Graduate Program Information for Prospective Students

AREAS OF EMPHASIS

The Geography Department at UCSB offers graduate training leading to the Masters and Ph.D. degrees in a selection of areas including:

EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE (ESS):

This systematic area emphasizes the measurement, analysis, and modeling of hydrologic, atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial systems and the interactions between systems. A large proportion of the problems addressed by researchers in ESS involve three common elements: large regional issues; mathematical and computational modeling; and large, spatially-indexed datasets.

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT RELATIONS (HER):

This systematic area covers the major components of Human Geography offered by the Department, including: human spatial behavior; spatial decision making and decision support; spatial and geographic cognition; urban and regional modeling, planning, and policy; human movement and transportation systems; resource and environmental management; environmental ethics; human response to the changing environment.

MODELING, MEASUREMENT AND COMPUTATION (MMC):

This area is the investigation of those sets of techniques from the areas of analysis, statistics and computation that are particularly well-suited to the modeling of the complex, geographic phenomena that are the subject of investigation in both ESS and HER. Important sub-areas include numerical modeling, spatial statistics, remote sensing, computational modeling and database systems (including GIS) and visualization, all of which are increasingly dependent on a knowledge of computational theory and practice.

TWO OPTIONAL EMPHASES IN DOCTORAL PROGRAM: COGNITIVE SCIENCE and QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Students pursuing a PhD in this department may petition to add an emphasis in either Cognitive Science or Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS).

The Cognitive Science emphasis involves faculty from PhD programs in Anthropology, Computer Science, Education, English, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Geography, Linguistics, Psychology, and Sociology. Its goal is to give students an appreciation of the interdisciplinary study of thinking, perception, and intelligent behaviors, as determined jointly by the nature of the environment and by the internal architecture of the intelligent agent, whether human, animal, or machine. Consult the UCSB Catalog or go to the Cognitive Science website at http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/cogsci/ for further information.

QMSS helps students attain the competencies needed to conduct quantitative social science research. The students participate in core design and analysis classes, courses in advanced and specialized methodologies and interdisciplinary colloquia and research projects. The following departments are involved: Communication, Economics, Education, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Statistics and Applied Probability. Please go to the QMSS website at http://www.qmss.psych.ucsb.edu/ for more information.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 15

Applications are accepted for FALL QUARTER ONLY. All applicants are to apply on-line at the Graduate Division website: https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/eapp/

Please note that the January 15th date is "received by" and not "postmarked by". Early and complete applications are essential if you are to be properly evaluated.

Please use the proper code on your application to select the correct degree objective: MA, MA/PHD, or PHD

APPLICATION PROCESS

For general campus information about admissions and applying to grad school, please visit the Graduate Division website: http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/admissions

The selection criteria for our program is pretty straight-forward. The initial evaluation is done by the department’s Graduate Committee which is composed of seven faculty members and the Graduate Program Assistant. The Graduate Committee looks at your academic record as presented in the application and supporting documents, as well as your preparation in the proposed field of study, work experience (if relevant), and the appropriateness of your goals and research interests to those of the program. Selected applications are then made available for review to the entire department faculty. If a faculty member is interested in "sponsoring" an applicant, they let the Graduate Committee know. The Graduate Committee then makes the final decision on admission based on their evaluations of your record in relation to the rest of the applicant pool and whether or not you have a faculty sponsor. Satisfaction of minimal standards does not guarantee admission, since the number of qualified applicants far exceeds the number of places available. As a consequence, many well-qualified applicants cannot be accommodated. All of these steps take between six to eight weeks to complete. It is very important to indicate on your Statement of Purpose which faculty member(s) you are interested in working with and to be specific about which research areas within the broader subject headings of HER, ESS and MMC you are interested in. For example, within ESS you might specify climatology or hydrology; within HER you might specify spatial decision making or urban and regional planning.

A high Jr/Sr undergraduate grade-point average (3.25 or >) is required. The University minimum Jr/Sr GPA for admission is 3.0. All entrants are required to submit verbal, quantitative and analytical GRE scores upon formal application (total combined verbal and quantitative scores should be above 1100). Ideally the test will have been taken within the last five years. The Graduate Division will accept any GRE score, despite the date, as long as either an official report from ETS has been submitted or the Graduate Division has the official score in its database. When you register for the GRE, please use the Institution and Department codes for UCSB Geography (UCSB: 4835, Geography: 2203), otherwise, receipt of your scores could be delayed substantially. Undergraduate preparation in mathematics, statistics, and computer programming is strongly recommended. Applicants whose native language or language of undergraduate or graduate instruction was not English are required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum score for consideration is 550 when taking the paper test and 213 when taking the computer test. TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old at the time of admission. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL. Requests for exceptions to this requirement will be considered for those students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate education at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English.

Departmental Admissions Statistics:

* Combined verbal and quantitative scores

HOUSING

Student housing is generally both scarce and expensive. If you are registering for Fall quarter, then you should look for housing before September (by mid-August at the latest). For more information visit the Housing and Residential Services website: http://www.housing.ucsb.edu/

THE MASTERS PROGRAM

The Master's program offers two plans: the thesis (Plan I) and the examination (Plan II) alternatives. The thesis (Plan I) will summarize the results of original scholarly research in Geography. The thesis shall conform to the style required by the Library/Graduate Division and shall be suitable in form and format for publication.

Undergraduate Preparation

An undergraduate degree in Geography is not required. Applicants with strong academic backgrounds in specific systematic study areas are strongly encouraged to apply. While a Masters degree is normally required before admission to the Ph.D. program, students applying to the department with an undergraduate degree are encouraged to apply for the MA/Ph.D. program if the Ph.D. is their final degree objective.

Unit Requirements for the MA Degree:

The program is designed to provide maximum flexibility while assuring a basic level of competence within Geography. Because Geography is traditionally among the broader academic disciplines, coursework in related departments is often appropriate to graduate study within the field.

REQUIRED COURSES

These courses are required of all Masters and PhD students:

Geography 201 - Seminar in Geography (required every quarter offered)

Geography 200 A, B and C - Introduction to Geographic Research

Geography 210 A, B, and C - Analytical Methods in Geography 1, 2, 3

Geography 276 are strongly recommended.

All Teaching Assistants must take Geography 500 (T.A. Training).

1. Except in unusual circumstances, students must have a thesis proposal accepted by their advising committee by the end of the academic quarter following the end of the quarter in which they enrolled in 200C or they will automatically be transferred to the examination route. After the proposal is accepted by the committee, a maximum of 3 academic quarters will be allowed to complete the thesis or the student will be transferred to the exam route. For Plan II (examination) students, Geography 200A, B and C will provide a needed exposure to research methods, and for Plan I (thesis) students, the courses will provide a firm foundation for thesis research. A secondary goal is the building of improved bibliographic and other research and writing skills. Performance in the course will also help the faculty determine the suitability of the student to the chosen program (Plan I or II).

2 Students may petition out of 210ABC if: a) they have taken Geog 172; b) they have taken the equivalent elsewhere or will take its equivalent from another department on campus, or c) their faculty advisor does not feel the student needs the courses.

Masters Committee

This committee consists of at least three UC ladder faculty members. Two members of the committee must be ladder faculty from the Geography Department, one of whom will be appointed as chair or co-chair. The Masters Committee is formally nominated on Masters Form I - "Nomination of Thesis Committee For Master's Degree Candidates."

Normative Time

Normative time is the number of years considered to be reasonable for completion of a particular program by a full-time student who enters the program without academic deficiencies. The normative time for completion of the Masters degree is 7 quarters; the absolute deadline is 4 years, including leaves of absence. Justification for exceeding the 7 quarter normative time must be made during the 8th quarter.

Financial Support as a Masters

Student Financial support for Masters students on departmental funds (e.g. Teaching Assistantships, Fellowships) beyond four quarters is contingent upon progress and performance. For any student enrolled in the Geography MA or Ph.D. programs, a GPA of less than 3.3 or a grade of C+ or less in geography may cause departmental financial support to be withdrawn.

Residency Requirement

Students in the Master's program must spend a minimum of three quarters in full-time residence at UCSB.

Masters Degree by Examination

For students electing Plan II, the final examination will consist of three parts, and will assess the candidate's general knowledge of geography as well as testing the candidate's mastery of one or more systematic specialty areas and/or areas of technical expertise. Students should prepare themselves and their examination committee for the examination beginning at least three months before the expected date of the examination. The final examination will be conducted by the student's advisor and examination committee, and the scope and structure of the exam shall be determined by the advisor, the committee, and the student. If the student fails to pass the examination, he/she may try once more without penalty, taking the retest during the quarter following his/her failure or at the next available opportunity, whichever is later. Please note that Plan II Masters students are ineligible for the Ph.D. program.

The examinations are usually written over a three-day period. A number may be open-book exams and could be given to you the weekend before. If open-book exams are to be used, you will be notified well in advance of the examination. If closed-book exams are used, they are normally three hours in length. Again, however, this is at the discretion of the individual faculty member who administers the particular examination.

Petitioning to Skip the MA and Go Directly to the Ph.D. Program

Qualified students in the MA/PhD program can petition to skip the MA and go directly into the PhD program. Students must have been enrolled for at least 3 regular academic quarters. The petition requires the approval of the student's committee. Attached to the petition should be:

• A letter of justification from the committee chair
• PhD Form I, which officially nominates the PhD committee
• A PhD proposal

Ph.D. PROGRAM

A variety of programs can be generated based on selections of our systematic (ESS and HER) and techniques (MMC) emphases. All Ph.D. students must major in a systematic area of study and are expected to develop great depth in one or more techniques areas but will be tested only in one technical area.

Admission Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the general requirements for admission to graduate status, the Department requires a Master's degree for most students entering the Doctoral program. Qualified students in the MA/PhD program can petition to skip the MA and go directly into the PhD program. Students must have been enrolled for at least 3 regular academic quarters. The petition requires the approval of the student's committee.

Residency/Normative Time

All doctoral students must conform to the regulations and requirements of the Graduate Division, including the following:

1. Students in doctoral programs must enroll for a minimum of six regular academic quarters, exclusive of summer sessions, in residence on the UCSB campus. Three consecutive quarters of residence must be completed prior to advancement to candidacy.

2. Continuous registration is expected of all graduate students. Under special circumstances students may request a leave of absence from the Graduate Dean. Students who are neither registered nor on an approved leave of absence, lose all status and privileges as students, cannot hold fellowships or other forms of financial support, and must apply for readmission and, where applicable, readvancement to candidacy.

3. The normative time for the Ph.D. in Geography for those entering without a Masters degree is six years; for those entering the program with a Masters degree it is five years. This is the time span in which the Ph.D. program should normally be completed. The absolute deadline for completion is 7 years (see Academic Senate Regulation 350(A), and this time includes all leaves of absence, quarters in lapsed status, etc.). The Department will enforce these rules and approve exceptions only under unusual circumstances.

Required Courses – [see Required Courses under the Masters Program]

Requirements of the Ph.D. Program

For advancement to candidacy, the Geography Department requires a diagnostic interview, a written comprehensive examination, an approved dissertation proposal, and an oral qualifying examination. These are described below.

The Ph.D. Committee:

The Ph.D. Committee in the Geography Department consists of four members; at least three must be UC ladder faculty, two of which must be from the Geography Department, one of whom will be appointed as chair or co-chair; and one member must be from outside the discipline of Geography. Faculty who hold Affiliated appointments with the Department of Geography (Tom Dunne, John Melack, Jeff Dozier) do not qualify as outside members. Additional members may be added to the committee beyond the four required, where appropriate. The Ph.D. committee is formally nominated on PhD Form I - "Nomination of Ph.D. Committee." This form should be filed before you take your written and oral exams.

Diagnostic Interview

All graduate students will be required to take a diagnostic interview to assist in the preparation for undertaking a doctoral program in Geography. The interview will normally be oral and last about one hour. Two professors, appointed by the Departmental Graduate Committee, will be responsible for administering it; however, any Department faculty member may also participate should he or she so elect. Although the student's primary area of interest will be emphasized, students should anticipate questions which will probe their general knowledge of the entire field of geography. Thus, a systematic review of geography coursework may be helpful in preparing for it. Within ten days of completion of the diagnostic interview, the student will receive a letter from the examining committee assessing strengths and weaknesses, and suggesting coursework or independent study by which such weaknesses may be strengthened. A copy will also be lodged in the department files. The interview will normally be administered during the first quarter of the student's residence.

Written Qualifying Examination

The written qualifying examination will be administered by the student's doctoral committee. Past examination questions are maintained in a department file so that you can see the types (and relative difficulty) of the questions asked. To aid in preparation for the examination, the Department will provide a reading list. The reading list is simply a guide for study, and should not be interpreted as a catalogue of required knowledge. Consult with the chair of your committee for additional suggested reading. The written qualifying examination will normally be administered in the student's fourth, fifth, or sixth quarter of residence. Following administration of the examination, the faculty will evaluate the student's performance in each section. Except in unusual circumstances the chair of the student's dissertation committee will provide the student with a written evaluation of the examination within two weeks, and in all cases no longer than 6 weeks, of finishing the exam. An unsatisfactory section of the examination may be repeated once, in the same quarter, or the quarter immediately following the receipt of the written evaluation.

Dissertation Proposal

Prior to the student's oral qualifying examination, the student will prepare a dissertation proposal which describes the dissertation topic, summarizes the relevant background literature, and presents a comprehensive research plan for the student's doctoral dissertation, including a timetable and budget which identifies any financial support essential to preparation of the dissertation. This proposal must be approved by all members of the student's doctoral committee. Students should be aware that the first draft of the proposal is unlikely to be accepted as is. Several drafts are usually necessary. Proper and correct use of the English language is required for the proposal.

Oral Qualifying Examination

Having completed the diagnostic interview, written comprehensive examination and dissertation proposal, the student's doctoral committee will conduct an oral qualifying examination. The general objective of this examination is to ensure that the student possesses the full knowledge and competence required to carry out his or her dissertation research. Thus, the examination will emphasize (but not necessarily be limited to) the systematic and technical areas relevant to the student's proposed dissertation research. Following the examination, the committee members shall vote "Pass" or "Fail" on the student's level of preparation. The vote is reported on PhD Form II - "Report on Qualifying Examinations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy." The student should take this form to the oral exam so that the committee members can sign at the conclusion. A majority of passing votes will be required for advancement to candidacy. Graduate Division regulations require that three consecutive quarters of residence must be completed prior to taking the oral qualifying exam. Thus, the oral will normally be taken in the fourth, fifth, or sixth quarter of residence.

Advancement to Candidacy and Doctoral Candidate Fee Offset

Following completion of the examinations described above, the student will be advanced to candidacy. Following advancement to candidacy, the student will normally devote full-time effort during the academic year to carrying out the research for, and writing of, the doctoral dissertation. Graduate Division regulations require that the student be registered and enrolled continuously during this time. Graduate Council has approved a four-year time limit for advancement to Ph.D. candidacy for all graduate students. Any exception to the policy must be requested by the home department on behalf of each graduate student.

Students who have advanced to candidacy and have not exceeded the normative time, are eligible for a merit-based grant equal to the cost of the educational, known as the Doctoral Fee Offset.

Dissertation and Open Defense

Following the completion of doctoral research, the student will prepare a dissertation which must be approved by each member of the student's committee and conform to the rules and regulations of the Graduate Division and Library. After receipt of the final draft of the Ph.D. dissertation, a formal oral defense will be scheduled and announced to the department as a whole. The purpose of this defense will be to clarify segments of the dissertation and/or acquaint the candidate with the nature of any further work that needs to be undertaken prior to approval of the dissertation. Following approval of the dissertation, the student will be eligible to be conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. This is reported to the Graduate Division on PhD Form III - "Report on Final Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy" or PhD Form III-A - "Waiver of Final Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy." These forms require the signatures of all committee members so the student should circulate it at the same time that he/she circulates the dissertation signature pages.

A public lecture is encouraged to present the results of the doctoral research to the entire University community.

Teaching Requirement

All doctoral candidates must teach (usually in the capacity of a Teaching Assistant) a minimum of one quarter at some time before being granted the Ph.D. degree.

REGISTRATION FEES/TUITION

Current information about fees and non-resident tuition can be found at the Registrar’s website under the "Fee Information" heading: http://www.registrar.ucsb.edu/

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The financing of your education is primarily your responsibility. The department has control over a moderate level of support which it distributes on the combined factors of merit and need, but makes no guarantees as to the continuance, or the level, of any financial support it may provide at any given time. However, once an appointment is made we naturally try to continue support to students through completion of their degree.

Merit-Based Support

Application Deadline: JANUARY 15

A. Fellowships:

Fellowships provide funds to support the living and educational expenses of graduate study. If you apply for this merit-based assistance, your application will be judged on the basis of the quality of your previous academic work, on the evidence of your ability to do research and other creative accomplishments, and on your promise of becoming a productive scholar. Except in unusual circumstances, applications for fellowships are considered only once a year; awards are made for the academic year beginning with the fall quarter. Fellowships can come in the form of a 4-6-year guarantee of support (Regents Special Fellowship, Chancellor’s Fellowships, Eugene-Cota Robles Fellowship, Doctoral Scholars Fellowship) to a 1-year fellowship (Graduate Opportunity Fellowship) or the payment of fees and nonresident tuition (Block Grant). GRE scores are required for all fellowship applicants. If your fellowship includes the payment of fees and/or nonresident tuition, payments will be credited directly to your billing account prior to payment deadlines. Read the award letter carefully, and contact the department if you have questions.

B. Teaching Assistantships:

Teaching Assistantship awards for the following academic year are made in March-April (only those who receive TA support will be notified). Normally we support between 20-25 graduate students each year on full (50% time) or partial (25% time) Teaching Assistantships. Teaching Assistantships provide financial assistance as below:

25% TA	$798/month	$2393/quarter
50% TA	$1595/month	$4785/quarter

Employment as a 25%-time or more TA includes payment of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Premium (GSHIP). The award of a TA'ship pays 100% of the education and registration fee ONLY, which equals $2,090 (resident) and $2,171 (non-resident) for 2004/2005. If you do not receive a tuition fellowship or other fee fellowship in addition to your TA award, you are responsible for paying all fees and nonresident tuition. Read your award letter carefully and call the department if you have any questions.

Teaching Assistantships entail duties related to upper division course laboratory sections and discussion sections of lower division Physical Geography and Human Geography. The department believes that teaching experience is a valuable part of graduate education and strives to allow each student some TA service. TA'ships may be renewed after careful review of actual teaching performance. At least one quarter of teaching assistant or equivalent experience is required of all Ph.D. students.

C. Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT)

Geography doctoral students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are invited to apply for fellowships for research in Interactive Digital Media. For more information, go to their website at http://media.igert.ucsb.edu.

D. Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) Appointments

Between 25 and 30 Graduate Student Researchers are available each year, depending on the level of extra-mural support the department has received through proposals submitted by the faculty. Generally, these are given to students after one year in residence, but occasionally may be provided on initial enrollment. Graduate Student Researchers are arranged on an individual basis between the student and a faculty member who is a Principal Investigator on a grant, and generally cannot be "applied" for like one would a Teaching Assistantship or Fellowship.

The department expects that students about to embark on thesis/dissertation research will work with their faculty advisor on research proposals in order to secure this form of support if it is not already available.

Graduate Student Researcher appointments provide financial support as follows:

Employment as a 25%-time or more GSR includes payment of the Graduate Student Health Insurance Premium (GSHIP). Employment as a 35%-time or more GSR also may include payment of fees and nonresident tuition (dependent on funding agency limitations).

Establishing California Residency:

Information about establishing California residency can be found at the Office of the Registrar’s website under the "Residency" heading: http://www.registrar.ucsb.edu/

Need-Based Financial Support:

Graduate students may apply for need-based loans and work-study awards through the Financial Aid Office, http://www.finaid.ucsb.edu. Only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens may apply for funds administered by Financial Aid. Eligible non-citizens are those who are in the U.S. for any other than a temporary purpose. You meet this requirement if you have an I-151 Alien Registration Card, an I-94 Arrival-Departure Report Card stamped "refugee" or "applicant for adjustment", or have been granted asylum in the U.S.

GRADUATING AND FILING:

1. Check your transcript (http://gnet.ucsb.edu/gold/) to make sure that you have fulfilled all course and unit requirements for the degree, that you don't have any Incompletes (I), No Grades (NG), or No Reports (NR) on your record, and that you have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Don't wait until the day you file your thesis to do this - it may be too late! If you're not sure if you've fulfilled all the requirements, consult with Amy, the Graduate Program Assistant.

2. Make sure all required forms have been filed and approved:

Masters Students:

Masters Form I - "Nomination of Thesis Committee for Master's Degree Candidates."

PhD Students:

PhD Form I - "Nomination of PhD Committee"

PhD Form II - "Report on Qualifying Examinations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy"

PhD Form III - "Report on Final Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy" OR

PhD Form III-A - "Waiver of Final Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy."

3. File one copy of your thesis/dissertation with the department and two copies with the Library. Please visit the Graduate Division website for detailed information about formatting and filing: http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/pubs/filingguide.shtml. The Department copy does not have to be on 100% cotton paper.

Click these links for a complete list of theses and dissertations.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES/PLACEMENT INFORMATION:

Employment of Recent Graduates with an M.A.

Employment of Recent Graduates with a Ph.D.

If you have any questions about our graduate program, please don't hesitate to write or call (805-893-8207, or 805-893-3663; E-mail: grad_assistant@geog.ucsb.edu).

You may also call the Graduate Division at 805-893-2277 or visit their website: http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/. Our mailing address is: Department of Geography, Ellison Hall 3611, University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106-4060