Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program

The general requirements for the Ph.D. degree are those of the Graduate School. All candidates are expected to have a background approximately equivalent to this University’s M.S. degree in geosciences or geography, although this by no means precludes individualized programs for those entering with special strength in another discipline. All candidates should be familiar with the current M.S. degree requirements. Additional requirements for the Ph.D. are as follows:

  1. Establishing a Guidance & Exam Committee during the first semester in residence.
  2. 2 consecutive semesters in residence during which the student is registered full-time, which equals enrollment for at least 9 credits/semester.
  3. Establishing a Dissertation Committee within one semester of admission to candidacy.
  4. Completion of the seminar GEOSCI 703 (Fall) and 705 (Spring) during the first two semesters of residence.
  5. PhD students with a Geography concentration must also complete the 1-credit Geography 604, Geography Theory and Methods.
  6. Completion of the seminar GEOSCI 701 during each semester in residence.
  7. Completion of the preliminary exam before the end of the second semester of residency, after which the student is nominated to candidacy.
  8. At least one oral presentation of dissertation-related research activities either at a professional conference or in the GEOSCI 701 seminar before graduation.
  9. Development, successful defense and submission to the Graduate School of the Dissertation Prospectus by the end of the third semester.
  10. Submission of annual timelines to the student’s Dissertation Committee describing research activities completed during the preceding year and anticipated over the next year.
  11. Ph.D. candidates are encouraged to gain some experience in teaching.
  12. A minimum of 10 credits of GEOSCI 899 “Dissertation Research”.
  13. Maintain a 3.0 or better grade point average each semester.
  14. Completion of a Final Oral Examination in the form of a defense of the dissertation research before the Dissertation Committee and other members of the department’s graduate faculty.
  15. Submission of a completed Doctoral Degree Eligibility Form in time for University graduation deadlines

Full details of these departmental requirements are described in the Ph.D. program manual available on the department’s web page.
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