Graduate Programs

Explore our Graduate Programs

The Department of Geography offers graduate programs leading to degrees in the Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS), and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The department’s graduate programs emphasize Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Geographic Information Science. Because of the small size of the faculty, most students follow an individualized program that includes courses and seminars in related disciplines. Although the department requires knowledge of the fundamentals of Geography, we welcome students whose undergraduate work has been in other disciplines and who can apply their training to geographic problems.

All graduate students should frequently consult the Geography Graduate Student Handbook. This document contains information about your curriculum requirements, progress meetings, the comprehensive exam process, how satisfactory progress is determined, resources available to you. and much, much more. Please be familiar with the contents and use it as a reference for programmatic questions you may have.

Geography Graduate Handbook 23-24


 

three students smiling while studying

Master’s Degree

Our master’s students are free to pursue a more generalized study of cultural, physical, or environmental geography.

Master’s Requirements


student studying in library

Doctorate Degree

Our Ph.D. program closely follows the research interests of the Geography faculty.


James Lamping and another person in front of a snowy mountain

Researching Forest Management

“In the TEEL lab, we work with ecosystem models at landscape scales to project how our forested lands will develop into the future and use scenario analysis driven by stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness of different forest management strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. My research focuses of the perhumid region of southeast Alaska and coastal British Columbia, where newly implemented forest management plans have shifted towards preserving old-growth by harvesting only in areas that have been historically harvested in the past. My goal is to understand how this shift in forest management will affect the carbon trajectories of these forests under different climate change scenarios. I am also developing a new module of LANDIS-II that will better simulate the cyclical storms found in this region and the resulting tree mortality due to windthrow.”

—James Lamping, Geography doctoral candidate, '25


Graduate Courses

The department’s graduate programs emphasize Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Geographic Information Science.

Courses


Funding your Graduate Studies

The Department of Geography offers multiple awards to help fund graduate student research.

Funding and Research Support


Prepare for the Professional World

The UO Teaching Engagement Program’s Graduate Teaching Initiative offers UO graduate students structured and rigorous, yet flexible, pathways to develop as college teachers.

Career and Professional Development


Our Graduate Students

Our graduate students pursue their academic research within a vibrant community of engaged and inquisitive peers.

Resources for the Graduate Community


Events

Organic/Inorganic/Materials Chemistry Seminar Series - Chalcogenides by Design: Developing Treasure Maps with Quantum Chemistry
Mar17
Organic/Inorganic/Materials Chemistry Seminar Series - Chalcogenides by Design: Developing Treasure Maps with Quantum Chemistry Mar 17 Willamette Hall
Dept. of History Seminar Series: They Know their Value and Take Advantage of It: Household Workers' Organizing at the Dawn of an American Service Economy
Mar18
Dept. of History Seminar Series: They Know their Value and Take Advantage of It: Household Workers' Organizing at the Dawn of an American Service Economy Mar 18 McKenzie Hall
Physical Chemistry Seminar Series - Rotation Talk
Mar20
Physical Chemistry Seminar Series - Rotation Talk Mar 20 Fenton Hall
From Dissertation to Dream Job: Leveraging AI & LinkedIn for Career Clarity
Mar24
From Dissertation to Dream Job: Leveraging AI & LinkedIn for Career Clarity Mar 24
Designing Your Future for PhDs: A Primer
Mar27
Designing Your Future for PhDs: A Primer Mar 27
What is Research? (2025)
Apr3
What is Research? (2025) Apr 3 University of Oregon Portland
What is Research? (2025)
Apr4
What is Research? (2025) Apr 4 University of Oregon Portland
What is Research? (2025)
Apr5
What is Research? (2025) Apr 5 University of Oregon Portland
Mastering the Art of a Humanities & Social Science Poster
Apr7
Mastering the Art of a Humanities & Social Science Poster Apr 7
Dept. of History Pierson Lecture: "Trans Berlin: The World's First Trans Politics, Berlin's Queer Golden Age, and the Rise of Fascism, 1918-1933"
Apr8
Dept. of History Pierson Lecture: "Trans Berlin: The World's First Trans Politics, Berlin's Queer Golden Age, and the Rise of Fascism, 1918-1933" Apr 8 Gerlinger Hall