This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

Skip Navigation skip menu and banner
University of Wyoming

Graduate Program Overview and Requirements


Offerings

The Department of Geography and Recreation offers programs leading to the master of arts, master of science in teaching, and master of planning degrees. Areas in geography include: physical geography; natural resource management; spatial analysis, information and display; human geography; and recreation resource management. Areas in planning include: land use planning, economic development, natural resource planning, community and regional planning, and site development.

 

Admission (All Programs)

In addition to the minimum requirements set forth in the general section of the Graduate Bulletin, applicants must submit a statement of academic and professional goals (Geography Department Graduate Applicant Questionnaire - PDF).  All applicants are evaluated on an individual basis. Undergraduate deficiencies, identified by the candidate and adviser, can be remedied during the degree program.
 

Geography Degree Requirements

Required Background

Incoming students must have a minimum undergraduate background equivalent to 15 semester hours in college-level geography courses to include three hours each in maps and mapping, human geography, and physical geography. Planning students may use undergraduate course work in planning, analytic tools, regional science, or other relevant subject matter to meet the undergraduate requirement. Deficiency courses prescribed by the faculty advisor do not count toward graduate program requirements, and must be taken for credit and for a grade (not S/U).

 

All Master Degrees (Plan A Thesis)


Core Requirements - All Programs:

  • GEOG [G&R] 4280/5280 Quantitative Methods

  • GEOG [G&R] 5000 Research Perspectives

  • Any two of the following methods courses (6-8 cr)

    • GEOG [G&R] 4000 Terrain Analysis
    • GEOG [G&R] 4150 Cartography and Digital Map Design
    • GEOG [G&R] 4200 Geographic Information Sciences I
    • GEOG [G&R] 4210 Geographic Information Sciences II
    • GEOG [G&R 4860/5860] Field Studies
    • GEOG [G&R 4865/5865] Directed Studies/Research Problems

    A research seminar (4 credit maximum allowed in the core requirement)
     

    • GEOG [G&R] 5410 Soil Geomorphology
    • GEOG [G&R] 5790 Research Methods
       

  • Examinations and Theses: All students must complete a thesis which shall be an original contribution to knowledge.  All students must prepare a thesis proposal for submission to their committee and have committee approval to initiate research on the theses and must successfully complete an oral defense of their theses.  The student' committee may also require a written examination.
     

Masters in Geography:

Students must fulfill all requirements above.
 

Master of Science in Teaching:

Students must fulfill all requirements above, plus requirements developed in conjunction with faculty advisor in the College of Education, not to be less than 12 credit hours of courses in education and/or geography education.  
 

Planning:

  • Core Courses: (12 hours)

    • GEOG [G&R] 4310 Planning Theory
    • POLS 5510 Public Policy and Program Management
    • GEOG [G&R] 4650 Legal Aspects of Planning
    • GEOG [G&R] 5200 Land Use Planning
       

  • Analysis Courses:

    • Statistics: (one course - 3 hours)
    • One approved graduate level statistical analysis course.
    • Techniques: (Two courses - 6 hours)
    • Two approved graduate level geo-spatial techniques courses. Students completing the Plan A option are required to complete a minimum of four hours of thesis research.
       

  • Elective Courses:

    • Fifteen hours of elective course work approved by faculty advisor
                

Geography/Water Resources:

  • GEOG [G&R] 4080 Management of Major River Basins

  • REWM 4700 Range Watershed Management or REWM 4285 Wildland Hydrology

  • GEOG [G&R] 5450 Fluvial Geomorphology

  • In completing core methods requirements students may also choose from:

    • GEOL 5111 Remote Sensing of the Environment
    • GEOL 5800 Advanced Remote Sensing and Technical mapping
       

  • Technical Hydrology Course Requirement (at least one of the following):

    • CE 4800 Hydrology
    • CE 4820 Groundwater and Drainage Engineering
    • CE 5810 Groundwater Hydrology
    • GEOL 5444 Geohydrology
    • GEOL 5550 Numerical Models in Ground Water Geology I
    • GEOL 5570 Advanced Geohydrology
    • REWM 4880 Wildland Hydrology
    • REWM 5280 Stream Habitat Management
    • MATH 5110 Modeling Flow Transport in Soil and Groundwater Systems
       
  • Water Resource Economics and/or Water Law Course Requirement  
    (at least one of the following): 
      
    • AGEC 4710 Natural Resource Law and Policy
         
         

Plan B (Non-Thesis)

 

Core Requirements:

  • GEOG [G&R] 4280/5280 Quantitative Methods

  • GEOG [G&R] 5000 Research Perspectives

  • Any two of the following methods courses (6-8 cr)

    • GEOG [G&R] 4000 Terrain Analysis
    • GEOG [G&R] 4150 Cartography and Digital Map Design
    • GEOG [G&R] 4200 Geographic Information Sciences I
    • GEOG [G&R] 4210 Geographic Information Sciences II
    • GEOG [G&R] 4860/5860 Field Studies
    • GEOG [G&R] 4865/5865 Directed Studies/Research Problems

           

    A research seminar (4 credit maximum allowed in the core requirement)

    • GEOG [G&R] 5410 Soil Geomorphology
    • GEOG [G&R] 5790 Research Methods
       

  • Professional Papers and Examinations: All students must have committee approval to initiate research on their professional papers and must successfully complete an oral defense of their professional papers.  the student' committee may also require a written examination.