Master’s Degree in Geography – Enroll Now!

Who needs a Master’s Degree in Geography from Marshall University? We have students who are AP Human Geography teachers, community college professors, GIS analysts, natural resource and environmental scientists as well as traditional research-based graduate students. Our degrees are fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. We welcome you to come to campus as a traditional in-person learner OR pursue your master’s degree 100% online.

Marshall University undergraduate seniors can enter our Accelerated Master’s Degree (AMD) program and take a few graduate courses to get a head start on graduate school.  This AMD program makes it possible for them to earn their master’s degree in one year after their bachelor’s degree.  Can you earn your degree in one year if you are _not_ a Marshall undergraduate?  Yes, the course rotation will permit this, but you would shoulder a heavy load for fall, spring, and summer and would have to carefully select courses to complete all requirements in that short time frame.  The typical graduate student finishes in 1.5-2 years.  For some students, even this speed is too quick with their other responsibilities, so they take longer, up to the maximum of 7 years.

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M.A. applicants should follow the admissions process described at www.marshall.edu/graduate. In addition, M.A. applicants must:

• Submit a curriculum vitae (CV) and/or résumé with the graduate application;
• Submit a letter of recommendation (either from an employer or faculty member) with the graduate application.

M.S. applicants should follow the admissions process described at www.marshall.edu/graduate. Potential M.S. applicants must contact the department to ensure that their thesis research interests are compatible with at least one faculty member. In addition, M.S. applicants must:

• Submit a statement of purpose/research interest with the graduate application;
• Submit a curriculum vitae (CV) and/or résumé with the graduate application;
• Submit two letters of recommendation (from employers or faculty members) with the graduate application;
• Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25

Want to learn more?

Contact Dr. James Leonard about a graduate degree in Geography.
“God and my Master’s degree from Marshall landed me the position (GIS Analyst/Manager near Portland, OR).” ~ Mike, 2018

Master’s Degree in Geography Core Courses

Students must complete the following courses in Geography (see course descriptions or rotation schedule):

• Any GEO GIScience course, typically GEO523 Cartography and GIS (3 credit hours) or GEO526 Principles of GIS (4 credit hours)
• GEO540 Spatial Statistics and GIS (4 credit hours)
• GEO615 Geographic Thought (3 credit hours)
• GEO616 Geographical Research Methods (3 credit hours)
• GEO679 Applied Projects (3 credit hours)
• GEO681 Thesis (M.S. only)

Master’s Degree in Geography Tracks

Here are some suggested tracks you could pursue, or you could always mix and match to suit your interest! In each case, choose enough courses to get to 34 credits minimum (including your core courses) with at least 17 credits at the 600-level.

Graduate Minors in Geography

Graduate students pursuing degrees in other disciplines can choose from four different Graduate Minors in Geography. See a Geography department advisor for more information.

• Regional Geography
• Physical Geography
• Human Geography
• Geographic Information Systems/Remote Sensing