructors of record.

Graduates from our doctoral program become faculty in geography and cognate disciplines, or enter other fields in the nonprofit, public and private sectors. Our department has an excellent track record of placing graduates in academic positions.

Program Requirements

Students entering the Ph.D. program with master's degrees from other universities are expected to have or to acquire qualifications equivalent to those normally achieved by a Syracuse University M.A. in geography. The student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Please see the Course Catalog for a complete list of requirements.

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. degree requires a total of 72 credits of approved graduate work in geography and related fields, which includes the following:

• Up to 30 credits accepted for the master's degree
• 12 credits in dissertation research
• At least 24 credits of coursework must be taken in residence at Syracuse
• At least two-thirds of the coursework (not including the dissertation) must be at the 600 level or above

This program usually takes four-six years to complete.

Dissertation

Students must submit a dissertation proposal to their advisory committee for approval. Students must also take qualifying exams, designed to demonstrate competence in three topical fields. The exam has a written and an oral portion, designed to cover the specific subfields identified by the student in consultation with the advisor and advisory committee. Once a student completes all required coursework, defends their dissertation proposal and passes their qualifying exams, they advance to candidacy (i.e. ABD, or “all but dissertation").

The dissertation, which must be defended in a formal dissertation defense, should be an original scholarly contribution to the field and may be highly varied in methodology, topic and style of presentation.

Meet Our Ph.D. Students

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Nicole Moeller Gonzalez

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Looking for ph.d. dissertations.

I’ve really found an intellectual home in geography. It is a small field in the U.S., yet one I think is important and well-positioned to tackle some of the major issues we’re facing, from climate change to mass incarceration.”

Madeleine Hamlin ’17 M.A./M.P.A. 2021 Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Emerging Scholar; doctoral student, geography

Public housing violence research earns top honor for PhD candidate

Future Professoriate Program

The Future Professoriate Program (FPP) aims to foster a sense of community among graduate students while allowing them to hone skills related to teaching, research and professional identity development. The purpose of the FPP is to help graduate students develop professionally by means of workshops, annual in-house conferences and a mentored independent teaching experience. Students who complete these activities and produce a teaching portfolio can receive the University’s Certificate in University Teaching. These endeavors are seen as complements to the training in scholarship and teaching that are regular parts of graduate education.

Geography Graduate Program

We offer graduate study leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees

The Department of Geography offers graduate study leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Research-focused training is provided for those seeking an interdisciplinary understanding of the world. It prepares students for careers in science and technology, government, teaching, and business; theoretical and applied work in geography; and conducting original research.

The Department of Geography has seven specific areas of strength:

• Atmospheric & Climate Science
• Cognitive & Behavioral Geography
• Geoanalytics Science & Planning
• GIScience & Geoinformatics
• Ocean Science
• Population & Health
• Terrestrial Sciences

Faculty Sponsors

Students accepted into the Geography graduate program must have a faculty sponsor. Please contact individual faculty whose research programs interest you.

  Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Wellness

In alignment with the core mission of the University of California, the Geography Department at UC Santa Barbara aims to foster an academic climate that not only celebrates diversity but also actively dismantles institutional and systemic barriers to diversity. As a department, we are committed to reform on individual and institutional levels.

  Application Deadline

December 1st

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Geography - phd, admission requirements.

Terms and Deadlines

Degree and GPA Requirements

Additional Standards for Non-Native English Speakers

Additional standards for international applicants.

For the 2023-2024 academic year

See 2024-2025 requirements instead

Fall 2023 quarter (beginning in September)

Priority deadline: January 15, 2023

Final submission deadline: April 14, 2023

Priority deadline: Applications will be considered after the Priority deadline provided space is available.

Final submission deadline: Applicants cannot submit applications after the final submission deadline.

Degrees and GPA Requirements

Bachelors degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.

Masters degree: This program requires a masters degree as well as the baccalaureate.

Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.

Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale

Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), C1 Advanced or Duolingo English Test are required of all graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship status, whose native language is not English or who have been educated in countries where English is not the native language. Your TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test scores are valid for two years from the test date.

The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:

Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80

Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5

Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176

Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

English Conditional Acceptance Offered: In cases where minimum TOEFL/IELTS/CAE scores were not achieved or no English proficiency test was taken, the program may offer English Conditional Admission (ECA) to academically qualified non-native English speakers.

Read the English Language Proficiency policy for more details.

Read the Required Tests for GTA Eligibility policy for more details.

Per Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulation, international applicants must meet all standards for admission before an I-20 or DS-2019 is issued, [per U.S. Federal Register: 8 CFR § 214.3(k)] or is academically eligible for admission and is admitted [per 22 C.F.R. §62]. Read the Additional Standards For International Applicants policy for more details.

Application Materials

Transcripts, letters of recommendation.

Required Essays and Statements

We require a scanned copy of your transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Scanned copies must be clearly legible and sized to print on standard 8½-by-11-inch paper. Transcripts that do not show degrees awarded must also be accompanied by a scanned copy of the diploma or degree certificate. If your academic transcripts were issued in a language other than English, both the original documents and certified English translations are required.

Transcripts and proof of degree documents for postsecondary degrees earned from institutions outside of the United States will be released to a third-party international credential evaluator to assess U.S. education system equivalencies. Beginning July 2023, a non-refundable fee for this service will be required before the application is processed.

Upon admission to the University of Denver, official transcripts will be required from each institution attended.

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required.  Letters should be submitted by recommenders through the online application.

Essays and Statements

Personal statement instructions.

1. Describe your research or project interests in geography or GIS. This could be a specific project you wish to work on and methodological approach, or a more general topic of inquiry. Additionally (for on-campus program applicants), which faculty member(s) most closely aligns with your research interests and would be an appropriate graduate advisor? 2. What are your academic and/or professional goals, and what is the specific purpose for applying to the University of Denver to help achieve those goals? 3. Summarize your past education and other experiences and how they have prepared you for graduate school. Please also indicate any challenges, hardships, or obstacles you may have overcome. 4. (Optional) Furthermore, as we actively seek diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and cultural experiences in our graduate program, discuss your view on diversity, equity and inclusion, and how you would contribute to these important issues.

Résumé Instructions

The résumé (or C.V.) should include work experience, research, and/or volunteer work.

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Your submitted materials will be reviewed once all materials and application fees have been received.

Our program can only consider your application for admission if our Office of Graduate Education has received all your online materials and supplemental materials by our application deadline.

Application Fee: $65.00 Application Fee

International Degree Evaluation Fee: $50 Evaluation Fee for degrees (bachelor's or higher) earned from institutions outside the United States.

Applicants should complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15. Visit the Office of Financial Aid for additional information.

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Geography, PhD

Related certificates.

• Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

The Department of Geography offers both master’s and doctoral programs of study across a range of systematic, regional, and technical fields, with innovative energy in the doctoral program for studying urban environments. The department’s overall strengths are aligned along a theme of “Changing Environments,” with three major axes, each responsive to areas with strong demand for new professionals:

• Human Geography and Urban Environments:  This area emphasizes the spatial interactions of economic systems as well as political, social, cultural, environmental, technological, and other forces that influence the people, identities, landscape, development, and dynamics of urban areas. With the world’s population becoming increasingly urbanized and globalized, courses examine the continuing challenges of urban growth and change, race, ethnicity, and gender in the city, immigration and identity politics, and spatial aspects of urban planning processes and political decision-making.
• Physical Geography and Environmental Studies:  This area addresses the interactions among natural forms and processes on the earth’s surface, the impact and implications of global climate change, and human connections with those natural phenomena. Courses on long-term atmospheric change are emphasized. Overlapping emphases include phenology, water resources, conservation, natural hazards, natural resource scarcity, and the mounting challenges of global environmental change.
• Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing:  This area emphasizes using geospatial technology to further understanding of spatial interactions among natural and social forces at multiple scales across the Earth’s surface, and exploring the impacts of using such technology on social and cultural interactions. Courses examine geographic information collection (including remote sensing), data analysis and geocomputation (spatial analysis), information presentation (cartography), and societal implications. Our program emphasizes applications of Geographic Information Science (GIS) in urban, regional, and environmental planning, policy making, and public health.

In addition to these departmental strengths, individual faculty members apply their expertise in topics such as remote sensing, GIS, and cartography to problems of the city. Geography faculty also participate in the certificate program in Geographic Information Systems, which is jointly offered by the College of Letters and Science and the College of the Arts & Architecture.

While the master’s program offers a more traditional structure within which students can strengthen their knowledge of the discipline and one or more of its subfields, the department’s unique PhD program is designed to be especially attractive to forward-looking students interested in the urban environment who seek a flexible, versatile, 21st century graduate education with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity. The PhD program’s urban-environmental theme is inclusive and encompassing of processes and problems associated with the intersection of human and natural environments, strongly focused on “the city” as the entity of engagement. The program breaks with longstanding tradition in the field of geography in stressing a balance between specialized analytical research and synthetic research, between traditional academic research and community engagement, and between research and teaching. It relies heavily on Geographic Information Science (GIS) as a research tool and as an organizing framework.

Facilities and Resources

The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee is the repository of the venerable American Geographical Society Library, an internationally renowned research resource. The Department of Geography boasts a large instructional Map Collection, which functions as a federal government depository for maps; and a Soils and Physical Geography Laboratory, which supports research projects among several UWM departments.

Other research resources at UWM available to the Geography Department staff and students include the Cartography and GIS Center, the School of Freshwater Sciences, the Center for Economic Development, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Center for International Education, the Center for Urban Transportation Studies, Women's and Gender Studies, the Digital Humanities Lab, the Center for 21st Century Studies, and University Information Technology Services.

Admission Requirements 

Credits and courses, additional requirements, application deadlines.

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars .

An applicant must meet  Graduate School requirements  to be considered for admission to the program. Students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds may be admitted. They must present the following credentials:

• Master’s degree.
• Reason statement. This statement should outline the applicant's research interests and academic background, their goals for pursuing a graduate degree in geography, and other relevant professional and research experience. The statement should not exceed two-single sided pages.
• A curriculum vitae (CV) detailing academic history and accomplishments, teaching and research experience, and other relevant professional qualifications.
• A writing sample. The writing sample can be a paper written for a class, a professional project, or part of a longer piece of writing. It should not exceed 20 pages.
• Substantial evidence of scholarly potential and commitment.
• Three letters of recommendation.

In some instances where the applicant’s record demonstrates exceptional promise, the Department will consider applications for admission to the Ph.D. program directly from a BA/BS degree. Such admission does not constitute a waiver of any of the requirements indicated below.

The Graduate Program Committee, during the admission process, will evaluate an applicant’s academic background and will assign deficiencies based on a comparison of their background and the proposed specific area of study as outlined in the student’s reason statement. In general, the department seeks students with:

• Potential for planning and successfully completing an independent research project, as evidenced by a master’s thesis and/or other appropriate materials;
• Basic statistical analysis skills;
• Interest and/or ability in evaluating problems related to the urban environment with a spatial framework; and
• Interest in examining research questions within a multi-disciplinary (human/physical) team environment.

Reapplication

A student who receives a master’s degree from UWM must formally reapply for admission to Graduate School before continuing studies toward the Ph.D.

Graduate Student Orientation

All new students are expected to participate in the department orientation program, offered during the week prior to the start of fall classes. If a student enters the program in the spring, they must participate in this program during the subsequent fall semester. New students will be paired with an experienced student mentor during their first year. Instructional opportunities sponsored by the Center for Instruction and Professional Development (CIPD) and the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) initiative will be offered to all teaching assistants and other interested students enrolled in the doctoral program.

Minimum degree requirement is 54 graduate credits beyond the bachelor’s degree, at least 27 of which must be earned in residence at UWM with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Under the guidance of the advisory committee, the chair of which serves as the student’s major professor, the student plans a program of study leading to the development of a special interest. All programs of study contain the following four elements: core concepts and methods, thematic focus, elective courses (as needed to meet the total credit requirement), and dissertation.

Core Concepts and Methods

Students must have the approval of their advisors for the elective courses.

Thematic Focus

Students, in consultation with their advisor, must select a minimum of three courses that together confer specialized expert knowledge in one thematic area. The courses selected do not have to come from a single list, and they may include other courses not listed.

Local Places: Problems and Issues

Relevant courses include:

Global and Regional Perspectives

Monitoring and modeling urban dynamics, research techniques (elective course).

Students who have not taken a research techniques course in their prior graduate program should consult with their faculty advisor regarding their enrollment in GEOG 910 , an introduction to theoretical and practical aspects of geographic research, funding, presentation, and publication. Ideally, students should enroll in this course after their first full year of courses, but no later than their fourth semester, after they have completed the majority of Core requirements. The course is designed to assist students with the initiation of their Ph.D. dissertation research.

Major Advisor and Committee

Students must have a major professor to advise and supervise the student’s studies as specified in Graduate School regulations. Students may not register for any courses without that advisor’s prior approval.

By the time of the student’s preliminary exams or dissertation proposal hearing, the committee must have at least three members, including the student’s chosen major professor. At least two of the committee members must be UWM Geography graduate faculty; one external member approved by the program to possess appropriate expertise is automatically accepted by the Graduate School.

By the time the student is ready to defend their dissertation, the committee must have at least four members, including the major professor. At least three of the committee members must be UWM graduate faculty; one external member approved by the program to possess appropriate expertise is automatically accepted by the Graduate School. Students are allowed a maximum of six committee members for the defense. At least half the committee members must be UWM Geography graduate faculty.

Foreign Language Requirement

If appropriate to the proposed area of study, the student’s committee will require that they acquire the necessary competence in a foreign language. The major professor will supervise the completion of this requirement with input from the committee as necessary.

Dissertation

The candidate must write an acceptable dissertation that demonstrates formulation, design, and independent execution of a significant research project. The dissertation must make an original contribution to knowledge in the field of geography. It may focus on geographical theory, methodology, data, or analysis, or it may involve collaborative approaches, interdisciplinary syntheses, and integrative solutions appropriate to the focus of the student’s graduate program of study.

Portfolio Evaluation

By the end of the first full academic year in the program, each student will undergo a formal portfolio evaluation by the members of the faculty in order to determine the student’s readiness to continue in the program. This evaluation will include inspection of all written work produced in courses, commentary by relevant instructors, and any other materials the student chooses to submit. The possible outcomes of this review will be:

• Pass  (student continues with the normal second year of their program);
• Fail  (student is recommended for academic dismissal); or
• Probation  (student is counseled to take specific courses or other actions to achieve the necessary readiness to continue in the program). In the case of a recommendation of Probation, the student will be re-evaluated after an additional semester. If this second review does not result in a decision to PASS, the student will be recommended for academic dismissal.

The student must meet minimum  Graduate School residence requirements  of one continuous academic year of full-time graduate studies at UWM. This can be satisfied by completing 8 to 12 graduate credits in each of two consecutive semesters, or 6 or more graduate credits in each of three consecutive semesters, including summer sessions. Residence credit cannot be earned at the master’s level or before the master’s degree is awarded.

Doctoral Preliminary Examination

Each student will undergo a comprehensive written and oral examination by the end of their sixth semester in the program. The student’s committee, advisor, and proposed dissertation topic must be approved formally by the Geography departmental faculty prior to the scheduling of these exams. A Proposed Ph.D. Program/Plan of Study must be filed with the major professor prior to the preliminary examination. Successful completion of these exams leads to candidacy, when work on the dissertation can commence.

The student’s advisor, as chair of the advisory committee, will organize and administer the examination. The content of the examination will be determined by the area of the student’s interest. The scope of the examination will be determined by the student’s advisory committee. A student judged qualified by the majority of the advisory committee will be admitted to candidacy. A student judged not qualified by the majority of the advisory committee will not be admitted to candidacy at the time of the examination but will be given an opportunity to retake the examination once, after a waiting period of at least one semester. At the discretion of the advisory committee, the second examination will be either a complete reexamination or a partial examination over the parts in which the student failed to qualify. A student receiving a negative vote from the advisory committee after the second examination will be recommended for academic dismissal. The student will be informed of the reasons for failure to qualify.

Presentations

Each student must make two presentations at department colloquia. The first presentation will be scheduled early in the student’s program; it is designed to give the student experience in making formal presentations. The second presentation will communicate the student’s dissertation research topic and preliminary results.

As mentioned above, the candidate must write an acceptable dissertation. The defense date for the dissertation must be set at least two weeks prior to the Graduate School deadline. The dissertation must be approved by the major professor and delivered to the student’s advisory committee at least six weeks prior to the defense date. A student must submit the dissertation to the advisor with sufficient time to meet the committee’s deadline. Exceptions to these deadlines under unusual circumstances must be approved unanimously by the student’s committee.

Dissertation Defense

The candidate must, as the final step toward the degree, defend the dissertation before the advisory committee. If the candidate passes the defense, the advisory committee will recommend to the Graduate School that a degree of Doctor of Philosophy be conferred.

Submission of Completed Dissertation

In addition to submission of the final dissertation to the Graduate School (according to its required procedure), the candidate must present to the Geography Department a professionally hard-bound copy that meets Graduate School specifications for quality. This copy will remain on file in the department.

All degree requirements must be completed within ten years from the date of initial enrollment in the doctoral program.

Special Issues for Directly Admitted Students

Students directly admitted to the doctoral program after completion of their bachelor’s degree will not earn a master’s degree during the course of their studies. Further, formal doctoral status (which affects stipend rates and the ability to fulfill the residency requirement) will not be granted until the student has completed 24 credits in the program. Lastly, no more than 12 dissertation credits can be used to satisfy the 54-credit doctoral degree requirement.

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Department of Geography

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. is a different kind of degree from the master’s degree. A doctoral candidate in geography must be capable of making original contributions to knowledge and scholarship. For the students to make such contributions, they must concentrate on a narrow and clearly defined field of study. We require, however, that doctoral candidates know more of geography than their particular specialties; thus, any aspirant for a doctorate must obtain master’s training or its equivalent before being admitted to doctoral candidacy. In short, admission to doctoral candidacy is official recognition that a student’s general foundation in the breadth of geography is satisfactory. Students then devote their attention to developing depth in chosen specialties.

The general requirements for a doctoral degree in geography are more rigorous than those for a master’s degree. At the same time, the greater flexibility of the doctoral program allows advanced students to pursue programs of study tailored to their special interests and needs.

Progress through the degree is marked by: 

• Successful performance in a verbal qualifying exam; 
• Four-day written comprehensive exam, with a verbal portion after the written answers have been assessed by the committee;  
• Formal dissertation proposal; and 
• Verbal defense of a completed dissertation.

The four-year Ph.D. program is reserved for students who have a master’s degree from another graduate program. That can be another geography program at another university, a non-geography program at another university, or a non-geography program at Penn State.

Students entering the four-year Ph.D. program must take the doctoral qualifying exam in their first year. A committee from three of the four fields of geography and formally appointed by the Graduate Program Officer will administer the qualifying exam. The qualifying exam can take place any time during the year, but students in the four-year Ph.D. program typically take it during spring semester.

Students in the four-year Ph.D. program complete a comprehensive exam and defend their dissertation proposal in the second year. Depending on the needs of their research, and in agreement with their doctoral committee, students can fulfill these two requirements in either order. Once students have successfully passed their comprehensive exam and defended their proposal, they typically take two years to research, write, and defend their dissertations.

Our online Graduate Student Handbook explains the program requirements for all degrees.

• Department of Geography >
• Graduate >
• Doctoral Program >

Doctoral Program Requirement

The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 72 credits and a preliminary examination, original research culminating in the submission and defense of a research proposal and dissertation. 

Credits Requirement

The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 72 credits. Credits earned in fulfilling the M.A. requirements in this Department may be applied toward the Ph.D. requirements. In most cases, graduate hours earned at other institutions may also be applied toward the Ph.D. requirements, if appropriate. Approval of such transfer credits will be granted only after the student's preliminary program has been outlined and approved by the student's adviser. 

Most graduate students who enter the doctoral program without a Master’s degree are required to enroll in either (a) GEO 500, GEO 501, and GEO 505, or (b) GEO 504, one (1) GEO methods course (TBD), and GEO 505 the first semester they are offered after the student matriculates. Students should consult with their advisor if they feel they are eligible to have any of these waived.

Responsible Conduct Research (RCR) Training Requirement.

All students initially admitted to a Ph.D. program for the Fall 2009 semester or thereafter are required to document successful completion of "Responsible Conduct of Research" (RCR) training when they submit their Application to Candidacy (ATC) for their Ph.D. degree. This training requirement may be fulfilled by either (1) enrolling in or passing PHI 640 Graduate Research Ethics or RPN 541 Ethics and Conduct of Research or (2) completing the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online Responsible Conduct of Research course with an average score of 80% or higher. Students opting to complete the CITI online course must supply documentation of its successful completion with their Application to Candidacy.

Examinations

Preliminary Examination.

The Preliminary Examination focuses on the general area of specialization in which the student is conducting his/her graduate studies. The Examination must include an oral component. The Committee may require a written component. A written component will normally be required when a student obtains a Conditional Pass in the Diagnostic Examination.

The decision on the Examination is determined by a majority vote of the members of the Supervisory Committee, all of whom must be present during the entire oral component of the Examination. The Committee Chairperson will inform the student and the Director of Graduate Studies of the outcome of the voting immediately following the completion of the oral component of the Examination. Unsatisfactory performance on the Preliminary Examination may be rectified by re-examination after a minimum interval of three months but no later than by the end of the semester following the one in which the student first took the examination. A student may take the Preliminary Examination only twice.

Approval of the Dissertation Proposal.

The Dissertation Proposal is written as well as oral. The written version of the Proposal is to be made available for the Department to inspect one week prior to the oral presentation. The oral presentation is made to the Supervisory Committee and is open to the Department. The proposal must receive a favorable vote from a majority of the Supervisory Committee to be considered acceptable. The student is to be informed of the outcome of the vote by the Committee Chairperson immediately following the oral presentation.

Dissertation Defense.

Upon completion of the dissertation, the PhD candidate must give an oral public defense of his/her findings. The outside reader will be selected by the Chair of The Committee and be knowledgeable in the student’s area of specialization, be familiar with the nature of university research, and have had previous experience in directing or supervising research. Following the presentation, the members of the Supervisory Committee will rule on the acceptability of the dissertation and the defense. The defense is acceptable if a majority of the Committee, including the Chairperson, so state by signing the appropriate Graduate School M form. The student is to be notified of the ruling by the Committee Chairperson immediately following the defense and the Committee’s deliberation.

Supervisory Committee

Each doctoral student is required to have a Supervisory Committee that is comprised of:

• A faculty member or adjunct member of the Geography Department, who serves as the student’s adviser and as Chair of the Committee;
• Two additional members of the UB Graduate faculty, at least one of whom must be a member or adjunct member of the Geography Department; and
• Additional faculty members as appropriate (optional).

Each doctoral student must develop a technical skill appropriate to his/her proposed program of study. This skill will be determined in consultation with the student’s Major Professor and Supervisory Committee, and shall be met by the satisfactory completion of two courses. The courses may be in such disciplines as mathematics, statistics, computer science, economics, engineering, and foreign language, and will ordinarily be at the graduate level.

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Geographic Information Science Minor

Sustainability, natural resources, insurance, banking, national security, supply chains, local government. You name the career or interest area, and GIS is a relevant skill.  Adding a GIS skillset to your resume will help you stand out in any recruitment pool. By signing up for a GIS minor, you'll receive fundamental training in mapping, geospatial analysis and modeling as well as statistical methods. Most of the courses you'll take include lab components to give you hands-on training with different GIS technologies used in professional contexts.

Requirements

The GIS minor consists of 18 total credits. including:

• GEOG 4103: Introductory Spatial Data Analysis
• GEOG 5200: Cartography and Map Design
• GEOG 5210: Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems , and either
• GEOG 5212: Geospatial Databases for GIS , or
• GEOG 5225: Geographic Applications of Remote Sensing
• GEOG 5103: Intermediate Spatial Data Analytics
• GEOG 5201: GeoVisualization
• GEOG 5212: Geospatial Databases for GIS (unless taken as part of core)
• GEOG 5222: GIS Algorithms and Programming
• GEOG 5223: Design and Implementation of GIS
• GEOG 5225: Geographic Applications of Remote Sensing (unless taken as part of core)
• GEOG 5226: Spatial Simulation and Modeling in GIS
• GEOG 5229: Emerging Topics in GIS
• GEOG 5300: Geography of Transportation
• GEOG 5402: Land Use Geography

If you have questions about the GIS minor and would like to know more, please feel free to follow up with our advising staff.

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Call for Applications: 3 PhD scholarship opportunities for research project on Governing Nature based Solutions, prospects for a just green transition in Kenya (Justice, Carbon, Nature, JUCAN)

The University of Nairobi (UoN), the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), and the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) with funding from DANIDA hereby invite applications for three PhD scholarships under the project Governing Nature based Solutions: The prospects for a just green transition in Kenya (JUCAN – Justice, Carbon, Nature). Subject to satisfactory performance and legal requirements, each PhD scholar can obtain a double degree from The University of Nairobi and the University of Copenhagen.

About the research project Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are, in brief, actions that aim at benefiting climate, biodiversity and people simultaneously. NbS are high on the global and national carbon offsetting and biodiversity conservation agendas. The number of NbS projects is growing in the Global South, including in Kenya. While NbS scholars tend to focus on technical aspects of how to address the climate, biodiversity and people objectives simultaneously, there is less knowledge about NbS governance. Critics argue that there are considerable trade-offs between the NbS objectives, and there is a risk that interventionist approaches and skewed power relations marginalize local communities by disrupting their institutions and undermining their rights to land and other natural resources, thus contributing to environmental injustice. JUCAN sets out to learn from the institutional dynamics and government arrangements of NbS in Kenya. Kenya has a long and devastating record of environmental injustice, but rural communities depend on the conservation and restoration of their degraded natural resources. The main research question is: What are the implications of NbS governance for a just green transition in Kenya?

The project has four research questions (R1-4) and related four Work Package teams (WP1-4). The four research questions are: R1. Priorities and perceptions: How and to what extent do private, public and civil society actors’ priorities differ and align vis-à-vis the possible trade-offs between climate, biodiversity and community development objectives, and what is their “sense of environmental justice” in NbS? R2. Agency and practices: How do the different actors engage in, influence, and shape the emergence of NbS institutions as they pursue their priorities, and what NbS governance practices and arrangements emerge from this at national and local levels?

R3. Outcomes: How do NbS governance practices and arrangements affect the nature of carbon, biodiversity, and socioeconomic activities and outcomes in NbS projects? R4. Implications: What are the implications of 1-3 for environmental justice, and what lessons can be learned for policy and practice to ensure a just transition in Kenya? JUCAN focuses on three NbS projects having in common that they 1) generate income from carbon credits, 2) are multiple-stakeholder projects with strong private governance elements and 3) aim to involve local communities. They are located in the Northern Rangelands, the Southern Rangelands, and along the Coast in Kenya.

All WP teams work towards an increased understanding of the governance structures and institutional dynamics of NbS projects through an environmental justice lens in addressing all research questions (R1-4). The work packages differ, however, about methods and study sites. Each WP1-3 examines a separate NbS applying in-depth qualitative methods and analysis. WP4 will apply quantitative research methods across all three selected NbS projects, such as social network analysis to examine actor interactions in NbS project design and implementation, developing an index to measure perceived environmental justice and explore its determinants, assess how current and expected future ecological and biodiversity and carbon accumulation outcomes relate to NbS project governance practices and arrangements using participatory recall and modeling methods including fuzzy cognitive mapping and future scenario analysis. Two of the selected PhDs will work with their Kenyan and Danish supervisors in WP1-2 (qualitative research). One of the selected PhD scholars will work with Kenyan and Danish supervisors in WP4 (quantitative research).

The selected PhDs will enroll at the involved departments at the UoN and engage with DIIS and/or UCPH as potential double degrees.

Eligibility For the two W1-2 PhDs (qualitative methods), the call is open to Kenyan nationals with a documented master's degree (MSc or MA) in Development Studies, Geography and Environmental Studies, Environmental governance, Natural Resource Management, Political Science, Political Ecology, Sociology, or related studies. The candidates should have proven research knowledge on governance, institutional dynamics, and/or environmental justice and with skills/interest in applying qualitative research methods. For the W4 PhD (quantitative research), the call is open to Kenyan nationals with a documented master's degree in Economics, Development Studies, Natural Resource Management, Geography, Conservation Science, Environmental Governance, Sociology,

Anthropology, or related studies. The candidate should have proven research knowledge in some of the following fields: implementing surveys, carbon assessment, natural resource quantification, ecological and biodiversity assessment, and its link with governance and environmental justice. Moreover, the candidate should have skills and interests in applying quantitative approaches to studying natural resource governance, household economics, ecological-biodiversity aspects, social and institutional networks and dynamics, and/or creating indexes of environmental justice. All candidates are expected to commit full-time to the PhD study and must be flexible in collaborating and sharing data with the other JUCAN PhD scholars and research team for mutual benefit and coherence. They must be ready to stay in Denmark for two periods each of three months.

We strongly encourage female applicants to apply. About the scholarships Each scholarship includes funds for equipment and materials, fieldwork and other operational costs, participation in international courses and conferences, and monthly allowances for three years. Each scholarship, moreover, includes two times three-month stay in Denmark covering costs related to travel, accommodation and per diem during the stays. The stays in Denmark constitute one of the requirements for obtaining a double degree. Successful applicants will have their principal supervisor at UoN and co-supervisors at UCPH or DIIS. The successful candidates affiliated with WP1-2 (mainly qualitative research) will be enrolled at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at UoN, respectively. The successful candidate affiliated with WP4 (mainly quantitative research) will be enrolled at the Wangari Maathai Institute at the UoN. All three candidates will be enrolled at the Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO) at the University of Copenhagen with an option for obtaining a double degree. The Wangari Maathai Institute, moreover, can offer special office facilities for mothers or fathers with small children. The scholarships are for three years and will commence on September 2024 as per the University of Nairobi academic calendar.

Requirements for the application and submission Applicants should submit the following documents. ● Cover letter/Motivation letter. It should be clear from the motivation letter, whether the applicant prefers to work with qualitative or quantitative research methods ● Curriculum Vitae ● Certified copy of Bachelor of Science/Art and Master of Science/Art and MSc/MA transcript of records ● Certified English translation of transcripts if not already in English ● Official explanation of the grading system if qualifications were obtained from outside Kenyan Universities ● Two recommendation letters from academic referees ● A maximum of two-page doctoral study concept relevant to the research project. The concept should include a proposed title, background, problem statement, objectives, and indicative methodology related to one of the research questions 1-4.

The deadline for submission is 10th May 2024 at 11pm. The application must be submitted electronically to Thuita Thenya – [email protected] , cc: Iben Nathan, [email protected] .

Assessment process ● After the submission deadline, the applicants will be assessed academically. ● Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an oral interview and a written aptitude test late May 2024. ● The preferred doctoral studies starting date is September, 2024. ● The interviewing panel reserves the right not to consider material received after the deadline and to consider only such applications that fulfill the requirements mentioned above.

Inquiries about this particular scholarship must be addressed to T.Thenya [email protected] , cc: Iben Nathan [email protected]