The Department of Geography and Environmental Systems is at the interface between natural science, social science, public policy, engineering and information technology, with faculty who have background and collaborative relationships in both research and teaching related to all of these areas. The Department offers graduate programs leading to the M.S. degree and Ph.D. degree. Both non-thesis and thesis M.S. options are available. The program has three foci, reflecting the expertise and research interests of our faculty. All three have a common set of core courses; the remainder of each students’ academic program will be selected in consultation with faculty mentors. (1) Environmental Systems, including water resources and earth-surface processes, ecosystem science, and atmospheric processes; (2) Human Geography, with an emphasis on coupled human-natural systems including the impacts of human activities on the environment, the socioeconomic consequences of environmental degradation, and environmental policy; (3) Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing, focusing on training students in the application of geospatial analysis to improve understanding of changing spatial patterns in the natural and human environment.

Tracks/Concentrations:  

Environmental Systems
Human Geography
Geographic Information Science
Remote Sensing

Program Specialties
Areas of concentration available to students include (1) Environmental Systems, including water resources and earth-surface processes, ecosystem science, and atmospheric processes; (2) Human Geography, with an emphasis on coupled human-natural systems including the impacts of human activities on the environment, the socioeconomic consequences of environmental degradation, and environmental policy; and (3) Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing, focusing on training students in the application of geospatial analysis to improve understanding of changing spatial patterns in the natural and human environment. As indicated above, research on the urban environment is a particular strength among the opportunities available through this program. The areas of concentration identified above are not separate programs and do not have separate application requirements; students may elect to pursue a program of study that draws from multiple areas to suit their particular needs.

Program Admission Requirements:

Admissions decisions are made once each year for Fall admission. The application deadline is February 1. Students wishing to enter the Ph.D. or the M.S. programs in Geography and Environmental Systems (GES) have to meet the minimum standards for admission to the University of Maryland Graduate School, Baltimore. Candidates for admission must have earned a bachelor's degree at an accredited U.S. university or an equivalent degree from a comparable foreign institution, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.3 for the major. All applicants should submit scores for the Graduate Record Examination (Aptitude Test). Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) must be submitted by applicants whose native language is not English and who do not have a degree from a U.S. postsecondary institution. Decisions on admission are made by the department's Graduate Admissions Committee and are based on the applicant's transcripts, letters of recommendation, the personal statement of goals and objectives, and GRE scores. All original application documents should be sent as a package directly to the Graduate School, not the graduate program.
Because of the diversity of subject matter and research interests covered in our program, there is no specific academic major required as a prerequisite for admission. However, in addition to deciding which students to admit to the program, the Graduate Admissions Committee will identify any background or prerequisite courses that admitted students might need to complete based on their expressed research interests. That information will be included in the admissions letter and students will be encouraged to contact their prospective advisor to discuss how those needs can be addressed. Students also will be strongly encouraged to contact their advisor after accepting an offer to discuss their course load for the first semester.

Full-time enrollment is the standard for both the M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs. Some courses are offered in late afternoon or in the evening but the majority of courses are offered during daytime hours and the department cannot guarantee the availability of a full suite of graduate courses for students who are able to attend only in the evening. Prospective applicants who wish to enroll on a part-time basis will need to discuss their interests in advance with a faculty advisor to determine whether such an arrangement is feasible.

Tuition fee-2 years$50,000

Total fee-2 years$80,000