Master's Degree Programs
Graduate students may either choose a concentration or design a program of study that corresponds with the student’s interests and satisfies the general requirements of the degree program.
The Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Aimed at students, who want to gain a strong background in both theoretical and applied aspects of geography and intend to pursue professional careers in, for example, local, regional or national planning agencies, engineering or environmental firms, and GIS service providers.
- We offer M.A. in International Trade and M.A. in Geography, including M.A. in Geography with a Concentration in GIS.
- Admission to the program is open to students who hold a bachelor's degree in any discipline. Some concentrations may expect previous coursework in mathematics.
Curriculum requirements for M.A. in General Geography
The general M.A. degree (30 credits) has the following requirements:
Option 1: GEO 500 Introduction to Graduate Geography
GEO 501 Research Design
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
Option 2: GEO 504 Geography Seminar
One (1) GEO methods course (TBD)
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
In addition to 30 credits hours of graduate coursework the student must complete a research project or competency portfolio.
* May be waived from GEO 505 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
Curriculum requirements for M.A. in International Trade
- The program typically requires one to two years of full-time study, although students can pursue the degree on a part-time basis. The department highly encourages students to consider internships to expand their learning experience
- The MA program requires 30 credit hours and completion of either a research project or competency portfolio.
- High value benefits: regular meetings with faculty advisor as needed, affordable tuition, strong graduate students.
- The International Trade degree provides high-impact experiential learning that develops skills employers are looking for.
Required Courses
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics in Geography OR Geo 509 Multivariate Statistics
GEO 531 Introduction to International Business and World Trade
GEO 503 Environmental Governance
GEO 560 International Development
Electives
GEO 508 Research Methods in Geography
GEO 511 Spatial Data Science
GEO 519 Transportation
GEO 530 Urban Geography
GEO 570 Integrated Environmental Management
GEO 590 Census Data and Their Use
GEO 625 Industrial Geography
GEO 632 Macro Issues in Trade
GEO 633 Critical Urban Issues
GEO 640 The Asia-Pacific Economy
Culminating Experience
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems
GEO 631 Project Guidance and/or Research Project
GEO 741 Itc Internship & Research Project
Required courses and electives must total 30 credit hours.
Electives may be in Geography, or in other fields such as Economics, Management, Political Science, Law or Foreign Languages.
* May be waived from GEO 505 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
Curriculum requirements for M.A. with concentrations
- The program typically requires one to two years of full-time study, although students can pursue the degree on a part-time basis. The department highly encourages students to consider internships to expand their learning experience
- Students are able to earn an M.A. degree in Geography with specialization in Geographic Information Science after completing 30 credit hours of graduate coursework and a competency portfolio OR a research project.
- We expect that students have some experience with GIS and quantitative methods (e.g. some university math or statistics).
- High value benefits: Exceptional number of GIS faculty, regular meetings with faculty advisor as needed, affordable tuition, strong graduate students, access to NCGIA.
- The GIS degree provides high-impact experiential learning that develops skills employers are looking for.
Example curriculum to obtain MA in GIS in one-year
- Fall (13-cr): GEO 504 Geography Seminar (1-cr), GEO 505 Univariate Statistics (4-cr), GEO 506 Geographic Information Systems (4-cr), GEO 553 Remote Sensing (4-cr)
- Spring (14-cr): GEO 559 GIS for Environmental Modeling (4-cr), GEO 575 GIS Data Science Project Management (3-cr), GEO 590 Census Data and Their Use (3-cr), GEO 655 Scripting ArcGIS with Python (3-cr), GEO GEO 631 Research Guidance (1-cr, to prepare competency portfolio).
- Summer (3-cr): GEO 741 Geography Internship
Required Courses
Option 1: GEO 500 Introduction to Graduate Geography
GEO 501 Research Design
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
GEO 506** Geographic Information Systems
Option 2: GEO 504 Geography Seminar
One (1) GEO methods course (TBD)
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
GEO 506** Geographic Information Systems
Elective Courses
GEO 519 Transportation
GEO 530 Urban Geography
GEO 551 Cartography and Geographic Visualization
GEO 552 Special Topics in Cartography
GEO 553 Remote Sensing
GEO 555 GIS Algorithms and Data Structures
GEO 556 GIS Design
GEO 557 Thematic Cartography
GEO 559 GIS and Environmental Modeling
GEO 564 Mobility and Flows
GEO 574 Urban Transportation and Land Use Modeling
GEO 575 GIS Data Science Project Management
GEO 591 Introduction to Geographic Information Science
GEO 592 Cognitive Geography and Geographical Cognition
GEO 594 Geographic Information and Society
GEO 597 Geostatistics
GEO 605 Spatial Statistics
GEO 655 Advanced Topics in GIS
Tutorial Courses
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems (Independent Study)
GEO 631 Research Guidance [used while working on portfolio or project)
GEO 742 Geography Internship
* May be waived from GEO 505 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
** May be waived from GEO 506 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
- Students are able to earn an M.A. degree in Geography with specialization in Earth Systems Science after completing 30 credit hours of graduate coursework and a research project or portfolio.
- High value benefits: regular meetings with faculty advisor as needed, affordable tuition, strong graduate students.
Required Courses
Option 1: GEO 500 Introduction to Graduate Geography
GEO 501 Research Design
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
Option 2: GEO 504 Geography Seminar
One (1) GEO methods course (TBD)
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
Elective Courses
GEO 515 Conservation Biogeography
GEO 548 Stream Restoration
GEO 549 Fluvial Geomorphology
GEO 561 Ecohydrology
GEO 570 Integrated Environmental Management
GEO 575 GIS Data Science Project Management
Other courses with adviser approval.
Tutorial Courses
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems (Independent Study)
GEO 631 Research Guidance (used while working on portfolio/project)
GEO 742 Geography Internship
* May be waived from GEO 505 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
- Students are able to earn an MA degree in Geography with specialization in Environmental Modeling and Analysis after completing 30 credit hours of graduate coursework and a research project or competenty portfolio.
- High value benefits: regular meetings with faculty advisor as needed, affordable tuition, strong graduate students.
Required Courses
Option 1: GEO 500 Introduction to Graduate Geography
GEO 501 Research Design
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
GEO 506** Geographic Information Systems
Option 2: GEO 504 Geography Seminar
One (1) GEO methods course (TBD)
GEO 505* Univariate Statistics
GEO 506** Geographic Information Systems
3-4 of the following Elective Courses for Physical and Environmental Theory with at least two courses in Geography
GEO 515 Conservation Biogeography
GEO 545 Restoration Ecology
GEO 549 Fluvial Geomorphology
GEO 575 GIS Data Science Project Management
GLY 514 Hydrogeology
GLY 539 Sedimentology
GLY 562 Aqueous Geochemistry
GLY 563 Field Methods in Hydrogeology
BIO 507 Advanced Ecology
BIO 552 Limnology
CIE 535 Geoenvironmental Engineering
CIE 550 Hydrologic Engineering
One of the following Elective Courses for Tools in Geographic Information Science
GEO 509 Multivariate Statistics
GEO 597 Geostatistics
GEO 605 Spatial Statistics
Two of the following courses (at least one Geography analysis course):
GEO 551 Cartography & Geovisualization
GEO 553 Remote Sensing
GEO 559 GIS & Environmental Modeling
GLY 560 GIS for Earth Scientists
URP 569 GIS Applications
URP 571 Visual and Urban Simulation
CIE 507 GIS Applications
MTH 568 Lectures on Computational Mathematics
Two of the following Elective Courses for Environment & Society
GEO 594 Geographic Information & Society
PD 568 Environmental Planning and Policy
CIE 569 Hazardous waste management
LAW 672 Environmental Law
LAW 866 Environmental Colloquium
Other courses with adviser approval.
Tutorial Courses
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems (Independent Study)
GEO 631 Research Guidance [used while working on portfolio or project)
GEO 742 Geography Internship
* May be waived from GEO 505 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
** May be waived from GEO 506 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
Students are expected to have completed previous coursework in univariate statistics (1 semester), calculus and analytic geometry or linear mathematics (2 semesters). Working knowledge of at least one high-level programming language, such as, Visual Basic or C++ would be beneficial. Students are welcome to satisfy deficiencies in these areas during their graduate tenure, and must realize that doing so may extend the time to completion of degree.
- Students are able to earn an M.A. degree in Geography with specialization in Urban & Regional Analysis after completing 30 credits of graduate coursework and a research project or competency portfolio.
- High value benefits: regular meetings with faculty advisor as needed, affordable tuition, strong graduate students.
Required Courses
Option 1: GEO 500 Introduction to Graduate Geography
GEO 501 Research Design
GEO 506* Geographic Information Systems
GEO 509 Multivariate Statistics in Geography
(Note: GEO 505 Univariate Statistics is a prerequisite)
Option 2: GEO 504 Geography Seminar
One (1) GEO methods course (TBD)
GEO 506* Geographic Information Systems
GEO 509 Multivariate Statistics in Geography
(Note: GEO 505 Univariate Statistics is a prerequisite)
Elective Courses
GEO 507 Location Theory
GEO 512 Geography of Health
GEO 518 Population Geography
GEO 519 Transportation
GEO 530 Urban Geography
GEO 574 Transportation and Land Use Modeling
GEO 593 Dynamic Modeling
GEO 605 Spatial Statistics
Other courses adviser approval.
Tutorial Courses
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems (Independent Study)
GEO 631 Research Guidance [used while working on portfolio or project)
GEO 742 Geography Internship
* May be waived from GEO 506 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
The M.A. degree in Geography with specialization in Transportation & Business Geographics is not being offered at this time.
Required Courses
Option 1: GEO 500 Introduction to Graduate Geography
GEO 501 Research Design
GEO 506* Geographic Information Systems
GEO 509 Multivariate Statistics in Geography
(Note: GEO 505 Univariate Statistics is a prerequisite)
GEO 519 Transportation
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems
Option 2: GEO 504 Geography Seminar
One (1) GEO methods course (TBD)
GEO 506* Geographic Information Systems
GEO 509 Multivariate Statistics in Geography
(Note: GEO 505 Univariate Statistics is a prerequisite)
GEO 519 Transportation
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems
Three of the following:
GEO 564 Mobility and Flows
GEO 574 Urban Transportation and Land Use Modeling
GEO 666 Geography of Information
One of the following:
GEO 507 Location Theory
GEO 518 Population Geography
GEO 530 Urban Geography
GEO 531 Introduction to International Business and World Trade
GEO 605 Spatial Statistics
ECO 521 Urban Economics
PD 562 Transportation, Land Use, and Urban Form
MGS 616 Decision Support Systems
Tutorial Courses
GEO 534 Graduate Research Problems (Independent Study)
GEO 631 Research Guidance [up to 6 credits](GEO 631 is used while working on portfolio or project)
GEO 742 Geography Internship
* May be waived from GEO 506 on a case-by-case basis with appropriate prior undergraduate training at the discretion of the DGS or Chair
**The department is not accepting students into the Transportation & Business Geographics concentration at this time.
The Master of Science (M.S.)
- The Master of Science (M.S.) program is aimed at students, who want to specialize in applications of analytical techniques in the field of geography and intend to pursue a doctoral degree or a career in research, development, and consulting.
- We offer M.S. in Geography and M.S. in GIS
- Admission to the program is open to students who hold a bachelor's degree in any discipline. Students admitted to the program are expected to show proficiency in calculus, univariate and multivariate statistics, and introductory GIS at the time of admission. Students who do not meet the minimum qualifications are advised to make up deficiencies before entering the M.S. program.
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts (B.A./M.A.) - Geography
- The Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts (B.A./M.A.) program is aimed at students interested in international economic and business geographies.
For more information on this graduate program, please send an email with your request to geog@buffalo.edu