Geography, Environment, and Sustainability

Program Requirements

The doctoral degree requires a minimum of 48 hours of graduate-level coursework; all but six credit hours must be at the 600-level and higher.

• Required core courses: Advanced Spatial Analysis GES 720; Research Design  GES 702; History of Geographic Thought GES 701
• Required cluster courses are:
  • 6 credit hours of Geographic Information Science courses
  • 6 credit hours of Human geography courses
  • 6 credit hours of Physical geography courses
  • 6 credit hours of dissertation-related courses
• 15-21 hours of dissertation research 799

Students coming into our programs without an undergraduate degree in geography must complete 4 undergraduate courses in geography to help ground themselves in the discipline. One course in each of the following sub-disciplines is required, in addition to completing the advanced degree requirements:

• Physical Geography: GES 103; GES 106
• Regional Geography: GES 104; GES 330; GES 340; GES 344
• Human Geography: GES 105; GES 301; GES 306
• Geographic Techniques: GES 121; GES 603

These courses may have been taken previously as part of an undergraduate program; if this is not the case, they may be taken at UNCG, in any other approved geography department, or in some cases by correspondence. Please consult the Director of Graduate Studies for more information or course approvals.