flash

Geography Graduate Programs

Global environmental change, biogeography, human-environmental interaction, historical geography, economic geography, migration studies, cultural and global competence, community and environmental planning, cartography and GIS are some of the particular strengths possessed by the Department of Geography. Asian studies is the primary regional emphasis, in particular Central Asia and the Middle East. Other regional specialties include Africa, Europe and the North American West. Students may concentrate their studies in any area of strength possessed by members of the faculty. The program provides a strong foundation in the philosophy of geography, its methodologies and research techniques.

MA and MS Graduate Advising Guide

The University of Montana
Department of Geography
Journalism Building 208
32 Campus Drive #5040
Missoula, MT 59812
Office Phone: 406.243.4302
Office Fax: 406.243.4840
E-mail: geog@umontana.edu

Department Chair:
Dr. Sarah Halvorson
Journalism Building 211
Office Phone: 406.243.2793
E-Mail: sarah.halvorson@umontana.edu

Graduate Program Director:
Dr. Christiane von Reichert
Professor of Geography
Office: Journalism Building 204
Office Phone: (406) 243-4784
Office Fax: (406) 243-4840
E-mail: Chris.vonReichert@mso.umt.edu

Degree Offered

M.A. Geography Requirements: A minimum of 30 credits of course work plus a thesis.

The M.A. in geography can be taken either with or without an option (General Geography). Options offered are:

Cartography and GIS

Community and Environmental Planning

Degree Descriptions

General Geography (Without Option):
The degree without an option prepares candidates for a variety of professional positions or for doctoral studies in geography and related disciplines. A broad range of environmental and societal issues have geographical dimensions, and geographical training and methodologies are basic to the solution of many real-world problems. As a result, geography opens the door to literally hundreds of employment opportunities in education, government, business and industry.

Cartography and GIS Option:
This option has been designed for students who wish to become professional cartographers or GIS specialists. In addition to core courses required for the master's degree in geography, students may choose from an extensive array of courses available in geography, forestry, computer science and mathematics that concern the elements, principles and practices of creating and working with maps and geographical databases. Geography alone offers over thirty semester credits in courses relating directly to cartography and GIS.

Community and Environmental Planning Option:
This option prepares students for employment in government agencies and private businesses primarily in sparsely populated areas in the western United States. This option addresses community and environmental concerns in planning. In addition to courses in geography, students may select courses in sociology, environmental studies, forestry, political science, and other relevant disciplines.

Degree Requirements

The following requirements must be met by all Master of Arts students in geography. Additional requirements exist for students who pursue the option in cartography and GIS or the option in community and environmental planning. A brochure describing in detail the degree requirements is available from the Department of Geography.

1. All students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate semester credits plus a thesis.

2. All students, must complete the following required core of courses: Geog 500-Geography Graduate Colloquium Geog 505-Research Methods Geog 520-Seminar in Geographical Thought Methods course based on student's research interest

3. The following is required unless previously taken. Credits cannot be counted toward the graduate degree: Geog 387/389 Principles of Digital Cartography with Laboratory One or two approved courses of foreign language instruction (2nd year), quantitative methods (400 or 500-level), or computer programming. Approved courses vary with the option chosen. (For details, see Graduate Degree Requirements).

4. All students must write and successfully defend a thesis.

5. All other University of Montana requirements for a Master of Arts degree must be satisfied.

Programs are tailored to fit into not less than one, but not more than two years, depending upon the background of the student.

Admissions

1. Application Materials and Deadline The application deadline for Fall admission is April 15. Instructions for applying to the Graduate School are in the "Admissions" section of the catalog. In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, the Department of Geography specifically requests: A brief letter stating the applicant's objectives in graduate studies and why the applicant wishes to pursue those studies at The University of Montana. In deciding whether to admit an applicant, all components of the application are taken into consideration, with special attention paid to the letter of objectives.

2. Program Requirements for Admission Applications are welcome from prospective students whose prior education was not in geography, cartography, or planning, but such students must make up undergraduate deficiencies. A grade-point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is required for full admission to the degree program. Applicants with GPAs slightly lower than 3.0 may be admitted provisionally if there is clear evidence of academic potential.

3. Assistantship Application and Deadline The application deadline for assistantships is February 15. Those desiring to apply for an assistantship should indicate so on the application form. A statement indicating the applicant's interest in an assistantship and relevant background or experience is recommended.

4. International Students International students whose mother tongue is not English must also have a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores sent, or possess a degree from a university in which English is the medium of instruction. The TOEFL examination can substitute for the GRE. See additional information in the "Admissions" section in the current UM catalog.

Course Descriptions

The UM Catalog has a complete list of courses and their descriptions. An online version is also available.

Financial Assistance

For additional information about financial assistance, consult the Financial Aid Office at The University of Montana.

Teaching Assistantships

The department offers graduate teaching assistantships to qualified entering and continuing graduate students. In addition to their salaries, teaching assistants receive a waiver of the tuition fee (in-state or out-of-state) and a waiver of the registration fee. Other fees charged by the University are not included in the TA fee waiver package. Teaching assistants are required to register for nine credits each semester.

Academic Opportunities

Internships:
Internships are encouraged and are available in a wide variety of governmental agencies, businesses, and public and private organizations throughout the state. Opportunities for paid internships and employment on faculty research and consulting projects are sometimes available. Examples of intern placements in the past three years include: U.S. Forest Service, Northern Regional Headquarters; National Geographic Society; State of Montana, Department of Commerce; National Academy of Sciences; Missoula Office of Planning and Grants; Missoula Redevelopment Agency; and Hamilton Planning Group.

Professional Organizations:
The Department of Geography sponsors a chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon. Attendance at regional and national professional meetings is encouraged, and participation is supported when possible, in particular for presenters of research papers or posters. Graduate students have been highly successful in regional Geography Bowl competitions.

Field Study Opportunities: The Northern Rocky Mountain region provides a considerable variety of opportunities for research in both human and physical geography. Several of geography's graduate-level courses emphasize field study and research. Opportunity for research overseas is similarly available.

Research Facilities

Computer Laboratories:
Geography shares the Social Sciences Research Laboratories (SSRL) with other departments in the College of Arts & Sciences. The laboratories feature PCs, servers, printers, plotters, digitizers, and scanners all networked under the laboratories' own network system. Occupying several thousand square feet of space, the laboratories are well furnished and well equipped. GIS, Cartographic and Other Software: Software for analysis and presentation of data include all ESRI GIS products, including ArcGIS 8.3, ArcIMS, Spatial Analyst, Network Analyst, etc. The SSRL laboratories also provide access to IDRISI, CartaLinx, Surfer, MapViewer, Grapher, Trimble Pathfinder Office, as well as TransCad. Furthermore, laboratories are equipped with SPSS, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, and SQL Server (MSDE).

Field and Laboratory Equipment:
In courses and research projects, students use differential GPS units and software, total station surveying equipment, digital theodolite and automatic level, along with map and compass techniques. In addition, Geography has stream- and weather-monitoring equipment. The SSRL provides digital cameras, scanners and video-capture techniques so that students can add photo layers to digital thematic maps and presentations. Physical geographers have access to equipment for the collection, analysis and microscopy of soil samples and sediment cores.

Website maintained by the Geography Department.© The University of Montana, 2006. Design and Layout by Christy Costello of Spectral Fusion.