Geography, Ph.D.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the UNC Charlotte Graduate School, the following are required for study to the Ph.D. in Geography.  Under most circumstances, students admitted to the program will have:

1. Master’s degree in a related discipline. 
2. While students may initially be enrolled in the program while finishing their master’s degree, documentation of master’s degree conferral from issuing university is required for continuation of Ph.D. in Geography enrollment beyond the first semester. 
3. A master’s level GPA of at least 3.5 out of 4.0.
4. In exceptional cases, students with only a completed baccalaureate degree may be admitted. However, this is rare and requires approval from the program Graduate Advisory Committee and the Graduate Program Director following written recommendation from faculty member who agrees to serve as the prospective student’s primary doctoral advisor, and who outlines why waiving the master’s degree requirement is justified. To be considered for admission with only a completed baccalaureate degree, a student must have an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.75, demonstrated research competency (including through their GRE scores), and meet or exceed all other admission requirements.  Students without a master’s degree or prior master’s level coursework should be prepared to complete additional coursework to ensure they have met prerequisites and are ready to engage in Ph.D. level study. 
5. Transcripts of all previous college coursework. Transcripts are evaluated on the basis the type and range of geographical, spatial, statistical, and technical courses attempted as well as the strength of performance in these areas, and on the depth and suitability of the applicant’s preparation for doctoral level coursework and research in the field of geography.
6. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) with minimum scores of 150 on both the verbal and quantitative sections and a 3.5 or above on the analytical portions. However, the GRE is optional for applicants with a graduate GPA of 3.75 or above.
7. For applicants whose native language is not English, an IELTS overall score of at least 6.5 or a TOEFL exam score of at least 84 on the Internet-based test.  The program expects a minimum score in the low to mid 20s on each of the components of the TOEFL.  In addition, international students who are supported through a teaching assistantship (TA) will be required to undergo evaluation by the English Language Training Institute (ELTI) at UNC Charlotte prior to beginning their assistantship. 
8. Proficiency in quantitative methods at a minimum of the linear regression level is expected. If absent, other coursework, as determined by the program’s Graduate Advisory Committee, may be required depending on the background of the student.
9. GIS proficiency at a minimum of the applications level is expected. If absent, other coursework, as determined by the program’s Graduate Advisory Committee, may be required depending on the background of the student.
10. Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must come from faculty in the student’s previous academic programs.
11. A personal statement which directly addresses why the student wishes to do graduate work in Geography and why they wish to participate in the Ph.D. in Geography program at UNC Charlotte. The statement should address how the program at UNC Charlotte fits career and/or professional goals and how the applicant would benefit from and contribute to the Ph.D. in Geography at UNC Charlotte. The statement should also identify a potential academic advisor. This statement is very important in determining the applicant’s commitment to graduate education and to a professional career in geography or a related field.

Degree Requirements

51 credit hours of approved coursework is required, encompassing 18 credit hours of required courses, 15 credit hours of elective courses and 18 dissertation credit hours. Students are also required to pass a qualifying examination (encompassing three written parts and an oral defense), as well as an oral defense of both the dissertation proposal and the final dissertation. In addition to program requirements, all doctoral students are required to successfully complete a non-credit bearing course for academic integrity.

Degree Total = 51 Credit Hours

Grade Requirements

All graduate students are subject to academic suspension and/or termination.  Department academic standards deviate slightly from University policies stated in appropriate catalogs.  A student must maintain a cumulative average of 3.0 in all coursework taken in the program.  An accumulation of one (1) marginal (C) grade results in the student being placed on probationary status within the program and could lead to the student being required to re-take the course, and a potential loss of funding if the student is receiving University-sourced funding.  An accumulation of two (2) marginal (C) grades results in suspension of the student’s enrollment in the graduate program.  A graduate student whose enrollment has been suspended because of grades is ineligible to register in any semester or summer session unless properly reinstated through the suspension appeal process.  A maximum of one (1) C grade can be applied towards the PhD.  As such, if a student is reinstated following a grade related suspension, they must retake at least one of the courses for which the C grade was initially issued and achieve a grade of B or above.  An accumulation of three (3) marginal (C) grades or one (1) unsatisfactory (U) or one (1) NC grade results in termination of the student’s enrollment in the graduate program.  Furthermore, a second failure in the qualifying examinations; the dissertation proposal defense; or final dissertation defense also results in dismissal from the program.  In order to continue a program of study, the student must pursue reinstatement through the termination appeal process or wait a period of two years before applying for readmission to the program.

Transfer Credit

A maximum of 9 credit hours or three courses of graduate-level elective coursework can be transferred from a graduate program from a college or university accredited by an accepted accrediting body as part of the 51-credit hour requirement.  This includes credit hours earned in a master’s program at UNC Charlotte.  All transfer credit requires Advisor recommendation and Program Director approval, and must be in compliance with program and Graduate School policy.  Internship, dissertation, thesis, or capstone research hours are not eligible for transfer.

Qualifying Examination

Following successful completion of all required core courses (with the exception of a student’s 2nd enrollment in GEOG 8632 ) and at least 15 credit hours of elective coursework, and upon the recommendation of the Faculty Advisor, students sit for a three-part, written, qualifying examination.  The Qualifying Examination includes a three-part Written Examination and an Oral Defense.  For full-time students, this generally occurs no later than the end of the 4th semester or early in the 5th semester of enrollment in the program.  

Part I of the Written Examination addresses in breadth the theoretical and contemporary literature of a geography subdiscipline relevant to the students dissertation research and future careers goals. Part II assesses in depth a more narrowly defined theoretical framing (for applied and theoretical research topics) or advanced methodological framework (for research topics focused on methodological development) driving the student’s dissertation research and future career goals. Part III evaluates student’s competence in both the breadth and depth of their sub-field of research specialization. Part III is not simply a combination of Parts I and II, but instead engages deeply and broadly with the specific topic the student expects to investigate in their dissertation.

The Oral Defense assesses the student’s comprehension of Written Examination responses and the student’s ability to verbally explain their answers. During a 1-1.5 hour meeting with the Qualifying Examination Committee, the student will be asked questions clarifying exam answers, expanding upon weaker components of the written answers, and discussing the application of learnings to their research and career aspirations. The Examination Committee will also be able to ask relevant follow-up questions regarding the field(s) of study.

In the Written Examination and the Oral Defense, students are expected to demonstrate intellectual sophistication in the subdisciplines and topics relevant to their dissertation and future career paths, including employing various theoretical approaches and data to illuminate concepts. Several different written formats are possible, at the discretion of the Qualifying Examination Committee, including a single extended response, individual responses prepared for separate Examiners, and closed or open book questions administered within a time limit. Responses to each part of the Written Examination must be completed within one week of receiving the question. The Oral Defense should be completed within two weeks following successful completion of the third written exam.

The Qualifying Examination is set and graded by an Examination Committee primarily composed of faculty who teach in the Geography PhD program. Faculty who set and grade Parts I and II of the Written Examination should be identified in consultation with the student’s primary advisor, while Part III of the Written Examination is most commonly set by the student’s primary advisor with whom the student has most closely worked to develop their primary area of sub-disciplinary expertise. The Examination Committee as a whole determines if the student satisfactorily passes the Oral Defense. An independent faculty observer will attend the Oral Defense to ensure fairness. The faculty observer, identified by the student in collaboration with the Primary Advisor, can be the Geography PhD Graduate Program Director, Geography MA Graduate Program Director, Earth Sciences MS Graduate Program Director, or another graduate faculty member within the department. Two of the three members of the Examination Committee must be Graduate Faculty in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences. The Geography PhD Graduate Program Director appoints the Examination Committee in consultation with the student’s Faculty Advisor. 

If a student fails the qualifying examination or any portion of the exam, they must wait until the next semester to retake the failed part or parts of the examination.  During the interim period, the student may be required to retake courses in which the Examination Committee determines there is a deficiency.  If a student fails the qualifying examination or any portion of the exam a second time, the program will request termination of the student’s enrollment for a lack of satisfactory academic progress.

Faculty Advisor and Dissertation Committee

All students in the program have both a Faculty Advisor and Dissertation Committee.  The Faculty Academic Advisor is assigned upon admission to the program and assists the student in formulating a Program of Study, including a potential dissertation topic.  The Faculty Academic Advisor often continues to serve as Chair of the Dissertation Committee who must be a member of the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences.  The Dissertation Committee should have at least three additional members, two of whom are chosen by the student and are usually members of the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences.  The final member of the Dissertation Committee is a Graduate School representative appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School.  All members of the Dissertation Committee must be members of the Graduate Faculty.

Dissertation Proposal and Advancement to Candidacy

Advancing to candidacy requires that the student pass the qualifying exam and write and successfully defend a dissertation proposal. The proposal must be submitted to the student’s Advisory Committee for preliminary approval and then to the Program Coordinator and the Dean of the Graduate School. Successful defense of the dissertation proposal is followed by advancement to candidacy.

Dissertation

The culminating product of the program is the student’s dissertation.  Each dissertation is expected to be based on independent and original research which contributes to the body of knowledge in the discipline of Geography and to the student’s sub-field of study.  Dissertations can be prepared and submitted in monograph format or a three-article dissertation format following the customized requirements for the PhD in Geography Program.

Candidates must supply a copy of their dissertation to their committee at least two weeks prior to the final defense.  The document is evaluated through an oral defense with the student’s dissertation committee and other graduate faculty as per Graduate School guidelines.  Only after all recommended changes flowing from the oral defense are made and approved by the faculty advisor and dissertation committee may a student submit their final dissertation to the Graduate School.  The final defense must be held on campus at UNC Charlotte.  Candidates must publicly announce the date and time for the final defense at least two weeks prior to the event.

If a student fails either the written or oral portion of the dissertation defense, they must wait until the next semester to redefend.  During the interim period, the student works closely with their Advisor and Dissertation Committee to address areas where deficiencies were identified.  If a student fails the dissertation defense a second time, the graduate program will request termination of the student’s enrollment for a lack of satisfactory academic progress.

Time Limits for Completion of the Degree

It is generally expected that full-time students complete coursework within a two-year timeframe and the dissertation completed one to two years later.  Students must achieve admission to candidacy within six years after admission to the program.  Regardless of whether a student has proceeded through the program full-time or part-time, all courses applied towards the doctoral degree must have been taken within nine years after first registration as a doctoral student (regardless of whether courses were taken at UNC Charlotte or another institution).  Further, the oral examination in defense of the dissertation must be passed within five years after being advanced to candidacy.

Residency Requirements

Residency requirements for the program include completing 21 credit hours of continuous enrollment, either as coursework or dissertation credits.  Residence is considered to be continuous if the student is enrolled in one or more courses in successive semesters until 21 credit hours are earned.

Assistantships and Other Support

The Ph.D. in Geography program at UNC Charlotte endeavors to secure funding support for our most competitive students in one of three ways:  1) externally funded Research Assistantships (RAs) offered by faculty through their granting activity and research programs; 2) program or university funded Graduate Assistantships (GAs) that can be teaching focused; research focused; administration focused or a combination thereof; or 3) externally funded scholarships, fellowships, or internships. 

Many of our doctoral program faculty have active and externally funded research programs that are core sources of funding support (and training) for doctoral students.

For students not supported through advisor-funded RAs, the program offers a number of competitive Graduate Assistantships (GAs) which are awarded for a single semester or for an entire academic year (2 semesters or 9 months).  Program Assistantships are renewable (based on academic and assistantship performance; advisor recommendation and program director approval) but generally only up to the end of the 8th semester or 4th academic year dated from a student’s initial semester of enrollment in the program.  Such GAs are normally scheduled for 16 weeks per semester and require the student to work for 20 hours per week.  Graduate Assistantship assignments range from support of departmental teaching in which as student serves as either a teaching assistantship to faculty or, for more advanced students, as instructor of record for their own course; to support of faculty led research projects, outreach endeavors or other professional activities; to administrative support of departmental or programmatic initiatives.  University policy dictates that acceptance of a Graduate Assistantships prohibits students from working for more than 20 hours per week in any paid activity on or off campus.

Students funded through faculty-supported RAs or awarded one of our program’s competitive GAs are nominated for UNC Charlotte’s Graduate Assistant Support Plan (GASP).  GASP is a competitive support package used to attract top doctoral students to UNC Charlotte.  If successful in the competition, doctoral students supported on a GA (or other qualifying award) receive tuition and health insurance for the academic year (fall and spring semesters). GASP is renewable for a limited number of semesters as per Graduate School guidelines.  In addition to GASP, the UNC Charlotte Graduate School administers a number of philanthropic fellowships and awards for which eligible students are encouraged to apply.

Our doctoral students have a strong record of success in fellowship and scholarship competitions at the national level.  Working in partnership with their academic advisors, Geography doctoral students are strongly encouraged to apply for external support from agencies such as, but not limited to, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Society of Women Geographers, United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Association of American Geographers.  Professional development is an important cornerstone of the doctoral program. As such, Ph.D. in Geography students are encouraged to present their independent and assistantship research at regional, national, and international academic and professional conferences.  Financial support for these presentations is often available from the program (subject to budget conditions).  Additionally, many of our doctoral students are offered opportunities to work with faculty over the summer months as Graduate Assistants supporting research, teaching and/or outreach initiatives that are either funded through faculty grants or contracts or through the awarding of a competitive summer GA offered through the Ph.D. in Geography program itself.