Admission to Graduate Studies

Admission Requirements

• All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy. 

• Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.  

• English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required. 

Graduate Admission

Applicants without prior training in geography are welcome but are required to improve their basic knowledge of the broad divisions of geography: systematic, methodological, and regional. Courses taken to remedy deficiencies may not count toward graduate degrees. 

The following items must be received to complete the application file:

1. A completed Graduate Application Form found on the Graduate Admission website. 
2. A current resume/CV.
3. A Statement of Interest and Goals. This is included in the on-line application form. The Graduate Studies Committee places considerable importance on the thoughtfulness of your remarks – in particular, we are interested in learning about (1) your specific interests within geography and why they are important and interesting to you, (2) what you envision as your educational and career objectives and how a geography degree from KU helps to meet those objectives, and (3) which of our faculty members you think would be an appropriate graduate advisor and mentor.
4. A scanned copy of an official transcript can be uploaded at the time of application. Official, degree conferred transcripts will be required prior to the second semester of study. NOTE: Documents uploaded with your application are not considered official. KU does not consider transcripts that come from applicants or that have been in the applicant's possession as official.
5. Three confidential letters of recommendation sent by referees who are familiar with your academic and/or professional activities and who can address your likelihood of success in graduate school. If possible, we prefer letters from professors, but applicants returning to school after a lengthy absence may substitute letters from supervisors. Note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to request and to confirm that the required letters have been sent by the deadline. When using the on-line reference form to list references, you must include valid e-mail addresses. Once you have completed and submitted your application, your references will be contacted directly via email with directions for submitting their letters of recommendation.

**Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required for the application. Applicants may choose to submit GRE scores if they feel it will help inform the department of their academic abilities. However, choosing not to submit scores will not affect your chances of admission.**

NON-DEGREE SEEKING STUDENTS

Non-degree seeking students (NDS) are admitted on a rolling basis and must submit an application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants must include the materials below in their application. 

1. Copy of official transcripts including proof of a bachelor's degree.
2. Proof of English proficiency, if it is a second language.
3. Statement of purpose and interests. 

Submit your graduate application online. For questions, contact:

The program continues the general training of the undergraduate degree and provides preparation either for employment or further study.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses:
GEOG 805	Perspectives in Geography	2
GEOG 980	Seminar in Geography: _____ (Colloquium for 1 credit hour during each of the first 2 semesters of residence at KU)	2
Orientation before classes begin in the fall semester (non-credit)
Non-credit 8-hour Responsible Scholarship session held before classes start in the spring semester
GEOG 899	Master's Thesis	6
One Techniques/Research Methods Course		3-4
GEOG 512	Advanced Cartography and Geovisualization
GEOG 526	Remote Sensing of Environment I
GEOG 528	Spatial Databases
GEOG 558	Spatial Data Analysis
GEOG 716	Advanced Geostatistics
GEOG 875	Qualitative Research Methods
Elective Graduate Level coursework, chosen in consultation with an advisor. 6 credit hours of which must be in the home department. A maximum of 6 credit hours of 500 and 600 level courses may count toward the required hours for the master's degree. If the student elects to take a 500 or 600 level Techniques/Research Methods course, the maximum allowable is 9 credit hours.		17
Total Hours		30-31

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Elective Course Options: Electives are selected with approval from the advisor and are tailord to fit the needs of the individual student, and may include other classes outside this list
GEOG 719	Development of Geographic Thought	2-3
GEOG 726	Remote Sensing of Environment II	4
GEOG 728	Spatial Databases	3
GEOG 731	Topics in Physical Geography: _____	1-3
GEOG 748	Location Modeling	3
GEOG 752	Topics in Urban/Economic Geography: _____	1-3
GEOG 759	Ecosystems Stewardship	3
GEOG 760	GIS Application Programming	3
GEOG 771	Topics in Cultural Geography: _____	1-3
GEOG 781	Environmental Geopolitics	3
GEOG 791	Latin American Regions: _____	3
GEOG 806	Proposal Writing and Research Design	2
GEOG 890	Geographic Internship	1-6
GEOG 898	Readings in Geography	1-4

Proposal Defense

The proposal defense should happen when the faculty advisor and the student agree that they have made enough progress and are ready to present their proposal to the entire committee. The proposal defense involves a presentation and a line of questioning from all committee members. The committee will be made up of at least 3 members in compliance with the Master’s Student Oral Exam Committee Composition policy.

Two grades are possible for the proposal defense: “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory”. If the student receives a grade of unsatisfactory, the defense may be repeated once on the recommendation of the advisory committee. If the student receives an unsatisfactory grade a second time, they will be recommended for dismissal from the program. A minimum of 90 days must pass before the defense may be redone.

Thesis Oral Defense

The student must complete an oral defense of their thesis. The committee will be made up of at least 3 members in compliance with the Master’s Student Oral Exam Committee Composition policy. A majority of the committee members must approve the defense outcome. The possible outcomes for the defense are “honors”, “satisfactory”, or “unsatisfactory”. Students that fail the defense on their first attempt may repeat the defense at the recommendation of the degree program one more time. A minimum of 90 days must pass before the defense may be redone. 

While completing degree requirements, graduate students are expected to understand and follow Office of Graduate Studies policies relevant to their student status and academic standing.