Department of Geography
The Master of Arts in Applied Geography
Admissions Requirements
Minimum requirements to be considered for admission to the M.A. in geography include a bachelor's degree with 12 hours of geography coursework, including one course in human geography, one in physical geography, one in regional geography, and one in either cartography, remote sensing, GIS or statistics; acceptable scores on the GRE Exam, strong letters of recommendation, and a personal statement that summarizes your background and interests in pursuing an advanced degree in geography.
Promising students who do not meet the formal requirements for full admission may, upon departmental recommendation, be granted provisional admission. Full graduate standing will be granted when the student satisfactorily completes prescribed courses or otherwise removes deficiencies as outlined by the Director of Graduate Studies or the Graduate School. All special conditions must be satisfied no later than upon the completion of 15 semester hours of graduate credit. A graduate student admitted provisionally is not eligible for appointment to an assistantship or fellowship until full graduate standing is achieved. For students without the required geography background, courses in human, physical, regional, and techniques courses may be taken with us prior to beginning the formal Master's degree. If you do not have an undergraduate major in geography we encourage you to discuss possible deficiencies with us before you apply.
Program Requirements
The Master of Arts in Applied Geography has 3 program options: Thesis, Internship Project, or Non-Thesis.
If you choose to complete the Thesis or Internship Project, completion of the degree requires:
• 34 credit hours, including GEO 601 and GEO 620
• 1/2 of all coursework (17 hours) at the 600 - 749 levels
• Comprehensive Exam
• Thesis or internship project
• Thesis Defense or Internship Presentation
If you choose the Non-Thesis option, completion of the degree requires:
• 37 credit hour including GEO 601 and GEO 620
• 1/2 of all coursework (18 hours) at the 600 - 749 levels
• Comprehensive Exam
• Competency Portfolio
The master's degree requires a minimum of 34 hours of graduate-level coursework; all but 17 credit hours must be at the 600-749 levels.
• Required courses are: GEO 601 and GEO 620; GEO 695 Internship (3-6) or GEO 699 Thesis (3-6)*
• Electives are: 24 - 33 hours
*The non-thesis option requires 37 hours of coursework, excluding GEO 695 and GEO 699. The non-thesis option is a terminal degree program.
Students coming into our programs without an undergraduate degree in geography must complete 4 undergraduate courses in geography to help ground themselves in the discipline. One course in each of the following sub-disciplines is required, in addition to completing the advanced degree requirements:
• Physical Geography: GEO 103; GEO 106
• Regional Geography: GEO 104; GEO 344
• Cultural Geography: GEO 105; GEO 301; GEO 306
• Geographic Techniques: GEO 121; GEO 603
These courses may have been taken previously as part of an undergraduate program; if this is not the case, they may be taken at UNCG, in any other approved geography department, or in some cases by correspondence. Please consult the Director of Graduate Studies for more information or course approvals.
GEO 601
GEO 601 is a one (1) credit hour course that provides an overview of major research trends in geography, particularly as they relate to the graduate program and faculty in the department. As an entry point into the graduate program, its purpose is to help transition you from being primarily a user of geographical knowledge to someone who is situated to contribute professionally to the knowledge base of the discipline. It consists of field trips to orient you to the region and to faculty research, conference attendance requirements, and colloquium and lecture attendance/participation. All master's students must take this course as a requirement of the Master's degree; this should occur the first Fall semester in which they are enrolled. Doctoral students are encouraged to take this course during their first Fall semester as well to become acquainted with the region and faculty.
Advisors
The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the temporary advisor for all incoming students. Students will meet with the Director before classes begin. The purpose of this initial meeting is to discuss your goals, help you plan a course of study, and to anticipate the timing of important graduate school and departmental deadlines. By the end of the first year, you will be expected to select a permanent advisor, with that advisor’s consent. You may request a change of advisor at any time. Please note that faculty committees do NOT normally meet during the periods between semesters or during the first or last week of any semester. Committee approvals of work/proposals may be significantly delayed if you fail to recognize this in your planning.
Plan of Study
Every graduate program undertaken, including the post-baccalaureate certificates, requires you to file a plan of study outlining all the courses you will take or have taken to meet the requirements of your degree. A preliminary form must be filled out and signed by the Director of Graduate Studies during your first year in the program. A final plan, which documents any changes that occurred must be signed and filed with the Graduate School when you apply for graduation.
Please note that each program undertaken requires a separate plan of study to be filed.
Transferring Coursework
In some instances, work completed at other institutions may be counted towards your degree. If you propose the transfer of credit, it must be recommended by your dissertation committee before the Graduate School will credit the work to your program. The maximum amount of credits transferable is approximately 9 credit hours. The following conditions also apply:
• Courses must have been taken at a recognized, accredited graduate school
• Courses may NOT have been used to complete the requirements for another degree
• Courses must have been taken within the 7-year time frame of the degree
• A 3.0 or better grade must have been earned on all transfer credit
• The credit must be recorded on an official transcript that is on file with the Graduate School
• Transfer credits must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee and by the Dean of the Graduate School
• Transfer credit must be necessary to meet specific degree requirements
• A maximum of 9 credit hours may be transferred
Independent Study
An independent study consists of guided readings, research and individual project work completed under the direction of a member of the geography department. They offer students the opportunity to complete an in-depth study of an area in geography that is not covered by a regular course in the geography curriculum. These studies are not designed to substitute for regular coursework.
Eighteen hours of graduate coursework must be completed before a student is eligible to enroll in GEO 690 – Research Problems in Applied Geography or GEO 790 –Independent Geographic Research. Students must also have at least a 3.0 average in their graduate coursework and the prior approval of a faculty member to enroll – faculty must fill out a form granting you approval to register (forms generally available in the front office). No more than 3 credit hours of independent study may be earned in any given semester, and not more than 6 semester hours may count towards satisfying the minimum requirements for a master’s or doctoral degree.
Assistantships
A full-time student load per semester is 6 credit hours. Students receiving financial support from the University are expected to enroll in a minimum of six semester hours in a graduate degree program. They must have been admitted to the University unconditionally and have maintained a B (3.0) average. Service hours may not exceed 20 hours per week in total. Full-time graduate students may not be employed for more than 20 hours per week inclusive of assistantship hours. Normally a student who has a fellowship or service appointment will not work outside the University. Only under extraordinary circumstances, with the recommendation of the department and approval of the Dean of The Graduate School, a student who has a fellowship or service appointment may be granted special permission to work outside the University. Full-time assistantships in Geography are classified as GA (graduate assistant) or TA (teaching assistantship). Master's candidates are automatically classified as GA; doctoral students are classified as TA. Normally, a 20-hours assistantship will consist of one of the following:
• complete responsibility for one or two sections of a course (Ex. GEO 103)
• teaching two or three lab sections of a course (Ex. GEO 106L)
• serving as a technical assistant in a course (Ex. GEO 121)
• serving as a lab assistant in the research lab
• some combination of technical assistance and lab assistance
Provisional Status
Promising students who hold a baccalaureate degree but do not meet the formal requirements for full admission may, upon departmental recommendation, be granted provisional admission. Full graduate standing will be granted when the student satisfactorily completes prescribed courses or otherwise remove deficiencies as outlined by the Director of Graduate Studies or the Graduate School. All special conditions must be satisfied no later than upon the completion of 15 semester hours of graduate credit. A graduate student admitted provisionally is not eligible for appointment to an assistantship or fellowship until full graduate standing is achieved.
Academic Eligibility
Students will become academically ineligible to continue in The Graduate School when any of the following are received in course work of an approved program of study to be applied to a degree program:
• Grades of U, F or WF are received in any 6 semester hours
• Grades of C+ or C are received in 9 semester hours
• Any grades of U, F or WF is received in combination with 6 semester hours of C+ or C grades, or,
• The required 3.0 for graduation is not achieved within the minimum number of semester hours required for the degree of certificate
Students in Post-Baccalaureate and Post-Master's Certificate programs will become academically ineligible to continue in an approved certificate program when any of the following are received in course work applied to that certificate program:
• Any grade of U, F or WF is received,
• Grades of C+ or C are received in more than 3 semester hours
• The required 3.0 for graduation is not achieved within the minimum number of semester hours required for the certificate.
Urban Planning and Economic Development Concentration
This concentration is directed towards students who have an interest in preserving and enhancing the quality-of-life of urban areas and dealing effectively with growth and development issues. Students completing this concentration will combine the core requirements of the master's degree in applied geography with courses emphasizing the knowledge and skills required to provide effective leadership in urban and economic development for metropolitan areas. The required core courses, electives, research courses, and formal reviews and examinations are the same as for the Master of Arts degree in applied geography. Within this framework, the following 15 hours must be completed.
Required Core Courses (12 hours)
- GEO 502 Urban Planning (3)
- GEO 522 Seminar in Population and Urban Studies (3)
- GEO 533 Industrial Development: State and Local (3)
- GEO 603 Understanding Geographic Information Systems (3)
Elective Courses (3 hours) --- Choose one from following:
- GEO 602 Regional Planning (3)
- GEO 622 GIS Applications in Urban Planning (3)
- GEO 631 Transportation Planning (3)
- PSC 620 Urban Development Policy (3)
- PSC 630 Community and Economic Development: Theory and Practice (3)