Graduate Study in Geography
Overview
The UW-Madison Department of Geography is a leader in the field of geography and offers exceptional opportunities for graduate education. The Department has been consistently rated as one of the best in the country and for over 100 years has been the training ground for generations of geographers.
Graduate study in the Geography Program is divided into four major thematic areas: Human Geography, Physical Geography, People-Environment, Cartography/GIS. In addition, students may focus on Area Studies and Global Systems as part of one of the thematic areas. The Geography Department faculty serves in prominent positions both within the University and in our larger professional communities. Our faculty have been recognized both by the university and within our profession with such honors as UW named chairs, and AAG lifetime achievement awards. We are also proud of the accomplishments of our graduates, many of whom have gone on to prominence within government, industry, and academia.
The Department of Geography offers two levels of graduate education: Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy.
Masters of Science: Geography has two Master of Science programs, one in Geography and one in Cartography/GIS. Graduate students in our Master of Science programs are expected to acquire a broad foundation in geography in addition to specialization in one or more thematic areas. Students who earn the MS degree are prepared for teaching in some small colleges, and for applied geography posts or cartographic positions in government agencies, planning organizations, environmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private industry.
Doctor of Philosophy: The Doctor of Philosophy degree is founded primarily upon specialized advance training and research. Students normally specialize in a single sub-disciplinary area and are expected to engage in research leading to a dissertation that makes an original and significant contribution to geographic knowledge and ideas.
Degree Descriptions
- Master of Science Degree in Geography
- Master of Science Degree in Cartography and GIS
- Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Geography
Master of Science in Geography
The Master’s degree in Geography is a two-year program with thesis. Students are required to complete a minimum of 22 graduate credits in geography courses approved by the department’s Graduate Affairs and Research Committee. These courses may include up to six (6) research and thesis credits (Geography 990). Students must earn at least 16 graduate credits at UW-Madison, and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
Students interested in geographic information science (GIScience) should choose to do a Master of Science in Cartography and GIS
Admission to the MS Geography Program
Incoming master’s students are expected to have taken a course in each of the following areas: Physical Geography, Human Geography or Regional Geography, People-Environment Geography or Regional Geography, GIScience, and Statistical Methods. Students who have not taken courses in all or some of these areas may still be admitted to the program because these breadth requirements can be fulfilled during their residence here. Courses taken to satisfy the breadth requirements may be “double-counted,” fulfilling both breadth and degree requirements. Typically, seminars or the like should not be used to fulfill the breadth requirements.
Degree Requirements for the MS in Geography Program
- Geography 765 and Geography 766 should be taken at the earliest opportunity, normally during the fall and spring semesters of the first year of graduate study. These courses introduce graduate students to research in the field of geography. The 765 course stresses conceptual contexts, while the 766 course emphasizes research design.
- Four graduate level courses (300-level courses or above), three of which must be in the Geography Department. Additionally, only one course in a given area may be "double counted" toward the fulfillment of the breadth requirement..
- Two 3 credit seminars (with research papers) in the Geography Department, involving at least two different faculty members. These seminars may also be counted toward the four graduate level course requirement (see #2 above).
- A master's thesis of modest length (usually no more than 50 pages of text). The thesis proposal is normally written during the second semester of graduate study as a requirement for Geography 766. The scope of the thesis should be sufficiently limited so that research and data analysis can be completed in the summer and third semester, followed by the submission of the final draft and defense in the fourth semester. The thesis must be defended orally before a thesis committee. See Academic Proceedures of Thesis Committee makeup.
Click here to learn how to apply.
Master of Science in Cartography and GIS
The master's degree in Cartography and GIS is a two year program with thesis. Students are required to complete a minimum of 24 to 26 graduate credits in geography courses approved by the department's Graduate Affairs and Research Committee. These courses may include up to six research and thesis credits (Geography 990). Students must earn at least 16 graduate credits at UW-Madison and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
Students interested in learning to apply GIS techniques in a non-academic setting should consider our GIS certificate program. Click for a comparison between the two programs.
Admission to the MS Cartography/GIS Program
Incoming master's students are expected to have taken a course in quantitative methods, two courses in mathematics, and at least two intermediate or advanced courses in geography. Students who have not taken courses in these areas may be admitted to the program because these breadth requirements will be fulfilled during their residence here. Courses taken to satisfy our breadth requirements may be "double-counted," fulfilling both breadth and degree requirements. Typically, seminars or the like should not be used to fullfil the breadth requirements.
Degree Requirements for the MS in Cartography/GIS Program
- Geography 765 & 766 (4 credits)
- Geography 370, 375, 377 (11 credits) (they can be waived if taken already)
- Two courses (6-8 credits) from Geography 371, 570, 572, 575, 577, 578, 579
- Geography 970 (3 credits)
- A master's thesis of modest length (usually no more than 50 pages of text). The thesis proposal is normally written during the second semester of graduate study as a requirement for Geography 766. The scope of the thesis should be sufficiently limited so that research and data analysis can be completed in the summer and third semester, followed by the final draft and defense in the fourth semester. The thesis must be defended orally before a thesis committee. See Academic Proceedures of Thesis Committee makeup.
Click here to learn how to apply.
Doctor of Philosophy in Geography
To receive the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Geography, students are required to earn a minimum of 32 graduate credits at UW-Madison, which may include previous Master’s degree work. Formal requirements include: completion of departmental course requirements, a skills package, and a minor. Students must also pass two qualifying exams (one general and one specific), defend a dissertation proposal, and write and defend a dissertation. PhD students, like other Geography Department graduate students, must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0. The dissertation should make a significant and original contribution to geographic research.
Admission to the Ph.D. Program
Incoming Ph.D. students should already have earned a Master's degree and must provide evidence of the successful completion of the Master's degree to the Graduate Coordinator by the end of the first semester in residence in order to proceed to the Ph.D. program. Incoming Ph.D. students are also expected to have taken a course in each of the following areas: Physical Geography, Human (Regional) Geography, People-Environment Geography, GIScience, and Statistical methods. Students, who have not taken courses in these areas may still be admitted to the program because they can fulfill these breadth requirements during their residence here. Courses taken to satisfy our breadth requirements may be “double-counted,” fulfilling both breadth and degree requirements. Typically, seminars or the like should not be used to fulfill the breadth requirements.
Degree Requirements for the Ph.D. Program
Doctoral students are officially advanced to Ph.D. Candidacy when they have completed the first five requirements and finish the sixth requirement within five years after they have advanced to candidacy.
- Course Requirements. These requirements include Geography 765 and two 3 credit research seminars (with research papers) offered by different faculty members. Seminars previously taken as part of the Master’s program at UW-Madison cannot be counted.
- Minor. Students choose either the "regular minor" (Option A) consisting of at least 10 credits in one department outside geography, or the "distributed minor" (Option B) consisting of at least 10 credits in two or more departments outside geography. The distributed minor coursework must be approved in advance by the Ph.D. advisor.
- Skills. The skills requirement can be satisfied in a number of ways, including any one of the following: (a) competence in a language other than English; (b) a quantitative skills package of courses; (c) a qualitative skills package of courses; or (d) a combination of quantitative and qualitative skills courses. To satisfy the skills requirement with a language, the student must provide an evaluation letter of oral and/or reading proficiency from the appropriate language department. From this letter, the Graduate Affairs and Research Committee determines fulfillment of the skills requirement. Courses proposed to satisfy the quantitative and/or qualitative skills package must emphasize methodology with broad applicability. Students must complete a minimum of six credits with a grade of "C" or better in courses at the intermediate or advanced levels. Geography 360 does not count as part of the quantitative and/or qualitative skills package (i.e., b, c, or d above). PLEASE NOTE: Skills coursework should be approved in advance by the Ph.D. thesis advisor. These courses may be "double-counted", fulfilling both the minor and skills requirements.
- Qualifying Examinations. Students are required to take two written qualifying examinations. The eight-hour general examination covers the breadth of one of the five areas of concentration recognized by the department: Physical Geography, Human Geography, People/Environment interaction, Regional Geography, Cartography/GIS. The general exam is devised and graded by the faculty specializing in this area. The specific examination covers one or two subfields within the five areas, and can be taken as one eight-hour examination or two four-hour examinations. The definition of the subfields is subject to approval by the Graduate Affairs and Research Committee. The definition and scope intended by the subfields are illustrated by, but are not confined to, the titles of research seminars. The specific exam is devised and graded by the individual's thesis advisor.
- Dissertation Proposal. Students must successfully complete an oral defense of their thesis proposal before a committee. See Academic Proceedures of Thesis Committee makeup. The Ph.D. student advances to Ph.D. candidacy (dissertator status) once she/he successfully defended her/his dissertation proposal.
- Completion of the Dissertation. Once they advance to Ph.D. candidacy, most students devote full time study to the dissertation. The dissertation is a major piece of scholarly work, which demonstrates independent, original research. The dissertation must be completed and successfully defended before the same committee that approved the topic. This final oral examination may take place not earlier than one year after the student advanced to candidacy nor later than five years after reaching candidacy.