MS in Geography

The Master of Science in Geography degree program trains young professionals in areas of human and physical geography, while building on students’ working knowledge of geospatial techniques. With a faculty-to-student ratio of 1-to-2, our graduate students have exceptional mentorship and research opportunities.

Students supplement required coursework in geographic methods and basic GIS with elective courses that match their specific interests. Possible elective topics include Arctic climate systems, methods for analyzing mortality and birth rates, water resource policy and city planning.

Recent graduates have gone on to prestigious PhD programs and jobs at the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the Brookings Institution and more.

 

 

"The professors are incredibly approachable, and I've made good friends. They do a lot of social events, which really contribute to making the department feel like a little family."

Natalie Armstrong
MA '16


Thesis and Capstone

To fulfill degree requirements, MS students choose either a thesis option (30 credit hours) or non-thesis/capstone option (36 credit hours). Students taking the non-thesis option must complete a geography capstone course, which can take the form of either an original research project supervised by a faculty member or a research and analysis assignment completed during an internship for an external client.

Capstone research can be considered for the department’s Campbell Graduate Research Grants. The grants fund travel and other costs associated with graduate research.


Funding Opportunities

Campbell Graduate Research Grants

The highly competitive Campbell Graduate Research Grants are awarded to several graduate students each summer. Past awardees have applied their funding toward research projects in the Arctic, Ghana, Panama, Alabama and around Washington, D.C. Recently, two students received Campbell funding for their capstone research project based out of Mixco, Guatemala. Their project used open-source mapping tools to help vulnerable communities reduce disaster risk and adapt to disasters.

Each March, the department puts out a call for Campbell Research Grant proposals to fund summer projects. Students are encouraged to submit research proposals at the end of their first year in the MS program.

Fellowships and Assistantships

The Geography Department offers a number of graduate student assistantships as well as student “grader” positions. Applications for assistantships and grading positions are evaluated following admission to the program, and awards are made on the basis of academic qualifications. Awards are granted for one year, with the understanding that if assistantships are available and if the student maintains good academic standing, the award will be renewed for a second year.

 

Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships

 

Other CCAS Graduate Student Funding

Columbian College offers additional funding options, including research grants, scholarships and military education benefits.

 

CCAS Graduate Student Funding

 


Course Requirements

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.

The following requirements musts be fulfilled: Thesis option—30 credits, including 15 credits in required courses, including 6 credits of thesis, and 15 credits in elective courses; non-thesis option—36 credits, including 12 credits in required courses and 24 credits in elective courses.

The student’s program of study is developed in consultation with the advisor and the graduate committee.

Required
GEOG 6201Geographic Thought
GEOG 6304Geographical Information Systems I
GEOG 6292Qualitative Methods in Geography
or GEOG 6305 Geospatial Statistics
For thesis option only:
GEOG 6999Thesis Research (taken for a total of 6 credits)
For non-thesis option only:
GEOG 6295Research
or GEOG 6300 Geography Capstone Internship
Electives *
For thesis option—15 credits in elective courses; non-thesis option—24 credits in electives. All students must take at least one of the following courses:
GEOG 6226Water Resources Policy and Management
GEOG 6232Migration and Development
GEOG 6250Geographical Perspectives on Development
GEOG 6306Geographical Information Systems II
GEOG 6307Digital Image Processing
GEOG 6308Programming for Geospatial Applications
GEOG 6309GIS for Emergency Management
GEOG 6310Geovisualization and Cartography
GEOG 6311Open Source Solutions for Geospatial Project Management
GEOG 6300Geography Capstone Internship

Depending on their area of specific interest, students select electives from appropriate courses within the department or from related programs and departments within the University or the Consortium of Universities.