Graduate Program

Graduate Program Director
Christopher D. Lippitt
geography@unm.edu

Degrees and Certificate Offered

Master of Science in Geography (M.S.)
Concentrations: Environmental Studies; Geographic Information Science.
Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (Ph.D.)
Graduate Certificate in Law, Environment, and Geography (GCERT)

Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program

The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and the Department of Economics offer a Shared-Credit Undergraduate/Graduate Degrees Program. The Program enables completion a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Economics (with one of three undergraduate minors from Geography and Environmental Studies), and an M.S. in Geography in five years of study. For information, see the Economics: Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog.

Application Deadlines

Master of Science: February 1, for Fall admission.
Doctor of Philosophy: January 15, for Fall admission.
Graduate Certificate: February 1.

Master of Science in Geography

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Geography is offered under both Plan I and Plan II as described in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog. The Plan I option is recommended for students planning to enter a Ph.D. program after completion of the M.S. degree. The Plan II option is recommended for students who are pursuing an M.S. degree for professional career advancement. A minor may be taken under either plan with the approval of the Geography and Environmental Studies Department’s Graduate Program Director.

Minimum requirements for the M.S. in Geography degree are as follows:

		Credit Hours
GEOG 501	History and Methods in Geography	3
GEOG 502	Approaches to Geographic Research	3
Plan I	Concentration in Environmental Studies
	(Additional courses)
GEOG 514 -or- GEOG 515 -or- GEOG 516	Natural Resources Management Seminar Seminar in Geographies of Power Seminar: Globalization and Development	3
	Two additional courses from the Environmental Studies List: 445, 450, 514, 515, 516, 561, 562, 563, 564, 566, 567.	6
	One course from the GIScience List: *481L, 522, 524, 525, 527, 528, 580L, 581L, 583L, 584L, 585L, 586L, 587L, 588L.	3-4
	Two elective courses	6
GEOG 599	Master's Thesis	6
	Total	30-31
Plan I	Concentration in Geographic Information Science
	(Additional courses)
GEOG 525	Advanced GIScience Seminar	3
	Three additional courses from the GIScience List: *481L, 522, 524, 527, 528, 580L, 581L, 583L, 584L, 585L, 586L, 587L, 588L.	9-11
	One course from the Environmental Studies List: 445, 450, 514, 515, 516, 561, 562, 563, 564, 566, 567.	3
	One elective course	3
GEOG 599	Master's Thesis	6
	Total	30-32
Plan II	Concentration in Environmental Studies
	(Additional courses)
GEOG 514 -or- GEOG 515 -or- GEOG 516	Natural Resources Management Seminar Seminar in Geographies of Power Seminar: Globalization and Development	3
	Three additional courses from the Environmental Studies List: 445, 450, 514, 515, 516, 561, 562, 563, 564, 566, 567.	9
	One course from the GIScience List: *481L, 522, 524, 525, 527, 528, 580L, 581L, 583L, 584L, 585L, 586L, 587L, 588L.	3-4
GEOG 597	Master's Project	3
	Three elective courses	9
	Total	33-34
Plan II	Concentration in Geographic Information Science
	(Additional courses)
GEOG 525	Advanced GIScience Seminar	3
	Four additional courses from the GIScience List: *481L, 522, 524, 527, 528, 580L, 581L, 583L, 584L, 585L, 586L, 587L, 588L.	12-14
	Two courses from the Environmental Studies List: 445, 450, 514, 515, 516, 561, 562, 563, 564, 566, 567.	6
GEOG 597	Master's Project	3
	One elective course	3
	Total	33-35

Courses in related fields may be substituted with the approval of the Graduate Program Director. To complete the degree, Plan I students must complete a thesis acceptable to the Graduate Committee, and are examined orally on their thesis; Plan II students must complete a professional research project acceptable to the Graduate Committee and are examined orally on their research project.

A graduate student who elects to pursue the Master of Science in Geography should have either an undergraduate degree in geography (or related field) or be prepared to make up deficiencies as determined by the Geography and Environmental Studies Department’s Graduate Admissions Committee. Incoming students will be assigned an academic advisor to help design a plan of study, and to guide the student through their thesis or research project. All plans of study are subject to approval by the Graduate Program Director. Students must earn grades of "B" (3.0 GPA) or better in all courses on their plan of study. GRE scores are required for application to the M.S. program.

Doctor of Philosophy in Geography

The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at UNM offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Geography through the New Mexico Doctoral Program in Geography, which is administered and delivered collaboratively by Geography faculty at the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University (NMSU). This innovative program focuses on integrative human-environment dynamics and is designed to recruit and train the next generation of resource managers, policy thinkers, geospatial innovators, professional scientists, and academic leaders who are needed to solve complex contemporary problems in dynamic environments. The program can be pursued with either university as the home institution and does not require changing residency during the program.

Admission

Applicants must have a master's degree in geography or a related field, with demonstrated professional research capacity as a fundamental expectation. GPA and GRE scores must be submitted but will not individually determine whether an applicant will be admitted. International students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in English through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). All candidates must submit three letters of reference from academic referees and/or supervisors at workplaces in fields related to the applicant's planned field of study. A letter of intent that explains the applicant's interests and identifies a desired advisor at the home institution as well as a primary sponsor at the partner institution is also required. Application is made directly to the desired home institution.

A joint committee of UNM and NMSU faculty reviews and approves admission to the program. The most competitive applicants to the program will show evidence of a completed or in-progress thesis in geography or a related discipline.

Requirements

General guidelines for completion of the Ph.D. are set forth in the Graduate Program section of this Catalog. At least 48 credit hours of coursework, exclusive of dissertation, are required for the Ph.D. in Geography:

Introductory graduate sequence: GEOG 601, 602, 603 with grades of "B" or better (9 credit hours);
Additional coursework as determined by the student's doctoral committee, which provides the student with sufficient opportunity to develop and demonstrate competency in three disciplinary subfields: human geography, physical geography, and geographic information science and technology (GIS&T). The doctoral committee will evaluate existing competencies in a first-semester diagnostic interview and will then provide individualized guidelines for the student's program of study that leads to successful demonstration of these competencies. Up to 15 credit hours of coursework may be taken at NMSU.

The student must maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 in all coursework.

Comprehensive Qualifying Examination: The comprehensive qualifying examination is taken after completion of coursework. The primary purpose of this written exam is to demonstrate broad competency in the three disciplinary subfields.

Oral Research Examination: The oral research examination is completed after the comprehensive qualifying exam, and requires the student to defend a research proposal, demonstrate research expertise, and address any concerns identified during the evaluation of the comprehensive qualifying exam. Upon successful completion, the student advances to Ph.D. candidacy.

Dissertation: 18 credit hours of dissertation are required. The dissertation must comprise a unified body of original research, as guided by the student's doctoral committee and faculty advisor. After the written dissertation is submitted to the student's doctoral committee, it must be orally defended in a public presentation that constitutes the final examination for completion of the degree.

Graduate Certificate in Law, Environment, and Geography

The Graduate Certificate in Law, Environment, and Geography seeks to provide students both tools and analytic frames for understanding the spatial and legal dimensions of environmental dynamics and challenges. While the law can be a powerful tool for addressing issues of environmental regulation and resource management, the ways we write and enforce our laws can substantially impact environmental dynamics. The spatial dimensions of these impacts, and the inherent spatiality of legal regulatory concerns are pressing concerns for environmental researchers and policymakers. By offering a curriculum that stresses these interconnections, the Graduate Certificate in Law, Environment, and Geography empowers students to ask critical questions about how human regulation and environmental dynamics interact at a variety of scales.

Admission Information

Requirements and Qualifications

Students must be either:

currently enrolled in one of the graduate programs in the School of Arts and Sciences, with a minimum GPA of 3.0; or
a recipient of a professional degree in geography, law, environmental science, or environmental management; or
graduate students currently enrolled in other programs. Individuals without a professional degree in geography, law, environmental science, or environmental management may be admitted by the Certificate Director upon demonstration of adequate preparation, skills, and aptitude.

Students who are not currently enrolled as degree-seeking graduate students at the University must apply to and be accepted for admissions by the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. It is not possible to gain admission into the certificate program prior to gaining admission into a UNM graduate program, but coursework taken before admission to the certificate program may be applied to requirements, unless the coursework has been used to satisfy requirements for another degree or certificate program.

Application Submission Requirements

These materials should demonstrate (1) serious initial investigation and/or interest in environmental law and/or regulatory issues, (2) strong academic credentials, (3) ability to write cogently, and (4) a clear and compelling set of goals.

A Curriculum Vitae.
A statement of intent outlining the applicant's goals in pursuing the certificate, proposed program of studies, and schedule for completion.
A writing sample of no more than five 8.5"x11" pages.
A current academic transcript.
Either GRE or LSAT scores from the previous five years.
Names and contact information for two people who can speak to the applicant's qualifications for the certificate program.

The Certificate Director may waive any of the above requirements if the application as a whole demonstrates that the student has the skills, background, and ability to successfully complete the Graduate Certificate.

Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Law, Environment, and Geography requires 18 credit hours of upper-division coursework. Topics must be approved by the Certificate Director in advance. All electives should be chosen in consultation with the Certificate Director. Only 3 credit hours of credit/no credit coursework may be applied towards the certificate.

		Credit Hours
	Required Geography Course	3
GEOG 517	Legal Geography
	Elective Geography Courses	9
	Select from:
GEOG 514	Natural Resources Management Seminar
GEOG 515	Seminar in Geographies of Power
GEOG 516	Seminar: Globalization and Development
GEOG 561	Environmental Management
GEOG 562	Water Resources Management
GEOG 563	Public Lands Management
GEOG 564	Food and Natural Resources
	Elective Non-Geography Courses	6
	Select from:
AMST 520	T: Environmental and Social Justice
AMST 523	Environmentalism of the Poor
CRP 527	Watershed Management
CRP 532	Foundations of Natural Resources
ECON 542	T: Environmental, Resource, and Ecological Economics
ECON 545	Water Resources II - Models
ECON 546	Water Resources I - Contemporary Issues
HIST 633	U.S. Environmental History
HIST 638	American Legal History Before 1877
LAW 547	Water Law
LAW 565	Natural Resources
LAW 580	Environmental Law
LAW 593	T: Law
LAW 635	Land Use Regulation
	Total	18