The listed classes are required and cannot be waived or substituted.

MA Geography students are required to take three (3) credits of an approved methods and/or statistics course. A list of methods and statistics courses currently approved can be found on the MA Geography Approved Methods & Statistics Courses list. Courses not on the list can be petitioned for and approved by SGSUP’s AD of Graduate Studies. Submit the Petition for Transfer or Interdisciplinary Elective Courses form to request approval.

Electives

Any graduate-level GCU, GIS, GPH, or PUP course may be taken as an elective, including Research and Reading and Conference credits. Interdisciplinary courses may be taken but must be approved by the department. Submit the Petition for Transfer or Interdisciplinary Elective Courses form to request approval. A maximum of six (6.0) credits of 400-level coursework may be included in the plan of study. 

Your program requires that you complete 16 credit hours of electives. Most of ASU's courses are worth 3 credit hours. This means that when you plan your schedule, you will find that you are 1 credit short to meet your elective requirements. There are a few ways you can complete this remaining 1 credit: 

1. Enroll in a course worth 4 credits. This will allow you to take only 5 electives to meet the 16 credit hour requirement. 

2. Enroll in 1 credit hour research or reading and conference section with your faculty advisor, Dr. Schmeeckle. This will require you to reach out Dr. Schmeeckle to request permission to create a research or reading and conference section for you two. When you do this, please be sure to specify what semester and session you would like his approval for. Once you receive approval, you can email your academic advisor, Fernanda Quiroz, for more information on the next steps. 

3. Look for a 1 credit hour course. These classes are not always offered, so if you find one you would like to take, please contact Fernanda Quiroz to find out if it is an approved course for your program. If this course is not approved, you and your academic advisor can work on getting it approved. 

4. Take an extra 3 credit hour class. This will put you over the credit requirement, but it will not affect you in any way. 

Culminating Experience

The Geography Capstone course (GPH 597) is the default culminating experience for MA Geography students. This course builds upon program completed work that allows for the student to apply learned concepts to real-world geographic problems while building upon their professional tools to further their careers. Students will complete a professional portfolio of work that includes a written report and an oral presentation. Students must earn a grade of B or better to be used toward the MA degree. Students preferring to pursue an individualized culminating experience project must be aware that: 

• Individualized culminating experiences require significant effort, initiative, and discipline by the student.

• Students are responsible for identifying a research question. 

• Faculty advisors will supervise the thesis; they will not assign a research topic/question. 

Students are recommended to take the thesis credits in the final year of the program. Students should consult with faculty advisor prior to enrolling in thesis. 

Time to Completion

The Geography MA degree is designed to be completed in two years (on average; Fall and Spring enrollment only). Full-time enrollment for graduate students is nine (9.0) credits. Graduate Student Forms are available at https://sgsup.asu.edu/student-life/graduate-resources/graduate-student-forms