geography phd studentships

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PhD in Geography

Phd in geography, university of north carolina at charlotte.

Now accepting applications for Fall 2025

GRE requirement optional for 2025 Admissions

The priority deadline for funding consideration is February 15th, 2025

The PhD in Geography is our department’s core doctoral program reflecting the multi-disciplinary research and teaching expertise of our exceptional and award-winning faculty. Graduate students engage in coursework from within and across three areas of focus: Urban and Regional Analysis, Earth and Environmental Systems, and Geographic Information Science. A broad range of elective courses build upon shared training in the theoretical and methodological foundations of Geography, advanced research approaches (quantitative and/or qualitative) and spatial technologies and analysis. Independent research follows yielding a dissertation that advances knowledge in Geography and its related disciplines.

Doctoral students in Geography at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are members of a student-centered, well-resourced and collegial department comprised of social, physical and applied scientists. As many as half of our PhD students are supported through competitive Graduate Assistantships or Fellowships and our students are frequent recipients of the university’s most prestigious scholarships and national awards. Currently, the program’s Graduate Assistantships include a 9-month stipend of $21,000 plus tuition and health care support through a Graduate School GASP Award.

Our commitment to professional development translates into student involvement in faculty-led research and outreach teams; summer field work grants; financial support to present at national and international conferences; and preparation for teaching and research excellence both pre and post-graduation. Doctoral students in the program have established a tradition of engagement and leadership in the department, across campus, and within national and international professional associations such as the American Association of Geographers and its regional and specialty groups.

The program is structured to be completed within 4 years and our graduates find professional success across the occupational spectrum – as tenure-track professors, international researchers, community planners, analysts with local to national scale governments, post-doctoral fellows, applied scientists, spatial entrepreneurs, private sector consultants and more.

We are now accepting applications for Fall 2024 Admission. Applications received before February 15, 2024 will be given priority consideration for available assistantship and fellowship funding.

Please note that our program will continue to waive the GRE requirement for applicants seeking admission for Spring and Fall 2024. If applicants wish to submit GRE scores they may still do so and those will be considered in the review process.

Admission and requirements? Please refer to UNC Charlotte Graduate Catalog

Ready to apply? Please refer to UNC Charlotte Graduate School Admissions

Questions? Please contact program director Dr. Colleen Hammelman [email protected]

Resources for PhD in Geography Program

• PhD GEOG Course Listing
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• Fellowships, Awards and Competitions

Alumni Dr. Paul McDaniel and students Tonderai Mushipe and Jaeho Ko connect at Race, Ethnicity and Place (REP) conference in Austin, TX, Fall 2018.

Publications by our PhD Geography Students and Recent Alumni (and their faculty co-authors)

• J. Claire Schuch & Tonderai Mushipe . 2021. “Light Rail and Neighborhood Change: Comparative Perspectives of Residents, Local Media, and Other Stakeholders” Housing Policy Debate , https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2021.1949371
• Elizabeth Delmelle, Isabelle Nilsson & Providence Adu . 2021. “Poverty Suburbanization, Job Accessibility, and Employment Outcomes” Social Inclusion , DOI: 10.17645/si.v9i2.3735
• Brisa U. de Hernandez, J. Claire Schuch , Janni Sorensen & Heather A. Smith. 2021. “Sustaining CBPR Projects: Lessons Learned Developing Latina Community Groups.” Collaborations: A Journal of Community-based Research and Practice , DOI: http://doi.org/10.33596/coll.69
• Paul H. Jung & Jun Song. 2021. “Multivariate Neighborhood Trajectory Analysis: An Exploration of the Functional Data Analysis Approach” Geographical Analysis , https://doi.org/10.1111/gean.12298
• Yu Lan , Michael R. Desjardins , Alexander Hohl & Eric Delmell e. 2021. “Geovisualization of COVID-19: State of the Art and Opportunities” Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization , DOI: 10.3138/cart-2020-0027
• Maryam Khabazi & Isabelle Nilsson. 2021. “Connecting people with jobs: Light rail’s impact on Commuting patterns” Travel Behaviour and Society , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2021.03.003
• Claudio Owusu , G ary S.Silverman , David S.Vinson, Rajib Paul , Kathleen M. Baker & Eric M. Delmelle. 2021. “Predicting coliform presence in private wells as a function of well characteristics, parcel size and leachfield soil rating” Science of the Total Environment , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143701
• Daidai Shen , Jean-Claude Thill & Jiuwen Sun. 2021. “The determinants of city population in China” Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science . https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-020-00170-8
• Minrui Zheng , Wenwu Tang, Akinwumi Ogundiran & Jianxin Yang. 2020. “Spatial Simulation Modeling of Settlement Distribution Driven by Random Forest: Consideration of Landscape Visibility” Sustainability , https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114748

• Geography and the Environment Department
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• Ph.D. in Geography

Geography and the Environment

PhD in Geography

The doctoral program in geography provides an opportunity to develop expertise in a range of topics across human geography, nature-society geography, community geography, physical geography and geospatial methods. Our faculty members work closely with the small group of doctoral students admitted each year to mentor them in publishing, grant writing, fieldwork and teaching.

We take the training of doctoral students as both scholars and educators very seriously. Students in our doctoral program are fully funded. Our graduate courses are small and provide students a grounding in both foundational and cutting-edge aspects of the discipline. We work with our doctoral students to create innovative and robust research projects designed to prepare them for careers in academia and beyond. We also provide opportunities for our students to gain teaching experience, both as teaching assistants and as instructors of record.

Graduates from our doctoral program become faculty in geography and cognate disciplines, or enter other fields in the nonprofit, public and private sectors. Our department has an excellent track record of placing graduates in academic positions.

Program Requirements

Students entering the Ph.D. program with master's degrees from other universities are expected to have or to acquire qualifications equivalent to those normally achieved by a Syracuse University M.A. in geography. The student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average. Please see the Course Catalog for a complete list of requirements.

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. degree requires a total of 72 credits of approved graduate work in geography and related fields, which includes the following:

• Up to 30 credits accepted for the master's degree
• 12 credits in dissertation research
• At least 24 credits of coursework must be taken in residence at Syracuse
• At least two-thirds of the coursework (not including the dissertation) must be at the 600 level or above

This program usually takes four-six years to complete.

Dissertation

Students must submit a dissertation proposal to their advisory committee for approval. Students must also take qualifying exams, designed to demonstrate competence in three topical fields. The exam has a written and an oral portion, designed to cover the specific subfields identified by the student in consultation with the advisor and advisory committee. Once a student completes all required coursework, defends their dissertation proposal and passes their qualifying exams, they advance to candidacy (i.e. ABD, or “all but dissertation").

The dissertation, which must be defended in a formal dissertation defense, should be an original scholarly contribution to the field and may be highly varied in methodology, topic and style of presentation.

Meet Our Ph.D. Students

View All Doctoral Students

Nicole Moeller Gonzalez

Mirella Pretell

Jihyuk Park

Sohrob Aslamy

Looking for ph.d. dissertations.

I’ve really found an intellectual home in geography. It is a small field in the U.S., yet one I think is important and well-positioned to tackle some of the major issues we’re facing, from climate change to mass incarceration.”

Madeleine Hamlin ’17 M.A./M.P.A. 2021 Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Emerging Scholar; doctoral student, geography

Public housing violence research earns top honor for PhD candidate

Future Professoriate Program

The Future Professoriate Program (FPP) aims to foster a sense of community among graduate students while allowing them to hone skills related to teaching, research and professional identity development. The purpose of the FPP is to help graduate students develop professionally by means of workshops, annual in-house conferences and a mentored independent teaching experience. Students who complete these activities and produce a teaching portfolio can receive the University’s Certificate in University Teaching. These endeavors are seen as complements to the training in scholarship and teaching that are regular parts of graduate education.

Fully-funded PhD studentship in the School of Geography

The School of Geography at the University of Nottingham (UK) invites applications from suitably qualified students for a three-year PhD studentship commencing between 1 October 2023 and 1 February 2024.

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Eligibility

To be eligible for the studentship, applicants must already hold an offer to start a PhD research degree programme in the School of Geography.* Applicants must also have discussed their application with their proposed supervisors prior to applying.

Offer-holders should download and complete the studentship application form (Word) and submit it to [email protected] by 12 noon British Summer Time on 26 July 2023. Late applications will not be considered.

The studentship will cover fees at the Home student rate (£4,850 for 2023/24) and provide a full-time yearly stipend comparable to RCUK rates (currently £17,668). Applications from international students are welcome, but as the fee funding is capped at the Home student rate, successful international applicants would be expected to fund the fee shortfall (international fees for 2023/24 are estimated at £27,200 for science and £20,500 for social science PhD projects). All rates are reviewed annually and thus are subject to change.

The studentship will fund PhD research in any field of geography supported by our four research themes : Geosciences; Environment and Society; Economic Worlds; and Cultural and Historical Geography. We also welcome projects that link across multiple themes.

The school is committed to high-quality research and knowledge transfer, rooted in a culture of interdisciplinary and collaborative research and a strong and supportive postgraduate research culture and training programme. More information is provided on the Postgraduate Research pages of our website .

The University of Nottingham is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for our student and staff community. For more information, please see our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages .

If you have any queries about this studentship, please contact Professor Sarah Jewitt ( [email protected] ).

* To obtain an offer to start a PhD research degree programme in the School of Geography, it is necessary to make an online application. This process can take several weeks during busy periods. View information on the online application process .

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Why Apply to Clark Geography’s Doctoral Program?

Please note: GREs are no longer required.

Established in 1921, the Graduate School of Geography at Clark is internationally renowned for innovative scholarship and is an acknowledged leader in the field. Consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 graduate programs by the National Research Council , Clark Geography enables graduate students to train with top professionals and participate in a world-class research community. Students are guaranteed tuition remission and graduate assistantships for eight semesters, paid at a nationally competitive rate ($29,719 for the 2024/2025 academic year) with fully funded health insurance, in order to foster a tight-knit, supportive intellectual community. Having awarded more Ph.D.s than any other geography program in the U.S., Clark Geography has a reputation for training future leaders in the field.

Our Close-Knit Community

The Graduate School seeks talented students with diverse backgrounds who can contribute to the atmosphere of innovation and collaboration that defines Clark Geography. The intimate atmosphere of a small urban university fosters close faculty-student relationships that are a key component of graduate study at Clark. The program offers a strong emphasis in both qualitative and quantitative analysis and the option to combine both in a research project.

Our objective is to produce scholars and other professionals whose research and pedagogy are path-breaking. We intend our students to contribute significantly to research and application in one of four main geography areas of focus:

• Human-Environment/Nature-Society Geography
• Urban-Economic Geography
• Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing
• Earth System Science

Within these areas of focus, we encourage an education of excellence and innovation across a number of areas of specialization:

• Climate change
• Economy and culture of cities
• Ecosystem ecology
• Environment and development
• Feminist geography
• Forest ecology
• Geographies of energy and extractive industries
• Geographies of social movements
• GIS and spatial analysis
• Global economic change
• Land change and sustainability science
• Land surface hydrology
• Political/cultural ecology
• Political economy
• Resource geography
• Social and spatial theory
• Urban geography
• Urban political
• Urban development

Program Timeline and Requirements

How long will it take to complete the Ph.D. in geography at Clark University? Can students who already hold master’s degrees enter the program? What are the requirements?

View University Overview: Doctoral Program in Geography Program Timeline Geography Ph.D. Program Handbook

Please note that the GRE exam is no longer required for this program.

Recent Dissertations

Our Ph.D. students conduct research across the world on issues ranging from the impact of mining on communities in South America to the decline of ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. For dissertation titles before 2012, visit the Burnham Index .

Prospective Doctoral Program Applicants

All prospective applicants for Clark University’s Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Geography should contact the department with any questions pertaining to the program or the application process, or to schedule a campus visit. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to contact faculty with whom they have aligning research interests.

Prospective applicants are welcomed and encouraged to visit the Graduate School of Geography, if possible. To learn more about the Clark University campus or about the Admissions process, visit the Graduate Admissions website. To request a visit to the Graduate School of Geography, please email [email protected] .

Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Doctoral Program in Geography

Explore Courses in the Geography Ph.D. Program

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PhD in Geography

The PhD is a highly individualized degree that emphasizes advanced training and research. Students develop and demonstrate both depth and breadth in geographical inquiry. They gain an understanding of the major epistemological and methodological questions that have shaped the development of geography as a discipline and master a set of research methods that are appropriate to their area of specialization. Students acquire a detailed understanding of a particular sub-field of geography, conduct and disseminate independent research in that sub-field and broaden their backgrounds through study in one or more allied disciplines. The program is intended to lead students into innovative research as demonstrated in research seminars, independent investigations, and the completion of a dissertation. The student's academic performance must be marked by initiative, intellectual integrity, a sense of problem, and critical acumen.

Students can enter the PhD program through two routes:

• after earning a Bachelor’s degree   or
• after earning a Master’s degree

Admission to the PhD is limited to those who have achieved distinction in previous undergraduate and graduate work (a 3.2 GPA on a 4 point scale is a generally accepted criterion) and who have demonstrated the determination and initiative required for doctoral success.

Accelerated PhD Program for students entering with a Bachelor's Degree

Geography phd requirements - university of illinois academic catalog.

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The Department offers a range of taught and research Masters courses, including Anthropocene, Conservation Leadership, Geography, Holocene, and Polar Studies. Our postgraduate students are part of the vibrant research culture of the Department.

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As well as Departmental opportunities, there are many funding opportunities at Cambridge from a wide variety of sources.

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The Department has a large community of around 80 PhD students working on their own projects. The PhD students at Geography and the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) study a broad range of topics that reflect the diverse interests of our staff.

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Some advice from some current students on applying to conduct research in the Department, plus videos about postgraduate study in the Department – giving an overview and how to apply.

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The Postgraduate Office in the Department of Geography manages the admission process for PhD students and Masters/MPhil students, and oversees the development of the postgraduate Training Programme and the MPhil programmes.

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Geography PhD

Geography is an inquiry into the patterns and processes that make up the surface of the Earth. It is a broad field of inquiry that, in our department, includes glaciers and climate change, the origins of agriculture and the evolution of plant life, the culture of cities and the dynamics of the global economy.

Such a wide range of themes gives each student great freedom to choose a research topic, develop an intellectual style, and select approaches to gathering evidence and making persuasive arguments. That freedom also includes opportunities to go outside of the department and make use of the tremendous resources of the campus as a whole. Our goal is to help each student find his or her own combination of intellectual rigor, creativity, and independence.

Ph.D. Program in Geography

The program is divided into three major areas:

• Global Development and Political Economy
• Earth System Science
• Geospatial Representation and Analysis

Within these domains, a wide range of faculty interests are represented, such as political ecology, economic geography, cultural geography, post-colonial studies, urban studies, geography of race and gender, climatology, geomorphology, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). Faculty members come with a broad spectrum of regional specialties as well, including Africa, South and East Asia, the Arctic, the Everglades and Mississippi Delta, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

The faculty has been expanded in recent years to include a number of affiliates in other departments with expertise in such fields as GIS, gender and social movements, natural resources, fluvial geomorphology, environmental engineering, landscape ecology, and urban planning.

Berkeley students are expected to be independent, and we welcome those who have had professional experience and wish to return to deepen their education. Students are encouraged to range freely through the curriculum and to follow their inspiration where it leads, working in tandem with faculty advisors. Students choose their own mentors, often utilizing two or three faculty in equal measure; these may include faculty affiliates and members from other departments.

While faculty have their own research agendas and teaching specialties, and often collaborate with students, we believe students should march to their own drummer. We expect students to read extensively, develop the necessary research skills, and produce well-crafted thesis and dissertation. Many students publish their findings along the way, as well. Berkeley Geography offers the highest quality graduate training for future scholars and teachers at the collegiate level, as well as for those going into professional careers in government, NGOs and consulting.

Contact Info

508 McCone Hall

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Department(s)

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 4, 2023

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

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Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

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In This Section

The Ph.D. is a different kind of degree from the master’s degree. A doctoral candidate in Geography must be capable of making original contributions to knowledge and scholarship. It is unlikely that a person will make such contributions unless he or she concentrates on a narrow and clearly defined field of study. We require, however, that doctoral candidates know more of geography than their particular specialties; thus, any aspirant for a doctorate must obtain master’s training or its equivalent before being admitted to doctoral candidacy. In short, admission to doctoral candidacy is official recognition that a student’s general foundation in the breadth of geography is satisfactory. Students then devote their attention to developing depth in chosen specialties.

The general requirements for a doctoral degree in geography are more rigorous than those for a master’s degree. At the same time, the greater flexibility of the doctoral program allows advanced students to pursue programs of study tailored to their special interests and needs.

Progress through the degree is marked by: 

·       a successful performance in a verbal qualifying exam; 

·       a four-day written comprehensive exam, with a verbal portion after the written answers have been assessed by the committee;  

·       a formal dissertation proposal; and 

·       a verbal defense of a completed dissertation.

The four-year Ph.D. program is reserved for students who have a master’s degree from another graduate program. That can be another geography program at another university, a non-geography program at another university, or a non-geography program at Penn State.

Students entering the four-year Ph.D. program must take the doctoral qualifying exam in their first year. A committee from three of the four fields of geography and formally appointed by the Graduate Program Officer will administer the qualifying exam. The qualifying exam can take place any time during the year, but students in the four-year Ph.D. program typically take it during spring semester.

Students in the four-year Ph.D. program complete a comprehensive exam and defend their dissertation proposal in the second year. Depending on the needs of their research, and in agreement with their doctoral committee, students can fulfill these two requirements in either order. Once students have successfully passed their comprehensive exam and defended their proposal, they typically take two years to research, write, and defend their dissertations.

Our online Graduate Student Handbook explains the program requirements for all degrees.

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PhD in Geography

Course of study.

Minimum degree requirement is 54 graduate credits beyond the bachelor’s degree, at least 27 of which must be earned in residence at UWM with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Under the guidance of the advisory committee, the chair of which serves as the student’s major professor, the student plans a program of study leading to the development of a special interest. All programs of study contain the following four elements: core concepts and methods, thematic focus, elective courses (as needed to meet the total credit requirement), and dissertation.

Core Concepts And Methods (four courses)

All students must take the following foundation courses:

• Geog 726 – Geographic Information Systems
• Geog 870 – Contemporary Geographic Approaches
• Any Geography graduate seminar

One of the following three courses:

• Geog 704 – Remote Sensing: Environmental and Land Use Analysis
• Geog 747 – Spatial Analysis
• Geog 827 – Qualitative Research

Thematic Focus (at least three courses)

Students, in consultation with their advisor, must select a minimum of three courses that together confer specialized expert knowledge in one thematic area. The courses selected do not have to come from a single list, and they may include other courses not listed. Local Places: Problems and Issues (relevant courses include):

• Geog 441 – Geography of Cities and Metropolitan Areas
• Geog 455 – Applied Climatology
• Geog 464 – Environmental Problems
• Geog 564 – Urban Environmental Change and Social Justice
• Geog 834 – GIS and Society
• Geog 945 – The Internal Structure of the City
• Geo Sci 465 – Advanced Environmental Geology
• Urb Std 981 – Perspectives Toward Change in Urban Social Institutions
• Urb Plan 720 – Urban Development Theory and Planning

Global and Regional Perspectives (relevant courses include):

• Geog 440 – City Systems and Metropolitan Development
• Geog 443 – Cities of the World: Comparative Urban Geography
• Geog 540 – Globalization and the City
• Geog 730 – Geography of Transportation
• Geog 742 – Urban and Regional Dimensions of Globalization
• Geog 744 – Cities, Regions, and Globalization
• Geo Sci 470 – Engineering Geology
• Urb Std 701 – Comparative Urban Development
• Urb Plan 780 – Seminar in Environmental Planning Issues

Monitoring and Modeling Urban Dynamics (relevant courses include):

• Geog 411 – Physical Climatology
• Geog 420 – Methods and Principles in Land Form Geography
• Geog 520 – Physical Geography of the City
• Geog 650 – Geography Field Work
• Geog 704 – Remote Sensing:Environmental and Land Use Analyses (if not taken in core)
• Geog 747 – Spatial Analysis (if not taken in core)
• Geog 804 – Advanced Remote Sensing
• Geog 826 – Intermediate Geographic Information Science
• Geog 827 – Qualitative Research (if not taken in core)
• Geog 904 – Remote Sensing and Urban Analysis
• Geog 926 – Advanced Geographic Information Science: Geographic Modeling
• Geo Sci 730 – Modeling Techniques for Hydrogeology
• Urb Std 725 – Methods of Urban Community Development
• Urb Plan 721 – Applied Planning Methods

Research Techniques (elective course)

Students who have not taken a research techniques course in their prior graduate program should consult with their faculty advisor regarding their enrollment in Geog 910 – Techniques of Research and Presentation, an introduction to theoretical and practical aspects of geographic research, funding, presentation, and publication. Ideally, students should enroll in this course after their first full year of courses, but no later than their fourth semester, after they have completed the majority of CORE requirements. The course is designed to assist students with the initiation of their Ph.D. dissertation research.

Foreign Language Requirement

If appropriate to the proposed area of study, the student’s committee will require that s/he acquire the necessary competence in a foreign language. The major professor will supervise the completion of this requirement with input from the committee as necessary.

Elective Courses

Courses taken from geography or cognate fields to achieve the total of 54 credits required for the PhD degree. Students must have the approval of their advisors for the elective courses.

Graduate Grievance Procedures

Federal law and UWM policy require programs and departments to have procedures for graduate students to appeal academic decisions such as grades or scholastic standing. These procedures ensure the protection of students’ rights. These pages serve as a reference on procedures for graduate student academic appeals.

• UWM Graduate School Academic Appeal Procedures

We have 103 Geography PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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Geography PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

What is a phd in geography.

• PhDs in Geography are doctoral research degrees that allow students to deeply explore a particular aspect of geography.
• Specifics vary drastically between programmes, but may involve research into the complexities of physical landscapes, human-environment interactions, and the impact of geographical phenomena on societies.
• Entry requirements typically include an undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject such as Geography, Environmental Science or Urban Planning. A relevant Masters degree may also be required depending on the programme.

Why study a PhD in Geography?

Develop skills and knowledge.

A PhD in Geography allows you to not only develop your own knowledge of Geography, but also to make a unique, original contribution to the subject as a whole. By doing so, you will hone a variety of transferable skills, such as:

• Research and Analytical Skills: Ability to design, conduct, and analyse complex research projects.
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Expertise in evaluating geographical theories and practices to address challenges.
• Communication and Presentation Skills: Proficiency in effectively conveying ideas and findings to diverse audiences.

Further Career Development

If you're hoping for a career in academia, a PhD is typically required. Other research-based careers may likewise require a PhD, and even when they don't, employers will value the research skills and knowledge developed during your degree. For more information, please visit our PhD employability guide .

After completing your PhD in Geography, a potential career option might be employment as a Lecturer . According to UK salary data from Glassdoor , a Lecturer earns an average of £40,476 per year , dependent on factors such as experience, employer and employment location.

Improve Employability

Completing a PhD may also improve your employability. According to the UK government's LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes survey , 83% of Geography PhD students were in further education or employment three years after graduation.

What do prospective Geography PhD students think about study?

We host the Pulse postgraduate survey to understand the motivations, concerns and expectations of students just like you. For prospective Geography PhD students in 2023:

• 74% were either positive or very positive about employment after graduation.
• 83% preferred on campus learning, 5% preferred online/distance learning, and 12% preferred a blended approach.
• 10% were interested in part-time study.
• Subject interest
• Career progress

If you'd like to make your voice heard, why not complete our survey? Your feedback will help us ensure our site is as helpful as possible for students like you!

Note: This guidance was produced with the assistance of AI. However, all data is derived from reliable, authoratitive sources, and all content has been reviewed by humans.

Making digital rivers flow: improving the hydrology in Earth System Modelling

Phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

PhD Studentship in: Measuring the environmental benefits and social impact of large scale Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)

Funded phd project (uk students only).

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Systems Change and Community Collective Impact Projects

Self-funded phd students only.

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Plants with Purpose: Enhancing flood management and multi-functional performance of green infrastructure by evaluating plant functional traits

Optimizing bespoke concrete plant layouts for sustainable offsite construction: a lean-bim integrated framework (sf24/ee/abe/suliman), re-configuring the sustainable city: an evidence-based framework for an inclusive and healthy community (sf24/ee/abe/ozbil torun), ai as pollution detectives: machine learning to uncover hidden sources of pollution in port cities (for a net zero future), determining woodland antiquity through assessment of historical map and documentary evidence, developing an interrelated bottom-up understanding of the issues experience by women football players by listening to the stories they want to tell (ref: sf24/hls/ser/cook), the use of surfactants to improve soil water retention and water availability to crops - phd, fully funded phd scholarship in gamma radiation dose evaluation (grade) - outdoor gamma dose evaluation for the irish population, migration and medical climatology: the climatic pull upon those leaving scotland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, advanced methods in hyperspectral imagery analysis for smart sensing applications, evaluating the just transition to effect policy change, dialects, registers, and accents: investigating the use of sociolinguistic variants.

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PHD, Geography

The department of Geography at UGA is a leading center of scholarship on the physical and social processes that shape our world. We offer a Ph.D. in Geography.

Degree Type: Doctoral

Degree Program Code: PHD_GEOG

Degree Program Summary:

Global patterns of resources, population, culture, and economic systems. Factors contributing to these patterns and distinctions between the technologically advanced and less advanced regions of the world. Geographic factors underlying multiculturalism and ethnic relationships in the United States. Spatial development and organization of culture; population growth, migration, and urbanization; and the spatial dimensions of political, economic, and social processes. Geography opens doors to a wide variety of careers such as international business representative, environmental manager, business location/allocation expert, market researcher, community development and planning specialist, surveyor, mapmaker, satellite image analyst, weather forecaster, natural resource manager, and cultural or environmental interpretive specialist. Our graduates find rewarding careers and are well compensated. Average starting salaries for geography graduates are in the top quarter of all programs in Arts and Sciences. Average starting salaries of our graduates are also greater than starting salaries for a majority of programs in business. A significant number of our majors continue their education with graduate studies in geography or related disciplines.

The Department of Geography offers graduate programs leading to the MA, MS, and PhD degrees with specialization in physical and human geography and in geographic information science (GIS). The department’s strengths are in biogeography, geomorphology, quaternary studies, geoarchaeology, and climatology; social theory, labor studies, political economy, and gender; population, urban, economic, social, and development geography; and cartography, photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS.

The department has strong ties with the College of Environment and Design; the Center for Archaeological Sciences; the Marine Sciences, Asian Studies, Women’s Studies, and African Studies programs; the Humanities Center; the Institute of Government; the Terry College of Business; and the Institute for Behavioral Research. As a member of the Inter University Consortium for Political and Social Research, the University supports a host of resources and services for social science research. Housed in the Department of Geography is the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science (CRMS), which undertakes interdisciplinary research projects requiring the development of image and map data and their processing technologies, for applications in the physical, biological, and mapping sciences.

More than sixty graduate students from the USA and overseas are currently in residence. The MA and MS degrees require 7 core hours and a minimum of 18 elective hours, in addition to 6 hours of research and thesis writing. Programs of study tailored for either the MA or MS degree are designed in consultation with the student’s advisory committee. Normally, students with primary interests in physical geography or geographical techniques pursue the MS degree, whereas students with primary interests in human geography pursue the MA degree. For the PhD, the department requires a minimum of 30 credit hours (including 4 core hours if not already taken in the MA or MS degree) and either a reading knowledge of one foreign language or credit for two additional techniques courses.

Geography has excellent teaching and research facilities in a building shared with the Department of Geology. The faculty and graduate students have available to them a number of laboratory spaces. The Geomorphology Laboratory, primarily designed for standard wet chemical and mechanical analyses of soil, sediment, and plant materials, includes a separate work area with PCs, balances, and microscopes. The Plant Microfossil Laboratory is designed principally for the extraction of pollen grains from sediments and includes a separate microscope facility. The TL/OSL Dating Laboratory, a state of the art facility that can be used to date sediments and archaeological materials, has a RISØ TL/OSL DA 15 glow oven/sample changer equipped with a blue light OSL attachment. Other equipment includes a low level beta counter, three alpha counters, and alpha and beta irradiators. The Tree Ring Laboratory has a fully automated stage and computer-controlled microscope imaging system for measuring and analyzing tree cores. The Climatology Research Laboratory (CRL) includes multiple workstations with software packages for climatological analysis. CRL also maintains a NOAAport satellite receiver of real-time meteorological observations, radar imagery, and GOES imagery. Additionally, CRL operates an HPPT satellite receiving station ingesting AVHRR imagery. A variety of microclimatological instrumentation is also available for student use.

In addition to a word processing facility for graduate students, the department maintains separate laboratories for introductory GIS and cartography; advanced GIS, remote sensing and photogrammetry; and spatial analysis and economic geography. Each laboratory is equipped with state of the art computers, both PCs and workstations, on a local area network with digitizers, scanners, printers, and plotters with current software in all areas. CRMS also maintains a complex computer network and extensive software for remote sensing, GIS, and photogrammetric applications. The department owns three vehicles for regional travel and field trips.

Locations Offered:

Athens (Main Campus)

College / School:

Franklin College of Arts & Sciences

346 Brooks Hall Athens, GA 30602

706-542-8776

Department:

Graduate Coordinator(s):

Jennifer Rice

Phone Number:

706-543-0326

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Duration: 4 years full time

Institution code: R72

Campus: Egham

UK fees * : £4,786

International/EU fees ** : £23,400

The Department of Geography is in the top tier of UK departments and has consistently been identified as one of the highest performing in successive research assessments (most recently, ranked 5th in REF2021). We have over 30 members of academic staff and notable research concentrations in Quaternary science, social, cultural, and historical geography, the GeoHumanities, geopolitics and security, development studies and sustainability. Ours is a vibrant postgraduate community of over 120 students, including some 80 PhD candidates, drawn from across the world. Subject to eligibility criteria, students can access funding from AHRC, ESRC, NERC, and EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnerships and Centres.

PhD students sit at the heart of our research culture and are supported in their work by world-leading academics and a dedicated team of technical staff. PhD students enjoy access to well-equipped laboratory and computing facilities and benefit from the exceptional range of partnerships the department has developed with charities, NGOs, industry, government departments, museums, and the creative sector.

The department’s research environment is driven by a number of well-established research centres and groups:

• the Centre for the GeoHumanities
• the Centre for Quaternary Research
• the Geopolitics, Development, Security and Justice research group
• the Social, Cultural and Historical Geography research group.

Research facilities and environment

The Department of Geography is well provisioned with computing and laboratory facilities to support its PhD researchers.

The department has a number of scientific laboratories supporting cutting-edge research in physical geography and Quaternary science, including geochemistry, geochronology (including luminescence dating, varve analysis, and tephrochronology), paleoecology, micromorphology, and sedimentology.

The department’s Geospatial and Visual Methods Laboratory is a dedicated postgraduate computing facility consisting of high-spec Macs and PCs with Geographical Information Systems software, advanced cartographic and image handling packages, and audio-visual editing software for the analysis of qualitative data.

The Humphries Graphics Suite houses specialist large-format printing and encapsulating services.

The facility is managed by the department’s Graphics Technician who can advise on the use of graphics software for producing diagrams, data displays, and artwork for publication.

PhD researchers also benefit from Royal Holloway’s postgraduate-focused facilities in the Bloomsbury area of central London, world-class research and library facilities in London more generally, and vibrant programmes of workshops and events organised by the department’s research groups.

PhD researchers are ordinarily assessed on the basis of a written thesis of monograph form and of not more than 100,000 words in length. Alternatively, for students engaged in practice-based research, Royal Holloway is one of the few geography departments internationally to offer assessment on the basis of a substantial body of performance or creative work, together with an accompanying written submission of 30,000–60,000 words. This mode of assessment may be particularly appropriate for candidates within the field of GeoHumanities. It is also possible, with permission, to submit a thesis that comprises a collection of papers, brought together via an introduction, methodology, critical evaluation and conclusion.

Entry requirements

The Department would ordinarily expect applicants to hold a UK 1st- or upper 2nd-class undergraduate degree (or a recognised international equivalent) together with a relevant Master’s degree (at Pass level or higher). Professional experience, particularly in the case of applicants wishing to pursue a practice-based PhD, will be considered in the absence of a Masters degree.

English language requirements

All teaching at Royal Holloway is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.

The scores we require

• IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
• Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
• Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
• TOEFL ib: 88 overall, with Reading 18 Listening 17 Speaking 20 Writing 26.

Country-specific requirements

For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please see  here .

Our graduates have entered into a wide range of careers, within academia and beyond, including positions at the British Library, the Department for International Development, commercial consultancy, NGOs, think-tanks, major cultural institutions and museums, and the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

A significant number of our graduates have remained in academia, going on to secure postdoctoral research positions and lectureships in a wide variety of disciplines. Supervisors work closely with PhD researchers to explore and support their career ambitions. PhD researchers have full access to the College’s Careers and Employability Service and many choose to take up the opportunity of research-related placements in relevant organisations during the course of their studies.

Fees & funding

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £4,786

EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £23,400

Other essential costs***: There are no additional costs greater than £50 per item.

…How do I pay for it? Find out more about   funding options,   including loans, grants,   scholarships   and bursaries. 

* and ** These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2024/25.

* Please note that for research courses, we adopt the minimum fee level recommended by the UK Research Councils for the Home   tuition fee. Each year, the fee level is adjusted in line with inflation (currently, the measure used is the Treasury GDP deflator). Fees displayed here are therefore subject to change and are usually confirmed in the spring of the year of entry.   For more information on the Research Council Indicative Fee please see the   UKRI website.

** This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2024/25.   

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually, based on the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI). Please therefore be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. For further information, please see our  terms and conditions .

***   These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included. 

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Geography PhD

We offer PhD supervision across a wide range of human and physical geography topics.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:

Start date(s):

• September 2024
• January 2025

Join us for a PhD in Geography. Our research engages with applied issues and public policy concerns. It also covers more abstract cultural and theoretical issues.

Meet our Geography research students and read more about their research activities

Our research strengths in physical geography include:

• paleoclimatology
• landscape evolution
• applied geomorphology and natural hazards
• Quaternary geochronology
• water science

We carry out research through active collaboration with colleagues in Newcastle University and beyond. Our research takes us to a wide variety of environments across the globe, including:

Examples of recent research projects include:

• new homonid discovery in South Africa
• Lake Suigetsu ultra-high-resolution palaeoclimate project
• impacts of recent catastrophic floods in the North of England
• impact of meltwater floods during the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in Iceland

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funds many of our research projects. We are also a member of the IAPETUS Doctoral Training Partnership.

Our Physical Geography PhD involves advanced study and research into a specific area. Subject to COVID-19 restrictions, you'll undertake fieldwork or lab-based research in topics such as:

• flood impacts on natural and human systems
• fluvial geomorphology and sedimentology
• glacial outburst floods
• glacial geomorphology
• volcano-ice interactions
• tectonic geomorphology
• geoarcheology

Find out more about our physical geography research

Our research in economic geographies is theoretically informed and politically engaged. It covers the production, forms, experiences and impacts of uneven geographies of:

• commodities

Our location in the north east is a European periphery. Our researchers in this theme explore 'ordinary', diverse and/or marginalised economies and subjectivities. They also scrutinise orthodox socio-economic models and practices in the following contexts:

• western industrialised
• post-socialist
• post-colonial

Economic geographies contribute much of the work in the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies.

Find out more about our economic geographies research

In power, space, politics our research focuses on the expression of political power across space and includes topics around:

• borders and boundaries
• critical geopolitics
• international development
• militarism and military geographies
• the politics of representation
• issues of resistance, justice and peace

We conduct research on a range of scales. From the international and national to the individual, with reference to a range of global contexts. Our work is methodologically innovative, drawing on:

• interactional research
• ethnographic research
• discourse analysis
• participatory research
• visual research

This enables us to produce grounded, empirically informed reflections on the multiple ways in which concepts of power, space and politics intersect.

Find out more about our power, space and politics research

In geographies of social change we explore and extend an applied, critical understanding of cities and urbanism. Ideas that run through our research include:

• families and households
• welfare and care
• infrastructures

These lead us to connect with issues of:

Find out more about our geographies of social change research

Many of the research opportunities in geography are interdisciplinary and we are keen to encourage supervision across subject areas. For example there are opportunities for joint supervision with Latin American researchers in the  School of Modern Languages .

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our  Academic experience page , which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our  terms and conditions and student complaints information , which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Related courses

How you'll learn.

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

We offer a wide range of projects for the thesis. These will be provided by our academics. You can also propose your own topic.

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

Your development

Faculty of humanities and social sciences (hass) researcher development programme .

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

• perform better as a researcher
• boost your career prospects
• broaden your impact

Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

• techniques for effective research
• methods for better collaborative working
• essential professional standards and requirements

Your researcher development programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the Researcher Education and Development programme

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a:

• Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
• Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

Being part of a CDT or DTP has many benefits:

• they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
• you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
• they’re often interdisciplinary
• your PhD may be funded

Find out more about doctoral training and partnerships

If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.

The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:

• EPSRC Aura Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Wind Energy and the Environment
• IAPETUS2 Doctoral Training Partnership
• ESRC Northern Ireland/North East (NINE) Doctoral Training Partnership
• Northern Bridge Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership
• ONE Planet Doctoral Training Partnership

Your future

Our careers service.

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information .

Subject to COVID-19 restrictions, you'll have access to:

• dedicated postgraduate study facilities
• GIS and cartography software
• fieldwork vehicles
• a suite of laboratories for the analysis of water and sediments for projects in geomorphology, environmental change and hydrology

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year), home fees for research degree students.

For 2024-25 entry, we have aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . The standard fee was confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI.

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here .

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See  our   searchable postgraduate funding page  for more information.  

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section .

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English language requirements, admissions policy.

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB) Other policies related to admissions

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

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Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages .

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

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Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

School of Geography Politics and Sociology Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 3921  Email: [email protected]

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

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Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

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PhD Human Geography / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

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• Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
• Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 60% or above, a minimum mark of 60% in your dissertation (or overseas equivalent)

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 19 January 2024.

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after this date has passed.

• For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024

Programme options

Programme overview

• Become part of a stimulating and supportive research community at one of the top 5 Geography departments in the UK (THE World University Rankings by Subject 2023).
• Undertake research on a topic of your choice, supervised by an expert in that field.
• Join a department with a 130-year history of geographical studies.

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To find out what studying on a postgraduate research programme at Manchester is like, visit our Open days and study fairs page and explore our virtual open week or future on-campus and international events.

We will be conducting our PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out more about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £6,000 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £3,000 International, including EU, students (per annum): £10,750

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Your fees will cover the cost of your study at the University, as well as charges for registration, tuition, supervision, examinations and graduation (excluding graduation robe hire).

Payment of tuition fees will also entitle you to membership of The University of Manchester library, the Students' Union and the Athletic Union.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Environment, Education and Development studentships is 19 January 2024.

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Environment, Education and Development Postgraduate Research Studentships 2024 Entry - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Environment, Education and Development Enhancing Racial Equality (SERE) Studentship - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry

Contact details

Programmes in related subject areas.

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

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Graduate Programs in the Department of Geography

We connect the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to study the complex connections people have to their world. from atmospheric sciences to gis and human geography, our graduate students generate new knowledge of the way humans engage with their physical environment..

Atmospheric Sciences

As a graduate student in Atmospheric Sciences, you will be working with exceptional faculty members and cutting-edge technology to answer challenging research questions. You'll develop your abilities as a quantitative scientist to study synoptic and mesoscale weather forecasting. You'll hone your skills at communicating atmospheric information through visual materials and written reports. From climate change, supercell thunderstorms, urban heat islands, and droughts, you can research and model dynamic atmospheric phenomena.

Geographic Information Science

Graduate Certificate, MGIST

Passionate about geospatial technology? Looking to hone your skills to be spatial data scientist, developer, or GIS project manager? Ohio State is the perfect place for you! More than just a computer science degree, graduate work in GIS provides you with a competitive advantage in both data analysis and visual communication.

As a graduate student in geography, you will prepare to contribute new knowledge to the interdisciplinary field of geography. From political ecology to remote sensing and earth sciences, our graduate students integrate disparate knowledge bases to answer challenging research questions. If you are a curious person interested in learning more from the physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities to understand more of how human beings move through time and space, graduate study in geography just might be right for you!

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Ph.D. Degree Requirements

The Doctoral Degree Program enables students to complete a research project of notable scope and originality that will make a significant contribution to the discipline of geography and related fields. Advanced coursework provides an opportunity to gain familiarity with current knowledge in the student’s areas of specialization. Student expertise in their chosen sub-fields is ensured through the Preliminary Review and General Examination. Students may choose to write either a dissertation or three papers of publishable quality. All such research efforts are expected to meet high standards of research design and data analysis.

Students in this program are supervised by a committee throughout the course of their graduate work. At different points in the program, the committee has different roles. There are a  preliminary committee, a doctoral supervisory committee, and a reading committee . 

Current graduate students can find doctoral degree procedures and policies detailed on the  Department of Geography Graduate Student Resources Canvas page.

Find information about the transition from M.A. to Ph.D. for students who initially enter the M.A. program and intend to continue to the Ph.D.

Ph.D. Requirements

Completion of all work for the doctoral degree must occur within 10 years. This includes quarters spent On-Leave or Out of Status as well as applicable work from the master’s degree from the UW or a master’s degree from another institution, if applied toward one year of resident study.  A student must satisfy the requirements that are in force at the time the degree is to be awarded.

Current students may assess their progress towards these requirements by  conducting a degree audit in MyPlan .

1. Required Courses

• GEOG 500: Contemporary Geographic Thought.
• GEOG 511: Contemporary Research Design in Geography, or another approved social science research design course from another department–for more information, please consult the Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Satisfactory completion of one graduate level methods course in or outside the department. This course should be approved in advance, before enrollment, by the student’s faculty supervisor and communicated to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The course satisfaction will be entered in the student's record by Director of Academic Services. If methods is the Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography for Ph.D. students, this course can count as one of that concentration’s required number of courses.
• Satisfactory completion of at least three quarters of GEOG 598: Geography Colloquium.
• Submission of a publication to a scholarly journal or other outlet that requires professional review (in consultation with the doctoral committee). The publication may be jointly-authored with a faculty member or with another graduate student but the graduate student asking for the waiver must be the first author.
• Application for funding to an external agency, such as the National Science Foundation.
• Two departmental research seminars number 500 or above. These should be designated as “seminars” or “research seminars." GEOG 500, 502, 511 and 513 and the graduate level methods course do not count toward this requirement. In some cases, a “directed readings” course (GEOG 600) may count in lieu of this requirement. To petition for this substitution, the GEOG 600 faculty member should write an appeal to the Graduate Program Director.

2. Credit Requirements

• Completion of 90 credits.
• At least 60 of these credits should be at the University of Washington (including 27 GEOG 800 credits).
• With the approval of the degree-granting unit, an appropriate master’s degree from an accredited institution may substitute for 30 credits of enrollment. Contact your faculty adviser to request this approval.
• Student must achieve a grade of at least 3.0 in all departmental courses, and a grade of 2.7 in all related courses used to satisfy degree requirements. An overall grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained to remain in the program and is required for a graduate degree at the university.

3. Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography

This requires that PhD students should demonstrate a sound level of competence in a Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography, evidenced by successful completion of a minimum of two courses outside the department. The Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography and the specific courses shall be determined by the student in consultation with their Supervisory Committee. Students should consider that the Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography may be helpful in selecting additional Supervisory Committee members who are not Geography Graduate Faculty.

4. Successful Completion of the   Preliminary Review

5. creditable passage of the   general examination.

• Registration as a graduate student is required the quarter the exam is taken and candidacy is conferred.
• Numerical grades must be received in at least 18 quarter credits of course work taken at the UW prior to scheduling the General Examination. The Graduate School accepts numerical grades in approved 400-level courses accepted as part of the major, and in all 500-level courses. 

6. Dissertation Proposal 

• Outline a clear research question;
• Situate that question within relevant literature
• Outline a methodological strategy for collecting the necessary data
• Describe a process for analyzing that data; and
• Include a timeline for completion of the work.  
• The proposal is reviewed during a meeting, commonly termed the "proposal defense," with the student and their Supervisory Committee. The GSR is not required to attend the proposal defense.
• Failure of the student to obtain approval for the Ph.D. dissertation proposal within two years of advancement to candidacy will normally result in a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School that the student be terminated from the Ph.D. program in Geography.

7. Dissertation

• Each paper must be a meaningful original contribution to knowledge as determined by the student's Doctoral Supervisory Committee.
• The intended journals and audiences for each of the three papers must be included as a point of discussion during the dissertation proposal defense.
• So as to disseminate research broadly, each paper should be intended for a unique journal or other publication.
• Satisfaction of all other requirements and guidelines as established by the UW Graduate School . Some committees may further require an introduction and conclusion in addition to these requirements and guidelines.
• Credit for the dissertation ordinarily should be at least one-third of the total credit.
• At least one of these quarters must come after the student passes the General Examination.
• With the exception of summer quarter, students are limited to a maximum of 10 credits per quarter of GEOG 800 Doctoral Dissertation.

8. Creditable Passage of the   Final Examination

• This is also known as the Dissertation Defense. 
• The final examination is typically devoted to the defense of the dissertation and the field with which it is concerned.
• The General and Final Examinations cannot be scheduled during the same quarter.
• Registration as a graduate student, for at least 2 credits, is required the quarter the exam is taken and the degree is conferred.

Optional Social Statistics Concentration

The Social Statistics concentration in the Geography Ph.D. program enables students to develop expertise in applied statistical skills and tools for carrying out quantitative research. The concentration is largely built around a curriculum developed by the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences (CSSS; course code: CS&SS). Students who complete the Social Statistics Concentration will have advanced training in statistics for social science research relevant to their own research needs. A Letter of Recognition is awarded by the CSSS to students who complete the concentration.

To complete this concentration, Ph.D. students should choose four courses from the following approved list:

• CS&SS 526 (SOC 529) Structural Equation Models for Social Sciences
• CS&SS 529 (BIOST 529/STAT 529) Sample Survey Techniques
• CS&SS 536 (SOC 536/STAT 536) Analysis of Categorical and Count Data
• CS&SS 544 Event History Analysis for the Social Sciences
• CS&SS 560 (STAT 560) Hierarchical Modeling for the Social Sciences
• CS&SS 564 (STAT 564) Bayesian Statistics for the Social Sciences
• CS&SS 566 (STAT 566) Causal Modeling
• CS&SS 567 (STAT 567) Statistical Analysis of Social Networks
• CS&SS 568 Statistical Analysis of Game-Theoretic Data
• CS&SS 569 Visualizing Data
• CS&SS 589 (SOC WL 589) Multivariate Data Analysis for the Social Sciences

After completing the course requirements, the student submits grades received in those courses to the Department of Geography Graduate Program Coordinator. A grade point average of 3.3 or above for the four approved courses is sufficient for a formal completion of the concentration.

Expected Ph.D. Timetable

• Determine appropriate class(es) to take in addition to GEOG 500 (5 credits) and 598 (1 credit).
• Consult with relevant faculty about possible research interests.
• At the end of the quarter, discuss first-term progress and next-term plans, including choosing a faculty advisor, with Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Determine faculty advisor, and confirm this with Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Begin discussions about areas of sub-disciplinary interest, possible dissertation topics, and format of   Preliminary Review   with faculty advisor and relevant other faculty.
• Discuss future coursework with faculty advisor, including appropriate methods courses.
• Continue coursework in consultation with faculty advisor.
• Schedule and complete   Preliminary Review .
• Research possible opportunities for acquiring   funding   for dissertation research.
• Formalize composition of the   Doctoral Supervisory Committee .
• Begin planning and preparation for   General Examination , including securing a GSR .
• Consider applying for   funding   for dissertation research.

Winter and Spring

• Schedule and complete General Examination .
• Begin preparation for dissertation proposal defense and IRB requirements.
• Continue coursework, as necessary. Enroll in GEOG 800 Doctoral Dissertation credits if advisable.

Years 3 and 4

• Schedule and complete dissertation proposal defense by end of winter quarter in year 3.
• Enroll in GEOG 800 Doctoral Dissertation credits, as necessary.
• As possible, submit paper(s) to academic journals for publication.
• Research and write dissertation and, if possible, defend dissertation .
• Finish research and writing and defend dissertation .
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Geography PhD candidate receives prestigious grants for groundbreaking aquaculture research in India

A land-based shrimp aquaculture pond in Odisha, India. Photo courtesy Garima Jain

Before coming to study at Arizona State University, Garima Jain spent 13 years working in her home country of India, as well as other parts of the Global South, researching disaster resilience and post-disaster recovery. 

During her fieldwork in India, she observed a significant number of local farmers shifting from traditional rice cultivation to aquaculture, or the practice of farming fish on land, due to the increased salinity of the soil caused by more frequent storm surges.

While aquaculture is becoming a fast-growing method to meet the global fish demand that also offers an alternative livelihood for those in areas where traditional farming is challenging due to soil and environmental changes, unsustainable aquaculture practices may effectively worsen soil and groundwater conditions, making living in these areas unviable. 

Jain , a geography PhD candidate in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University, has recently been awarded two prestigious grants — the U.S. National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement grant and the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy grant — to begin collecting the kind of data required to develop strategies for disaster recovery and climate-resilient, sustainable development in fragile coastal regions.

The grant funds will enable Jain to collect essential primary data on the socioeconomic and environmental factors influencing the adoption of aquaculture and its impacts on places, which she plans to use to create resources that extend beyond academia, benefiting local communities and policymakers alike.

“I am extremely grateful to the National Science Foundation and the Horowitz Foundation for supporting my fieldwork. The primary data that I'm collecting will be the first of its kind. Even after my research is complete, others can access it for developing new research, ideas and, hopefully, more insights in the future,” Jain said. 

Jain’s research is deeply rooted in practical applications aimed at community engagement and policy development. By collaborating with local communities, government officials and experts, she intends to develop workshops and strategies addressing the dual challenges of climate-driven soil salinity and population growth in coastal areas. Her goal is to empower communities with the knowledge and tools needed to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

“One thing that’s currently lacking is the sense of alternatives for these communities. They know their areas better than I ever will. Through these workshops, they can identify and develop more sustainable solutions themselves,” Jain said.

Beyond her dissertation, Jain plans to publish her findings in open-access journals, ensuring widespread access to her data and methodologies. This approach aligns with her vision of fostering dialogue and collaboration to tackle complex environmental issues.

Moreover, Jain plans to use the grant funds to produce a short film and a graphic anthology to disseminate her findings. These creative outputs aim to engage a wider audience, including nonacademic stakeholders, and contribute to informed policymaking on sustainable aquaculture practices.

Jain’s upcoming fieldwork illustrates how research-driven solutions can help coastal communities adapt to climate-induced vulnerabilities. Her work not only highlights the socio-environmental impacts of expanding aquaculture in India but also offers valuable insights into sustainable practices that can be applied globally.

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Admission Steps

Geography - phd, admission requirements.

Terms and Deadlines

Degree and GPA Requirements

Additional Standards for Non-Native English Speakers

Additional standards for international applicants.

For the 2023-2024 academic year

See 2024-2025 requirements instead

Fall 2023 quarter (beginning in September)

Priority deadline: January 15, 2023

Final submission deadline: April 14, 2023

Priority deadline: Applications will be considered after the Priority deadline provided space is available.

Final submission deadline: Applicants cannot submit applications after the final submission deadline.

Degrees and GPA Requirements

Bachelors degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.

Masters degree: This program requires a masters degree as well as the baccalaureate.

Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.

Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale

Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), C1 Advanced or Duolingo English Test are required of all graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship status, whose native language is not English or who have been educated in countries where English is not the native language. Your TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test scores are valid for two years from the test date.

The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:

Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80

Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5

Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176

Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

English Conditional Acceptance Offered: In cases where minimum TOEFL/IELTS/CAE scores were not achieved or no English proficiency test was taken, the program may offer English Conditional Admission (ECA) to academically qualified non-native English speakers.

Read the English Language Proficiency policy for more details.

Read the Required Tests for GTA Eligibility policy for more details.

Per Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulation, international applicants must meet all standards for admission before an I-20 or DS-2019 is issued, [per U.S. Federal Register: 8 CFR § 214.3(k)] or is academically eligible for admission and is admitted [per 22 C.F.R. §62]. Read the Additional Standards For International Applicants policy for more details.

Application Materials

Transcripts, letters of recommendation.

Required Essays and Statements

We require a scanned copy of your transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Scanned copies must be clearly legible and sized to print on standard 8½-by-11-inch paper. Transcripts that do not show degrees awarded must also be accompanied by a scanned copy of the diploma or degree certificate. If your academic transcripts were issued in a language other than English, both the original documents and certified English translations are required.

Transcripts and proof of degree documents for postsecondary degrees earned from institutions outside of the United States will be released to a third-party international credential evaluator to assess U.S. education system equivalencies. Beginning July 2023, a non-refundable fee for this service will be required before the application is processed.

Upon admission to the University of Denver, official transcripts will be required from each institution attended.

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required.  Letters should be submitted by recommenders through the online application.

Essays and Statements

Personal statement instructions.

1. Describe your research or project interests in geography or GIS. This could be a specific project you wish to work on and methodological approach, or a more general topic of inquiry. Additionally (for on-campus program applicants), which faculty member(s) most closely aligns with your research interests and would be an appropriate graduate advisor? 2. What are your academic and/or professional goals, and what is the specific purpose for applying to the University of Denver to help achieve those goals? 3. Summarize your past education and other experiences and how they have prepared you for graduate school. Please also indicate any challenges, hardships, or obstacles you may have overcome. 4. (Optional) Furthermore, as we actively seek diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and cultural experiences in our graduate program, discuss your view on diversity, equity and inclusion, and how you would contribute to these important issues.

Résumé Instructions

The résumé (or C.V.) should include work experience, research, and/or volunteer work.

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Financial Aid Information

Start your application.

Your submitted materials will be reviewed once all materials and application fees have been received.

Our program can only consider your application for admission if our Office of Graduate Education has received all your online materials and supplemental materials by our application deadline.

Application Fee: $65.00 Application Fee

International Degree Evaluation Fee: $50 Evaluation Fee for degrees (bachelor's or higher) earned from institutions outside the United States.

Applicants should complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15. Visit the Office of Financial Aid for additional information.