Program Description
Graduate study is offered leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Geography,
with a choice of ten specialties: biogeography, cartography, environmental
resource management, economic geography, regional planning, historical geography,
geographic information systems (G.I.S.), physical geography, regional geography,
and urban geography. The seminars focus on intensive, directed readings
interspersed with discussions of the content, principles, methods, and techniques
of the selected topic or theme. The intent is to develop a subject to its
research frontiers emphasizing an awareness of problems and their significance
for the discipline. Seminars are accompanied or followed by directed research
yielding oral and written reports. Their purpose is to expand beyond the
recognition of problems to the guided investigation of a topic or theme.
The seminars are supplemented by independent study and ultimately by research
culminating in a University Thesis or a Departmental Thesis or a Project
that allows and motivates the student to advance further in a chosen specialty.
The candidate is responsible for the fulfillment of the specific requirements
of the department stated below.
In addition to departmental requirements, every student must also satisfy
the university requirements for graduation which are described in the Graduate
and Post-baccalaureate Studies chapter of this catalog. These requirements
include the 32-unit residence requirement, the five-year rule on the currency
of subject matter, the minimum number of units of 6000-level courses, the
3.00 GPA, and the University Writing Skills requirement.
Admission
"Conditionally Classified Graduate" Status
Admission to this university in some category of post-baccalaureate status
is the prerequisite for entry into the graduate program. Graduate courses
in Geography are open to students who have completed the prerequisites and/or
obtained the consent of the instructor. Credit may be given for equivalent
courses taken at other accredited institutions; undergraduate deficiencies
may be corrected while the student is in "Conditionally Classified Graduate"
status.
A student must complete the following requirements to be admitted to the
program with "Conditionally Classified Graduate" status:
1.
File the CSU
"Graduate and Post-baccalaureate Application," which is available
at www.csumentor.edu. The student should submit two copies each of
transcripts from all universities or colleges attended. A sealed copy
must be submitted to Admissions and the other copy submitted to the
Geography Department. The student's declaration of intent to pursue
the M.A. degree program in Geography along with a minimum of two
letters of recommendation must be sent to the Geography Department.
2.
Have a 2.5 or
higher GPA in all undergraduate work; and have a 3.0 or higher GPA
in all upper division and graduate work in Geography prior to request
for entry into the program.
Note:
If a student has earned less than a 2.5 grade point average in all
undergraduate work, or if (s)he has less than a 3.0 grade point average
in upper division and graduate courses in Geography, (s)he must continue
coursework in "Unclassified Post-baccalaureate" status until (s)he
has removed the deficiencies and demonstrated his/her ability to meet
the requirements of the graduate program.
3.
The Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test is not required, but students
are strongly encouraged to take this test and submit their scores
to the Geography Department prior to application for admission to
the M.A. degree program in Geography.
"Classified
Graduate" Status
A student must complete the following requirements to be admitted
to the program with "Classified Graduate" status:
1.
Complete the
following undergraduate courses or their equivalents, or demonstrate
a competency by examination in:
GEOG 3120 Climatic
Change (4) or GEOL 3110 Principles of Geomorphology (4) or GEOG 3115
Physical Landscape Analysis (4)
GEOG 3410 Air-Photo Interpretation (4)
GEOG 3420 Field Instruments and Observation (4)
GEOG 3600 Cartographic Principles and Graphic Communication (4)
GEOG 4800 Growth of Geographic Thought (4)
Note:
Up to 10 units of undergraduate courses may be taken as electives
applicable toward the 45 units for the M.A. degree.
2.
File an intended
program of study with the departmental Graduate Advisor;
3.
Complete the
upper division course prerequisites for the seminars in the intended
program of studies;
4.
Complete at
least 12 quarter units considered applicable by the department toward
the M.A. degree requirements, including at least 3 quarter units of
graduate-level (6000 series) work in residence at this university;
5.
Be recommended
for "Classified Graduate" status by the department; and
6.
Fulfill the
University Writing Skills requirement.
Maintenance of "Classified Graduate" Status
To maintain "Classified Graduate" status a student must maintain a 3.0 or
higher GPA must be attained on all work taken in the approved program of
study, whether at Cal State East Bay or at any other college or university.
Only courses with grades of "C" and higher are acceptable for courses applicable
to degree requirements in Geography.
If a candidate's GPA drops below 3.0, the department will notify the Graduate
Dean to place the student in "Conditionally Classified Graduate" status
and the university will place the student on Academic Probation until (s)he
has remedied his or her deficiencies and has been recommended by the department
for return to "Classified Graduate" status. Failure by a student to return
to "Classified Graduate" status in two additional quarters of study (or
following completion of 15 additional quarter units) shall result in his
or her being academically disqualified from the departmental program.
Advancement to Candidacy
Admission to "Classified Graduate" status does not imply that a student
will be Advanced to Candidacy for the M.A. degree. A student with "Classified
Graduate" status will be Advanced to Candidacy for the M.A. degree when
(s)he has satisfied the following requirements:
1.
Demonstrated
proficiency in either a modern foreign language, or in statistical
methods as they apply to geography, or in mathematics.
a.
Languages which
are acceptable without special arrangements are Chinese, French, German,
Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Any other modern foreign
language may be substituted, provided the thesis advisor, the student,
and the graduate advisor agree that the language is an integral part
of the projected program of study for the M.A. degree.
"Proficiency"
in a foreign language means the completion (with a grade point average
of 2.5 or better) of two years of college-level instruction in the
language or demonstrating, by written examination, a reading competency
at this level.
b.
Statistical
methods may be used to satisfy this requirement provided the thesis
advisor, the student, and the graduate advisor agree that such methods
form an integral part of the projected program of study for the M.A.
degree.
"Proficiency"
in statistical methods is defined as satisfactory completion of the
equivalent of:
STAT 1000 Elements
of Probability and Statistics and STAT 3010 Statistical Methods in
the Social Sciences, plus one 4000-level statistics course (STAT 4601
recommended). The student will also be required to demonstrate by
examination the ability to solve a geographic problem using the computer.
c.
Mathematics
may be used to satisfy this requirement provided the thesis advisor,
the student, and the graduate advisor agree.
"Proficiency"
in mathematics is defined as satisfactory completion of the equivalent
of Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry (MATH 1300); Calculus I, II,
III (MATH 1304, 1305, 2304); and either Linear Algebra (MATH 2101)
or one other upper division mathematics course, except MATH 4021,
4022, 4023.
2.
Declared an
intention to complete either a thesis or a project
3.
Been recommended
for Advancement to Candidacy by the department.
Degree
Requirements
To be eligible for the M.A. degree in Geography a student must:
1.
have been Advanced
to Candidacy;
2.
have completed
45 quarter units of graduate work of which:
a.
all must have
been earned within the five years just preceding the completion of
the requirements for the degree;
b.
not fewer than
32 units must have been completed in residence;
c.
not fewer than
23 units must have been in geography courses in the 6000 series, including
the thesis or project:
d.
not more than
6 units may have been for a University Thesis (GEOG 6910) nor more
than 4 for a project (GEOG 6899); and
e.
not more than
13 units may have been for extension and/or transfer course credit,
as approved by the department;
3.
have completed
a satisfactory program of study as approved by the department, to
include:
a.
GEOG 6010 Seminar
on Research Theory and Philosophy of Geography (4)
b.
four graduate
seminars in geography (12)
(Note: GEOG 6850 Geographic Internship and/or GEOG 6900 Independent
Study may not be used to meet this requirement.)
c.
elective courses
(graduate or upper division) in geography taken as a graduate student
(12-15)
d.
elective courses
(graduate or upper division) outside of geography in one or more closely
related fields (8-13)
(Note: A student
with a baccalaureate degree in a closely related field may take these
elective courses in geography.)
e.
a University
Thesis or Departmental Thesis or Project (4-6)
4.
have obtained
a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in
a.
all post-baccalaureate
units undertaken;
b.
all 45 units
offered as satisfying the requirements of the M.A. degree program;
5.
have been recommended
for the M.A. degree in Geography by the department.
6.
have satisfied
the University Writing Skills requirement.
Upper
Division Courses Acceptable for the Master's Degree
All upper division Geography courses are acceptable for the M.A. degree
program.A
