The Blue Marble: Produced by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD using data from GOES, SeaWiFS and an AVHRR instrument aboard the Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites.

 Program Description and Requirements

1.1 GRADUATE RESEARCH FACILITIES

The Geography Department at the University of Maryland is one of the largest research Geography departments in the U.S.A. and is undergoing rapid expansion and evolution, which reflects the growing importance of geographical issues in public policy and research. The Department was recently ranked in the top 10 geography programs in the U.S. by Academic Analytics. While members of the Department are involved in many of the mainstream concerns of the discipline, they are also responding to the new challenges and opportunities of earth system science, human dimensions of global change, global warming, population expansion and third-world development, to name but a few issues. The research staff outnumbers teaching faculty with approximately 30 research staff in residence.
 
 

Samuel J. Lefrak Hall houses the Geography Department at College Park, Maryland

The Department contains several specialized groups including the Laboratory for Global Remote Sensing Studies (LGRSS), the Mid-Atlantic Regional Earth Science Applications Consortium (RESAC), the Global Land Cover Facility, the Geographic Information Science Laboratory, as well as several smaller groupings of research interests.

The Department is housed in over 35,000 sq. ft. on the main College Park campus. Teaching laboratories include facilities for wet analysis, cartography, GIS, and the Turner laboratories dedicated to computer-based instruction. Other facilities needed for virtually any type of investigation are available through collaborations with other departments. There are two primary computer environments, namely UNIX and PC, with 60 machines dedicated to teaching and graduate research. The research laboratories support UNIX, Linux, and high-end PC machines, including very high performance processors and peripherals and large volume RAID arrays. There are a large number of digitizing tables, large format color printers, magnetic disk farms, tape carrousels, etc. An extensive range of software is available, including satellite data processing, image analysis, and ESRI GIS packages. Field research, remote sensing, global positioning systems, and other types of equipment are available. Many opportunities exist for students to participate in externally funded research projects. In 2006 the Department research grant income was over $8.9 million.

Current externally funded research projects include: NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) studies for MODIS, laser sensing and Landsat, an EOS interdisciplinary hydrology project, the NASA-funded Global Land Cover Facility in association with the University's Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), the USAID Central Africa Regional Project for the Environment (CARPE), and the MODIS Land Rapid Response System for active fire detection. Other funded projects include studying regional to global scale land cover patterns, coastal wetlands loss, urban expansion, tropical deforestation, biomass burning, African desertification, human health, NOAA global climate-modeling, and enhancing the social and geographic modeling capabilities for spatially structured agent modeling for the Office of Naval Research. Graduate students find this research environment a rich source of ideas for research papers and dissertation studies, as well as providing opportunities to join these projects as paid (including tuition) research assistants. This experience often leads to openings for employment on completion of their studies.

The Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) is a cross-campus research initiative that brings together Geography, Geology, and Meteorology in a shared research institute to further encourage interdisciplinary studies to address contemporary questions in earth system science. The Mid-Atlantic RESAC works with industry, governmental, and non-governmental organizations to apply advanced remote sensing to the Chesapeake Bay catchment and adjacent areas.

The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is an exceptional location in which to pursue geographic research. Many national and international agencies and organizations are within a short distance of the campus. Major national research laboratories are close by, including the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, the National Archives, Bureau of the Census, National Institutes of Health, USGS, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), NOAA and the Offices of the US Global Change Research Program. International and non-governmental agencies are located within easy reach, including Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, World Bank, the National Geographic Society, and many others. Corporations, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that use geographical applications are also well represented, e.g., EOSAT, EarthSat Corporation, Center for Land Oceans and Atmospheres, World Resources Institute, and Resources for the Future. Libraries on campus and nearby are unrivaled elsewhere in the world. The University of Maryland is also located in a region of extraordinary geographic diversity, including two major urban centers (Baltimore and Washington, D.C.), the Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Coast.
 
 

New landcover maps produced by the Mid-Atlantic RESAC of the Washington-Baltimore region will
facilitate "smarter" land use planning and better estimates of polluted water run-off.

1.2 Research specializations

The UM Geography Department offers a wide range of academic opportunities in graduate studies. The specific geographic research specializations represented by the Faculty include:
 
Human Dimensions:
Demographic, social, cultural, economic and historical aspects of human systems with particular emphasis on human dimensions of global change and integration with physical systems. Population, minorities (African-American), women, natural resources, energy, urban and regional systems, geographical education. Global, regional (Africa and Latin America), mid­Atlantic, southern portion of Megalopolis, Chesapeake Bay.
Physical Systems:
Biogeographical, climatological, hydrological and geomorphological aspects of earth system science. Global vegetation dynamics, land cover change, sea level rise, climate variability, biodiversity and biospheric processes in global climate modeling. Special attention to the global scale, and regionally to North America, Africa, and Latin America. Integration with human dimensions of global change.
Geographic Methods:
Observation, processing and analysis of geographic data. Remote sensing, geographic information systems, digital cartography, spatial analysis and numerical modeling. Particular emphasis on both passive (Landsat, SPOT, AVHRR, MODIS, ASTER) and active (LIDAR, ERS, Radarsat, Envisat) systems, regional to global scale data systems, scaling theory and spatial variance. Applications to human and physical aspects of Geography.

1.3 Recently completed doctoral dissertation titles

(Faculty Advisor in parentheses; to view abstract and dissertation, click on title)

Anderson, L. Miller, "Analyzing the Impact of Participatory-Developed Conservation Policies in the Negril Environmental Protection Area, Western Jamaica." 2005. (DeFries)

Carter, C.L., "The Role of Theology in the Production of Space in Shaker Societies." 2005. (Geores)

Cooper, E., "Dynamics of the Nonprofit Sector and Urban Delivery of Services: A Geography of Services In East Baltimore, Maryland." 2007. (Christian)

Dempewolf, J., "Dynamics of Fire and Woody Cover Changes in the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem—A Remote Sensing Approach." 2007. (DeFries)

Fleming, D.,"Effect of Spectral Response Function on Multi-Spectral Measurements and NDVI from Disparate Remote Sensing Systems" 2006. (Goward)

Giglio, L., "Characterization of the Diurnal Cycle of Fire Activity Using Satellite Data" 2006. (Justice)

Groff, E., "Exploring the Geography of Routine Activity Theory: A Spatio-Temporal Test Using Street Robbery." 2006. (Dubayah)

Hyde, P., "Measuring and Mapping Forest Wildlife Habitat Characteristics Using Lidar Remote Sensing and Multi-Sensor Fusion" 2005. (Dubayah)

Hyer, E.J., "Investigating Uncertainties in Trace Gas Emissions from Boreal Forest Fires Using MOPITT Measurements of Carbon Monoxide and a Global Chemical Transport Model." 2005 (Kasischke)

Jantz, C.A., "Analyzing Forest Change and Policy in Washington, D.C., Suburban Counties." 2005. (Geores)

Kearney, B., "Exerting Local Power Over Federal Process: Stakeholder Negotiation Process in the Canyon Forest Village Land Exchange Process 1992-2002" 2006. (Geores)

Korontzi, S., "The Seasonality of Biomass Burning Emissions in South Africa." 2004. (Justice)

Lindsay, F., "Discerning Intra-Metropolitan Patterns of Producer Service Establishment Location Using Geographic Information Systems" 2005. (Geores)

Peterson, B., "Canopy Fuels Inventory and Mapping Using Large-Footprint Lidar." 2005 (Dubayah)

Read, C.H.K., "Effects of Scale and Spatial Variablility on Hydraulic Geometry in the Potomac River Basin." 2006 (Thompson)

Reitsma, F., "A New Geography Pocess Data Model." 2005. (Albrecht)

Robin, J, "Improving Predictive Capabilities of Environmental Changes with GLOBE and Satellite Data." 2006. (Dubayah)

Rubin, M.J., "A Negotiated Landscape: Planning, Regulation, and the Transformation of San Francisco’s Waterfront, 1950 to the Present." 2003. (Christian)

Slayback, D., "Correlates of Terrestrial Vertebrate Species Richness: An Evaluation of Environmental Hypotheses Over the Western Continental USA." 2006 (Prince)

Songer, M., "Endangered Dry Deciduous Forests of Upper Myanmar (Burma): A Multi-Scale Approach for Research and Conservation." 2006 (DeFries)

Steele, C.P., "The Emergence of a Local Memorial Landscape in the Aftermath of Violent Tragedy: A Study of Baltimore's Dawson Murders, 2002-2005." 2007 (Geores)

Weiner, M.L., "Radar Monitoring of Hydrology in Maryland's Forested Coastal Plain Wetlands: Implications for Predicted Climate Change and Improved Mapping." 2005 (Kasischke)

Wessels, K.J., "Monitoring Land Degradation in Southern Africa by Assessing Changes in Primary Productivity." 2005 (Prince)

Wilson, J.W., "Historical and Computational Analysis of Long-Term Environmental Change: Forests in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia." 2005. (Geores)

Zheng, T., "Mapping Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) Usinig Multiple Remote Sensing Data." 2007. (Liang)

2.1 GRADUATE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

These departmental requirements are in effect for Fall 2006 and are regularly updated on this website. They expand on the fundamental Graduate School requirements for graduate programs found in The Graduate Catalog.

Information on courses for Fall 2006 and beyond can be found on the Schedule of Classes.

2.2 The M.A. Program

The Department of Geography offers an M.A., designed in consultation with a faculty advisor. Those who can serve as faculty advisors include members of the faculty or research faculty with the rank of associate research scientist. Program consists of a minimum of 30 credits, normally completed in 2 years. An introductory course (6 credits) and a research tutorial course (3 credits) under the guidance of the faculty advisor are required, plus attendance at three semesters of departmental seminars (1 credit each); one course each (3 credits, 9 total) from human dimensions, physical, and methods; 9 credits of electives; and a final scholarly paper. Internships (GEOG790) are encouraged for all students and may fulfill part of the scholarly paper requirement with permission of the graduate director.

2.2.1 Masters

Requirements:

30-credit hours minimum
21 credits at 600-level or above
Scholarly paper

1. GEOG600 (Fall) and GEOG602 (Spring), Introduction to Geography (6 credits), covering core knowledge in the discipline. B minimum.

2. GEOG798 Department Seminar (2 credits spread over 2 semesters, 1 credit/semester). B minimum. Mandatory attendance of the Department seminars for two semesters. Written reports, including additional reading beyond the material presented in required lectures, graded by the Instructor. Students receive letter grades. In addition, students are expected to take the 1 credit, Graduate Orientation Seminar the first semester of their enrollment.

3. One course at 600 or 700 level (3 credits) selected from each of the 3 departmental Geography themes. Students should confirm with the Graduate Office that a specific class will satisfy this requirement. B minimum.

Physical Geography: Climatology, geomorphology, biogeography, earth systems science.
Human Geography: Cultural, population, economic, urban, regional, human dimensions of global change.
Geographical Methods: GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis, computer cartography, modeling.
4. Minumum of 9 credits representing a coherent program of courses in Geography at the 400 level or above.These may be courses in one specialty or courses intended to give a broad background. Course may be taken in departments other than Geography with permission of the student's advisor and the Graduate Director. The student's advisor or the Graduate Director must also approve electives.

5. GEOG603 Master's Research Tutorial (3 credits). Taken in third semester under the guidance of the faculty advisor in preparation of the scholarly paper. B minimum.

6. Scholarly Paper

  1. Scholarly paper focused on student's area of concentration.
  2. Typically, 5,000-7,500 words, excluding bibliographic references and any footnotes, but including illustrations, figures, and tables. Format to follow that specified by the Graduate School for theses and dissertations. Two bound copies to be submitted and an electronic version in .PDF format on a CD of floppy disk.
  3. The paper should address a significant issue in a form suitable for submission to a named scholarly journal appropriate to the subject matter.
  4. Advice available from advisor and other faculty members
  5. Topic/subject decided early in third semester in conjunction with your advisor in GEOG603.
  6. Graded by advisor and a second reader approved by the student's advisor. Reviewed by Graduate Director.
  7. Options of examiners: (a) pass; (b) fail but resubmit: (c) fail do not resubmit

2.2.2 Masters With Thesis

Available by petition. Students should apply through their advisor at the start of their second semester.

Requirements are the same as for master's except scholarly paper is replaced by thesis and oral defense.

2.4 The Ph.D. Program

Requirements and polices for the Geography Doctoral Program for items not covered by the Gruaduate School:

1. Coursework. Coursework. The Department admits students who already have completed a Masters degree as well as exceptionally well qualified students who have completed a Bachelors degree. Those having a Masters degree are expected to have a strong foundation in the discipline of Geography or areas related to Geography.

For students entering with a Masters degree, the department requires only four courses (12 credit hours) plus 12 credits of dissertation research for the Ph.D. in Geography:

  1. GEOG600 (Fall) and GEOG602 (Spring), Introduction to Geography (6 credits, a minimum grade of B is required). This two-course sequence is usually taken in the student’s first and second semesters. The courses will review the core knowledge within the discipline. Exceptions will be made for students who have taken GEOG600 and 602, or their equivalent, within the past 5 years.
  2. GEOG604 Doctoral Research Tutorial (3 credits, a minimum grade of B is required). Usually taken with the student's advisor in the term prior to the dissertation proposal defense.
  3. GEOG798 Seminar (1 credit/semester, a minimum grade of B is required). Three credits required during Ph.D. program. A student may Advance to Candidacy without completing this requirement, but must complete the requirement before the Dissertation Defense.
  4. Other Coursework. There are no specific requirements for courses beyond the 4 courses noted above and minimum of 12 dissertation credits (see Item 21 below). However, many students take electives to strengthen their background in subjects related to their dissertation research. Additional coursework can be suggested by the Diagnostic Committee (see Item 4), and is often required by the student's Department Advisory Committee (see Item 5). Students hired by the Geography Department as Teaching and Graduate Research Assistants or who have been given a University Fellowship are required to enroll for 10 credits per semester until they advance to candidacy. According to University policy, in order to maintain their status as a graduate student: (a) prior to advancing to candidacy, a doctoral student must enroll for a minimum of one credit per semester; or (b) upon advancing to candidacy, all doctoral students will automatically be enrolled for 6 credits of GEOG 899 each fall and spring term and pay a flat tuition candidacy fee (currently equivalent to 1.6 graduate credit hours).

For students who have only completed a Bachelors degree, in addition to the above, an additional 18 hours of coursework is required prior to advancing to candidacy:

  1. One course at 600 or 700 level (3 credits) selected from each of the 3 departmental Geography themes. Students should confirm with the Graduate Office that a specific class will satisfy this requirement. B minimum.
    Physical Geography: Climatology, geomorphology, biogeography, earth systems science.
    Human Geography: Cultural, population, economic, urban, regional, human dimensions of global change.
    Geographical Methods: GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis, computer cartography, modeling.
  2. A minimum of 9 additional credits at the 400 level or above that are related to the student’s area of intended doctoral research. Courses may be taken in departments other than Geography with permission of the student's advisor and the Graduate Director. The student's advisor or the Graduate Director must also approve electives. Within these 9 credits, the student may take up to 6 credits of GEOG 898 (Pre-candidacy research).
2. Assignment of Advisor. All students will be assigned an advisor at the beginning of their first semester of enrollment. This is assignment will be based on the student’s research interests and discussions between the student, candidate advisors, and the Graduate Director. The student has the right to select his/her own advisor, and change advisors if necessary. Normally, the selected advisor must be a tenured / tenure track member of the Geography Faculty. Under certain circumstances, a member of the Research Faculty can also be appointed as an advisor. Qualifications for eligible research faculty are as follows: (a) must hold the position of Assistant Research Scientist, and Associate Research Scientist or Senior Research Scientist, (b) should have prior experience supervising graduate students, and (c) must be a member of the Graduate Faculty at the University. The eligibility of Research Faculty to serve as advisor is to be determined on a case-by-case basis by the graduate director. Under certain circumstances, a co-advisor may also be appointed, who must be a member of the Graduate Faculty. If a member of the Research Faculty is appointed as advisor, then a member of the tenured/tenure track faculty must be appointed as co-advisor. The tenured/tenure track co-advisor must agree to become the advisor in case the Research Scientist cannot continue advising the student. The student’s advisor will normally serve as the Chair of the Diagnostics, Department Advisory, and Dissertation Examining Committees (see Items 4, 5, 20 below). If the student's advisor is a member of the Research Faculty of the department, the Chair of the Dissertation Examining Committee shall be the tenured/tenure track co-advisor and the Research Faculty advisor shall serve as the co-chair.

3. Changing of Advisors. On occasion, it may be necessary for a graduate student to change advisors. Under such circumstances, the student should contact the Graduate Director to discuss the need for a change. If the Director of Graduate Studies is the advisor, the graduate student should contact the Department Chair. After discussions between the student and the Director (or Chair), the Director (or Chair) will contact the affected parties and discuss the desired changes.

4. Diagnostic Committee. The graduate student or his/her advisor has the option to form a Diagnostic Committee consisting of 2 tenured or tenured-track members of the Geography Faculty in addition to the advisor. This committee will meet with the student during the first semester to make recommendations for coursework based on the student’s research interests and to discuss potential research topics.

5. Department Advisory Committee. Usually during the first or second semester, each student will select members to serve on a Department Advisory Committee. The Department Advisory Committee should include a minimum of four people, all of whom are members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Maryland. At least three must be members of the Geography Faculty (tenured / tenure track, research faculty, or lecturers), and two must be tenured / tenure track members. One member must be from outside of the department. The responsibilities of the Department Advisory Committee include:

a. Advising the student during the development of his/her dissertation proposal;
b. Suggesting additional coursework and readings in order to ensure the student develops an adequate base of knowledge and competency in areas related to the student’s research;
c. Determining that the student has knowledge and competency in the areas related to the proposed dissertation research prior to advancing to candidacy;
d. Reviewing the written dissertation proposal and conducting an oral examination of the proposal and the student’s qualifications; and
e. Continuing to advise the student during the conduct of his/her research up until the time of the Dissertation Defense (see Items 20 to 24 below).
The student should meet with the Members of the Department Committee (either as a group or individually) as often as is necessary to make satisfactory progress in the development of her/his dissertation proposal and dissertation research. The student and the Department Advisory Committee should meet as a group at least once per year to review the student’s progress, and is required to meet at least one time as a group at least one month prior to the Dissertation Proposal Defense.

6. Nomination of the Department Advisory Committee. As soon as a student and her/his advisor have identified the members of the Department Advisory Committee and these members have agreed to serve on this committee, the student should file the Ph.D. Department Advisory Committee Nomination Form with the signatures of the student, advisor, and committee members. Once this form has been filed, the Director of Graduate Studies will provide each member of the committee with a copy of those “Requirements and Policies of the Department of Geography” that pertain to the Department Advisory Committee and Dissertation Proposal Defense.

7. Nomination for Membership on the Graduate Faculty. As noted in Items 5 and 20, all members of the student’s Department Advisory and Dissertation Examination Committees must be members of the Graduate Faculty. There are three categories of membership: (a) Full Members: University of Maryland (College Park) tenured / tenure-track faculty; (b) Adjunct Members: non-tenure track UMCP faculty who hold research, adjunct, or affiliated appointments; and (c) Special Members: individuals recognized as outstanding scholars who do not have any official affiliation at UMCP. If a person is not a Member of the Graduate Faculty, the student needs to file the Nomination for Membership on the Graduate Faculty form with the Director of Graduate Studies accompanied by the following documents: (a) a letter of support from his/her advisor outlining the credentials of the nominee; and (b) a current CV from the nominee. Upon the approval of the Full Members of the Department Faculty, the nomination will be forwarded to the Graduate School.

8. Changes to the Department Advisory Committee. Should a student desire to change the membership of the Department Advisory Committee, she/he should first talk with his/her advisor and then notify the Director of Graduate Studies of the proposed change. The Director will then circulate the Request for Changes to the PhD Department Advisory Committee Form to the affected committee members.

9. Advancement to Candidacy. Advancement to candidacy requires three steps: (a) completion of 3 semesters of the Department seminar (exceptions are provided for, see Item 1c); (b) demonstration of proficiency and competency in Geography; and (c) successful defense of the student's dissertation proposal, as discussed in Items 10 to 18 below. Demonstration of proficiency and competency in Geography will be accomplished through passing the 6-credit Introduction to Geography sequence (GEOG 600/602). Financial assistance by teaching, research, or administrative assistantships will normally be continued for a third year only if the student is advanced to candidacy by the end of the second year.

10. Dissertation Proposal Defense. The proposal defense is normally completed not later than the fourth semester of study, and typically lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours. The organization of the Dissertation Proposal Defense, including selection of its time and location, are the responsibility of the chair of the Department Advisory Committee. The time and location of the Dissertation Proposal Defense will be announced by the student at least one week (5 working days) prior to the scheduled time. At the time of the dissertation proposal defense, the Department Advisory Committee shall also determine that the candidate has the overall knowledge and qualifications required to carry out the research outlined in the proposal. The defense of the dissertation proposal is open to the public, attended by all members of the Department Advisory Committee, and chaired by the student's Advisor. Students will be required to give an oral summary of their proposal (approximately 20 minutes) and then answer questions from the members of the Department Advisory Committee. There will then be period where questions will be entertained from the audience. The chair of Department Advisory Committee shall have the discretion to decide whether questions from the audience are germane to the topic of the dissertation and how much time shall be allotted for the answers. After these questions, the student and any others who are not members of Department Advisory Committee will be asked to leave, and the proposal defense and the qualifications of the student will be discussed by the Department Advisory Committee. The areas each member of the Department Advisory Committee should use to judge the candidate’s qualifications and the dissertation proposal include:

a. Present the proposed research topic with the same degree detail as is normally given in the introductory sections of research papers
b. Relate the specific research area in a. to the broader context of the current state of knowledge in the proposed field
c. Clearly state one or more questions and put forth a practical work plan to answer these.
d. Demonstrate that the data and necessary research tools are available and are understood.
e. Possess the necessary background knowledge to complete the proposed research.

11. Written Proposal. As part of the Dissertation Proposal Defense, the student shall produce a written proposal in a format agreed upon by the Department Advisory Committee. Dissertation Proposals typically are no longer than 15 single-spaced pages, with appropriate figures and tables and references in addition to the written text. Copies of the written proposal shall be provided to each member of the Department Advisory Committee at least two weeks (10 working days) prior to the announced date for the Dissertation Proposal Defense. A printed copy of the Dissertation Proposal should also be provided to the Director of Graduate studies, who will make it available for review to any interested party.

12. Attendance of Members at the the Dissertation Proposal Defense. All members of the Department Advisory Committee are expected to be present for the entire period of the Dissertation Proposal Defense. However, if a member is not able to attend or be present for the entire defense due to unforeseen circumstances, the Dissertation Proposal Defense may still be held if the Department Advisory Committee has more than four members and if the remaining members constitute a legal committee as specified in Item 5. A defense may also still be held if one (and only one) member is physically absent, but is able to participate via audio or video conferencing. A minimum of three members of the Department Advisory Committee must be physically present at the defense.

PhD proposal defenses should be held at a time agreed by members of the student’s Committee and at a time conducive to attendance by other members of the Department and Campus.

13. Policies and Guidelines for the Dissertation Proposal Defense. In addition to the items discussed above, all guidelines and policies that are used by the University for Dissertation Defenses with respect to Location, Open Dissertation Examination, and Public Notices are to be followed during the Dissertation Proposal Defense (Doctoral requirements).

14. Conclusion of the Dissertation Proposal Defense. After discussing the qualifications of the student and the dissertation proposal and its defense, the Department Advisory Committee has the following options:

a. To accept the qualifications of the student and the dissertation proposal without any recommendations for improvements or changes and sign the Report of Department Advisory Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal.
b. To accept the qualifications of the student with recommendations for improvements in his/her qualifications in specific areas and, except for the chair, sign the Report of the Department Advisory Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal. The chair will certify that the student has taken the necessary steps to improve his/her knowledge in the specified areas, and, upon his or her approval, sign the Report of the Department Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal.
c. To recommend that the student make improvements in his/her qualifications in specific areas and not sign the Report of the Department Advisory Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal until the student has demonstrated the recommended improvements.
d. To accept the dissertation proposal with recommendations for changes and, except for the chair, sign the Report of the Department Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal. The chair will check that the changes to the dissertation proposal have been made, and, upon his or her approval, sign the Report of the Department Advisory Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal.
e. To recommend revisions to the dissertation proposal and not sign the Report of the Department Advisory Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal until the student has made the changes and submitted the revised dissertation proposal for the Department Advisory Committee's approval. The Department Advisory Committee members sign the Report of the Department Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal if they approve the revised dissertation proposal.
f. To recommend improvements to the student’s qualifications or revisions to the dissertation proposal and convene a second meeting of the Department Advisory Committee to review the dissertation proposal and complete the student's Examination.
g. To rule the student’s qualifications or the dissertation proposal (including its Examination) unsatisfactory. In that circumstance, the student fails to Advance to Candidacy

15. Pass/Fail Criteria. The student passes the Dissertation Proposal Defense if all, or all but one, member of the Department Advisory Committee agree to sign Report of the Department Advisory Committee on the Defense of the Dissertation Proposal, before or after the approval of recommended improvements or changes. Two or more negative votes constitute a failure of the candidate to meet the Dissertation Proposal Defense requirement regardless of the size of the committee.

16. Notification of Examination Results. Following the Examination, the chair of the Department Advisory Committee must inform the student of the outcome of the Examination. The chair signs a Report of the Department Advisory Committee on the Dissertation Proposal Defense indicating which of the above alternatives has been adopted. A copy of this statement is to be included in the student's file at the Department of Geography office, and a copy is given to the student. If a student fails the Dissertation Proposal Defense, within one week (5 working days) of the exam the advisor/chair of the Department Advisory Committee will submit an attachment to the Report of the Department Advisory Committee on the Dissertation Proposal Defense that explains the areas of deficiencies identified by the members of the committee. If revisions to the proposal are requested and/or improvements in the qualifications of the students are required as a condition for passing the examination, the specific revisions and/or improvements will be summarized in writing and attached to the report within one week (5 working days) of the exam. In either of these cases, the Chair of the Department Advisory Committee will also provide the student with a copy of the reasons or the recommended areas of revision and/or improvement.

17. Second Dissertation Proposal Defense. If a student fails the first Dissertation Proposal Defense, they have the right to a second defense, following the same procedures used for the first. Failure of the second Dissertation Proposal Defense will result in termination from the program.

18. Time Limitations for Advancement to Candidacy. Per the “Graduate School Requirements Applicable to all Doctoral Degrees” (Doctoral requirements), a student must be admitted to candidacy within 5 years after admission to the doctoral program, and under some circumstance, may request a one-year extension. Failure to advance to candidacy within this period will result in termination from the program.

19. Doctoral Students Teaching.Should a student desire to obtain teaching experience while pursuing the Ph.D., he or she is encouraged to approach instructors to co-teach all or part of a class or to contribute guest lectures. The knowledge, background and expertise of the student should be related to the topics covered in the course. This option is open to students that have advanced to candidacy. The student will teach under the mentoring of the course instructor.

20. Nomination of a Dissertation Examining Committee. Per the “Graduate School Requirements Applicable to all Doctoral Degrees” (Doctoral requirements), at least six weeks prior to the date of the oral Dissertation Defense, the student needs to formally nominate his/her Dissertation Examining Committee. This involves submitting a completed and signed form to the Graduate School that contains the names of the committee members, the title of the dissertation, and the date of the defense. This committee, appointed in accordance with Graduate School policy, consists of a minimum five members, all members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Maryland: tenured / tenure-track members, adjunct member, or special member. At least three must be members of the Geography Faculty, with two being tenured / tenure track members. One member must be a representative of the Dean of the Graduate School. The Dean's Representative must be a Tenured Member of the Graduate Faculty at the University of Maryland and must be from a graduate program other than the student's home program. If the members of this committee change, the committee must be re-approved by the Graduate School.

21. Dissertation Credits. At least 12 credits of dissertation research (GEOG899) are to be taken after advancement to candidacy. Upon advancing to candidacy, the student will be automatically registered for 6 hours of GEOG899 each fall and spring term, and pay a flat tuition fee (this candidacy tuition is determined by the Graduate School and is presently the equivalent to the cost of 1.6 graduate credit hours). The candidacy tuition fee must be paid every semester regardless of whether a student is registered for other courses. If a student desires to graduate in the Summer Term, he/she must register for at least one credit for that term, which can be GEOG899 if they have not accumulated the 12 credits necessary for graduation or another course if they have. A student cannot register for GEOG899 prior to advancing to candidacy. For research activities carried out prior to advancing to candidacy, a student may register for GEOG 898 (Pre-Candidacy Research).

22. Dissertation Defense. The defense of the dissertation follows the rules and procedures set out in the Graduate School Catalog (Doctoral requirements). The dissertation defense is public. In addition to providing each member of the Dissertation Examining Committee with a copy of the dissertation, the student should also provide a copy to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will make it available to any interested party. The student will be required to give an oral summary of their work (approximately 20 minutes) and then answer questions, first, from their Dissertation Examining Committee members, and then from the floor. A defense typically lasts from 1.5 to 2 hours.

PhD dissertation defenses should be held at a time agreed by members of the student’s Committee and at a time conducive to attendance by other members of the Department and Campus.

23. Bound Copy of the Dissertation. The Department requires one bound copy of the dissertation.

24. Time Limitations for Dissertation Defense. The student has nine years from admission to the doctoral program to complete their Dissertation Defense, including submission of a completed, written copy of her/his dissertation to the University. Under certain circumstances, a one-year extension may be granted University (Doctoral requirements).

25. Certification of Progress by the Doctoral Student. Each April, the Chair of the Advisory Committee will complete the Annual Progress Report for Doctoral Students certifying that the student has made satisfactory progress with respect to coursework, preparation of the dissertation proposal, and research. The student will be provided with a copy of this report. If the student has been judged to have not made satisfactory progress, the chair of the Department Advisory Committee will explain as part of the report the reasons for this recommendation.

26. Departmental Termination from the Doctoral Program for Lack of Progress. During the last Faculty Meeting of each academic year, the Faculty will review the progress of each doctoral student. If a student has received two consecutive unsatisfactory reports from his/her Department Advisory Committee, the Faculty can recommend to the Department Chair that the student be terminated from the Doctoral Program. If termination is recommended, the student will be informed in writing by the Director of Graduate Studies. The student has the right to appeal this decision within 30 days of receipt of written notification from the Director of Graduate Studies. The appeal must be made in writing to the Chair of the Department of Geography, who will then inform the student as to whether or not their appeal will be granted. If the appeal is not granted, the Director of Graduate Studies will inform the Graduate School that the student has been terminated.

27. Causes for Termination from the Program. A doctoral student may be terminated from the program for a variety of causes, some of which have been discussed in this document. A graduate student may be terminated from the program by the University, the Graduate School, and the Department of Geography for the following reasons:

University

A Teaching or Graduate Research Assistantship can be terminated for the following causes: incompetence, inefficiency, or neglect of duty; misconduct that is job-related; and delinquency in academic work; sexual harassment or other unethical or illegal behavior. If the Teaching or Graduate Research Assistantship of a student is terminated by the University, they will also be terminated from the program.

Graduate School

a. Failure of the student to Advance to Candidacy within 5 years and complete all requirements for the Doctoral Degree within 9 years are causes for termination from the program.
b. Failure to register for courses for two consecutive Fall and Spring semesters are causes for termination from the program.

Department of Geography

a. Failure to successfully defend a dissertation proposal on two occasions will be cause for termination from the program (Item 17).
b. Failure to make satisfactory progress (Items 25 and 26).

3.1 GRADUATE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Most of the information you will need can be obtained on the Graduate School web site. Please note that the graduate catalog appears only online; there no longer is a printed version. The application is to be made online. If you wish to apply with a paper form, you must print it off the Graduate School web site.

The Department offers courses of study leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. Admission is strongly competitive. Requirements (minimum), GPA B (3.0) average in junior and senior year, GRE verbal 600 with a good quantitative score, and three letters of recommendation. For foreign students the following additional minimum test scores apply: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 600, Test of Written English (TWE) 5; foreign students who are applicants for teaching assistantships must also score a minimum on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) 50, and pass an oral evaluation by the University's Maryland English Institute (MEI). Ph.D. applicants must have an M.A. degree with a GPA of at least 3.3 and must provide a clear statement of research direction. Closing date for applications is January 15. Applications are reviewed from September to February for Fall entry; there is no Spring entry. The Graduate School will accept applications up to May 1. However, applications received by the department after January 15 stand only a small chance of being considered for fall entry, since all offers of admission and financial aid are usually made by the end of March.

Admission to the graduate program is not limited to students with a Geography-first degree. Those with a good GPA in degrees in related disciplines such as environmental, physical or biological science, anthropology, economics, history and social science are encouraged to apply but may be required to undertake additional background study not for credit. Some knowledge of data processing and statistics is necessary for all applicants. Ph.D. applicants' programs must draw on the research strengths of existing faculty members.

Students must maintain a B grade level on all required courses. Award of degrees is granted only on sufficient evidence of high attainment, not s imply for completion of course requirements.


3.2 How to Apply

You must apply online at the Graduate School web site (Graduate Admission Application.), following the Graduate School's instructions, particularly where you will need to send documents. If you wish to apply with a paper form, you must print it off the Graduate School web site and send it to:

If you have questions concerning your application to the geography graduate programs, contact:

 

Suggestions for filling out an application:


3.3 Financial Support.

Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, and various Fellowships are available.

Salary range: $14,042 (start) to $15,255 for 9.5 month assignments (as of August 2006), plus full tuition remission.

Assistants' duties are 20 hours per week. Renewal for a second year (M.A. and Ph.D.) or third year (Ph.D. only) is contingent on maintenance of satisfactory academic progress and a 3.5 GPA.

Ph.D. students are required to be advanced to candidacy by the end of their second year in order to receive a third year of support. Applications for financial aid are made on the University Graduate Admission Application.

Applicants should ensure all their application materials are received by the Graduate School and the Department by January 15, since decisions are made in February.

Graduate Catalog and Other Information
Current CourseOfferings

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Last Update: 04/04/2008 by crossgro@umd.edu

 
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