geography phd programs ranking

Doctor of Geography Programs in America

1-25 of 69 results

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

Graduate School

University of Southern California ,

Graduate School ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

UCLA College of Letters and Science

University of California - Los Angeles •

• • Rating 3 out of 5   1 review

University of California - Los Angeles ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars.

Read 1 reviews.

UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science

Berkeley, CA •

University of California - Berkeley •

Blue checkmark.

University of California - Berkeley ,

BERKELEY, CA ,

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College of Arts & Sciences - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC •

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill •

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ,

CHAPEL HILL, NC ,

College of Liberal Arts - University of Texas - Austin

Austin, TX •

University of Texas - Austin •

University of Texas - Austin ,

AUSTIN, TX ,

College of Natural Resources and Environment

Blacksburg, VA •

Virginia Tech •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   3 reviews

Current Master's student: I am currently enrolled in the online Masters of Natural Resources and I have been impressed with the curriculum so far! Great engagement with students and the material is challenging and fun! ... Read 3 reviews

Virginia Tech ,

BLACKSBURG, VA ,

3 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says I am currently enrolled in the online Masters of Natural Resources and I have been impressed with the curriculum so far! Great engagement with students and the material is challenging and fun! .

Read 3 reviews.

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Liberal Arts and Sciences - University of Florida

Gainesville, FL •

University of Florida •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

Master's Student: Overall, the University of Florida seems to be a great school as far as rankings and attendance rates go. Despite the political turmoil going on in the state of Florida, there seems to be a relatively strong student body of undergraduate students. Graduate students, however, are less cohesive. Likely due to politics, our graduate student union is in jeopardy, and it is so difficult to get the union membership to 60%. In the Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Law, we have a very low union membership status, which is somewhat ironic considering the nature of our disciplines. The demands of balancing an assistantship and academic career are exhausting, and even more so with limited resources (financial, emotional, etc.). The faculty turnover in the dept. is also insane, likely due to the political situation that seems to be driving out all faculty members of color. Lastly, financial support is incredibly limited. All things aside, the education that I am receiving is appropriate. ... Read 1 review

University of Florida ,

GAINESVILLE, FL ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Overall, the University of Florida seems to be a great school as far as rankings and attendance rates go. Despite the political turmoil going on in the state of Florida, there seems to be a... .

Pardee School of Global Studies

Boston, MA •

Boston University •

• • Rating 4.67 out of 5   6 reviews

Master's Student: Professors are highly qualified and have expertise in a variety of topics. The career advising and networking opportunities are fantastic. The staff truly care about students and their experiences and put a lot of effort into making everyone feel welcome. ... Read 6 reviews

Boston University ,

BOSTON, MA ,

6 Niche users give it an average review of 4.7 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Professors are highly qualified and have expertise in a variety of topics. The career advising and networking opportunities are fantastic. The staff truly care about students and their experiences... .

Read 6 reviews.

College of Letters & Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI •

University of Wisconsin •

• • Rating 4.22 out of 5   9 reviews

Alum: Aside from being really cold, UW-Madison is a great school. Needless to say, it is one of the top schools in the U.S. with a beautiful campus that has Lake Mendota and a lot of student life to enjoy. Academic was really good too, but given how the city is college town, you can feel the emptiness when students go back home during summer break. It is known as party school too with Mifflin Street Block Party. But it is also highly academically renowned school. So you can make your campus life as fun or as beneficial as you can. There are many gyms and libraries that can handle 40k + students. In addition, you have to check out Camp Randall, the football stadium and attend The MadHatters A Cappella show. I really miss this campus except for the weather. State street has many diverse restaurants that are authentic and delicious. One of the best campuses in the world. ... Read 9 reviews

University of Wisconsin ,

MADISON, WI ,

9 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says Aside from being really cold, UW-Madison is a great school. Needless to say, it is one of the top schools in the U.S. with a beautiful campus that has Lake Mendota and a lot of student life to enjoy.... .

Read 9 reviews.

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences - University of Illinois

Urbana, IL •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign •

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ,

URBANA, IL ,

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

Athens, GA •

University of Georgia •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   1 review

Current Doctoral student: Overall it is a pretty good program at a school that is really becoming an academic powerhouse. Being at the flagship school of the state helps with certain benefits and great networking opportunities. ... Read 1 review

University of Georgia ,

ATHENS, GA ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Current Doctoral student says Overall it is a pretty good program at a school that is really becoming an academic powerhouse. Being at the flagship school of the state helps with certain benefits and great networking... .

College of Letters and Science - UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA •

University of California - Santa Barbara •

University of California - Santa Barbara ,

SANTA BARBARA, CA ,

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College of Liberal Arts - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN •

University of Minnesota Twin Cities •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: The School has some management problems. However, the faculty are well trained and knowledgeable. The performance faculty are very well suited to serve the twin cities area and Minnesota as a whole. ... Read 2 reviews

University of Minnesota Twin Cities ,

MINNEAPOLIS, MN ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The School has some management problems. However, the faculty are well trained and knowledgeable. The performance faculty are very well suited to serve the twin cities area and Minnesota as a whole. .

Read 2 reviews.

University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences

Seattle, WA •

University of Washington •

University of Washington ,

SEATTLE, WA ,

College of Earth and Mineral Sciences - Penn State

University Park, PA •

Penn State •

Penn State ,

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA ,

The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences

Columbus, OH •

The Ohio State University •

Graduate Student: Not a bad place, good reputation but the College is cutting funds every year. Cutting funds within sociales sciences and humanities has been a problem that the college face every year. ... Read 1 review

The Ohio State University ,

COLUMBUS, OH ,

Featured Review: Graduate Student says Not a bad place, good reputation but the College is cutting funds every year. Cutting funds within sociales sciences and humanities has been a problem that the college face every year. .

College of Geosciences - Texas A&M University

College Station, TX •

Texas A&M University •

Texas A&M University ,

COLLEGE STATION, TX ,

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences - University of Maryland

College Park, MD •

University of Maryland - College Park •

University of Maryland - College Park ,

COLLEGE PARK, MD ,

College of Social Science - Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI •

Michigan State University •

Michigan State University ,

EAST LANSING, MI ,

College of Social Sciences and Public Policy - Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL •

Florida State University •

• • Rating 4.73 out of 5   11 reviews

Master's Student: FSU's graduate social work program is competitive & includes several experiential learning opportunities for online students. FSU ensures that online work does not equate to a compromise in education. The professors often include up-to-date lectures and utilize video forums for peer discussions which allows for a different modality of class engagement when synchronous learning is not possible. Additionally, the classes that I have enrolled in have encouraged me to critically analyze the field of social work and even the coursework being taught. I feel challenged in classes while also optimistic that students are encouraged to creatively problem-solve the field's current dilemmas. With the practical experience provided throughout the program it is important for students to consider their motivating influences for becoming a social worker which often includes forms of policy change. FSU offers an academic platform for students to explore such ideas via diverse coursework. ... Read 11 reviews

Florida State University ,

TALLAHASSEE, FL ,

11 Niche users give it an average review of 4.7 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says FSU's graduate social work program is competitive & includes several experiential learning opportunities for online students. FSU ensures that online work does not equate to a compromise in education. The professors often include up-to-date lectures and utilize video forums for peer discussions which allows for a different modality of class engagement when synchronous learning is not possible. Additionally, the classes that I have enrolled in have encouraged me to critically analyze the field of social work and even the coursework being taught. I feel challenged in classes while also... .

Read 11 reviews.

UC Davis College of Letters and Science

Davis, CA •

University of California - Davis •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: Very informative and hard-working staff, graduate students and faculty. Anthropology department is robust, first-rate and diverse. Faculty are continuously researching and dedicating time to advancing the field. ... Read 2 reviews

University of California - Davis ,

DAVIS, CA ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Very informative and hard-working staff, graduate students and faculty. Anthropology department is robust, first-rate and diverse. Faculty are continuously researching and dedicating time to... .

UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

College of arts & sciences - indiana university - bloomington.

Bloomington, IN •

Indiana University - Bloomington •

Indiana University - Bloomington ,

BLOOMINGTON, IN ,

College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment - University of Delaware

Newark, DE •

University of Delaware •

University of Delaware ,

NEWARK, DE ,

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs

Syracuse, NY •

Syracuse University •

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   6 reviews

Master's Student: Syracuse was my first choice for their Master's of Social Work program. I have yet to start the program, but I liked that they offered different types of internship options to finish the degree. ... Read 6 reviews

Syracuse University ,

SYRACUSE, NY ,

6 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Syracuse was my first choice for their Master's of Social Work program. I have yet to start the program, but I liked that they offered different types of internship options to finish the degree. .

Showing results 1 through 25 of 69

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2024 Best Geography & Cartography Doctor's Degree Schools

College Factual looked at 57 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Geography & Cartography Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 249 doctor's degrees in geography & cartography to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Geography & Cartography School for Your Doctor's Degree

Overall Quality Is a Must

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Early-Career Salaries

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on geography & cartography students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of geography & cartography students who choose to seek a doctor's degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Student Debt - How much debt geography & cartography students go into to obtain their doctor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized geography & cartography related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for geography & cartography students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Geography & Cartography Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings , including this Best Geography & Cartography Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Geography & Cartography in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in geography & cartography.

10 Top Schools for a Doctorate in Geography

It is difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in geography & cartography. UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of California - Los Angeles

Michigan State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in geography & cartography. Michigan State is a very large public university located in the small city of East Lansing. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from Michigan State University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a great choice for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in geography & cartography. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of California - Santa Barbara is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in geography & cartography. UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of California - Santa Barbara

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of Maryland - College Park

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the large city of Madison. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of Wisconsin - Madison

UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Davis. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of California - Davis

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from Ohio State University - Main Campus

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Athens. More information about a doctorate in geography & cartography from University of Georgia

Geography & Cartography by Region

View the Best Geography & Cartography Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best associate degrees in geography & cartography, best master's degrees in geography & cartography, best value in geography & cartography, best for non-traditional students in geography & cartography, best online in geography & cartography, most popular online in geography & cartography, best bachelor's degrees in geography & cartography, best overall in geography & cartography, highest paid grads in geography & cartography, best for veterans in geography & cartography, most popular in geography & cartography, most focused in geography & cartography.

View All Rankings >

Geography & Cartography Related Rankings by Major

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Geography & Cartography has other similar majors worth exploring.

Geography Focus Areas

Majors similar to geography, notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to Couleur . More about our data sources and methodologies .

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Areas of Study

• National Research Council Rankings
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Why Apply to Clark Geography’s Doctoral Program?

Please note: GREs are no longer required.

Established in 1921, the Graduate School of Geography at Clark is internationally renowned for innovative scholarship and is an acknowledged leader in the field. Consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 graduate programs by the National Research Council , Clark Geography enables graduate students to train with top professionals and participate in a world-class research community. Students are guaranteed tuition remission and graduate assistantships for eight semesters, paid at a nationally competitive rate ($28,853 for the 2023/2024 academic year) with fully funded health insurance, in order to foster a tight-knit, supportive intellectual community. Having awarded more Ph.D.s than any other geography program in the U.S., Clark Geography has a reputation for training future leaders in the field.

Our Close-Knit Community

The Graduate School seeks talented students with diverse backgrounds who can contribute to the atmosphere of innovation and collaboration that defines Clark Geography. The intimate atmosphere of a small urban university fosters close faculty-student relationships that are a key component of graduate study at Clark. The program offers a strong emphasis in both qualitative and quantitative analysis and the option to combine both in a research project.

Our objective is to produce scholars and other professionals whose research and pedagogy are path-breaking. We intend our students to contribute significantly to research and application in one of four main geography areas of focus:

• Human-Environment/Nature-Society Geography
• Urban-Economic Geography
• Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing
• Earth System Science

Within these areas of focus, we encourage an education of excellence and innovation across a number of areas of specialization:

• Climate change
• Economy and culture of cities
• Ecosystem ecology
• Environment and development
• Feminist geography
• Forest ecology
• Geographies of energy and extractive industries
• Geographies of social movements
• GIS and spatial analysis
• Global economic change
• Land change and sustainability science
• Land surface hydrology
• Political/cultural ecology
• Political economy
• Resource geography
• Social and spatial theory
• Urban geography
• Urban political
• Urban development

Program Timeline and Requirements

How long will it take to complete the Ph.D. in geography at Clark University? Can students who already hold master’s degrees enter the program? What are the requirements?

View University Overview: Doctoral Program in Geography Program Timeline Geography Ph.D. Program Handbook

Please note that the GRE exam is no longer required for this program.

Recent Dissertations

Our Ph.D. students conduct research across the world on issues ranging from the impact of mining on communities in South America to the decline of ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. For dissertation titles before 2012, visit the Burnham Index .

Prospective Doctoral Program Applicants

All prospective applicants for Clark University’s Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Geography should contact the department with any questions pertaining to the program or the application process, or to schedule a campus visit. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to contact faculty with whom they have aligning research interests.

Prospective applicants are welcomed and encouraged to visit the Graduate School of Geography, if possible. To learn more about the Clark University campus or about the Admissions process, visit the Graduate Admissions website. To request a visit to the Graduate School of Geography, please email [email protected] .

Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Doctoral Program in Geography

Explore Courses in the Geography Ph.D. Program

Graduate School of Geography

Jefferson Academic Center, Room 220 950 Main Street Worcester, MA 01610

• 1-508-793-7336
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Geography PhD

Geography is an inquiry into the patterns and processes that make up the surface of the Earth. It is a broad field of inquiry that, in our department, includes glaciers and climate change, the origins of agriculture and the evolution of plant life, the culture of cities and the dynamics of the global economy.

Such a wide range of themes gives each student great freedom to choose a research topic, develop an intellectual style, and select approaches to gathering evidence and making persuasive arguments. That freedom also includes opportunities to go outside of the department and make use of the tremendous resources of the campus as a whole. Our goal is to help each student find his or her own combination of intellectual rigor, creativity, and independence.

Ph.D. Program in Geography

The program is divided into three major areas:

• Global Development and Political Economy
• Earth System Science
• Geospatial Representation and Analysis

Within these domains, a wide range of faculty interests are represented, such as political ecology, economic geography, cultural geography, post-colonial studies, urban studies, geography of race and gender, climatology, geomorphology, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). Faculty members come with a broad spectrum of regional specialties as well, including Africa, South and East Asia, the Arctic, the Everglades and Mississippi Delta, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

The faculty has been expanded in recent years to include a number of affiliates in other departments with expertise in such fields as GIS, gender and social movements, natural resources, fluvial geomorphology, environmental engineering, landscape ecology, and urban planning.

Berkeley students are expected to be independent, and we welcome those who have had professional experience and wish to return to deepen their education. Students are encouraged to range freely through the curriculum and to follow their inspiration where it leads, working in tandem with faculty advisors. Students choose their own mentors, often utilizing two or three faculty in equal measure; these may include faculty affiliates and members from other departments.

While faculty have their own research agendas and teaching specialties, and often collaborate with students, we believe students should march to their own drummer. We expect students to read extensively, develop the necessary research skills, and produce well-crafted thesis and dissertation. Many students publish their findings along the way, as well. Berkeley Geography offers the highest quality graduate training for future scholars and teachers at the collegiate level, as well as for those going into professional careers in government, NGOs and consulting.

Contact Info

508 McCone Hall

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Department(s)

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 4, 2023

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

139 Comments

Top 20 graduate geography programs in the u.s..

February 25, 2012

[highlight color=”options: yellow, black”] This post was written in February 2012 . Since then I’ve posted  2013 Geography Program Rankings , 2014 GIS Graduate Program Rankings  and, more recently, 2015 Top Graduate Programs for Spatial Careers   . Please check out these newer rankings!    [/highlight]

I love lists and, especially, ranked lists.  Even though I never seriously considered going to medical school or engineering school I was always very interested to find out which programs were ranked at the top.  I routinely read the US News & World Report annual rankings of top colleges and graduate programs and I’ve since followed the Wall Street Journal and Economist MBA rankings.  When I became interested in pursuing a graduate degree in geography, I was disappointed to find that there were no publications that ranked graduate geography programs.  So, I’ve decided to create my own rankings and post them here.

The only available basis for developing rankings of graduate geography programs (that I’m aware of – please comment if you can suggest another good source) comes from the U.S. National Research Council’s survey of doctoral programs .  Although some have been critical of the methodology  used to develop the rankings, this is as good as it gets for small disciplines like geography.  [If you don’t like the rankings below, take my survey and let your opinion be counted!]

Unfortunately, because these rankings were produced by academic types who are masters of creating difficult-to-understand prose for publication in peer review journals, you almost need a PhD to interpret their rankings.  So, I’ve tried to clarify these rankings by simply aggregating them together to form a single ranking.  So, without further ado, here are my top 20 geography programs in the United States:

• Boston University   http://geography.bu.edu/
• University of Colorado   http://www.colorado.edu/geography/
• University of Maryland College Park   http://www.geog.umd.edu/
• University of California – Los Angeles   http://www.geog.ucla.edu/
• Penn State University  http://www.geog.psu.edu/grad/
• University of Oregon   http://geography.uoregon.edu/
• Clark University   http://www.clarku.edu/departments/geography/
• University of South Carolina – Columbia   http://www.cas.sc.edu/geog/
• University of California – Santa Barbara   http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/
• University of Wisconsin – Madison   http://www.geography.wisc.edu
• Ohio State University   http://www.geography.ohio-state.edu/
• Arizona State University   http://geography.asu.edu/
• University of California – Davis   http://ggg.ucdavis.edu
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign   http://www.geog.uiuc.edu
• University of Kentucky   http://www.uky.edu/AS/Geography/
• University of Southern California   http://www.usc.edu/dept/geography/
• University of Arizona   http://geog.arizona.edu
• Oregon State University   http://www.geo.oregonstate.edu
• Syracuse University   http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/geo
• State University of New York at Buffalo   http://www.geog.buffalo.edu/

Warning to prospective graduate students, selecting a graduate program is an individual decision and the top programs listed here may not be the best program for you.  There are many factors to take into consideration and this decision process is probably worthy of its own blog post, or a series of several blog posts.  At the very least, you should take a look at a recent copy of the AAG’s Guide to Geography Programs .

As I said, my methodology was very simple.  I summed the rankings from each of the categories where rankings were provided.  The ranked categories include R Rankings 5th percentile, R Rankings 95th percentile, S Rankings 5th percentile, S Rankings 95th percentile, Research Activity 5th percentile, Research Activity 95th percentile, Student Support and Outcomes 5th percentile, Student Support and Outcomes 95th percentile, Diversity 5th percentile and Diversity 95th percentile.  The program with the lowest sum was ranked first and the program with the highest sum was ranked last.  I used the S Rankings 5th percentile as a tie-breaker.

Full disclosure: I hold a PhD from the University of Oregon’s Department of Geography .  I tried to select a methodology that would prevent my bias from having an impact on the rankings but it’s probably impossible for me to avoid some bias in hopes of benefiting the good people associated with Oregon Geography. Go Ducks!

New rankings available!   2013 Geography Program Rankings ,  2014 GIS Graduate Program Rankings  and  2015 Top Graduate Programs for Spatial Careers . 

• graduate programs
• graduate school
• top graduate geography programs

Justin Holman is CEO of Aftermarket Analytics, where he leads efforts to develop cutting edge sales forecasting and inventory optimization technology for the Automotive Aftermarket. Prior to joining Aftermarket Analytics, Justin managed corporate consulting for the Strategy & Analytics division at MapInfo Corporation, leading major projects for retail clients including The Home Depot, Darden Restaurants, Bridgestone-Firestone, Sainsbury’s and New York & Company. Before that, Justin served as Vice President of Software Development at LogicTools, now part of IBM's supply chain application software group. Justin holds a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College, a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and an Executive Management certificate from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

[…] I posted my Top 20 Geography Department Rankings.  There were some big changes since the last time that the NRC produced rankings and I thought it […]

One advantage of a smaller discipline such as geography is that we do not have to depend on such mechanistic manipulations to decide what are the better graduate programs for a particular student. Your criteria are unclear (why 5th and 95th percentiles, too?). But more importantly a student should decide on a program of study based on shared philosophies (in how to approach the study of geography), environmental compatibility with the student’s quality-of-life preferences preferences (e.g., urban vs. college town), alignment with research interests of one or more professors (who also is willing to advise and mentor the student), overall reputation of the university (as this image will clue those outside of geography how to regard your degree), and other criteria, depending on what is important to the student. My advice would be to pick a graduate program with the advice of your professors from your undergrad university and to visit the graduate programs before or during the application process to get a feel for the reality of the department, which can never be boiled down to mere statistics.

Steven – Thank you for the comment. I mostly agree with your approach to selecting a good grad program. There are a lot of variables to consider. For example, if you’re ultimately after a PhD then nothing is more important than your dissertation advisor and the program is less important than the individual. However, it is important to some people to know how different departments stack up against one another. As the blog post mentions, the criteria are those selected by the NRC – as to why the 5th and 95th percentile you’ll have to take that up with them. I suspect some statistics nerd was on the committee and felt the need to show off. All I’ve done is summed up their different measures and compiled a single ranking. When I was a clueless 23-yr old trying to figure out where to go to grad school I would have been very happy to know something, *anything* about how various departments stack up. I suspect there are others that feel the same way. Remember, the majority of college students don’t even have access to a geography department at their own undergrad institution. There needs to be some “mechanistic manipulation” to help introduce potential geographers to key programs within the discipline. If you ask them to go read Johnston to figure out what philosophy they subscribe to they’ll skip past geography and become economists or geologists instead. Thanks again for your thoughts. Cheers, J.

I have a question to ask you as I saw ur profile through one of the Geospatial study. I am a B.E in Civil Engineering and want to know which career path will be best for me- either as a GIS analyst or GIS developer? I am very much confused.Just to let u knw, I dont have any training at all in any of computer programming language.

Vikash, this is a difficult question to answer without more information. Have you read my blog posts on these two career paths? http://www.justinholman.com/2012/03/31/geospatial-analyst-curriculum-guide/ http://www.justinholman.com/2012/03/29/spatial-career-guide-5-key-skills-for-future-gis-software-developers/ Once you’ve read these two, let me know which one sounds better. Also, are you good at math and statistics? If so, you might also consider becoming a “data scientist” and following the suggestions in one of these two posts: http://www.justinholman.com/2012/04/26/spatial-career-guide-spatial-statistician/ http://www.justinholman.com/2012/04/10/spatial-career-guide-geographic-information-scientist/ I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more specific follow up questions. Best wishes, Justin

I think the University of South Florida in Tampa/St. Pete should have been one of the top 20…regardless of the stats.

Hi Susan – why should U South Florida make the cut? I’d love to see you make your case here. Thanks for the comment!

Greetings from a 2005 Ph.D. grad and current academic at a regional public university in MD. My remarks here are framed by my positionality as a human geographer, but it seems to me that main issue here is the questionable focus on high dollar research grants, which inevitably favor departments heavy in physical and environmental expertise. This is the disease of trying to quantify everything and then declaring the quantified results as “scientific” and therefore above reproach. Alas, the social world is more complex than that…and our task here is to consider the full range of factors that make a department a great place to pursue geographical knowledge and confidently take a degree from that institution to march out into academe..likewise, the perception that matters-a murky and difficult notion to be sure-is BALANCE. In the broader field, I can say unquivocally the Boston University and UMD College Park are not regarded as top ten geography departments. Being great in one section of the discipline-however lucrative- is not enough. Consequently, Wisconsin, UCLA and Ohio State are very highly regarded by hiring committees (I have served on three of these in the last few years). CLark is also considered first-rate, and Texas (Austin) and Colorado enjoy a good level of prestige (another concept hard to quantify!). Where is U Washington and UC Berkeley?! These storied and balanced departments are superb and much better than SC, MD, BU. I find the East Coast emphasis a bit bizarre here, as the biggest and most well-endowed Geog. depts. tend to be in the Midwest, Southwest-Intermontaine and Pacific regions. For the record, I would put WISC, Berkeley and Clark as in top five, with the order variable by individual preference. Washington and Ohio State should also rank high. SUNY Binghamton, Buffalo, OKla and Okla State are excellent 10-20 rank choices. Arizona State is also very strong in both environ. and human-social geog.

As for advice, find a smart and emotionally mature advisor who will take an interest in you, be willing to work with you, WHO ACTUALLY WANTS YOU TO FINISH THE DEGREE AND NOT USE YOU, and who works in a department where your research methods are respected and honored (this is especially vital for those of you who pursue qualitative research methods in human geography).

I think your advice to look at individual advisors and compatibility (personal and professional) is vital…I agree with this. But well-rounded departments are better than technocratic ones. In short, an ethnographic methodology should be used to complement rigid paradigms of grant winning, which narrowly focused but big Depts. like UMD seem to thrive upon…

Happy Hunting to my future colleagues in professional geography. Best Jim Smith, Ph.D. 2005 Kent State U. Dept. of Geography Current: Associate Prof. Dept. of Geog. Towson Univ. (MD).

Jim – thank you for taking time to share your thoughts. I’m not sure we would see eye-to-eye on everything regarding quantification, “scientific” branches of geography and what constitutes balance in a department but I do agree with you that the NRC rankings represent just one perspective and shouldn’t constitute the final word. If and when I can find time, I’d like to conduct a separate survey to get a different perspective and set of rankings. My goal with all of this is to provide some useful information for prospective geography graduate students and I think your comments add significant value to the discussion. Thanks again!

[…] I compiled a ranking of the Top 20 Geography Departments in the US using the National Research Council’s assessment of doctoral programs.  There were some big […]

I didn’t even know Oregon had a geography program. 😉 Go Beavs!

I guess with the merger of geography at Oregon State into the Geosciences Department, I have little room to tease…..

Interesting list. Kind of expected SUNY and Penn State (and of course OSU) to be higher.

Steve, thanks for the comment! All I can say is that 2 decades of government work must have taken a toll. 😉 Check my new survey and you can move SUNY, Penn State and Beaver State up on the list: http://justinholman.com/2012/03/06/survey-what-are-the-top-geography-departments-in-the-us/ Cheers! -J.

Nearly three decades of government work was taken most of what little sanity I started out with. I looked at your new survey, but didn’t feel I really new enough about the programs across the country anymore to provide more than a populartity contest biased by my feeling about the schools sports teams. We both know where Oregon and Oregon State would end up there.

Actually I can’t imagine any job better than my position as a geospatial liaison with USGS. I get to work closely with the GIS community across two states, plus have at least some involvement with the research acitivites at four USGS Science Centers. Hopefully the ride will continue.

Steve – your USGS gig does indeed sound like a good one. Having been a USGS employee for a brief stretch I know that you probably have to wade through a lot of bureaucracy to get things done. Keep up the good fight! Best wishes, J.

I was surprise in seen Oregon State University on the 18th place I think it should be higher

Yuritzy, thank you for your comments. Can you make a case for Oregon State? Why should the program be ranked higher?

Justin, Yuritzy is an award-winning student in our Oregon State program, so it was nice to see her post. If you’d like a full case for Oregon State, you can see on at http://dusk.geo.orst.edu/Pickup/OrSt_Program_CV.pdf . Thanks again for this effort!

Dawn, thank you for posting this link to the Oregon State Geography “Programmatic CV”. Very impressive indeed!

[…] are not terribly consistent with the NRC-based rankings.  Penn State and Colorado make the top 5 in both lists (so far) but  there are major differences, […]

Hello, I would like to see all of the U.S. graduate geography programs ranked, or at least the top 100. I am curious to the ranking of Texas State University (one of the largest geography programs in the nation), the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Texas at Dallas (M.S. & PhD degree there is Geospatial Information Science rather than Geography).

I’d love to see that too. My current rankings are based on the NRC review. I also have a survey but not many responses. I’ll work on it and see what I can do. In the meantime, please take my survey to share your thoughts:

http://www.justinholman.com/2012/03/06/survey-what-are-the-top-geography-departments-in-the-us/

I am looking to attend graduate school to try to branch out from my current position as a Sr. GIS Analyst at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. They recently notified me that they would pay for my continuing education but the problem is I have no idea which of these schools offer online programs for geography (which seems to be limited unless it is for GIS). I am looking to get a Master’s in Geography or something else that would build on my Bachelors degree in Geography and my minor in Environmental Science. Over the years, I have come to the realization that GIS is a merely a tool and the work in our division has not allowed growth in the analytical aspect. Our work has remained more about the technical aspects and map production rather than building upon our overall skill sets. What do you suggest in terms of programs in the Chicago area or online programs nationwide that may point me in the right direction? My online searches have come up mostly empty and it seems any of the better programs would require me to leave the state and my job to pursue them. It would be nice if there were guidance counselors later in life that could help us with this research like there were when looking at colleges during high school(although I suppose there are life coaches out there)! Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Hi Thomas – it’s terrific that your employer has agreed to pay for continuing education. I can try to make some suggestions but it would help tremendously if you could indicate what you’re *most* interested in studying. Don’t think about what would help your career; focus on what you’d enjoy. Thanks, Justin

Hi Thomas – you should post to the AAG LinkedIn group, it’s pretty active. However, I second Justin’s advice: find something you want to work on. Grad school is a TON of work and stress, but also can be the best time of your life. You are (or should be) pursuing something that intrigues you, and you’re encouraged from all sides to ask questions, think about what interests you, to push yourself, learn, and revel in knowledge. At least, that’s been my experience. I often say it’s like being 5 again – faculty and colleagues are always telling you your thoughts and interests are important and interesting. So find something you’re passionate about. Read some geography journals, revisit the things that excited you as an undergrad, and maybe google “online geography master’s.” Jim Smith makes some good points too – this is a BROAD field. You may find 5 schools that have amazing physical programs but really lack in the human, and vice versa. Anyone looking for a grad program needs to find the right fit, but I think because our discipline is particularly variable, well, honestly I think lists like this aren’t very useful. Maybe top 20 human/theoretical geog programs, top 20 physical might be more useful. But even then, you may find your perfect committee at a school that ranks at the “bottom” of all lists, but if they have the resources and knowledge and personalities that are the best fit for you, maybe that’s what you should go for. If you want to go for a PhD later, you might want a bigger name school? I don’t know this part of it, really, but my main point is only you can figure out what you want to study, what will be fascinating enough to pull you through the late nights, journal rejections, and other stresses. People can help you find information to help you make that decision, and help you find programs that fit, but we can’t make the initial choices for you. Sounds like you’re at the very beginning of your search. Good luck!

Hi Alanna – thanks for your suggestions for Thomas. I agree with everything you said other than “lists like this aren’t very useful”. If nothing else, this list is helping to facilitate a conversation about how to select a good geography program. Aside from that, I think rankings serve as a good starting point for people new to the discipline. Like it or not *perception* of program quality matters…quite a bit, in fact. It would be unfair to pretend that a Master’s degree in Geography from the University of South Florida will be held in the same regard as the same degree from UC Santa Barbara (or any one of the other programs on the list above). No disrespect meant toward U South Florida, a great university and probably a terrific geography program, but the faculty at UCSB happens to have some of the very top geographers in the world. Most organizations that hire geographers will be aware of the difference. Students entering these programs should be made aware of the same perceptions so they can go into the field with their eyes open.

Hi Justin, Thank you for this article and all the comments. The replies are thought-provoking, insightful and useful to someone like me who wants to change careers but is unsure about returning to school. I’m curious about geography but have been out of the college environment for more than two decades and don’t have a clue how to evaluate an educational program, or even if I should pursue one.

I would like to know more about comments such as:

From Steven D: “a student should decide on a program of study based on shared philosophies (in how to approach the study of geography), environmental compatibility with the student’s quality-of-life preferences preferences (e.g., urban vs. college town), alignment with research interests of one or more professors (who also is willing to advise and mentor the student), overall reputation of the university (as this image will clue those outside of geography how to regard your degree), and other criteria, depending on what is important to the student.”

From Jim Smith: “consider the full range of factors that make a department a great place to pursue geographical knowledge … find a smart and emotionally mature advisor who will take an interest in you, be willing to work with you, WHO ACTUALLY WANTS YOU TO FINISH THE DEGREE AND NOT USE YOU, and who works in a department where your research methods are respected and honored (this is especially vital for those of you who pursue qualitative research methods in human geography). I think your advice to look at individual advisors and compatibility (personal and professional) is vital” From you/Justin: “indicate what you’re *most* interested in studying. Don’t think about what would help your career; focus on what you’d enjoy.” and also your entire response to Katy. Is there some kind of fool-proof or systematic approach, before you enroll in a program, to find those shared philosophies, emotionally-mature and professionally-and-personally compatible advisors, enjoyable topics of study, etc. described by Steven and Jim? I would imagine advisors are busy people who don’t have time to be quizzed or courted by tire-kickers.

In my city, there seems to be a push to get professors, students and other evangelists out into the community to recruit for their schools and their programs. But how do you really know before you enroll that you’re not just getting a sales pitch or that the program is right for you? Are the professors and students obligated to go out and do this type of PR and marketing?

I need to know what to ask, whom to ask and how to find these people.

Is there a list of interview questions one should ask (and to whom) or some kind of matchmaking service, or is it all based on online searches, individual networking and personal judgment? I already have a 20-year-old B.A. (Art and English) but it never led me to either a job I loved or a livable wage. Consequently, ten years later I returned to school for advanced training. The second time around, I chased the money (got into software dev) and although it got me to a decent wage, the decision left me with an ill-fitting, high-stress and dissatisfying career.

I don’t want to give up on higher education because I had such a great time in undergrad school, but I don’t want to make another expensive mistake. How do I try before I buy?

Thanks for any further advice you can offer here. I feel rather silly asking such rudimentary questions, but as I stated in the beginning, I’m clueless.

Hi Pam – I’d be glad to try and help. But, before I respond, perhaps you could provide a few more details on your background, interests, ideas – what is your “vision” for your career change? That would enable me to provide appropriate context. Also, have you read my 6 spatial career paths series? If so, did you see one that is most appealing? Let me know. Thanks, Justin

In addition to the NRC survey of doctoral programs, another source of data is the Academic Analytics Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, which is updated more regularly. An interesting aspect (deficiency?) of the NRC ranking is the fact that most of the data was collected in late Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 for the 2005-2006 academic year. While this is the most updated NRC information, the data is static and dated. For example, the University of Southern California’s geography program shows up in the NRC list and in your ranking, but the program itself does not exist anymore. That being said, your blog entry and updates are very interesting and I will refer students here to get a better sense of how these sorts of lists “work”.

Hi Z – thanks for this comment and for the information regarding the scholarly productivity index and USC’s geography department. I see that USC’s department seems to have been replaced by a more technical Master’s degree and a “spatial” institute. Thanks again for reading and please let me know if you have any further suggestions. Best, Justin

Hello, I’m coming from outside the U.S., look for the PhD program in geographic information systems in America, I have no adequate language, will be joined a program for English language, I want to help me in the best universities in this area, what do you think the University of Cincinnati? sorry for the bad language . thank u .

Hi Awatif – I’d be happy to try to help you but it may be a challenge given the language barrier. I don’t know much about the University of Cincinnati’s GIS program. The most important factor for a PhD program is the faculty advisor. Do you have a list of professors you’d like to work with? If not, that’s the best place to start. I will send an email directly to you with other ideas. Thanks and best of luck! -Justin

This information is invaluable. When can I find out more?

What else are you looking for?

I’m an undergrad double majoring in economics and international trade at UB (University at Buffalo). This fall, the geo dept. made international trade a major…and a masters level degree. I’m pretty sure it’s the only program of its kind right now (I’ve tried looking for others without any success). The geo dept. at UB is absolutely fantastic. Hardcore research being done on earthquakes (we even have an earthquake lab where both geo and engineering students work together). UB can be underrated by its own students because, all being from mostly new York, don’t realize that it’s a fantastic university. I’m an out of stater…and the school has an international population of about 20-25%…which is large for a school that has 30,000 kids. I’m glad to see my department ranked very highly on this list (yeah it’s 20…but that still means we’re top 1% or higher in higher education)

David – congrats on finding yourself at an excellent University with one of the very best Departments of Geography in the US and the World. Thanks for the comment and best of luck! Cheers, Justin

I’m a junior right now studying geography at FSU. I tanked my GPA my first two years, but I’m really trying to turn it around. What do you think I could do to make up for this and hopefully have a shot at a program of this caliber? I’m not sure where to even start looking for internships that would be in this field. Also, an earlier poster said they thought USF should be in the top 20, do you have any reason to agree?

Hi Katy – your GPA won’t dictate your future and it won’t prevent you from getting into a top geography program. But, you will need to really shine in some other way. I have 2 recommendations. (1) You *must* do well on the GRE. Plan to take it more than once. Plan to study a lot. Plan to take practice tests and, if you don’t get a great score on your own, pay for a course to help improve. (2) Find a professor at FSU who is willing to work with you and get involved in their research. Volunteer to do some data entry work or whatever to get started. Read the literature in the professor’s area of expertise. Try to do enough to justify getting your name on a paper or two as a co-author. This would certainly set you apart as an undergrad applying to a graduate program. It should also help you get a very solid letter of recommendation from the professor.

Even if you do everything you can you may not be able to attend a top program, for whatever reason. Don’t worry about it. You can get a great education and launch a successful career from programs that aren’t considered top tier. And, if you’re interested in a PhD you can improve your standing by doing solid work as a Master’s student and then apply to a top PhD program.

Re USF. I don’t really know much about the program. It may be a rising star and a future top program. However, I don’t think it would currently be considered a top 20 program by most people within the discipline. *But, that doesn’t matter* What matters is finding a great professor who can teach/mentor you so you’re ready to solve important problems and innovate once you graduate and begin your career. You can do that in many places. Best wishes! Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. -J.

Thank you so much for your very informative response! I have a few questions if you don’t mind… Testing happens to be an area that I can excel. What would you considering doing “well” on the GRE for a top program? And I never thought of getting involved with a professor, that sounds like a great route! Like you said, I will obviously face a lot of obstacles and may realistically not be eligible for top programs, do you know of any less competitive grad schools that may still have a great program? Again thank you so much for all of your answers.

Hi Katy – I don’t really know what would be considered a good score. The format has changed since I took the test and what constitutes a good score will vary by program and applicant pool. The key with the GRE is to have a good enough score that you will make it past the first cut. An admissions committee has to review a lot of applications so they have to look for ways to limit the field. GRE scores are the easiest ranking criterion so a low score can remove you from the list of candidates that are given a more in-depth look. The flip side is that you don’t need the very top score, not that it would hurt, but you should be in the top third of the applicant pool or, with lower grades, you’ll be vulnerable.

Re less competitive grad schools. I think you’d probably be well served to talk to your professors and find out where they think you could gain admission. They will have a better handle on your chances. That said, I would consider the following 3-part strategy. (1) I would apply to several programs but only to research-oriented Universities that offer a PhD program. The reason to limit applications to research universities is because you are far more likely to find a professor with grant funds available to support graduate students. (2) I would look at Universities in locations that may not be as desirable to some applicants. UC Santa Barbara may be inundated with applicants who not only want to attend a top program but may also envision good times on the beach in Isla Vista. Same with U. Colorado, Washington, Boston, etc for different reasons (cool college town or urban environment). On the flip side, Buffalo also has an outstanding program but I would guess that the admission rate is higher because some people would shy away from the harsh winters. So, maybe focus on the upper Midwest, if you’re flexible? (3) As I’ve written elsewhere the number one key to grad school is identifying a great advisor who can serve as a research mentor. Your top priority should be finding the right advisor who has a vibrant research program. Ideally, your advisor would already be tenured (so you don’t have to worry about them being forced out or moving elsewhere before they go up for tenure review) but perhaps not yet a full Professor (so they’re still hungry and not globe trotting to give lectures and accept awards). Associate Professors are ideal, in my opinion.

If you pursue this diligently, and have a bit of luck along the way, I think you’ll land on your feet and find yourself with an exciting, satisfying career. But, you’ll need a lot of drive, both to get through a grad program and to land a position on a good career track after graduation. Again, check with your professors at FSU who have a better perspective on all this. Getting advice from an academic is particularly critical if you dream of a professor gig.

Hope this helps! Cheers, J.

Along with many others, I have enjoyed this post and following discussion. I have a bit of a different type of question. I am currently an undergraduate double-majoring in wildlife ecology and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am an older returning student and as a result of necessarily working primarily for money during the summer/semesters I have little experience in my desired field of conservation.

After I graduate in May, I have been considering enrolling in the one-year GIS graduate capstone program here at UW to add value to my education. I feel that added skill will aid me in getting a job and differentiate me from those simply with an undergraduate degree and help to make-up for my lack of experience.

I am interested in obtaining a master’s, potentially a Phd at some point in geography, conservation biology, or environmental sciences, but I would prefer to see what is out there to find what is the best fit for my interests before taking that leap.

My idea is that this capstone will help me get into the field by obtaining a job out west (maybe Oregon), establish residency and my interests and move on from there. Do you feel this is a sound plan? Would a graduate-level capstone in GIS at UW be a significant upgrade to simply taking a couple classes in GIS during my undergrad to employers? Is it worth the extra time and cost? My GPA is quite good and I have a number of well-respected professors and a couple researchers willing to be references and give positive recommendations.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Hi Jesse. Thanks for reading and for submitting this question. I suspect there are many others facing similar situations. Based on what you’ve told me here I would advise against the capstone program. Instead, I would recommend two things: (1) apply for jobs/internships/opportunities to break into your desired field of conservation and (2) apply to standard 2-yr Master’s programs in Geography (or other disciplines) where funding may be available. Here’s why. First, if you want a job in conservation why not go straight for it? The most relevant learning, GIS and otherwise, will be on-the-job so that would be the best possible education and you would be getting paid. Second, the capstone is a non-degree program. If you’re thinking grad school and possibly a PhD, I think your year would be better spent pursuing a legitimate Master’s degree rather than a certificate. A Master’s would open more opportunities, allow you to pursue your interests in GIS and may allow you to pay your own way with a teaching or research assistantship. Working as a graduate assistant in an academic department is the preferred way to go about grad school. It’s actually a job where, although you’ll live on a shoestring, you won’t be going into debt and you’ll have the opportunity to interact with professors as a colleague instead of as a student. That’s where the real learning takes place. In the current environment, obtaining a good job offer and/or admission to a graduate program with funding may be a big challenge but I think those are better avenues to pursue. If neither one works out, then I still think that working in whatever job you can find (restaurant, coffee shop, etc or, better yet, an on-campus job in computer support or whatever) and pursuing self-study aggressively while searching for a good job in conservation or re-applying to grad school would be a better path. All this depends of course on some assumptions I’ve made about your financial situation and your stated career objectives. There are always more complicating details in any individual situation. Feel free to email me directly if you’d like to discuss further. Best of luck! -Justin

Thanks for this post. Really informative. I want to ask a direct question and I want a direct answer based on your opinion.

Which career path in geography is the most profitable (financial-wise, wages & salary) and what is the annual salary range?

Also what are the chances of getting a scholarship for a graduate program in a geography related program?

Hi Jay. I enjoyed reading your question and I’ll do my best to provide a direct answer. All else being equal I think your best bet for a financially lucrative career in geography would be to pursue the spatial statistician path that I describe in this post: http://www.justinholman.com/2012/04/26/spatial-career-guide-spatial-statistician/ . To maximize your earning potential I would suggest that you pursue geography and math or computer science as an undergrad – maybe a double major or major/minor combo and a Master’s degree in statistics where the program offers spatial statistics coursework at the grad level. And, of course, you should take coursework in GIS, programming and visualization. Coming out of the grad program I think you could reasonably expect a salary in the $50-60k range with opportunities to double that within 5-7 years after graduation if you’re good, hard-working and passionate about what you’re doing day-to-day. A bit of luck in finding a good organizational fit wouldn’t hurt. As with all private sector careers, long term earnings will depend more on your ability to work/communicate with people, to think like an entrepreneur and to negotiate compensation than on your technical abilities. Hope this helps! Best, Justin

My name is Letícia, I am from Brazil and recently applied to the PhD in Geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My GPA and TOEFL scores were very good, I have strong recommendation letters and a good CV. However, my GRE scores were not so great. Does anyone knows what is the minimum score to get in? Is that a determinant? Thanks in advance for your attention. Best.

Hi Leticia – a good GRE score is important but it’s not a good indicator for all applicants due to cultural bias. As an applicant coming from Brazil a good admissions committee should be able to recognize that the GRE won’t do a very good job of predicting how likely you are to be successful in graduate school. So, I don’t think a low score will hurt you too much. That said, I’ve heard from faculty I know in a few geography departments that it’s very competitive admissions climate at the moment. A large number of applicants are competing for only a few spots so you won’t be guaranteed admission even if you have a truly outstanding GRE score and everything else is in great shape as well. Plus, Wisconsin is one of the best geography programs in the world so it won’t be easy. If you don’t get in this year don’t give up! A good strategy could be to attend a smaller, less well-known program to obtain a Master’s degree and then re-apply. The key is to have a faculty advisor who is well-established in the geography community and who is willing to advocate for your admission to a top PhD program. Good luck!

Hi Justin! Thanks for your reply! I understand that this program is one of the best and its very competitive! I am very anxious about the results. I already have a masters degree obtained from a Brazilian University, so in that case I don´t know if it would be very productive for me to obtain a second one. However, it could be a strategy. What I am hoping is that the advisor I have indicated will defend my admission! It definitely won´t be easy! Best.

Leticia – I don’t really know how your Master’s from Brazil will be viewed by a PhD admissions committee. I think it will depend on the University and department you attended and your Master’s thesis (if you completed a research project). Are you planning to do research in Brazil or involving Brazilian culture or physical geography? This would likely be viewed favorably and give you an advantage, especially if there’s a professor in the Wisconsin program with interests in Brazil or South America. Again, best wishes! -Justin

Hi! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after going through some of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m certainly delighted I discovered it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often!

Thanks, Porter!

Helpful information. Lucky me I discovered your website by accident, and I’m stunned why this twist of fate did not came about earlier! I bookmarked it.

Glad you found me!

BU is my alma mater so it is nice to see them as #1 (they were #27 I think when I was there). But then why did BU drop the word “geography” from the name of the department? It is now Earth and Environment after merging with geology…

Hi David, My understanding is that they are more or less focused on the physical side of geography but I see on their website that they offer graduate programs in “Geographical Sciences” and undergraduate majors in human geography and physical geography, among others: http://www.bu.edu/earth/about/ Cheers, J.

This site is absolutely awesome because it gives information one never learns in class and one never gets from one of the career publications out there.

In my case I studied geography at the undergrad level and had a GIS certificate. I then “bumped” into the systems analyst line of work immediately upon graduation and because it paid well, I stuck with it. When my employer paid 100% of my graduate tuition, I had no choice but to pick a program more aligned with the work (Software Eng). This also meant I never worked a single day in anything to do with geography.

But I have always been dying to get back into Geography. What is the best way to reach you if one needed to ask a question with perhaps more details?

Dan, thanks for the feedback! Glad you like the site. Please follow me on twitter: @justinholman and then send a Direct Message. Or, you can send email to justin DOT holman AT gmail DOT com. Thanks again! -J.

I am an undergraduate Geography student at Ohio University. This list seems to be a great reference tool as I apply for grad school. Ideally, I would like to live in Oregon or Washington. My GPA is currently a 3.2, I have about two semesters to improve it…. and I need funding from the university I attend. I understand that there are many different factors regarding admission. But I would love to know what you think my chances are of getting into U of O, Oregon State, or Washington. I’ve done quite a bit of research into the faculty members of each university and it looks like all three would be a great fit. Assuming that my GRE score is respectable… do you think a 3.2 GPA will qualify me for admission? Please let me know if you have any advice.

Steven, from what I can gather from my colleagues it is a very challenging time to gain admission to a good graduate program. This is primarily due to the huge number of applicants flooding many graduate programs. I know this is true at Oregon and I’m assuming it’s true at Oregon State and Washington as well. Your 3.2 GPA is not going to help you much but it shouldn’t preclude your chances of admission either. My advice is to (1) work hard to get an outstanding GRE score as this will help you float to the top of the long list of applicants; (2) work with one of your professors at Ohio U. on a research project and, ideally, get your name on a publication; and (3) know what you want to study and who you want to study with so you can craft a rock-solid personal statement articulating your plan for graduate study and why a particular program makes sense for you. To be honest, I doubt that Oregon, Oregon State and Washington would *all* be a good fit for any specific, well crafted research plan. I say this because Washington is really a different sort of geography program with a different approach and philosophy that isn’t terribly similar to what’s offered at Oregon and Oregon State. And I don’t mean to imply that any downside exists – all 3 are great universities with outstanding geography scholars – but I’d be a bit surprised if you have a research focus that is well represented in all 3 geography programs (unless you’re thinking of a different department at one or more of the schools). If you’d like, let me know what you’re interested in doing in grad school and beyond and I may be able to provide some more specific guidance. Best wishes, Justin

[…] a year ago I posted a ranking of top geography programs based on the NRC survey of U.S. doctoral programs.  There were some complaints about the rankings, […]

You made some decent points there. I looked on the net to find out more about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this web site.

Thanks for the comment!

Hi…am an undergraduate of Geography and environmental sciences in a Nigerian university,i intend pursuing a graduate programe in medical geography outside my country preferably in any european univ. And i need your advice on how to go about it.currently in my finals with a 3.86 GPA,got jst a few months to go.if possible i’d prefar any with a scholarship scheme to help assist myself.tnx.anticipating ur rply.

Hi David, I don’t know much about geography programs in Europe. If you are interested in studying Medical Geography in the U.S. I would recommend that you take a look at Buffalo, but only if you’re highly quantitative. North Carolina and Illinois also come to mind. Best wishes, Justin

Hi… my son is a rising senior in High School and just announced his intention to major in Geography. I think it’s a great fit for him. I’m on-line searching out undergrad programs in Geography because his announcement has made most of our college list obsolete. Any advice on undergrad programs? We are attacking this late in the game. Thanks!

Hi Barb – Dartmouth, Middlebury and Macalester are all cream of the crop undergrad programs if you prefer a liberal arts setting and can afford tuition. Any of the major Universities listed as a top program would be a good choice, exposing your son to research in the field. But, there are so many factors that go into selection of an undergraduate college or University. Where do you live? Your state University may be the best option, especially from a financial standpoint. At the undergrad level, in my opinion, it’s better to seek out an environment where your son will thrive and be successful academically rather than just looking for the best program. I can’t pass up the opportunity to recommend my home department at the University of Oregon. It’s relatively small and collegial but also provides exposure to top-notch researchers in a variety of sub-disciplines including environmental change, political geography, GIScience and Cartography, to name a few. Let me know if I can help further. All best, Justin

Hi Justin, I am working as a postdoc in the University of Michigan in the Department of Human genetics as a J1 VISA. My wife is coming with dependent VISA (J2) this November. She has Master’s Degree in Geography from India. She has been working as a school teacher (Class: XI-XII level) for 11 years. I know my wife can work with J2 VISA in USA. Would you please tell me what types of jobs she can get with her degree (Master’s in Geography from India) or with her experience (11 year school teacher in India)? I would be happy if you please give some suggestions regarding this matter. Thanks, Mrinal

Hi Mrinal, thanks for the note. Since your wife has a lot of teaching experience I think her best bet would be to search for teaching positions. Targeting private schools will likely be the best route since public school positions will require credentials issued by government agencies. There are a number of excellent private schools in Ann Arbor and Detroit Metro but I suspect that teaching positions in the area are relatively difficult to obtain. A great deal will depend upon her communication skills. Unless she has experience in applied geographic analysis techniques I’m not certain what other areas she might pursue. One possibility would be to attempt to break into the retail location analytics consulting industry. To do this she would need to demonstrate aptitude with demographic data, general mapping concepts and basic statistics. And she would need to become very familiar with the cultural geography of the U.S. There are a few companies in SE Michigan that provide these services and may have openings. Yet another possibility might involve creating and teaching a course on the Geography of South Asia. This could involve working with a local community college or University or simply developing an on-line curriculum using simple blogging software like WordPress. Maybe I’ll be her first student! I suspect it won’t be easy to make the transition but if she’s energetic, creative and flexible she will find something. Hope this helps! Best wishes, Justin

Hi Justin, Thank you very much for your precious suggestion. I have another question, how easy to get Ph.D. position after clearing GRE/TOEFL, how about funding/financial support and how easy to get job after completing Ph.D. Since I am from biological background, I know about these question in my field but I don’t have any idea about Geography. Thanks again, Mrinal

Mrinal, it’s not too easy I’m afraid. Last I heard from active faculty they report a very high number of applicants for each spot in a graduate program so the competition is pretty tough. That said, if you are flexible on location and can demonstrate skills and interests in a sub-discipline (particularly one with good sources of grant funding) you should be able to find a fit. Funding, in exchange for teaching or research, typically comes along with admission to PhD programs. Jobs as a professor in a geography department aren’t easy to find either but if you’re committed and have built a nice cv during grad school there seem to be openings that come along. Again, you have to be flexible, at least short term, about where you’re willing to live. Hope this helps too! Best, JH

Hi Justin, I am a PhD applicant and intend to apply at Kansas State University for Fall 2014. Please can you let me know whether all Geography PhD programs arrange interviews before admitting students ? Thanks, Soma

Hi Soma, I don’t know about interview requirements – I suspect that it varies by program. That said, I would recommend interviewing in person as a PhD would involve a major investment of your time and energy and you want to find a good fit. It is especially important to find a good advisor who will help you achieve your objectives. Hope this helps. Best, JH

Hi Dr. Justin, My name is Levi Bonnell and I am a masters student at the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Denver concentrating in epidemiology. In my first year I took a GIS course and realized immediately the applicability to health research. I ended up doing some descriptive mapping over the summer in Tanzania for my practicum experience and TA-ing a course using Quantum. Anyway, I am fascinated with this field and am considering doing my PhD in Geography/GIS/Health Geography; however, I don’t plan on doing this immediately. What would you recommend as relevant experience during my interim period to help get into a top geography department? Also, would you recommend R as the most compliant software for spatial statistics? Would you recommend having python experience since it is the language of arc?

Thank you kindly, Levi

p.s. Thanks for the post! I had no idea during my undergrad and masters at CU that my school was among the leaders in geography!

Wow, going through these queries and replies makes me nervous! I’m a Political Science master’s graduate specializing in international relations focusing on conflicts, peace, security and development, with six publications – academic journal and policy briefs. I did Geography at undergraduate and loved it. I want to go back to geography. I’m currently working on my PhD application in in this area. I want to specialize in GIS. I want to apply GIS technologies to help resolve conflicts and enhance security in Africa. I’m not particularly looking for the best of geography schools in the U.S., it should be a decent one with decent programs. All the schools I was targeting seem to be the worst in terms of high influx of applications. I’m looking for a school with decent programs in GIS and Political Geography/Geopolitics/Political Ecology, where I can work with faculty specializing in both GIS and resource-based conflicts such as the land, water, natural minerals, and etc. I have identified U. of Wisconsin and Oregon State U. It does not seem like I’m gonna make it though. Can you recommend other schools; they do not necessarily have to be the best. TJ in South Africa.

Hi TJ – thank you for the comment. Instead of searching for a geography program, you need to be looking for the right geography professor to become your advisor. Ideally, you would identify a professor in a PhD granting department who has expertise in GIS, political geography *and* Africa. No small task. My advice would be to do some research on your topic of interest – this will give you a taste of life as a PhD student and it should help you identify some of the key players in your area of research interest. Look up anyone who seems like they might be doing the sort of work you want to do and find out more about the programs offered in their home department. If you find a fit I would go ahead and email and/or phone the professor to inquire about admissions to the PhD program and possible funding opportunities. As I’ve mentioned here and elsewhere the choice of advisor is more important than just about anything else when it comes to PhD program selection. Hope this helps. Best wishes, Justin

[…] years I have produced rankings for the top graduate geography programs in the U.S.  You can see my 2012 NRC-based rankings and my 2013 rankings in previous […]

The ranking is very problematic. Boston, UCD and Oregon State were ranked for earth/environmental sciences, not really geography. UCD does not even have a geog. dept. U Maryland cheated by adding temporary researchers as faculty.

Hi Kevin – The 2012 rankings were based on NRC data. Did you see my 2013 Rankings which included other factors? http://www.justinholman.com/2013/03/18/2013-top-20-graduate-geography-programs-in-the-us/

Hello Justin,

I have a question for you, what happened to UNC at Chapel Hill, is still a good department for graduate studies? Especially those related to climatology, which has been good in the last 20 years or so?

I have seen that some departments require GRE while others not, for example UCLA does not, which is quite interesting.

Kind regards

Hello! Sorry I must have missed this comment a few days ago. Yes, UNC Chapel Hill seems to be an excellent department. I don’t know much about their climatology faculty but I’ve never heard anything bad about the department. I do know that Michael Emch, current Chair, has made some very nice contributions in the “geohealth” area and has produced some successful grad student outcomes along the way. Not sure about the GRE requirements and how they may have changed. I would plan to take the test very seriously as, in my limited experience, GRE scores are the only reasonable way to rank/sort applicants (whether it’s fair or not is a separate question) when you have far more applications than spots available. Hope this helps! Best wishes, Justin

Hello Mr. Holman

I am an undergrad student in Rural Surveying and Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece (N.T.U.A). When i was a freshman i wasn’t really happy with the school i ended up with because it wasn’t my top choice and i almost dropped the classes for like 2 years. Then i realized that i need to finish this school whether i liked it or not else id have no work future at all! I started attending classes until i reached a gis class which i really enjoyed and found very interesting. So now i am in the 6th year of the bachelor’s program (out of 5 minimum) and i think i will need one more to complete it. As i am searching on the web for rankings on gis- geography master’s degrees in the US but like you’ve mentioned, there are not any rankings on the geography discipline besides the one from NRC. So question number 1: if i pay to get full access on the usnews website to get full access to ranking data and statistics, will that maybe unlock geography as a discipline and provide separate ranking just for geography grad schools? Also, while surfing on various geography grad school sites, i have noticed that all of them require a minimum of 3 gpa. Here in Greece our grades range from 0-10. With simple math 3/4= 7,5/10 BUT my early college year slacking and lazyness has resulted to a 6,5/10 gpa. The good thing is that in the last semester students have to complete a project with a supervising professor (like a big thesis) which counts as 20% of the overall degree grade, which is quite a good boost. I must also note that in my school grades like 9 and 10 are considered a taboo for professors even if you study hard and never miss a class! So comparing grades from one country to another is not always fair in my humble opinion. Do you think admission committees share the same thought when it comes to International applicants like myself? And finally, do you think acing the GRE and the TOEFL, going to national geography congresses just for the certificate of attendance and having a strong letter of purpose can increase my chances of being accepted to a top 20 geography grad school?

P.S Sorry for the long post

Hi Stelios, thanks for submitting these questions. My guess is that many undergrads have similar questions. Answer #1: Unless something has changed recently US News & World Report does not publish geography grad school rankings. So don’t waste money purchasing full access. Answer #2: Yes, most admissions committees will take your individual circumstances into consideration but only if you make the first cut. GPAs are difficult to compare in general, even between US schools. So, for better or for worse, the GRE becomes the easiest way to rank applicants. Aside from GRE scores there may be key recommendations (e.g., a letter from a professor who is closely connected to a faculty member) or other unique qualifications (e.g., early publication in a key journal) that push someone’s name to the top of the queue. After that, an admissions committee would comb through personal statements and recommendation letters in an attempt to identify the best applicants. So, yes, acing the GRE (and the TOEFL) will most certainly improve your chances. I don’t know about the national geography congress certificate – my guess is that it won’t make any difference unless it’s a key factor for a recommendation letter. One last note – don’t limit your focus to “top 20” programs. The best program for you may well be a department that’s not on the list. Think about your research interests and try to find a professor or faculty that will provide you with the appropriate expertise. Also, if you are shooting for a PhD you may be better off completing a Master’s at a smaller program where you will receive more attention and then look at top programs for your doctoral studies. Hope this helps. Best wishes, Justin

Thanks for the quick response!

This is Hafiz from India. presently my daughter is studying 3rd year 2nd sem in GIS(Bachelor of Technology) from Andhra University, she like to pursue Ms in GIS from US and likes to do service in Remote sensing or satellite launching back in India. now she is taking classes for GRE and TOEFL. we are planning for 2015 August. Could you please let us know the best universities where on campus full time courses in GIS & RS are offered.

Hi Mohammed, take a look at my recent post ranking/highlighting top graduate programs in GIS. Here’s the link: http://www.justinholman.com/2014/01/05/2014-top-10-gis/ Hope this helps! Best wishes to you and your daughter, Justin

hi Justin I really appreciate your Top 20. I have some questions and I hope that you can help me. Let me tell you my situation. I’m from Spain I hold a bachelor in Technical Engineering in Computer Systems ( I think, this is the most appropiate translate). I’m currently collaborating with Spanish Red Cross as a GIS Technician and I’d like to improve my knowledge about the subject. I’ve been looking in Spain but I didn’t find anything interesting. I need a Online program. In my case the best chose is a Graduate Certificate. Could you help me? Do you Know any graduate certifiate, course… from a well known University?

Hi Rafa! The first program I would investigate is Penn State. They have an excellent reputation within geography and GIS and they’ve been providing on-line education for some time. Probably your best bet. http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/geographic-information-systems-gis-certificate/overview

Hi Justin, I am an undergraduate student studying economics, with a very strong math and computer programming background. I have taken a few geography classes at my university and really enjoyed them. I’m interested in pursuing an masters degree in geography after I graduate, but am concerned that because my undergraduate background is not in geography, I will not be considered. Is this true, or is economics a related enough field that I should not be concerned? Thanks so much for the great post and for your advice.

Hi Lina, Your undergrad preparation sounds great. I wouldn’t worry about not having a geography degree. That said, it’s good that you’ve taken a few geography classes. Before applying to grad programs I would recommend spending time in the library doing your own research on various sub-fields within geography that you might want to invesrigate. Economic geography is one such sub-field. Given your interest in math/programming and background in econ you might want to look into “spatial econometrics” and check out Arizona State’s geography program led by Luc Anselin. Hope this helps! Best wishes, Justin

I’m a geography major and just finished my junior year at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). I want to continue on to at least the masters level at a different school but I don’t know what exactly I want to focus on. If forced, I would have to say that I am most interested in geovisualization, cartography, society/environment interaction, and urban morphology. These interests do seem somewhat disparate, and after browsing many grad program websites, it seems that I need to have a really strong sense of exactly what I want when crafting my statement of purpose.

Also, I am not entirely sure how much I would enjoy/be good at research because I simply don’t have enough experience at it yet. Sure, I have done many papers and projects, but not very many of the sort where I’ve posed a question and found an answer that contributed to the body of knowledge. This makes deciding between the research degree or a professional degree rather difficult for me to make.

I am doing well gradewise and have a 3.7 gpa cumulative and 3.9+ in the major.

After looking at your lists and program websites, my highly preliminary shortlist is University of Washington, Portland State University, Indiana University, University of Minnesota, and University of Colorado at Boulder. Location is a major factor in most of these as well as the actual program.

My main dilemma is that I know I like the subject and I want to learn more, but I don’t exactly know what I want from it. Hopefully your input can help me figure this out.

Thanks, Ryan

Hi Ryan – I think your interests (visualization + human-environment + urban) can come together nicely in a research project. The key is to find a good mentor. I would add Wisconsin and Oregon to your list. Madison and Eugene seem to fit the mold location wise as well. Sounds like you have some exploring to do. I would try to decide what you think you’d like to do *after* grad school before you begin applying. A year in the “real” world might help clarify. Hope this helps. Best wishes, Justin

Hello Justin.

First of all, I appreciate your writings and integration of informations! My name is Don, and I’m studying geography as a major in S.Korea. My english might not be good enough, but I hope you can catch the sense out of confusing sentences 🙂

Your lists kinda stimulated me to consider going graduate school. I’ll be graduating after next semester, but I still can’t make up my mind.

I’m interested in physical geography, and environmental science(not engineering) attracts me also. My major interest was Hydrology and Environmental geography. I’m also studying for Engineer Soil Environment. (ps. Not familiar with forestry or ecology but still bit interested.) I think those kind of Studies seems to have little bit of difficulty standing alone by itself these days. However I also believe that when it becomes combined with other studies and applied with proper methodology, it’ll be prospective. These kind of idea keeps me to consider studying more at graduate school.

However one big problem for me is that, it is so hard for me to find out the trend of studies (in US or the other english using nations). In my country, climatology is leading the physical geography, but my concerned studies are quite quiet. And at my college, only one professor deals with hydrology, geomorphology, tour geography all by himself. Almost none of colleagues are interested in physical geography(except climatology). These kind of situation discourages my academic interest…

Is this kind of depression for physical geography common worldwide?(for research or job whatever) I would like to hear your opinion, whom will not have distorted view affected by situation which might be just regional.

If you don’t mind, can you aslo inform me which field is most active among my interests and which university are leading? (Hydrology, Environmental geography, Geoscience etc)

All your advises will be very helpful for me I suppose. Want to thank you in advance! Kind regards.

Hi Don, in the US climatology, biogeography and geomorphology are strong sub-disciplines. Climate research gets a lot of attention but there is good work being done across the board. I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding high quality faculty advisors in the US. The top schools for physical geography are more or less the same as those listed in this newer geography department ranking: http://www.justinholman.com/2013/03/18/2013-top-20-graduate-geography-programs-in-the-us/ Washington is one exception as they focus on human geography. Hope this helps! Best wishes, Justin

[…] Top 20 Graduate Geography Programs in the U.S … – This post was written in February 2012. Since then I’ve posted 2013 Geography Program Rankings using an updated methodology and, more recently, I’ve published …… […]

I apologize if this was already asked but curious if you are aware of any decent online Masters programs in Geography. I have an undergrad degree from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and I am interested in pursuing my Masters but I cannot relocate out of Charlotte, NC where I currently reside. I have looked in state and haven’t found an online program.

Hi RJ – have you checked out UNC-Charlotte’s geography program? I’m not sure if it’s still true but UNCC at one time was considered among the very best programs for applied spatial analysis. Here’s a link: https://geoearth.uncc.edu/masters-programs/masters-geography . If you prefer on-line programs, check this blog post on the topic: http://www.justinholman.com/2014/05/16/top-10-on-line-gis-masters-degree-programs/ Hope this helps! Best, Justin

Hello Justin;

I am looking to apply for a masters program in Geography. Though I have a very good undergraduate and masters degrees, I have low GRE score. Can you please recommend me good schools that could accept me? Thank you!!

Hi Henry, GRE scores are important but most admission committees are willing to overlook a low score if other elements of your application are compelling. One of the keys is to articulate why the program is just right for you. So try to find a good match between your interests and department strengths to maximize your chances. Hope this helps. Best, JH

I am from India and completed my masters in GIS. I have 4 years of work experience in the field of Photogrammetry and GIS. Now i am planning to do MS in GIS. But i am bit confused of choosing universities in U S. Could you please guide me to choose universities, which suits for me based on my work experience.

Try this list: http://www.justinholman.com/2014/01/05/2014-top-10-gis/

[…] to believe it’s already been 3 years since 2012 when I published my first set of geography graduate program rankings, based on NRC data. I followed in 2013 with a survey-driven set of rankings. Last year I produced rankings of […]

[…] Top 20 Graduate Geography Programs in the U.S … – This post was written in February 2012. Since then I’ve posted 2013 Geography Program Rankings, 2014 GIS Graduate Program Rankings and, more recently, 2015 Top …… […]

Hello justin

let me introduce myself, I write from turkey. ı want to come to usa for PHD but not now ı have time for 2 years for it. ı got education in geography and archeology( as a major) my GPA is 3.39 in geography and I have two master program in different universtys which are the best universty of turkey, THAT İS, ı will have two master program in different field. One of them are related to GIS another is about little ıce age. by the way my GPA is 3.83 in master but another is not certain. I hope that I would take high score on it. NOW my alternatives are berkeley, ucla, washinton at seatle, colarado at boulder . but sametimes ı think ı was not enoght to come there. What should ı do to be accepted them as different? Do you have suggestion for me?

Hi Guneyi, You should find a US researcher with interests in climate history and contact them directly. At the PhD level finding the right advisor is more important than the reputation of the department or the University. Best wishes, Justin

thanks justin

I will pay attantion to more what you said.

Hi, I’m an undergrad geography major and wondering about grad programs in same at UMN. Do you have an opinion on their grad programs both masters and doctorate? How do I find out what the department’s strengths are and whether they align withy interests? Can you explain that more?

Hi Wendy, I’ll assume you mean the University of Minnesota. When I was a grad student in the 90s Minnesota was considered one of the very best programs. But a decade later it had fallen significantly. I don’t really know why. I assume top people left for some reason. Even though Minnesota is no longer a Top Tier geography department it is still an outstanding University and, if you find a good fit with a faculty advisor, I wouldn’t hesitate to attend. That goes for a Masters and a PhD. To answer your second question, you can usually read the Department web page to better understand program emphasis areas. Here’s a link to research themes or “clusters” at Minnesota: http://www.geog.umn.edu/clusters/ . I wouldn’t place *too* much weight on these department focus areas as they are almost always changing. The most important element in your search for a graduate program is the fit between your research interests and your faculty advisor’s research program. So, to properly search for a research advisor you would read their profile webpage, their CV (typically available for download) and then read some of their recent publications to more fully understand their work. Hope this helps. Best wishes, Justin

Hello Justin, I am from Indian and I am currently pursuing graduation in Geography(honors). So, after I complete my graduation degree course can I join MS and PhD courses in Geomorphology in USA universities and do Geomorphology is a good career option there? Please let me know.

Hi Soumyadeep, I would assume you would be eligible but it may vary from program to program. Geomorphology is a great specialty but I don’t really know as much about the career options there might be (unless you combine with GIS-related skills). Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Best wishes, Justin

Thanks for the reply and I wanted to know whether full scholarship programs are available for geography students and what are the requirements to secure full scholarships from universities in USA ?

Yes, full scholarships are typically available for PhD students and sometimes Master’s students. The only requirement is whether or not the faculty wants you to join the department. Cheers, Justin

So, when does a faculty could want me to join the department and what they expect from foreign students ?

[…] out the top Geography Departments in the U.S. The U of O ranks number […]

Hi Justin So I was going through mostly all the comments and the post. I’m planning to relocate to FL after I finish undergrad at Hunter College NYC. Right now I am attending College Of Staten Island planning to transfer. I am interested in Sustainability, Climate change, and cleaning pollution focusing on new technologies that are environmental friendly. I want your opinion on which college program in FL or if not in FL, colleges general have programs that are very hands on in field work.

Hi Ayanna, field work component will vary by department and mostly depends on individual faculty who make an effort to get students in the field. You’ll need to visit University websites, find faculty who specialize in one of your areas of interest (which are too scattered at the moment – you’ll need to narrow down in grad school apps) and ask about field work. Sorry I can’t provide more specific guidance. Best wishes, Justin

HI Justin I am looking for postdoc position in USA , I am from Iran and holding PhD degree from Iran. I also have some other experiences and publications. I am not familiar with the process to get a postdoc position. I am so thankful for any suggestion. I also interested in earth science. thanks

Hi Hadi, I’ve never held a post-doc so I’m probably not qualified to answer. Ideally, your PhD advisor will help you identify and find a position. If that’s not a possibility, I think the process would be pretty similar to seeking out an appropriate PhD program. In that case, please read this recent post: http://www.justinholman.com/2015/08/12/seven-steps-to-finding-the-right-geography-phd-program/ Hope this helps! Best, Justin

Hi, Justin,I’m Dorothy and pursuing an udergraduate course in geography in education.Please help me with a master’s degree course to pursue in South florida or any university after my BED in geography.I love the course and thanks for your advice.

Hi Dorothy, does your program need to be in South Florida?

Hi Justin, I’m Dipal from India. I have recently become a Civil Engineering graduate. Despite lovinvg Geography, due to some reason I could not take up Geography at the undergraduate level. But now I want to pursue a career in Geography. Is there any way or any course that I can take up to dedicate my future to Geography ? Geology is a subject very close to my heart. So if there is any way I can switch my career from Engineerkng to Geography I would absolutely love to know. Thanks

Hi Dipal, there’s nothing stopping you from applying to graduate programs in geography. Maybe take a course or two online for free or do some self study before you commit to the long process of graduate study. Best to be certain before going all in. Cheers, Justin

Hey justin , Am sofia from india . I was persuing bsc . Geography hons but for some reason ive shifted to bsc general with geography , economics and political science as my subjects . Can i get admission in ms. In geography in any university in california . What are the criterias can u help me with . I want to persue GIS in future . Thank you !

Hi Sofia, Yes, a degree in geography, econ and politics would be looked upon favorably. There are a large number of strong Master’s degree programs in California. UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, Berkeley and San Diego State are top programs but you can also find great success at a number of “Cal State” programs. Check out San Francisco State, San Jose State, Chico, Humboldt, etc. Best wishes, Justin

[…] I’ve cautioned in previous posts (see 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 rankings), the programs I consider to be the very best may not be the best for […]

Thanks for this thread Justin. Looking for a good undergrad program for geology and environmental sciences. We have visited U of Utah and really liked it. Wondering your thoughts on this school as well as other recommendations. U of Minnesota? Thanks

Hi Lou, Don’t think you can go wrong at either Utah or Minnesota. If it were me I’d head to Utah for better weather, skiing and proximity to a plethora of field study locations and natural wonders in the Western US. But Minnesota is a superb University. Best wishes, Justin

Thanks for this very informative thread.

For some background information, I’m an International Affairs/Economics double major at FSU. My concentration for IA is geography (and I have taken courses in geography, just not GIS or environmental courses). My main concern is that my undergraduate background will not be suitable for graduate-level degrees in geography. I have no real interest in GIS or the environmental track of geography; rather, I would prefer to study economic or political geography. That being said, could you recommend any high-ranking human geography (and related) graduate programs?

Awesome information! I graduate from Texas State in GIS Spring of 2017 but am looking into Oregon and Washington for graduate schools since that’s where I’m originally from. Do you have any idea which is better for GIS?

Hi Michael, I’m completely biased because I graduated from Oregon and I think it’s the best place in the world to study geography. If you’re interested in the Cartography and Data Visualization side of GIS, Oregon is indeed world class and second to none except possibly Wisconsin. Washington has strong GIS programs as well but their department has a different philosophy favoring Human Geography over Physical. You can see on their Research Fields page that one key area of emphasis is Critical Theory. https://geography.washington.edu/research/fields To me, Critical Theory is Sociology disguised as Geography and, as I’ve written elsewhere, I would avoid it. That said, I’m certain you can find an excellent graduate education at U. Washington especially if you were to combine your studies with offerings from the Departments of Computer Science and/or Statistics. If you’re interested in environmental/physical geography and GIS you should also consider Oregon State in Corvallis. Best wishes, Justin

Pretty! This was a really wonderful article. Thanks for sharing.

there is availability of Scholarship to support African students to study in U.S.A?

Yes, if you can gain admission to a PhD program there will often be funding available in exchange for teaching and/or research.

Thanx Justin for sharing this. My sister wants to pursue GIS next year. Keep up the good work!

Hi Erik, Yes, most PhD programs offer student financial support, typically by providing tuition and a small stipend in exchange for teaching or research duties. You would need to contact the graduate programs directly to inquire about admission and funding opportunities. Best wishes, Justin

Hi Justin, I’m exploring option for MS in Geo-Information science from Salem State university in Boston? Would like to hear from you all about the course offered and how do you rate this university ? -Thanks, Prachi

Hi Prachi, I’ve heard good things about Salem State but I don’t know enough about the program to make a strong recommendation one way or the other. Best wishes, Justin

Thank-you for being out there, answering questions and lighting the way. I have been a full-time wildland firefighter/Ranger for 17 years. I have an old BFA in art/education and a GIS Professional Certification from UWSP 2016 – emergency mgmt. emphasis. Currently, I have been taking on-line coursework in information management at a community college. I have been also been taking Emergency Management professional development program coursework for All-Risk Hazards/Incident Management Team, on my own time, to work towards getting out of operations (boots on the ground) and into the infrastructure. I know first hand, from the number of weather/life-threatening events, that climate change is upon us and we need to prepare.

That all being said, I love GIS, especially making maps (I have a lot of applied experience in forest stand/structure/EMS events/plume modeling/etc) and I have found that (just like you have written above), a GIS certificate doesn’t really do that much for you. Are there GIS master programs that are known for emergency management and could use someone with extensive field experience on staff or perhaps internships/work-study public or private programs that would assist my making a non-traditional mid-career transition to GIS?

Hi Ellen, Penn State and South Carolina come to mind as schools where I’ve seen research activity in emergency management but it’s not something I’ve really tracked; I’m sure there are plenty of other solid programs out there. I suspect your “non-traditional” background would be welcome in most geography departments and I think if your objective is to work as a GIS Analyst for the forest service (or similar) you wouldn’t need to be terribly concerned about going to the most reputable program. With the huge wildfire activity in 2018 I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a round of new research grants that might fund your grad studies so that would be worth investigating. In any case, I would encourage you to pick-up Python and/or R as the most popular tech tool kits for processing and visualizing large data sets. Hope this helps. Best wishes, Justin

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CU Boulder Geography Ranked #1 in the U.S.

The Academic Ranking of World Universities by ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020 has rated the University of Colorado at Boulder's Geography Department #1 in the U.S. and #13 in the world.

"The University of Colorado Boulder is the major research university in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S. CU Boulder has a proud academic tradition, with five Nobel laureates in the sciences, nine MacArthur “genius grant” recipients, more than 100 Fulbright scholars since 1982, and approximately 80 combined members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Education, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Sciences. Several CU Boulder research faculty from the National Snow and Ice data center shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore for their contributions to the international report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The university has historically ranked as one of the top five sources of Peace Corps volunteers among U.S. colleges and universities and is the home of the founding chapter of Engineers Without Borders."  -- 

• Honors & Awards

RIT graduate pursues Ph.D. across time zones

Nastaran Nagshineh, center, defended her Ph.D. thesis at RIT in April. Faculty from RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses served on her thesis committee and include, from left to right, Kathleen Lamkin-Kennard, Steven Weinstein, Nathaniel Barlow, and David Kofke (a professor at the University at Buffalo). Mohamed Samaha participated remotely and appears on the video screen behind the group and alongside Nagshineh’s picture.

Nastaran Nagshineh is one of the first Ph.D. candidates to bridge RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses. Her accomplishment creates a path for future students at the university’s international campuses.

Nagshineh completed her Ph.D. in mathematical modeling while working full time as a mathematics lecturer at RIT Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, teaching as many as five classes a semester. She described her Ph.D. journey as “an exercise in perseverance” due to competing demands and long days. Rochester is eight hours behind Dubai, and the time difference meant many late-night classes and meetings.

“I saw this collaboration as an opportunity, rather than as a challenge, because my primary adviser, Dr. Steven Weinstein (RIT professor of chemical engineering), and my co-adviser, Dr. Mohamed Samaha (RIT Dubai associate professor of mechanical engineering), both have the same area of research interest,” she said. “They both worked toward my success.”

Nagshineh is one of 67 RIT Ph.D. students who defended their thesis this academic year and who will earn their doctorate. RIT awarded 63 Ph.D. degrees in 2023.

In 2020-2021, RIT’s Graduate School met and surpassed the university’s goal of conferring 50 Ph.D. degrees during an academic year. That number will continue to grow as students cycle through the seven new Ph.D. programs that RIT has added since 2017, said Diane Slusarski , dean of RIT’s Graduate School.

Meeting these goals puts RIT on a path toward achieving an “R1,” or research-intensive designation, from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning. RIT is currently ranked as an R2 institution . Many factors go into changing a university’s status, including research investment and maintaining a three-year average of 70 Ph.D. degrees awarded per year, according to Slusarski.

“We have met the goals of the strategic plan, and now we look forward to contributing to the research innovation in the future,” Slusarski said. “We want to help the new programs thrive and win national research awards.”

RIT’s emphasis on high-level research is seen in Nagshineh’s Ph.D. work. She applies mathematical modeling to the field of fluid dynamics. Her research has been published in top-tier journals and has gained notice, said Weinstein, her thesis adviser.

Weinstein describes Nagshineh’s accomplishments as “a testament to a fantastic work ethic and commitment” and is inspirational to younger students at Rochester and Dubai.

“The collaboration between RIT Dubai/Rochester has continued,” he said. “Another paper was submitted a few weeks ago with Mohamed Samaha and Nate Barlow (RIT associate professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics) as co-authors, as well as Cade Reinberger, a younger Ph.D. student in my research group.”

Mathematical modeling is one of RIT’s newer Ph.D. degree programs, and Nagshineh is among its earliest graduates. The program has doubled in size since it began accepting students in 2017, Slusarski said. This past fall, the mathematical modeling program had 35 students, with two graduating this year.

Altogether, RIT has 13 Ph.D. degree programs currently enrolling 438 students, with computing and information sciences accounting for the largest with 117 students. RIT’s other Ph.D. programs include astrophysical sciences and technology , biomedical and chemical engineering , business administration , color science , electrical and computer engineering, imaging science , mechanical and industrial engineering , microsystems engineering , and sustainability .

New programs in cognitive science and physics will launch in the fall.

The growth in RIT graduate education—with more than 3,000 master’s and doctoral students—reflects a demographic change in the student population, Slusarski said. “We have a higher percentage of women in the graduate programs than we have for RIT undergraduate programs.”

RIT’s graduate programs enroll 42 percent women, according to Christie Leone , assistant dean for the Graduate School.

Nagshineh, who also holds an MS in electrical engineering from RIT Dubai, welcomes her role as a mentor to other women students on both campuses.

“As a young woman in an Arabic country, the power of women is often underestimated and undervalued, and I hope to serve as a role model to female students, especially those that question their path,” Nagshineh said.

She plans to continue in her career as a professor and a researcher. “I would like to pursue a research program where I can advise my own students and teach them more deeply.”

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Students give FAU top scores in CHE ranking

New CHE Ranking – Geography in top position

Students at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg have given their university top scores in the new Center for Higher Education (CHE) ranking, the most comprehensive university ranking in German-speaking countries. All eleven subjects rated at FAU were given top scores with the subjects geography, physics and mathematics achieving top results.

This year, the eleven subjects considered in the ranking at FAU were biology, chemistry, geography, geosciences, computer science, mathematics, pharmacy, physics, political science, sociology and sport science. The ranking is based on criteria that are evaluated based on responses from student surveys, scientific databases and information provided by the universities.

FAU did particularly well in the support in the study entry phase category with all subjects ranked at FAU in this category reaching the top group based on information in databases and provided by the university.

In the study organization category, students also gave the six subjects chemistry, geography, mathematics, pharmacy, physics and political science at least a 4 star rating from a maximum of five stars, elevating these subjects into the top position.

But that’s not all: Other subjects performed well in further categories. Among the highest achievers were geography, physics and mathematics with placements in 16, 11 and 9 top groups.

Three top subjects at FAU: Ranking in top groups 

If not otherwise specified, the data was based on student surveys.

• Overall study situation
• Teacher support
• Study organization
• Courses offered
• Support in studies
• Support for stays abroad
• Exam organization
• Digital courses
• Introduction to academic work
• Research orientation
• IT infrastructure
• Field trips
• Support in the study entry phase (Source: databases and university information)
• Third-party funds per academic (Source: databases and university information)
• Laboratories

Mathematics

• Bachelor’s and Master’s graduations in appropriate time (Source: databases and university information)
• Publications per academic (Source: databases and university information)

The CHE ranking

The CHE collects data for its university ranking once a year. One third of the subjects are re-evaluated each time. With 120,000 students included in the survey, the CHE ranking has been the most comprehensive and detailed university comparison in German-speaking countries for over 25 years. The ranking evaluates responses from students on the study conditions at their university, as well as criteria on studying, teaching and research for more than 10,000 degree programs at German universities.

Visit https://studiengaenge.zeit.de/ranking for the full ranking.

Further information:

Dr. Amelie Feder

Data and Management Information

[email protected]

Colleges Offering a Geography Major

Looking for colleges with a Geography Major? See a list of colleges with Geography here to evaluate admissions data, tuition, rankings and more.

To unlock full rankings, SAT/ACT scores and more, sign up for the U.S. News College Compass !

Here are the best colleges with a Geography Major

• Princeton University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Harvard University
• Stanford University
• Yale University
• University of Pennsylvania
• California Institute of Technology
• Duke University
• Brown University

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

• #12 in National Universities  (tie)

The University of Chicago, situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting. Since 1987, the private institution has hosted the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, a four-day event that is regarded as the largest scavenger hunt in the world.

(fall 2022)

SAT, GPA and More

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

• #15 in National Universities  (tie)

The University of California, Los Angeles is just five miles away from the Pacific Ocean. The public institution offers 5,000 courses, 140 bachelor's degree programs and 97 minors.

(out-of-state)

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

• #18 in National Universities  (tie)

Dartmouth College, a private institution in Hanover, New Hampshire, uses quarters, not semesters, to divide the school year. Among more than 300 student organizations at Dartmouth is the Outing Club, the nation's oldest and largest collegiate club of its kind, which offers outdoor activities, expeditions, gear rentals and courses.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

• #22 in National Universities  (tie)

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, often referred to as UNC, offers a wide range of student activities. Popular student organizations include The Daily Tarheel, UNC's student newspaper, and WXYC, the student-run radio station. Nearly 20% of students are members of Greek life. Chapel Hill, which surrounds UNC, is often considered one of the best college towns in the country, offering music, restaurants and shopping. Almost half of all undergraduates live on campus in one of the residence halls or apartment complexes. The North Carolina Tar Heels are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and are known for their men’s basketball team, which maintains a storied rivalry with nearby institution Duke University and is one of the most successful programs in college basketball. Former players include Michael Jordan and Vince Carter.

University of Southern California

• #28 in National Universities  (tie)

Undergraduates study in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences at the University of Southern California, a private school based in Los Angeles. The USC Trojans compete in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference and are particularly competitive in football.

University of Texas at Austin

• #32 in National Universities

The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest schools in the nation. It’s divided into 13 schools and colleges, the biggest of which is the College of Liberal Arts. It also has highly ranked graduate programs, including the McCombs School of Business, Cockrell School of Engineering and School of Nursing. Students can participate in more than 1,000 clubs and organizations or in the sizable UT Greek system. The university has several student media outlets, and its sports teams are notorious competitors in the Division I Big 12 Conference. UT also offers hundreds of study abroad programs, with the most popular destinations being Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and China. Freshmen do not have to live on campus.

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

• #35 in National Universities  (tie)

Located 100 miles up the coast from Los Angeles, the University of California, Santa Barbara sits atop cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Students can get involved in any of the more than 400 clubs and organizations on campus, including a Greek community that comprises about 10% of undergraduate students. UCSB provides housing to about 30% of students in eight residence halls and several university apartment complexes. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos compete primarily in the NCAA Division I Big West Conference and are known for their successful women’s basketball and men’s soccer teams. Non-varsity students can join a club team such as cycling, surfing, rugby or ski and snowboard.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL

The University of Illinois is located in the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign in east-central Illinois, only a few hours from Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis. The school's Fighting Illini participate in more than 20 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are part of the Big Ten Conference. The university boasts one of the largest Greek systems in the country, and almost a quarter of the student body is involved. It’s not hard to find something to do on campus with more than 1,600 student organizations, including professional, political and philanthropic clubs. All freshmen are required to live on campus.

University of Wisconsin--Madison

Madison, WI

The University of Wisconsin—Madison lies along the southern shore of Lake Mendota in the city of Madison. The Wisconsin Badgers compete in more than 20 NCAA Division I sports and are part of the Big Ten Conference. Students can get involved in nearly 900 organizations on campus. There is also an active Greek life and social scene on campus, evident in Wisconsin’s reputation as one of the top party schools in the country. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, but many choose to do so. Students can opt to live in one of several residential communities where they learn and live with other students and faculty.

Rutgers University--New Brunswick

Piscataway, NJ

• #40 in National Universities  (tie)

Rutgers University--New Brunswick, the flagship campus of New Jersey's state university, is split into five mini campuses, each with a unique setting and identity, student center and dining options. Freshmen are not required to live on campus. Students can join more than 500 student clubs and organizations, including more than 80 fraternities and sororities.