Learning Outcomes

Degree Requirements

Students who enter the M.S. program are expected to complete a majority of their coursework credit hours in physical geography/environmental science and/or GIScience courses. Masters students must have an approved Masters Program of Study (M-POS) form within 12 months of initial enrollment.  All courses appearing on the M-POS must have a grade of B or better.

There are two options for this degree:

1. Thesis Option (30 Hours)
2. Non-Thesis Option (36 Hours)

Thesis Option (30 Hours)

Coursework

• GEOG 801 - Contemporary Approaches to Geography  
• A graduate-level (500-level or above) techniques or methods course with GEOG designator selected with advisor approval
• Twenty-four (24) additional credit hours with the following stipulations: 
  • Half the coursework (not including GEOG 799) listed on the M-POS must be at the 700- or 800-level.
  • No more than six (6) credit hours of independent study with any designator may be included on the M-POS.
  • A minimum of one (1) and maximum of six (6) credit hours of GEOG 799  must be included on the M-POS. Students cannot enroll in GEOG 799 until they have an approved thesis proposal. 
  • A maximum of six (6) credit hours with non-GEOG designators may be included on the M-POS.

Thesis

• Students will publicly defend their proposal prior to the completion of the third regular semester.  During preparation of the thesis, any student who wishes to use University facilities or to confer with faculty must be enrolled in GEOG 799 . Students will publicly defend their thesis research.

Non-Thesis Option (36 Hours)

Students must declare their intention to pursue the non-thesis option no later than the end of the student’s third regular semester. Students choosing this option should have an advisor and a second reader for the research paper. The advisor and second reader must be faculty within the Geography Department. Either may be a regular, associate, or term graduate faculty member.

Coursework

• GEOG 801 - Contemporary Approaches to Geography  
• A graduate-level (500-level or above) techniques or methods course with GEOG designator selected with advisor approval
• Twenty-four (24) additional credit hours with the following stipulations: 
  • Half the coursework listed on the M-POS must be at the 700- or 800-level. GEOG 799  does not count towards this requirement.
  • No more than six (6) credit hours of independent study with any designator may be included on the M-POS.
  • A maximum of six (6) credit hours with non-GEOG designators may be included on the M-POS.

Research Paper

• An extended research paper is written under the guidance of the student’s advisor. The completed paper will be submitted a minimum of six weeks prior to the Graduate School’s “Final Submission Deadline” to the student’s advisor and a second reader. Prior to the Graduate School’s “Final Submission Deadline,” the student must orally present their research paper to their advisor and second reader. The advisor and second reader will evaluate the research paper as “Pass,” “Conditional Pass,” or “Fail.” The student will have two weeks to complete remediation if a “Conditional Pass” or “Fail” is given. The remediated work will be evaluated as “Pass” or “Fail” within two weeks. Students only have one opportunity to remediate. The committee must assign a “Pass” to the paper for the student to pass the comprehensive assessment.