Programs by Campus
Bloomington
Geography
College of Arts and Sciences
Departmental E-mail: geog [at] indiana [dot] edu
Departmental URL: www.indiana.edu/%7egeog
(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin. Requirements may or may not be reflected identically in departmental URLs.)
Apply electronically for admission: www.gradapp.indiana.edu/
Curriculum
Degrees Offered
Master of Arts, Master of Arts for Teachers, Master of Arts in Geography and Master of Science in Environmental Science (SPEA), Master of Science, Master of Science in Geography and Master of Science in Environmental Science (SPEA), and Doctor of Philosophy
Special Departmental Requirements
(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)
Grades
B (3.0) average or higher; B in core courses.
Master of Arts Degree
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate major in geography or its equivalent. Applicants not meeting this requirement may be expected to take additional work.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours, including a core curriculum consisting of G500, G501, and G588. In addition, each student should select one topical field of concentration and complete a sequence of courses involving a minimum of 9 graduate credits in that field.
Thesis or Research Papers
Students have the option of writing a thesis (G850) or two research papers (G845). Up to 6 credit hours are allowed for a thesis and up to 3 credit hours are given for each research paper.
Final Examination
Oral examination covering the topic of specialization, the thesis or research papers, and other aspects of geography.
Master of Science Degree
Admissions Requirement
Undergraduate major in geography, atmospheric science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, or equivalent. Applicants not meeting this requirement may be expected to take additional work.
Fields of Study
Atmospheric Science, Geographic Information Science, and Sustainable Systems.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 30 credit hours, including a core curriculum consisting of G500, G501, and G588. In addition, each student should select a topical field of concentration in either atmospheric science or geographic information science and complete a minimum of 9 graduate credits in that field.
Thesis or Research Papers
Students have the option of writing a thesis (G850) or two research papers (G845). Up to 6 credit hours are allowed for a thesis and up to 3 credit hours are given for each research paper.
Master of Arts for Teachers Degree
Admission Requirements
A full undergraduate major in geography is not required, but applicants should have had introductory courses in physical, environmental, or human geography.
Program
An individual program of study will be arranged for each student. A general description of the M.A.T. requirements is found elsewhere in this bulletin.
Master of Arts/Master of Science in Geography and Master of Science in Environmental Science (Public and Environmental Affairs)
Admission Requirements
The Department of Geography and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) offer a three-year, 60 credit hour program that qualifies students for two master’s degrees. A student must apply to and be accepted by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs for study toward the Master of Science in Environmental Science (M.S.E.S.) and by the Department of Geography and the Graduate School for study toward the M.A. or M.S. degree. The student must select an advisory committee of at least three faculty members representing both the Department of Geography and SPEA.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 60 credit hours, distributed as specified among the following six areas in environmental science and geography: (1) environmental sciences (12 cr.); (2) environmental management and policy (10 cr.); (3) environmental science electives (6-9 cr.); (4) geography (13 cr.) including core curriculum, G500, G501, and G588, and one 3-credit seminar; (5) geography electives (11 cr.); and (6) research (6 cr.).
Research Project, Thesis, or Research Papers
Students may opt for a research project, a thesis, or two research papers. They may complete up to 6 credit hours (of the 60 required) of area 6 (research) in SPEA E625 for a research project; GEOG G850 for a thesis; or G845 if choosing the option of two research papers. The research report, thesis, or research papers must be acceptable to the student’s advisory committee, the director of graduate studies in geography, and the director of the M.S.E.S. program.
Master of Science in Geography with Specialization in Atmospheric Science
Requirements
Requirements are the same as for the M.S. in Geography, with the additional requirements of a minimum of 9 graduate credits in the field of atmospheric science. Suitable courses include but are not limited to:
G532 Physical Meteorology and Climatology
G505 Hydroclimatology
G531 Dynamic Meteorology
G533 Advanced Synoptic Meteorology and Climatoloty
G534 Air Poluution Meteorology
G550 Instrucmentation and Field Methods in Atmospheric Science
G555 Wind Power Meteorology
G562 Dynamic Meteorology: Boundary-Layer Meteorology
G570 Micrometeorology
G575 Climate Change
G577 Topics in Atmospheric Sciience
G589 Atmospheric Data Analysis
Master of Science in Geography with Specialization in Geographic Information Science
Requirements
Requirements are the same as for the M.S. in Geography, with the additional requirement of a minimum of 9 graduate credits in the field of geographic information science. Suitable courses include but are not limited to:
G538 Geographic Information Systems
G539 Advanced Geographic Information Systems
G639 Topical Seminar in Geographic Information Science
G535 Environmental Remote Sensing
G536 Advanced Remote Sensing: Digital Image Processing
G588 Applied Spatial Statistics
G504 Advanced Quantitative Methods in Geography
G584 Geological Applications of GIS (GEOL)
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Admission Requirements
M.A. or M.S. degree in geography or related discipline.
Fields of Study
Atmospheric Science, Geographic Information Science, and Sustainable Systems.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 90 credit hours, including a core curriculum consisting of G500, G501, and G588 as well as a dissertation (up to 20 credit hours). Each student must select a major within the field of geography chosen from the fields of study listed above. Students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours beyond the M.A./M.S. in the major, including at least one graduate seminar. The dissertation must be written in the major field of study within geography.
Minors
At least one outside minor required. It should be closely related to the internal major and must be chosen from approved programs of study outlined in this bulletin (unless exceptions are approved by the University Graduate School).
Qualifying Examination
Written and oral, covering the areas of concentration, other aspects of geography, and the tentative dissertation problem.
Research Proposal
The proposed research for the dissertation must be approved by the research committee and presented at a departmental colloquium.
Final Examination
Oral defense of the dissertation.
Ph.D. Minor in Geography
The requirements for the Ph.D. minor are flexible. A student’s specific program should be developed in consultation with the minor-field advisor in geography. Typical fields include Atmospheric Science, Human-Environment Interaction, Human Geography, and Geographic Information Science. A minimum of 9 credit hours of course work.
Ph.D. in Geography with Specialization in Atmospheric Science
Requirements
A minimum of 90 credit hours, including a core curriculum consisting of G500, G501, and G588 as well as a dissertation (up to 20 credit hours). Students must also complete a minimum of 12 credit hours beyond the M.S. in atmospheric science, including at least one graduate seminar. Suitable courses include but are not limited to:
G532 Physical Meteorology and Climatology
G505 Hydroclimatology
G531 Dynamic Meteorology
G533 Advanced Synoptic Meteorology and Climatoloty
G534 Air Poluution Meteorology
G550 Instrucmentation and Field Methods in Atmospheric Science
G555 Wind Power Meteorology
G562 Dynamic Meteorology: Boundary-Layer Meteorology
G570 Micrometeorology
G575 Climate Change
G577 Topics in Atmospheric Sciience (up to 6 cr.)
G589 Atmospheric Data Analysis
Ph.D. in Geography with Specialization in Geographic Information Science
Requirements
Requirements are the same as Ph.D. in Geography, with the additional requirement of a minimum of 12 credit hours in geographic information science beyong the M.S. in Geography with a specialization in Geographic Information Science. Suitable courses include but are not limited to the list that appears under the course requirements for M.S. in Geography with a specialization in Geographic Information Science (above).