Geography (Doctoral) at Michigan State University

Programme overview

The PhD in Geography at Michigan State University develops the ability to conduct original geographic research. It builds understanding of scientific inquiry, knowledge of the discipline and a specialised area such as people/environment, physical geography, regional development or economic-regional science, along with spatial data analysis skills and research communication.

Faculty: College of Social Science | Department: Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences | Duration: 4 years (designed for completion in four years); minimum 56 credits | Study mode: full-time | Location: East Lansing, MI, United States

What you will study

At least 56 credits, including GEO 886 Research Design in Geography, GEO 986 Theory and Methods in Geography and 24 credits of GEO 999 dissertation research, plus two seminars (e.g. Urban and Economic Geography, Physical Geography, Human-Environment Geography, Geographic Information Science), one advanced tool course (e.g. statistics, remote sensing, GIS, cartography, foreign language) and 17 credits in a specialised area. Students submit a manuscript to a refereed journal and defend a doctoral dissertation.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is based on academic records from the bachelor's and master's degrees, letters of recommendation, written statements and other information such as professional experience. Typical entrants hold a recognised master's degree, usually with a thesis, with a GPA of 3.60 or higher. The GRE is not required. Applicants without a master's degree in geography or a related field apply to the master's programme instead.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Duration: 4 years (designed for completion in four years); minimum 56 credits

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/graduate-students

Explore more study programmes

Engineering