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Degree Offered
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Program Overview
The Master of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies
is a 33-hour program with a full complement of courses
in evening hours and weekends. The program is designed
for students with various academic backgrounds who are
interested in a career which spans the human and natural
environments, the social and physical sciences, and
who desire the spatial analytical skills of geography.
Graduate students develop an area of proficiency within
the broad scope of environmental policy, planning, and
management or within the geographic realm of spatial
analysis. The program is both theoretical and practical;
students gain knowledge, conceptual skills, and technical
skills with modern equipment. The program provides a
solid basis for a career, a career shift, career enhancement,
or preparation for post-graduate studies at reputable
institutions.
Admission Requirements
Students must fulfill the requirements for admission
to the Graduate College.
Students with a variety of backgrounds may be admitted
to the graduate program. An academic background in geography
and/or environmental studies is preferred but not necessary.
Sufficient background can be acquired by taking extra
courses from the undergraduate curriculum. Those courses
are determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into
account both academic and non-academic experience.
The department specifically requires that the Statement
of Goals and Objectives, included with the Admission
Applications package, be two typewritten pages. This
statement should demonstrate the student's organizational
and writing skills and should specify as clearly as
possible the student's (a) reasons for selecting the
G&ES program of study, (b) academic/professional goals,
and (c) plans for achieving them.
Necessary Academic Background
An undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75 is required and
good performance in foundation courses is necessary
for admission. Students without an undergraduate major
or minor in Geography or Environmental Studies may be
required to take additional preparatory course work
before or shortly after admission to the program. The
G&ES Graduate Coordinator must approve courses taken
to improve GPA or to satisfy course deficiencies and
they will not satisfy credit hour requirements of the
graduate program. A proficiency exam for World Geography
(G&ES 104: a common deficiency), is offered Fall
and Spring terms by early request to the Graduate Coordinator.
Transfer Credits
A maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit may be transferred
in to the program if they meet the approval of the Department
and the College. Course content, grade, and recency
of completion are considered in the decision. The course
cannot have been applied toward any degree, but it must
have qualified as a graduate level course at the institution
where it was taken.
Waived Requirements
A student who has previously taken coursework, which
satisfies a Master's program requirement, may petition
the Graduate Coordinator to waive that requirement.
If the requirement is waived, associated credit hours
must be fulfilled with other approved courses.
Degree Requirements
Requirements include a total of 33 credit hours in
geography and/or environmental studies. Each student
must choose an area of specialization in geography or
environmental studies. Programs must be planned in consultation
with an approved Program Advisor. Additionally, students
should consult the G&ES Graduate Coordinator to obtain
more detailed program requirements and related literature.
Required Courses:
G&ES-442 Geographic Problems in Quantitative Measurements,
or one other approved statistics course ..............................................
3 cr.
A geographic techniques course: ...............................................
3 cr.
G&ES-411 Scope and Philosophy of Geography and Environmental
Studies ........................................ 3 cr.
Approved Geography, Planning, Geographic Techniques,
or Environmental Studies Electives .................
24 cr.
Total 33 cr.
Thesis or Research Paper Requirements:
Students must write either a thesis or major research
paper under the supervision of their program advisor,
with registration permitted after a faculty committee
approves the student's written proposal. The thesis
topic must be chosen in advance in consultation with
the Program Advisor. Six hours which count towards the
elective requirements are granted for a thesis through
the course G&ES-431 Thesis Seminar: Geography and Environmental
Studies. An oral defense of the thesis is required.
Students electing not to complete a thesis must instead
complete G&ES 430 Research Seminar, preparing a
research paper written under the supervision of their
Program Advisor. A formal proposal must be approved
by the student's committee prior to registration. development.
Examination:
All candidates must complete a final written
or oral examination covering their chosen area of specialization
as well as knowledge of geography, environmental studies,
and disciplinary techniques.
Advisor
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