Applied Geography & Geospatial Science MA

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► Graduate School Policies and Procedures apply to this program

Program Director: Gregory Simon
Office: North Classroom
Fax: 303.315-7526
E-mail: gregory.simon@ucdenver.edu
Web site: Applied Geography & Geospatial Science MA

Introduction

In the United States and around the world, balancing the preservation of the natural environment with the imperatives of economic development along with concerns for social well-being has led to a growing demand for broadly trained individuals who can identify and understand pressing social and environmental issues, collect and analyze relevant data, and develop and implement innovative solutions. Graduates of the M.A program in Applied Geography and Geospatial Science will have the knowledge, training, and tools to become leaders in this rapidly growing field.

The program’s research focus is human-environment interaction, a longstanding hallmark of the discipline of Geography. Within this area of critical geographic inquiry, the program emphasizes geospatial science, a federally recognized STEM subject area that includes geographic information systems (GIS) as well as computer cartography, remotely sensed image analysis, and spatial statistics. Students apply their geospatial research skills in the context of hands-on, faculty-led research projects that stress professional development through community engagement and interactive service learning.

Requirements for Admission

Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

The University of Colorado Denver has a minimum requirement of 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA) for applicants to the Graduate School. The number of applicants admitted to the MA in Applied Geography & Geospatial Science in any year depends, in part, on space availability. The program is competitive, and we generally discourage applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below 3.0. Notification of acceptance or refusal for admission into the program is mailed to the applicant approximately six weeks after the deadline for submission of applications.

Application Process

We accept applications once per year, before or on February 1st, for admission in the following fall. As part of the admission review process, applicants are required to submit: a graduate application, statement of purpose that articulates the goals of pursuing a graduate degree in this program, a writing sample, a minimum of three letters of recommendation (academic references are preferred), and official transcripts from all institutions previously attended. The GRE is not required. However, applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA are welcome to submit GRE scores as further evidence of their qualifications.

Financial Aid

There are three types of financial aid available: teaching assistant student hourly positions; research assistantship positions funded by grants to specific program faculty; and the regular package of financial aid (primarily loans) available through the financial aid office on the Denver campus. Incoming students will be automatically considered for program-distributed assistance at the time of admission to the program. Continuing students will be regularly apprised of available aid and positions. All other aid should be requested through the CU Denver Financial Aid Office, Student Commons Building, 5th floor, Campus Box 125, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364. Telephone: 303-315-1850.

Internships

Students in the Applied Geography & Geospatial Science MA program are strongly encouraged to contact the Experiential Learning Center for internships and paid positions related to geographical sciences. The Experiential Learning Center is located in the Tivoli Student Union, Suite 260. Telephone: 303-556-2250. Many students have had internships in federal agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Degree Requirements

The program is offered by the faculty of the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students undertake 36 credit hours over a two-year period. These 36 hours include required core classes (6-9 credit hours), a required service learning studio (3 credit hours), and required geo-spatial science coursework (12 credit hours). Students can elect to undertake either of two tracks: the first “coursework” track involves a further 15 hours of elective courses, whereas the second “thesis” track involves 9 hours of electives, and preparation of a written thesis (3 credits).

Thesis Option

Take all of the following:
GEOG 5050 - Applied Spatial Statistics
GEOG 6300 - Foundations Seminar in Human-Environmental Interaction (3 hours)
GEOG 6750 - Research Design (3 hours)
GEOG 6800 - Community-Based Research Practicum (3 hours)
Take 12 additional hours of Geospatial Science courses

Take 9 hours of Elective courses (up to 6 hours can be taken outside the Department of Geography & Environmental Sciences, as approved by advisor)
GEOG 6950 - Master’s Thesis (3 hours)
33 hours of coursework and 3 thesis hours

Non-thesis Option

GEOG 6300 - Foundations Seminar in Human-Environmental Interaction (3 hours)
Take all of the following:
GEOG 5050 - Applied Spatial Statistics
GEOG 6800 - Community-Based Research Practicum (3 hours)
Take 12 hours of Geospatial Science courses

Take 15 hours of Elective courses (up to 6 hours can be taken outside the Department of Geography & Environmental Sciences, as approved by advisor)

36 hours of coursework

Notes

Many of the electives have prerequisites; students must have met these requirements in order to take the course.
Courses applied to either a certificate* or an MA degree may later be applied toward the other if all pertinent coursework is completed within a five year time period.
Students should fill out and submit all relevant department forms for their files. Importantly, all petitions for course substitutions and identification of where courses fit as electives, with the subsequent approval/denial, should be submitted to this file.
By the end of the first semester, each student should identify and declare whether or not s/he is pursuing the thesis or non-thesis option. If intending to pursue the thesis option, the student should identify and gain agreement from a content advisor for guiding the thesis, filling out and submitting the appropriate departmental form.
Many of the electives have pre-requisites; students must have met these requirements in order to take the course.
Students may transfer up to 9 hours of approved graduate-level credit into the program. These courses must be approved by the Graduate Director and they may not replace core courses.
Students may count up to 6-credit hours of independent, with a maximum of 3-credit hours per independent study towards elective credit in the major as approved by the Graduate Director. No more than 3 credit hours of independent study may be taken with the same instructor and they may not be taken in the same term.
Students may count up to 6-credit hours of internship in total, but 3-credit hours per internship and per entity (sponsorship may be with same professor sponsor)
Students may not count 4000-level courses towards electives in the program; this may be petitioned to the Graduate Committee in exceptional cases.
Students may take a maximum of 2 online courses, or petition to the GES Graduate Committee beyond two.
Students may enroll in thesis preparation and writing hours only after submission of signed committee form, which requires approval of the thesis proposal.
Students will not receive a grade for thesis preparation and writing hours until the thesis is successfully defended.
Students must follow the graduate school deadlines for submission of paperwork for the graduation application, comprehensive exam, and any other deadlines. Links to these can be found on the GES/MS website.
Work submitted for the environmental sciences options must have a grade of B (3.0) or better.

* GES offers Geospatial, Environmental Education, and Urban Agriculture independent graduate certificates. These certificates may be earned without entrance into the MS in environmental sciences program. (See the Geographic Information Science Graduate Certificate , Sustainable Urban Agriculture Graduate Certificate , and Environmental Science Education Graduate Certificate descriptions.)