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The Master's Degree program in Geography prepares students for professional positions in government and industry, or for doctoral study. The departmental focus is primarily environmental geography, with faculty strengths in physical (biogeography, geomorphology, meteorology), resource management/land use planning, historical, urban, economic/ globalization, agriculture/cultural ecology, and geographic techniques (cartography, remote sensing, GIS). The Department houses several facilities to support research, including the Cartographic Center, Ohioview/Remote Sensing Laboratory, Scalia Laboratory for Atmospheric Analysis, and the Carl Ross Geomorphological Laboratory.
Prospective students are required to submit transcripts of all undergraduate work, scores on the GRE examination (verbal, quantitative, analytical), a statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. International students whose native language is not English must also submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. Application deadlines for admission to the graduate program are six weeks before the beginning of the quarter for which you are requesting admission, although the Department strongly encourages students to begin their graduate program in the fall quarter. To be considered for financial support for the academic year beginning in September, submit all application materials before March 1; international applicants should submit all materials by February 1. Graduate assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis; the minimum undergraduate grade point average for financial aid and unconditional admittance to the program is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
The Department of Geography offers both thesis and non-thesis M.A. degree programs. For both tracks, students must complete a minimum of 60 quarter hours of graduate study, 50 of which must be in Geography (a typical course load is 15 credits per quarter). All students are required to take Research and Writing (GEOG 675)and Quantitative Methods (GEOG 571) during their first year; during their program, students must also complete two graduate seminars. Hours in GEOG 504, 505, 585, and 690 do not count toward the 60-credit total.
For students following the thesis track, a minimum of nine additional electives are required, seven of which must be in Geography; fifteen hours of Thesis (GEOG 695) are also required. Students should make every effort to select a thesis advisor early in their program, and defend a proposal before their thesis committee no later than the fall quarter of their second year; this time frame will allow you to complete your degree requirements and defend your thesis by the end of your second year.
Students electing the non-thesis option must develop a program covering three areas within Geography, including both systematic and technique specializations. Students should make every effort to have their specific program of study approved by their advisor and committee by the end of the first year. A set of written comprehensive exams over the three selected areas completes the degree.
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