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Department of Geography

Main Departmental Office
General Academic Building, 435
P.O. Box 5277
Denton, TX 76203-0277
(817) 565-2091
F. Andrew Schoolmaster, Chair

Graduate Faculty: Acevedo, Ferring, Fitzgerald, Hudak, Lyons, McGregor, Oppong, Schoolmaster, Williams.

The Department of Geography offers a Master of Science with a major in applied geography. The primary goal of the degree program is to produce graduates that have problem-solving skills, who focus on the application of geographic techniques and have a balanced understanding of the roles of physical and human geography in addressing contemporary societal problems. The degree is oriented toward preparing students for entry and mid-level positions in industry, government and education. In addition, this degree is appropriate for students wishing to develop master's level expertise in the field of geography before pursuing doctoral studies in geography or related fields.

Research

Faculty in the Department of Geography are engaged in research on medical geography, geohydrology and ground water, locational conflicts, urban/economic geography, climatic change, geoarchaeology and water resources management. Other research interests include spatial modeling and spatial/environmental aspects of recreation. Livestock ranching, microclimatology, cultural resources management and natural hazard assessment are the subjects of additional studies. Research on environmental impacts resulting from depletion of ground and surface waters, as well as on earth surface processes with a focus upon excessive erosion, also is conducted in the department.

Recent support for research includes grants from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas Natural Resources Information Service and the Texas Air Quality Control Board.

Field research has been carried out recently in the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, Texas, the Midwest, the Southwest and the South. The department also cooperates with the Institute of Applied Sciences in the operation of the Center for Remote Sensing and Land Use Analyses and the Center for Environmental Archaeology. Both facilities are used for instruction, research and service.

The Center for Spatial Analysis and Mapping (CSAM) is a new facility providing instructional and research support in the areas of geographic information systems (GIS), computer cartography, spatial analysis and environmental modeling. The facility serves undergraduate and graduate students majoring in geography and in environmental science.

CSAM is housed in GAB 440, a newly renovated classroom complete with state-of-the-art computer equipment. Beyond its immediate instructional and research mission, CSAM is envisioned as the facility to provide GIS support for institutional planning and facilities management at UNT.

Admission Requirements

Application for admission to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies is made through the graduate school. Concurrently, a letter of intent should be sent directly to the Department of Geography's graduate adviser. This letter should briefly summarize the applicant's background, specific interests in the field of geography, and future career plans. Three letters of recommendation also are required.

Applicants normally should have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in geography from an accredited university with an overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.8 or a 3.0 GPA during the last 60 undergraduate semester hours. The undergraduate degree should include exposure to basic quantitative analysis techniques in geography also. Students whose undergraduate major is not geography will be required to take undergraduate leveling courses. Total leveling course requirements will not exceed 9 semester credit hours. In addition, students must score at least 1000 (verbal plus quantitative) on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Degree Programs

The Master of Science degree with a major in applied geography has thesis and non-thesis options both requiring a total of 36 semester credit hours. The curriculum involves: core courses, technical courses, and topical courses. Core courses involve instruction in research design and advanced quantitative methods. Technical courses focus on a series of specialized skills, including the use of global positioning systems, geographic information systems, remote sensing, air photo analysis and environmental modeling. Topical courses are designed to integrate the specialized training with real world applications in physical and human geography. Students will also complete 6 semester credit hours in a cognate field as part of the required 36 semester credit hours. Both thesis and non-thesis options include an oral exam after the student has successfully completed 27 semester credit hours.

Courses of Instruction

College of Arts and Sciences Table of Contents

UNT Graduate Catalog Table of Contents

Course and Subject Guide

UNT Home Page

Prospective Students



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