Program Requirements

Program requirements

A minimum of 33 hrs with thesis; a minimum of 36 hours for the non-thesis option

Required Geospatial Sciences core (18 hours total)

Research requirement (complete one)

Thesis Option

A student can take up to 3 hours of GRY 779 or GLG 779 plus up to 6 hours of GRY 799 or GLG 799. Successful completion of a thesis and thesis defense is required.

Non-Thesis Option

At the discretion of the faculty, a non-thesis option may be available to students in the program. Students using the non-thesis option must complete 3 hours of GRY 779 or GLG 779 plus 3 hours of GEO 780. Successful completion of a research project and scholarly report is required. The results of the research project must be presented orally at a departmental seminar or at a professional meeting and the student’s advisor and the departmental Graduate Program Director must approve the written report on the research project. Students in the non-thesis option are not allowed to count thesis hours toward the 36 hour degree requirement.

Research options

Students should choose at least 15 additional hours in one of the following research areas.

Geography

Courses to include additional classes listed as 600-level or 700-level GRY courses as approved by the student's Research Committee. Classes not using the GRY prefix may be substituted by recommendation of the Research Committee and approval of the GGP Graduate Program Director.

Geology

Courses to include additional classes listed as 600-level or 700-level GLG courses as approved by the student's Research Committee. Classes not using the GLG prefix may be substituted by recommendation of the Research Committee and approval of the GGP Graduate Program Director.

Geospatial Science

Courses to include additional classes listed as 600-level GEO or GEO 755 or higher as approved by the student's Research Committee. Classes not using the GEO prefix may be substituted by recommendation of the Research Committee and approval of the GGP Graduate Program Director.

Planning

Courses to include additional classes listed as 600-level or 700-level PLN courses or 600-level or 700-level GRY courses as approved by the student's Research Committee. Classes not using the PLN or GRY prefix may be substituted by recommendation of the Research Committee and approval of the GGP Graduate Program Director.

Comprehensive examination

A written comprehensive examination should be taken before the end of the second semester of full-time enrollment in the program. Students should ask each committee member to provide reading lists and/or study guides specific to their individual program of study at least 2 weeks in advance of the exam date. For students in the thesis option, the examination questions will be provided by the student's advisor and at least two other members of the student's thesis committee; for students in the non-thesis option, the examination questions will be provided by the student's advisor and two other members of the faculty selected by the GGP Graduate Program Director. The faculty members writing the examination questions shall determine what constitutes a passing mark for their component of the exam.

To pass the comprehensive exam, a student must pass all three components (a component is the question, or questions, from a single faculty member). If a student is deemed to have not passed a section, the faculty member grading that section will discuss with the student what the shortcomings were in the student's answer. A student may repeat any section(s) of the examination, upon recommendation of the GGP Graduate Program Director and approval of the Department Head. If a student fails to pass a section on the second attempt, the faculty grader for that section will provide a written report to the Major Advisor, GGP Graduate Program Director, and Department Head. Is a student wishes to appeal the failed second attempt, the student must appeal in writing to the GGP Graduate Program Director and copy the Department Head. If an appeal is approved, the Department Head - in consultation with the Major Advisor and GGP Graduate Program Director - will appoint an objective third party to evaluate the initial two unsuccessful attempts and the third party will recommend either a Pass or Not-Pass finding. Based on the third-party review, a student can consider any further appeals following the Graduate College's policy on appeal of Comprehensive Examinations.

Students who have not passed the comprehensive examination by mid-term of their third academic semester of full-time study will not be permitted to continue in the program. If a student opts to change options after completing the comprehensive examination, the student must take and pass the examination specific to the new selected option before a degree will be awarded.