Geography, MA
Discover geographical sciences at ASU. Experience a distinct learning environment that places your focus on location --- the heart of geography, urban planning, climatology and geographic information science. With this foundation, you'll tackle some of the most pressing environmental and societal challenges facing our world today.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Degree description
Geography master's description
The Master of Arts program in geography offers specialized academic and professional training in geography, enabling you to secure a sound graduate background for further coursework or for immediate employment. The program has sufficient flexibility to accommodate individual needs and interests, allowing you to create a plan of study that fits your personal and professional goals.
In addition to innovative coursework, the state-of-the-art research centers, Spatial Analysis Research Center and Urban Climate Research Center offer you the opportunity to work with exceptional faculty on diverse research projects. You can work alongside some of the brightest minds in geography, including exceptional talent in the fields of urban heat island research, GIS, energy, hazards and more.
You can build a path of knowledge that reflects your personal interests within the realms of geography. You benefit from a wide variety of coursework and research opportunities in four broad interdisciplinary themes that span the expertise of the faculty within the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning:
- computational spatial science
- earth systems and climate science
- place, identities and culture
- sustainability science and studies
Why study geography at ASU?
ASU connects you to a highly regarded, interdisciplinary community focused on hands-on spatial problems. Set in the Phoenix metropolitan area, the program links geographic research and analysis to urgent environmental and urban challenges, such as extreme heat and water difficulties, rapid growth, sustainability and social equity.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
30 credit hours and a thesis, or
30 credit hours including the required capstone course (GPH 597)
Required Core (3 credit hours) Other Requirements (8 credit hours) Electives (13 or 16 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 or 6 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information The Other Requirements course Seminar: Geography Colloquium is taken twice, once in each of the first two semesters of the program, for one credit hour each. Other courses may be used with approval of academic unit. For the methods and statistics course requirement, students should consult with the academic unit for eligible courses. Students take 13 credit hours of electives for the Culminating Experience thesis option, and 16 credit hours of electives for the nonthesis option. Up to six credit hours of 400-level coursework may be applied toward the plan of study.
GCU 596 Geographic Research Methods (3)
GCU 528 Geographic Problems and Context (3) or GCU 529 Contemporary Geographic Thought (3)
GCU 591 or GPH 591 Seminar: Geography Colloquium (1)
GCU 591 or GPH 591 Seminar: Geography Colloquium (1)
methods and statistics course (3)
GCU 599 Thesis (6) or GPH 599 Thesis (6)
GPH 597 Geography Capstone (3)
Coursework and research hours are selected by the student in consultation with an advisory committee. The program recognizes that other graduate-level courses are offered at ASU. Advanced topics are often taught in omnibus courses, which have rotating content that is not reflected in their titles. Students may include these courses in their curriculum with approval of the program directors.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Analyze the journal research literature in the different subfields (physical, human, environmental) in geography.
- Conduct an analysis of a research problem in geography.
- Analyze the spatial dimensions of a subfield of geography
Analyze the journal research literature in the different subfields (physical, human, environmental) in geography. Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: Additional Application Information The personal statement must address three items: Applicants may also include in the personal statement any other information they feel should be considered in their application for admission (e.g., research experience or information that might be drawn from the applicant's resume).
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Application deadlines
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 01/15 | Priority* |
| Session A/C | Online | 07/23 | Priority* |
| Session B | Online | 09/16 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 12/14 | Priority* |
| Session B | Online | 02/15 | Priority* |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | Online | 04/20 | Priority* |
*A priority deadline means that applications submitted and completed before the priority deadline will receive priority consideration. Applications submitted after the priority deadlines will be reviewed in the order in which they were completed and on a space-available basis. An application is complete after all materials are received by Admission Services.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Careers this geography master's degree prepares you for
Professionals with expertise in geographical sciences research, theory and practice are in high demand across sectors and industries, including consulting firms, government agencies, community organizations, and public and private research facilities. Skills in geographical data analysis, mapping and climate science are valuable to businesses and institutions that rely on research-based approaches to solve complex problems.
Some graduates of the program pursue doctoral degrees.
Career examples include:
- environmental scientist or specialist
- geographic information systems technician
- geological materials technician
- geophysical data technician
- geoscientist
- geospatial information scientist or technologist
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning
|
COOR 5671
SGSUP.gradprograms@asu.edu
480-965-7533
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
