Master of Science in Geography
Admission Requirements
The applicant must meet the School of Graduate Studies’ current minimum general admission requirements as published in the graduate catalog.
- A four-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university.
- A GPA of at least 3.00 in all undergraduate work.
- A minimum of 9 semester credits of undergraduate coursework in geography, preferably physical geography. An additional 6 credits in the fields cognate to geography are required.
- Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog.
- International applicants who have received their bachelor’s or master’s degree in the United States or English speaking Canada are not required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS.
- Meet all School of Graduate Studies requirements for admission.
Outstanding applicants are evaluated on an individual basis and those with limited background in geography but a distinguished record in another discipline may be accepted in a qualified or provisional status.
Degree Requirements
Students seeking the Master of Science in Geography degree (on-campus, thesis or non-thesis option) at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science.
- Four required courses:
Course List Code Title Credits GEOG 500 Graduate Studies in Geography 1 GEOG 501 Geographic Thought Through Time 2 GEOG 576 Field Methods and Analysis in Geography 3 GEOG 578 Geographic Research and Writing 3 Total Credits 9 - A minor or cognate area of study, and a graduate program of study that reflects the student’s focus on geography topics (9 credits). Cognate courses must be from at least two academic departments outside Geography.
Thesis (on-campus)
- A minimum of 30 semester credits, including 9 semester credits for approved minor or cognate courses.
- At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500-level.
- A maximum of one-fourth (usually 8-9 semester credits) of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
- Preparation and successful defense of a thesis. (A minimum of 6 credits for GEOG 998 Thesis.)
Non-Thesis (on-campus)
- A minimum of 36 semester credits, including 9 semester credits for approved minor or cognate courses.
- A minimum of 12 credits that focus upon geospatial skills and techniques which include quantitative methods, computer graphics and mapping, geographic information systems, remote sensing, field methods, and cartography. The non-thesis programs emphasize development of geospatial skills that can be applied to specific problems and projects that may or may not involve research.
- Two credits of GEOG 997 Independent Study are required.
- At least one-half of the credits must be at or above the 500-level.
- A maximum of one-fourth of the credit hours required for the degree may be transferred from another institution.
- Preparation of a written independent study approved by the faculty advisor.
- Comprehensive final examination.
Professional Science Master's (PSM) in GISc (online)
This online, non-thesis program integrates the technical skills of the Geographic Information Science (GISc) Master’s degree with the professional workplace skills – professional writing, budgeting, project management, data analytics, among others – necessary to thrive and advance in the workplace. The GEOG 597 Graduate Internship course also provides a practical-oriented workplace relevant capstone/internship experience. This program is recognized by the National Professional Science Master’s Association. The degree requirements for this program option are different from those for the on-campus options (thesis and non-thesis).
Total number of credits required: 30
1. Eighteen (18) Credits in Geography and GISc
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses (12-15 credits)* | ||
| GEOG 471 & 471L | Cartography and Visualization and Cartography and Visualization Laboratory | 3 |
| GEOG 474 & 474L | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and GIS Laboratory | 3 |
| GEOG 574 | Advanced Techniques in Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| GEOG 597 | Graduate Internship (*repeatable to 6 credits) | 3 |
| Elective courses (3-6 credits) | ||
| GEOG 475 | Digital Image Processing | 3 |
| GEOG 476 | Selected Topics in Geographic Information Systems (Python Programming ) | 3 |
| GEOG 476 | Selected Topics in Geographic Information Systems (Web GIS ) | 3 |
| GEOG 575 | Seminar in Remote Sensing | 3 |
2. Six (6) Credits in Core PSM Quantitative/Analytic Skills Courses
3. Six (6) credits in Core PSM Professional Skills Courses; COMM 516 Principles of Professional Communication
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative/Analytic Skills Courses: | ||
| EFR 513 | Large Dataset Management and Analysis | 3 |
| EFR 515 | Statistics I | 3 |
| EFR 516 | Statistics II | 3 |
| EFR 518 | Multivariate Analysis | 3 |
| EFR 535 | Data Analytics and Visualization with R | 3 |
| ENE 530 | Applied Engineering Business Analysis | 3 |
| PSYC 540 | Foundations of Behavioral Data Analytics | 3 |
| Professional Skills Courses: | ||
| COMM 516 | Principles of Professional Communication | 3 |
| COMM 524 | International/Intercultural Communication for Professionals | 3 |
| COMM 527 | Persuasion & Persuasive Communication | 3 |
| COMM 529 | Science Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 408 | Advanced Public and Professional Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 540 | Science Writing | 3 |
| ENGR 554 | Applied Project Management | 3 |
| ESSP 562 | Environmental Economics, Policy and Management | 3 |
| ESSP 570 | Communicating Environmental Information | 3 |
| ENE 533 | Project Dynamics & Strategy Modeling | 3 |
| POLS 532 | Public Policy | 3 |
| POLS 533 | Administrative Ethics in the Public Sector | 3 |