Ph.D. Program Requirements
The School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning admits students to its Geography Ph.D. program with either a Master's or Bachelor's degree in Geography or a related field. We welcome applicants without Geography degrees. Incoming students must demonstrate or attain competence in cartography and quantitative methods, and complete other basic coursework that will enable them to pursue graduate studies in their area of specialization.
Ph.D. students entering with a Bachelor's degree must complete 84 semester hours. These hours include 72 hours of coursework and research at ASU and 12 dissertation hours. PhD students entering with a Master's degree must complete 54 semester hours. These include 42 hours of combined coursework and research hours at ASU and 12 dissertation hours. The program for all Ph.D. students includes two required core courses (GCU 529 Geographic Thought , GCU 585 Advanced Research Methods ), two seminars (GCU/GPH 591 ), registration in colloquia for two semesters, and additional coursework or research hours as selected by the student in consultation with an advisory committee.
Note: Ph.D. students entering with a Bachelor's degree may earn a M.A. degree upon the successful completion of 30 semester hours at ASU, including two required courses (GCU 529 Geographic Thought , GCU 585 Advanced Research Methods) and one seminar (GCU/GPH 591 ), registration in colloquia for two semesters, and passing the School's Research Examination .
Steps toward the Ph.D. for students entering with a Bachelor's degree
To advance in the Ph.D. program, earn a M.A. degree, or both , post-Bachelor's Ph.D. students must:
Complete 30 hours of graduate course work, including the core course requirements, and receive a grade average of "B" or higher.
Pass the research examination in the School of Geographical Sciences. For more information, see Reseach Examination , below.
After completion of these criteria, students may do either or both of the following:
Students wishing to be awarded a Master's degree must complete the Application for Master's in Passing form. Obtaining the Master's degree does not guarantee approval to continue on to the second phase of the Ph.D. program.Students wishing to continue in the Ph.D. program must submit a written request to their examining committee and the Director. The committee will review the student's entire record in the program, including the research examination, and will recommend to the Director whether to allow the student to continue on to the second phase of the Ph.D. program.
Students who do not pass the research examination , or who prefer not to attempt the research examination, may petition the Graduate School to switch to the M.A. program, transfer their credits to it, and complete a Master's thesis.
Steps toward the Ph.D. for all students
Doctoral students in the Geography program complete the steps toward their Ph.D. in the following order:
Plan of Study: Ph.D. students file a plan of study (iPOS) with the School and the Graduate College. This document sets out coursework toward the Ph.D. degree and formalizes the composition of the supervisory committee . The iPOS should be completed no later than two semesters after admission. Research Examination: Ph.D. students prepare a statement of their specialization in geography and complete an intensive two-week research project culminating in a written paper, administered by the Graduate Research Examination Committee and the student's advisor. For more information, see Reseach Examination , below. Comprehensive Examination: Students take a written comprehensive exam intended to assess their mastery of geographic thought and methods, and their field of specialization. The comprehensive examination is administered by the student's advisory committee. The exam may be either an eight-hour "closed book" exam or a three-day take-home exam, at the discretion of the student's supervisory committee. If it is deemed necessary by the advising committee, an oral examination may be scheduled by the student’s advisor and would follow the written examination. Dissertation Proposal: Students defend their proposal for dissertation research to their advisory committee. Upon successful defense of the proposal, the student advances to candidacy for the Ph.D.Dissertation: The dissertation provides an opportunity for the candidate to address a major intellectual problem and conduct innovative research that will lead to scholarly products.Dissertation Defense: Once the full advisory committee approves the written dissertation, the advisor schedules an oral defense before the candidate's committee and guests. A copy of the dissertation must be made available in the School at least two weeks prior to the event. All Graduate College deadlines for scheduling the defense and submitting the completed dissertation must be adhered to. The candidate must pass the oral dissertation defense within five years of advancing to candidacy. Completion of the Ph.D.: Successful defense and revision of the dissertation constitutes completion of the Ph.D.
Composition and formation of the Ph.D. Supervisory Committee
A student's advisory committee must have a minimum of three members.
The chair (or co-chair) of the committee must be a member of the geography graduate faculty (see list ).
Other members of the committee must have regular faculty appointments in any ASU academic unit or be external scholars approved by the Graduate College.
The Director of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning and the Graduate College must approve the committee's composition.
Research Examination
The research examination tests the ability to do independent research. The examination is appraised on the ability to:
refine and hone a question into a manageable research problem
couch the research problem in appropriate literature(s)
acquire, organize, and synthesize relevant field information and data
demonstrate technical competence in geographic skills
express ideas, concepts, and lines of argumentation through clear, effective writing.
One re-examination may be permitted pending approval by the examining committee and the School Director.
For additional information, see the ASU Graduate College Policies on Ph.D. Requirements
