Geography and Environmental Systems, M.S.

Degree Requirements

We offer both a Thesis and a non-Thesis option for the Master’s degree; either option will require at least 30 credits. A Thesis Option Masters requires six hours of research credit (GES 799) leading to successful completion and defense of the M.S. thesis. A non-Thesis Option Masters requires a minimum of 18 credits taken in courses numbered 600 or higher. The graduation requirement for the non-Thesis M.S. option includes two research papers, either or both of which may be expanded from course-related project work.

Core Courses (7 credits)

GES 701 - Introduction to Geography and Environmental Systems [3]
GES 702 - Research Methods for Geography and Environmental Systems [3]
GES 689 - Department Seminar [1] (1 credit, to be taken in Fall of the first year; students will be expected to attend in subsequent semesters but will not be required to register for credit)

Required Courses (7 credits)

GES 686 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems [4]
Graduate Level Statistics Course [3]

Electives [10 credits (Thesis option), 16 credits (non-Thesis option)]

Electives will be chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor and committee. One of these electives will be selected from among the following areas: Social Science Methods, Remote Sensing, Computational Methods and Modeling, and Environmental Science Field and Laboratory Methods. Eligible courses available each year will be determined by the faculty and the list will be disseminated to faculty advisors and graduate students.

Research Credits (Thesis Option)

GES 799 - Master’s Thesis Research [2-9] - 6 credits