Department of Geology & Geography |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | Printable Version | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Geography Graduate Program: Information for Prospective Students Links to sections in this page: Overview - Specialties - Application Procedures - Financial Support - International Students - Geography Courses - FAQ The graduate program in Geography at West Virginia University offers two degrees: · MA The MA program offers both a thesis and a project track. The thesis is an in-depth research investigation, whereas the project is a structured, one-semester activity. The choice between the thesis and project is normally made in the second semester of graduate study. An MA requires 30 hours of academic credit, and normally takes two years to complete. · PhD The PhD is an advanced research degree, with coursework, comprehensive exams, and a major research investigation. Students are expected to be well-grounded in the one or more of the Geography Program's three areas of specialization. The PhD requires 54 hours of academic credit, and typically takes four years of full-time study. More details on the structure and regulations regarding these degrees can be obtained from the Geography Graduate Student Handbook (PDF document, 5MB). The graduate program in Geography has been designated a University System of West Virginia Board of Trustees Program of Excellence. This award is given to only a handful of academic programs throughout the state in recognition of their contribution to higher education.
Specialties More information on faculty and their areas of specialization is available. Graduate students can specialize in one or more of the following areas: Geographic Information Science
Geographic information science at WVU focuses on theory and applications of geospatial information, including: · GIS and society · Health GIS · Historical GIS · Remote sensing · Spatial analysis and modeling · Spatialized artificial intelligence and expert systems · Virtual reality geovisualization and virtual GIS Space, Place, and DevelopmentThe Space, Place, and Development focus area offers graduate students the opportunity to study development issues from a variety of theoretical perspectives and spatial scales. Faculty interests include: · Livelihoods · Land use · Political economy of uneven development · Labor geography · Gender and development · Feminist geography · Urban social planning · Community participation · Regional science
Environmental Geography
The Environmental Geography focus area addresses theoretical, digital, and field applications in the study of vegetation, landscapes, and landforms. Environmental Geography faculty interests include: · Biogeography · Environmental hazards · Environmental impact assessment · Environmental modeling · Fluvial geomorphology · Geoarcheology · Land use and land cover analysis · Political ecology
Regional Specialties
· Appalachia · Europe · Japan and Pacific Rim · North America · Sub-Saharan Africa
Note: This list is an indication of current faculty interests and does not necessarily preclude students from pursuing research in other areas. Please contact individual faculty members or the Graduate Studies Coordinator for further information.
Application Procedures Required entrance qualifications · MA Program: Students must have: a Bachelor's degree on entering the MA program; a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA; and a minimum 3.0 GPA for undergraduate geography courses. Applicants who do not meet the GPA requirements may, in exceptional circumstances, be admitted as a provisional MA student. · PhD Program: Students must have completed a Master's degree before entering the Ph.D. program. It is also expected that applicants have an excellent record in their masters program. Students with degrees in disciplines other than geography may apply to the geography graduate program, but they could be asked to make up deficiencies in geography during their first year in the program. Incoming geography students may also be asked to make up deficiencies if any are found during the student's entry interview with faculty. This interview takes place immediately before the fall semester. Deadlines for applications · Priority will be given to applications for fall admission and teaching assistantships received by January 1. · To apply for fall admission without financial assistance, all application materials must arrive at WVU by April 1, however applications received subsequent to this deadline may be considered. · International students should submit their materials at least three months in advance of the deadlines stated above, because the WVU Office of Admissions and Records takes additional time to process international applications. · Graduate students are strongly encouraged to begin their studies in the fall because of course sequencing restrictions in the academic year. However, if you wish to apply for spring admission all materials must arrive at WVU by October 1. Application Instructions In order to apply to the Geography Graduate Program at WVU, you have to apply formally to WVU through the WVU Office of Admissions and Records, and also send additional material directly to the Department of Geology and Geography. We also recommend completing a online application form, which will allow you to track your application status. These three aspects of applying to WVU are described in more detail below. A. Send only
the following material directly to: 1. Completed and signed form: Application for Graduate Admission (or, in the case of international students, International Student Admission Application). This form can be obtained · EITHER by writing to the Office of Admissions and Records at the above address · OR by contacting hope.stewart@mail.wvu.edu · OR get the form online at http://admissions.wvu.edu/graduate/ 2. Application fee. 3. Official transcripts from all colleges previously attended. 4. Official GRE scores 5. Official TOEFL scores (Only International applications whose native language is not English) For general online information on graduate education at WVU go to http://admissions.wvu.edu/graduate/. B. Send only the following material directly to: Geography Graduate
Studies Coordinator 1. Letters of recommendation from people who are familiar with the applicant's academic performance (2 letters are required from MA applicants, and 3 letters from PhD applicants). 2. A two to three page statement of Interest describing the applicant's interest in geography at WVU and career goals.
Financial Support Teaching Assistantships The Geography Graduate Program offers a number of competitive teaching assistantships to students each year. These assistantships include a stipend, currently $13,450 for doctoral students and $9,702 for masters students, and a full tuition waiver, worth $4,582 for residents of West Virginia, and $13,282 for out of state students. Teaching assistantships begin in the fall semester and are awarded annually. Up to two years of funding may be awarded to MA students, and up to three years for Ph.D. students. Ph.D. teaching assistants who meet all comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal deadlines, have made excellent progress towards the completion of their dissertation research, and have applied for at least one external research grant, may request an additional year of funding. Teaching assistants are evaluated at the end of each semester. Renewal of awards is based on performance with respect to both assistantship duties and academic progress. If you wish to apply for a teaching assistantship, send a letter indicating your interest to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Geography. Research Assistantships Research assistantships are half-time appointments in support of faculty research projects, with funding from research grants. Remuneration includes a competitive stipend and a tuition waiver. Usually, but not always, the research assignment is closely related to the student's thesis research. Research assistantships are awarded by the individual faculty members, and are not coordinated by the Geography program. Faculty sometimes select research assistants from the list of students who are have recently applied to the program; however, applicants for research assistantships are encouraged to contact the faculty members with whom they are interested in working with to enquire about possible funding. Faculty may receive notice of a new project award at any time of the year, and therefore there are no deadlines for research assistantship applications. Tuition Waivers A number of competitive tuition waivers are also available to academically meritorious students who do not receive assistantships. These waivers pay the cost of your tuition, whether you are in-state or out-of-state. The number of hours awarded varies each semester. If you wish to apply for a tuition waiver, send a letter to the Graduate Studies Coordinator expressing your interest. Application for tuition waivers must be made by March 15 for the summer and fall semesters, September 1 for the spring semester. Other University Awards and Scholarships West Virginia University has a number of scholarships that pay full tuition and provide a monthly stipend. These scholarships are highly competitive and are designed to attract outstanding students. The department deadline for application for these scholarships is January 15. Please contact the Geography Graduate Coordinator for more information about the scholarships described below: DuBois
Scholarship Swiger
Fellowships National Geospatial Development Center The WVU Advising Center offers a number of graduate assistantships for students who serve as advisors to undergraduates. These positions are generally only offered to students who graduated with undergraduate degrees from WVU or other US colleges and universities.
The geography program encourages applications from international students. Departmental funding is highly competitive. International students should take particular note that University regulations require that Teaching Assistants whose first language is not English take a test in spoken English prior to teaching. This test can only be taken once a student arrives at West Virginia University, and is in addition to the TOEFL exam required for admission. Research Assistantships are offered on a competitive basis by individual faculty members who have current funded research projects. Research assistantships do not require the additional spoken English test for graduate students who are non-native English speakers. Some first year graduate students attend the program without departmental funds, but instead are supported by their own personal resources or funds from their home governments. With three exceptions, international students must follow the same application procedures as US applicants: · Instead of the standard application form, the International Student Admission Application must be completed. · All international students from countries where the native language is not English are required by West Virginia University regulations to achieve a minimum 550 score on the TOEFL paper exam, or 213 on the computer exam. Results of this test must be sent directly to Admissions and Records at WVU. Information on the TOEFL exam can be obtained from the nearest US Information Service Office, or you can write directly to: Educational
Testing Service · International Graduate applications require an additional period of three months for processing by WVU Admissions and Records. This is a university requirement, not a departmental requirement. Therefore, applications submitted by October 1 for consideration for a teaching assistantship and admission in the fall of the following year will be given priority. Note that WVU policy is that all applicants with undergraduate degrees from outside the US are regarded as international applicants. For general online information on international admissions to WVU go to http://www.arc.wvu.edu/admissions/internat_main.html.
Geography Graduate Program Courses
Graduate Courses (500-700 level)
Undergraduate/Graduate Courses (400 level)
FAQ
Where do I get information about the program? Information about the department and admissions is located online at out department website (http://www.geo.wvu.edu) If you have additional questions about admissions, requirements, or general questions about the program, please contact: Dr. Amy Hessl, amy.hessl@mail.wvu.edu. However, students are encouraged to contact individual faculty members about research or as possible advisors (see next question).
Who should I contact about research or advising? We strongly recommend that students contact individual faculty members about possible research projects or as potential advisors. If you can make contact with a faculty member and they think you have potential, you have a much stronger chance of being accepted to the program and getting funding (see questions about teaching and research assistantships below).
How are teaching assistantships allocated? Teaching assistantships (TAs) are allocated by the department, and all applicants are automatically considered for these positions when they apply to the geography program. Normally students with a strong background in geography receive first priority for these assistantships, because the associated duties require the student to assist with many different geography courses.
How are research assistantships allocated? Research assistantships (RAs) are funded by grants received by individual faculty so it is up the individual faculty to allocate these. RAs normally require research skills associated with the specific project. Interested students should express interest in RAs to individual faculty, especially those that have similar research interests and who the student might want as an advisor.
Do I need an undergraduate degree in geography to apply? Typically only about half of our masters students do not have undergrad degrees in geography. The others come from a range of fields. Regardless of your major, we do like to see a demonstrated interest in a particular area - so if you were interested in biogeography, a biology degree would be great.
If I don't have a geography degree, will I need to take remedial coursework? Most of our students do not take remedial geography course work, unless they have changed areas significantly (for example from physical science to social science or vice-versa).
What is the minimum GRE score required for admission? Though we do not have a minimum GRE score, we are looking for students who score above the 50th percentile in all categories. We consider the entire application, including statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, transcripts and GREs together!
Can I start my graduate program in the spring semester? Occasionally students begin their program in the spring semester, however this disrupts course sequencing so we do not recommend it.
Is it acceptable to send reference letters from my employer, or other people who are not college instructors or professors? Absolutely! If you have spent some time in the "real" world, we would be very interested in employer perspectives! Keep in mind though that we expect two letters from professors for a masters application and three letters from professors for a PhD application, so letters from previous employers should be in addition to these.
I am an international student. What TOEFL score is required for admission? Policy for the TOEFL exam is set by WVU Admissions and Records; it is not set by the Geography Program. The TOEFL exam is required for all international students whose first language is not English. Admissions and records have set a minimum 550 score on the TOEFL paper exam, or 213 on the computer exam, or 80 on the new internet-based TOEFL. International students with English not as a first language applying for GTAs must pass a spoken English test on campus or get a 23 on the new internet based TOEFL. More information on the WVU Admissions and Records policy can be found at: http://www.arc.wvu.edu/admissions/internat_main.html#English
I am an international student, and I have a masters degree from a US institution. Do I have to provide TOEFL scores? Policy for the TOEFL exam is set by WVU Admissions and Records; it is not set by the Geography Program. WVU Admissions and Records requires the TOEFL for any international applicant whose first language is not English. This requirement is waived for applicants who have an undergraduate degree from a US institution. Applicants who have a graduate degree from a US institution do not qualify for this waiver, and thus must provide the TOEFL score.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
West Virginia University |
Last Update: March 27, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||