The Ph.D. program requires competent understanding of one of the systematic fields of geography and a broad understanding of geographic topics that enables the student to address and synthesize problems that intersect the subfields of Geography. While this program is designed to suit each individual’s background and interests, prospective candidates should pay particular attention to the scholarly specialization of the department’s faculty members before applying for admission. Students must complete at least three years of full-time enrollment (81 credits). This includes eighteen hours of dissertation credits after advancing to candidacy.
Course Requirements
PhD students are required to complete the coursework required of the Master’s degree in Geography at the University of Oregon, or equivalent courses from another institution. In addition, Ph.D. students are required to take both qualitative methods (GEOG 515 or approved equivalent) and quantitative methods (GEOG 517 or approved equivalent).
Graduate Seminar Requirement
Completion of at least two graduate geography seminars (GEOG 507 or 607) from different faculty members, after admission to the doctoral program.
Research Workshop Requirement
In the Fall and Spring quarters students must register for GEOG 608. This is a one-hour workshop meeting where students discuss their research and receive feedback from other students and invited faculty.
Comprehensive Exams
Courses and outside readings should be used to prepare for the doctoral student’s comprehensive exams. The format consists of students working with their advisors and committee to prepare questions that the committee will then chose for the student to answer. Students will have six weeks to write their answers.
Progress Meetings
Doctoral students should select an advisor and two committee members from Geography to serve on their thesis committee and one member from outside the department with whom the student has worked with in some capacity (through courses or other projects). This committee will meet with the student once per year to evaluate course progress and research issues.
Dissertation Proposal Requirement
A proposal must be approved by the committee prior to the research project. This proposal must address the following elements: the research question or questions, how these questions are related to previous published literature, the significance of the questions, and a methodology appropriate to the research problem. The committee may require revisions before accepting the proposal. In lieu of a proposal, a grant application equivalent to the NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement grant or a published article may be accepted.
Dissertation Requirement
A dissertation presents the results of a substantive and original project addressing a significant geographic problem. There are two options for the form of the dissertation; a monograph or a series of articles. The dissertation must be presented and defended at a public meeting in the department and be approved by the dissertation committee.
More details on all of these procedures can be found in the Geography Graduate Handbook.
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