Introduction
| Admission
| General Requirements GTF General Duties & Responsibilities Statement (GDRS) Document
|
Application DeadlineThe Department of Geography accepts applications for Fall term admission only. Applications should arrive by February 1 in order to be considered for the following fall term. The department will notify applicants of its decision around April 1. Graduate teaching fellowships are normally awarded only once per year, in April. Required Application Materials
Application Form and Fee. The University of Oregon offers an on-line
application to apply to Graduate School:
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). All applicants are required to take the GRE. Only the general test is required, not the subject test (Geography). Neither the University of Oregon nor the Department of Geography sets a minimum requirement for GRE scores. The GRE code for Institution (University of Oregon) is 4846. The code for the Geography Department is 2203. For information about the GRE, visit their website at http://www.gre.org. It takes five or six weeks for scores to reach the Department, so be sure to take the exam in time for your scores to arrive before the application deadline. The GRE scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to the Department of Geography in order to be valid. Copies are not acceptable. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). All international students whose native language is not English must also submit TOEFL exam result from within 5 years of the application date. The Department of Geography requires a minimum score of 575 (paper) or 233 (computer), or 88 (Internet-based). For information about the TOEFL exam visit their website http://www.toefl.org/. Transcripts. Two official transcripts from all college-level classes taken need to be provided. Transcripts must show degrees awarded. One set of transcripts should be sent to the Department of Geography. The other transcript goes to the Office of Admissions, 240 Oregon Hall, 1217 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1217. 3 Letters of Recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the Department of Geography by three (3) persons you select who best know your academic qualifications. The forms may be downloaded from http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/pdf/reportGradApplicantGS620.pdf . Statement of Purpose. You should include a 2 to 3 page, typed statement concerning the program you want to pursue at the University of Oregon and its relation to your personal and career goals. Graduate Teaching Fellowships (GTFs). The Department of Geography offers some Graduate Teaching Fellowships. If you want to be considered for a GTF, complete the Graduate Teaching Fellowship application. The application can be downloaded from http://gradschool.uoregon.edu/pdf/applicationGTFGS630.pdf Financial Statement-International students only. All international students applying for graduate admission at the University of Oregon are required to complete a Supplementary Application and Financial Statement for International Students. This form is available online at http://gradweb.uoregon.edu/online_app/application/FinancialStatement.pdf. Upon request by the UO Admissions Office the student may need to supply a bank statement, which is documented proof of what the student reports on the financial statement. Proof can be in the form of a letter from the student's/parents'/sponsor's bank, a letter awarding a scholarship or government loan, an affidavit of support (I-134). Upon verification of the student's financial ability to pay for the educational and living experiences, the UO will issue a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20), which is required in order for a student to apply for a visa. Send the Supplementary Application and Financial Statement to the Office of Admissions, 240 Oregon Hall, 1217 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1217. Application Packet Checklist The following materials should be sent to the:
The following materials should be sent to the:
|
|
General Requirements
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduction Admission General Requirements Master's Program Doctoral Program Financial Assistance Graduate Program Handbook Recent Theses and Dissertations Geography Home UO Home |
To ensure breadth of knowledge in the discipline, the department requires all Ph.D. and Master's candidates to complete the following courses or their equivalents: Cartographic Methods (GEOG 311) or Introduction to Geographic Systems (GEOG 516); Geographic Data Analysis (GEOG 314); two upper-division courses in physical geography from different subfields; and two upper-division courses in human geography from different subfields.
Intro to Graduate Studies (GEOG 609) is required of all new students in their first fall term, Theory and Practice of Geography (GEOG 620) must be taken during the following winter term, and Current Trends in Geography (GEOG 621) must be taken the succeeding spring term. Each graduate student must take 1 credit of Workshop (GEOG 608) every fall and spring term that the student is in residence.
For students following the master's degree option in geography and education,
some substitutions for these course requirements may be authorized by the
departmental coordinator for that
option.
Master's Program
| Introduction Admission General Requirements Master's Program Doctoral Program Financial Assistance Graduate Program Handbook Recent Theses and Dissertations Geography Home UO Home |
The Graduate Program Handbook contains a detailed listing of degree requirements
The M.A. and M.S. degrees in geography emphasize broad understanding of physical and human geography and basic geographic techniques. Students develop specialized research skills during work on the thesis. Beyond the general requirements for all graduate students in geography, two graduate seminars in geography (GEOG 507 or 607), one in human geography and one in physical geography, are required of each candidate.
Students must demonstrate skill in a second language, which may be met either by passing a second-year university foreign language course during the seven-year period prior to the receipt of the master's or doctor's degree or by passing the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test (GSFLT) in the twenty-fifth percentile or better.
Where appropriate for the thesis or dissertation topic and with the approval of the advisory committee, computer programming skills may be substituted for the second language. These skills are typically demonstrated by completing a minimum of two approved courses and writing a program used in the thesis research.
A committee of two geography faculty members supervises the research and writing of a master's thesis that shows evidence of original research and writing. The student must enroll for 9 credits of Thesis (GEOG 503), at least 3 of which must be taken during the term the degree is granted. Every master's thesis must be presented at a public lecture.
Geography and Education. The geography and education option relates geographic research methods and perspectives to the teaching of social studies at all levels. Course and seminar requirements parallel those for the M.A. program in geography, but teacher licensure is deemed to be a substitute for foreign-language competence. Students must take at least one workshop (GEOG 608) that is designed for this option. A final written examination administered by a departmental committee is required. A learning activity project is substituted for the thesis.
Those interested in this option must have public school teaching licensure and must indicate their intent to pursue the option before being admitted to the graduate program. Completion of the geography and education option by itself does not lead to additional licensure in the state of Oregon.
Graduate students admitted to the department's summer master's degree program must seek formal admission if they decide to enter the regular geography graduate program.
Doctoral Program
| Introduction Admission General Requirements Master's Program Doctoral Program Financial Assistance Graduate Program Handbook Recent Theses and Dissertations Geography Home UO Home |
The Graduate Program Handbook contains a detailed listing of degree requirements
The Ph.D. program requires competent understanding of one of the systematic fields of
geography and a broad understanding of geographic topics that enables the student to
address and synthesize problems that cross the various fields of geography.
While
this program is designed to suit each individual's background and interests, prospective
candidates should pay particular attention to the systematic specialization and regional
interests of the department's faculty members before applying for admission.
The candidate may use the flexibility of Research (GEOG 601) and Reading and Conference
(GEOG 605) to follow specific interests with individual members of the faculty. The Ph.D.
program, planned with faculty committee approval, is measured by achievement of the stated
goals rather than by any specific number of credits.
Ph.D. Requirements
In addition to completing all Graduate School requirements and a master's degree in geography or equivalent study that includes courses required for the M.A. degree in geography at the University of Oregon, the geography Ph.D. program requires at least two graduate-only seminars in geography (GEOG 507 or 607), one in human geography and one in physical geography, and the completion of a second language or technical skill. The second language or skill requirement may be met in any of the following ways:
- Proficiency in a second language at the level required for the M.A. degree or computer programming skills
- Advanced foreign language training to the level required to pass a third-year university-level course in composition and conversation
- Mastery of a technique or method of geographic research by passing at least three courses in cartography or advanced geographic information systems approved advanced-level courses from outside the department
After completing the appropriate course work, graduate seminars, and language or technical skills requirement, advancement to candidacy is achieved by passing comprehensive written examinations in following areas: a world region, a systematic field of geography, a topic that integrates several fields of geography, and geographic thought and methodology. The student, in consultation with a faculty committee, writes four questions in each area for the comprehensive examination. Two or three questions in each area are then selected by the advisory committee, and the student prepares written answers to them during a six-week period.
Within nine months of completing the comprehensive examination, the student must
present a dissertation proposal for approval by the student's dissertation
committee. The completed dissertation, the capstone of the doctoral program,
presents the results of substantive and original research on a significant
geographic problem. It is defended in a public oral
presentation.
Financial Assistance
The College Work-Study Program (under federal funding for students from low-income families) provides an alternative means of financial assistance. The Department of Geography has several positions under this program. For work-study certification and to apply for loans or grants, a separate request for forms should be made to the Office of Student Financial Aid, 1278 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1278.
Geography Home |
UO Home | Faculty
& Staff | Research |
News
Courses |
Undergraduate
Program | Graduate Program |
Directory