Dual Degree for Master of Arts in Geography and Master of Urban Planning
Urban planning is a professional field that addresses the health, welfare, and sustainability of our cities, towns, regions, natural, and rural areas. Planners are problem-solvers. They deal with both short- and long-range planning projects at scales from small to large. Planners seek to enhance overall quality of life by addressing aspects of communities such as housing, land use, transportation, and responsible development that preserves the natural environment. The Master of Urban Planning is an accredited, professional degree that prepares students to excel in planning practice. It is the normal academic qualification for planning and planning-related positions. Graduates are prepared for careers in the public sector (local, state, national, international governments and agencies), private sector (consulting firms, development companies), and not-for profits (housing authorities, nonprofits) helping make communities better places.
The Master of Arts in Geography program develops a concentration in preparation for a career or further study. The student takes courses in several areas of the discipline. Our faculty are integral to graduate studies and have expertise in Human and Cultural Studies with a particular emphasis on Place, Economic Geography, Health and Diaspora, Environmental Policy, Borders and Border Conflicts, and more. Learn more about our faculty on our website.
Admission to Graduate Studies
An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Graduate Admission
Dual Degree application for Master of Arts in Geography and Master of Urban Planning
Admission details, including required application materials for the M.A. in Geography and Master of Urban Planning, can be found on their respective web pages. Entering students should submit separate applications to each program.
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 for the Geography MA application:
- A completed Graduate Application Form found on the Graduate Admission website.
- A current resume/CV.
- 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 or atmospheric science and why they are important and interesting to you, (2) what you envision as your educational and career objectives and how a degree from KU Geography & Atmospheric Science helps to meet those objectives, and (3) which of our faculty members you think would be an appropriate graduate advisor and mentor.
- 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.
- 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.**
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Non-native speakers of English must meet English proficiency requirements.
M.U.P. Degree Requirements
The M.U.P. portion of the dual degree requires 36 credit hours. While completing the following degree requirements, graduate students are expected to understand and follow Office Graduate Studies policies relevant to their student status and academic standing.
M.U.P. Required Core Courses
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| UBPL 705 | Urban Economic Theory and Analysis | 3 |
| UBPL 736 | Planning Law and Institutions | 3 |
| UBPL 741 | Foundations of Compassionate Critical Thinking | 3 |
| UBPL 742 | Applied Data and Spatial Analysis | 3 |
| UBPL 763 | Politics and Public Management | 3 |
| UBPL 777 | Equity, Justice, and American Cities | 3 |
| UBPL 780 | Climate Change and Hazards Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 785 | History and Theory of Planning | 3 |
| Total Hours | 24 |
M.U.P. Specializations
Master of Urban Planning Electives:
Elective coursework can be selected from the department’s graduate course offerings focusing in the areas of housing, transportation, or sustainable land use. Additional detail of elective courses and completion requirements can be found on the MUP Degree Requirements page. Students are encouraged to consult the UBPL Program Director when choosing elective courses.
M.A. in Geography Degree Requirements
The M.A. in Geography portion of the dual degree requires a minimum of 22 credit hours. A maximum of 6 credits of 500 and 600 level courses may be included in the program. If a 500 or 600 level course is taken to fulfill the required Techniques/Research Methods course, those credits will not count toward this maximum.
Elective coursework should be chosen in consultation with your advisor. Geography courses listed in the academic catalog.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| GEOG 805 | Perspectives in Geography | 2 |
| |
| GEOG 980 | Seminar in Geography: _____ (Colloquium must be taken for 1 credit hour each during the first two semesters of residence) | 2 |
| |
| GEOG 899 | Master's Thesis (The Chair of the Master's thesis committee must come from the Department of Geography. At least one thesis committee member must come from the Urban Planning Program. ) | 6 |
| 3-4 |
| Advanced Cartography and Geovisualization | |
| Remote Sensing of Environment I | |
| Spatial Databases | |
| Spatial Data Analysis | |
| Advanced Geostatistics | |
| Qualitative Research Methods | |
| 9 |
| Total Hours | 22-23 |
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 must be in compliance with the Maser's Oral Exam Committee Composition policy. The chair of the committee must come from the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science. At least one committee member must come from the Department of Urban Planning.
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 and will be in compliance with the Master’s Student Oral Exam Committee Composition policy. The chair of the committee must come from the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science. At least one committee member must come from the Department of Urban Planning.
A majority of the committee members must approve the defense with an assessment of “satisfactory”, “unsatisfactory”, or “honors”. 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 Graduate Studies policies relevant to their student status and academic standing.
Handbook for Graduate Students
Detailed information on department regulations can be found in the Geography and Atmospheric Science Graduate Student Handbook.
