Campuses:
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Twin Cities Campus
Geography M.A.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)
Email:
geog-dgs@umn.edu
Website: http://www.geog.umn.edu
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 the University of 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
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.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
The preferred English language test is Test of English as Foreign Language.
Key to test
abbreviations
(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
Plan A: Plan A requires
14
major credits,
6
credits outside the major,
and
10
thesis credits.
The final exam is written and oral.
Plan B: Plan B requires
24
major credits and
6
credits outside the major.
The final exam is oral.
A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project:Three Plan B papers are required. These papers have the quality but not the scope of a master's thesis, and usually are enhanced versions of research papers done in connection with coursework and seminars.
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses towards program requirements is not permitted.
A minimum GPA of 2.80
is required for students to remain in good standing.
Methods Course (4 credits)
Take at least 4 credits of methods coursework, chosen in consultation with the advisor
Major Electives (6 to 16 credits)
All students select 6 8xxx-level credits, and Plan B students select at least 10 additional credits from the following in consultation with the advisor:
GEOG 8001 - Problems in Geographic Thought
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8002 - Research Methods in Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8005 - Proseminar: Population Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8006 - Proseminar: Research Methods in Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8007 - Proseminar: Theories of Development and Change
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8020 - Research Seminar: Economic Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8101 - Proseminar: Nature and Society
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8102 - Proseminar: The State, the Economy, and Spatial Development
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8103 - Proseminar: Physical Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8105 - Proseminar: Historical Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8106 - Seminar: Social and Cultural Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8107 - Geographic Writing
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8200 - Seminar: Urban Geography
(2.0-3.0 cr)
GEOG 8201 - Explorations in the Geography of Minnesota
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8211 - Federal Policy Research
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8212 - Africa
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8213 - East Asia and China
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8214 - South Asia
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8220 - Agrarian Change and Rural Development
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8230 - Theoretical Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8240 - Medical Geography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8260 - Seminar: Physical Geography
(2.0 cr)
GEOG 8270 - Seminar: Climatology
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8280 - Biogeography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8290 - Seminar in GIS and Cartography
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8291 - Seminar in GIS, Technology, and Society
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8292 - Seminar in GIS: Spatial Analysis and Modeling
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8293 - CyberGIS
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8294 - Spatiotemporal Modeling and Simulation
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8301 - Advanced Qualitative Methods
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8302 - Research Development
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8336 - Development Theory and the State
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8350 - Seminar: World Population
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8420 - Teaching Practicum
(1.0 cr)
GEOG 8800 - Seminar: Development of Geographic Thought
(3.0 cr)
GEOG 8970 - Directed Readings
(1.0-5.0 cr)
GEOG 8980 - Topics: Geography
(1.0-3.0 cr)
Outside Coursework (6 credits)
Select 6 credits from the following in consultation with the advisor. Other courses may be applied to this requirement with advisor approval.
ANTH 8810 - Topics in Sociocultural Anthropology
(3.0 cr)
CSCI 5715 - From GPS, Google Maps, and Uber to Spatial Data Science
(3.0 cr)
FNRM 5203 - Forest Fire and Disturbance Ecology
(3.0 cr)
FNRM 5262 - Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis of Natural Resources and Environment
(3.0 cr)
FNRM 5362 - Drones: Data, Analysis, and Operations
(3.0 cr)
GWSS 8210 - Seminar: Feminist Theory & Praxis
(3.0 cr)
GWSS 8490 - Seminar: Transnational, Postcolonial, Diaspora
(3.0 cr)
NR 5021 - Statistics for Agricultural and Natural Resource Professionals
(3.0 cr)
PUBH 6450 - Biostatistics I
(4.0 cr)
SOC 5811 - Social Statistics for Graduate Students
(4.0 cr)
Plan Options
Plan A
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Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 2.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 2.0 -3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 2.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | OPT No Aud |
Typically offered: | Fall Odd Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 9.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 1.0 [max 3.0] |
Grading Basis: | S-N or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Periodic Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 1.0 -5.0 [max 10.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |
Credits: | 1.0 -3.0 [max 30.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 9.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Typically offered: | Spring Even Year |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | FNRM 3203/FNRM 5203 |
Grading Basis: | A-F or Aud |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | FNRM 3262/FNRM 5262 |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 6.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | FNRM 3362/FNRM 5362 |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 9.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 6.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 3.0 [max 3.0] |
Course Equivalencies: | AnSc 3011/ESPM 3012/NR 5021/St |
Typically offered: | Every Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Grading Basis: | A-F only |
Typically offered: | Every Fall & Spring |
Credits: | 4.0 [max 4.0] |
Typically offered: | Every Fall |
Credits: | 1.0 -18.0 [max 50.0] |
Grading Basis: | No Grade |
Typically offered: | Every Fall, Spring & Summer |