Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Geography Ph.D.

Geography, Environment, Society
College of Liberal Arts
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
Department of Geography, 414 Social Sciences Building, 267 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-625-6080; fax: 612-624-1044)
  • Program Type: Doctorate
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2016
  • Length of program in credits: 52
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The geography graduate program at Minnesota reflects the intellectual breadth of the discipline by maintaining strengths in the broad areas of human geography, physical geography, nature-society relationships, and geographic information science. Faculty and students are engaged in teaching and research both within and across these broad areas as evidenced by prominent research themes within the program: culture, place, and flow; environmental change; geographies of the information society; geovisualization; globalization and uneven development; governance, citizenship, and justice; metropolis and world; and nature and society. To support students in gaining both depth and breadth within the discipline, the program is highly individualized with a limited number of requirements. Students work with their advisers to design individual programs suited to their educational and professional goals.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.50.
Undergraduate degrees need not be from a program in geography. However, students whose previous work is not in geography may be asked to complete specific courses that do not provide graduate credit.
Graduate degrees need not be from a program in geography. However, students whose previous work is not in geography may be asked to complete specific courses that do not provide graduate credit.
Applicants must submit their test score(s) from the following:
  • GRE
    • General Test - Verbal Reasoning: 600
    • General Test - Quantitative Reasoning: 600
    • General Test - Analytical Writing: 4.5
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 100
    • Internet Based - Writing Score: 24
    • Internet Based - Reading Score: 22
    • Paper Based - Total Score: 600
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 7.0
  • MELAB
    • Final score: 84
The preferred English language test is Test of English as Foreign Language.
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
16 credits are required in the major.
12 credits are required outside the major.
24 thesis credits are required.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for students to remain in good standing.
Students must earn certification of expertise in language(s), techniques(s) or both as determined by the advising committee. The committee must verify completion of the requirements prior to scheduling of the PhD final examination.
Required Courses
GEOG 8001 and 8405 should be taken within the first year of study.
GEOG 8001 - Problems in Geographic Thought (3.0 cr)
GEOG 8405 - Seminar: Graduate Student Professional Development (1.0 cr)
Take 6 credits of GEOG 81xx and/or GEOG 82xx coursework, with at least 3 credits of GEOG 82xx. With advisor approval, GEOG 8970 and GEOG 8980 may be used for GEOG 81xx or GEOG 82xx courses.
Take exactly 6 credit(s) from the following:
· GEOG 8xxx
Methods Course Requirement
Take at least 3 credits of methods coursework, which can be from outside the Geography, Environment & Society department. Course selection must be done in consultation with the Geography director of graduate studies.
Proposal-Writing Course Requirement
Take GEOG 8302 or at least 3 credits of coursework from outside the Geography, Environment & Society department. Course selection must be done in consultation with the Geography director of graduate studies.
GEOG 8302 - Research Development (3.0 cr)
Supporting Program Coursework
Take at least 12 credits from outside the department.
Thesis Credits
Take 24 or more credit(s) from the following:
· GEOG 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral (1.0-24.0 cr)
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Liberal Arts

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Fall 2020
· Fall 2019
· Fall 2018
· Summer 2017
· Spring 2017

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GEOG 8001 - Problems in Geographic Thought
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Currents of geographic thought in biophysical, GIS, human, cultural, and human-environment subfields. Focuses on concepts/paradigms through which geographers have attempted to unify/codify the discipline, around which debate has flourished, and about which interdisciplinary histories can be traced.
GEOG 8405 - Seminar: Graduate Student Professional Development
Credits: 1.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: S-N or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Strategies for success in graduate program. Preparation for a career as a geographer. Completing/defending the dissertation. Publishing, job search, tenure process, oral presentations, non-academic career paths. prereq: Geography grad student
GEOG 8302 - Research Development
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: S-N or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
Students in geography and related social sciences are guided in key steps to effective research proposal writing. prereq: instr consent
GEOG 8888 - Thesis Credit: Doctoral
Credits: 1.0 -24.0 [max 100.0]
Grading Basis: No Grade
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
(No description) prereq: Max 18 cr per semester or summer; 24 cr required