The UCDavis Geography Graduate Group offers an interdisciplinary academic program emphasizing spatial interactions between humans and the biophysical environment. Admissions requirements, graduate requirements for both Ph.D. and Masters, funding opportunities, and mentorship guidelines are all described in the forthcoming pages.
The Geography Graduate Group at UCDavis offers an interdisciplinary academic program emphasizing spatial interactions between humans and the biophysical environment. Like all graduate groups at UCDavis, the GGG is its own entity, 'floating' above the academic departments on campus, incorporating the best faculty on campus from diverse, yet interrelated areas. Faculty interests include:
Current research activities are being conducted around the world and in many regions of the United States, particularly California.
The goal of the Graduate Group in Geography (GGG) is to develop into a strong, nationally prominent graduate program, with emphases in the areas of biogeography, environmental and natural resource geography, tourism, and gender and geography, with associated technical strength in geographic information systems science. The overall focus of the program is on the ENVIRONMENT, building on the strengths of the campus faculty. Diverse approaches and resources are provided by our faculty in the colleges or schools of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Letters and Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, and Medicine. The GGG is housed within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and its Department of Environmental Design and Landscape Architecture Program, and the GGG will in the future become a founding group in the new Graduate School of the Environment. With the faculty and student enthusiasm and abundant intellectual resources of the group, the future is promising.
The discipline of geography focuses on landscape patterns and the processes that shape them, and as such is characterized by a distinct set of perspectives (place-based understanding, spatial interactions, and scale dependence) and methods of spatial representation and analysis (NRC, 1997). Geography focuses on the organization and character of the surface of the earth, and interactions between biophysical and human processes at the surface of the earth. As a cross-cutting discipline, geographers often attempt to transcend the boundaries traditionally separating the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities in order to provide a broad-based analysis of selected phenomena (NRC, 1997). Geography is an appropriate home for study of many critical issues facing society, including global climatic change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, land-use change, globalization of the economy, effects of globalization on local places and peoples, and impacts of the technological revolution.
An important influence on the discipline has been the development and spread of geographic information systems (GIS) in the 1980s and 1990s, with this science led by geographers and evolving from the fields of cartography and spatial analysis and modeling. GIS has revolutionized our ability to address complex and often regional-scale problems (particularly environmental problems), by improving the management, analysis, and display of spatial data. Geography is arguably the major, but not the only, home of GIS instruction and research in U. S. universities.
Faculty interests in the GGG are diverse, and attract as great of a diversity of students in such areas as biophysical geography and related natural science and engineering fields, as well as human geography and related social science fields. A number of faculty members use and teach geographic information systems, remote sensing, and related geographic techniques, and the faculty have a strong field orientation as well (a tradition in geography). This range of academic interests is typical of strong graduate programs in geography at other universities in the United States. However, the strengths of the campus and its faculty enable the program to focus on several areas of emphasis in geography where faculty expertise and student interest is the greatest. We are currently developing a new graduate course and lists of suggested coursework for each of these specializations. These areas are listed below.
Biogeography embraces ecological (biomes, vegetation formations), historical, and evolutionary approaches. Historical biogeography can focus on multispecies assemblages, lineages, or individual taxa of plants or animals. Current research at UC Davis often focuses on the interface of historical biogeography and systematics or community dynamics, and on phylogeography (the geographic patterning of population genetics, usually using molecular markers) - including comparative phylogeographic studies of multiple taxa in the same areas as an approach to reconstructing community or biotic evolution. Many of these studies have conservation implications.
UC Davis is one of the nation's strongest centers of environmental resource scholarship. This area has been a historical strength of the GGG both in physical and human geographic domains. The group's particular strength in this area is in bringing contemporary approaches and ideas from other disciplines into geography, where they can be applied, synthesized, and modeled in more of a spatial context. Current research includes studies of water resource allocation, stream restoration, air quality, land use and transportation issues, alternative agricultural cropping and production methods, ecological and agricultural sustainability, and behavioral studies.
Gender and geography takes gender as a key variable in influencing spatial patterns. Topics studied include gender and landscape perception, gender and participation in and enjoyment of tourism, gender and development, gendered roles in agriculture, and gendered use of space. Faculty and students are involved in the Center for Gender and Global Issues, with a diversity of research projects on-going around the world, with most students doing research abroad.
There are a number of opportunities to study tourism geography at UC Davis. Faculty with regional specializations can advise students undertaking descriptive studies of the interplay between landscape, organized support systems for tourists, and articulations of the tourist economy with traditional economic activities (e.g., subsistence agriculture). Students may wish to undertake GIS, spatial geographic, or other modeling of relationships among tourist flows, distributions of amenities and attractions, and other phenomena. Our strength in environmental studies permits students to explore hypotheses about the interplay of tourism development and plant and animal populations in specific regions (e.g., "eco-tourism"). The GGG faculty in the social sciences can advise advanced research on the social and cultural effects of the interactions of tourists and local peoples. There is advice available for theoretical studies of the ways tourism challenges assumptions about "space" and "place" in human geography: e.g, definitions of "boundary," relations of cultural pattern to "place," "power," "the gaze," etc.
The presence of the Geography Graduate Group in the landscape architecture program enables students to study landscape patterns that arise from the interaction of people and the environment, as well as issues arising from that interaction. Students in this concentration may focus on design and planning at advanced levels and take graduate seminars offered by the landscape architecture program in landscape theory and methods, as well as specialty courses. The faculty in landscape architecture offers expertise in many different areas within and related to the field of landscape architecture, including landscape history and theory, urban design, community participation, ecological design, landscape restoration, and historic preservation.
Although not a separate area of emphasis, as many of our students and faculty use GIS in a wide diversity of research inquiries, GIS science is a cross-cutting area of strength for the group. Geographic information systems have increased our ability to address complex and often regional-scale problems (particularly environmental problems), by improving our ability to collect, manage, analyze and display data that are spatially located. GIS and related techniques (especially remote sensing, spatial statistics, and geographic visualization) have coalesced into a new subfield called geographic information science (GIScience; see Goodchild, 1992). The GGG has great strength is this area, with several faculty heavily involved in GIS and remote sensing research and teaching, and leading both research centers on campus (such as ICE and CSTAR), the development and testing of new sensors, and the application of new methodologies to solving small to large-scale agricultural and environmental problems.
With the many environmental and societal issues a growing California faces, and the proximity to state and federal agencies in Sacramento, applied research topics and funding are extensive, both for California place-based projects and research abroad. The Graduate Group in Geography is well positioned to make important contributions to basic geographic theory and the solution of environmental problems in California, the nation, and abroad.
1. The admissions application process is now online. Please visit http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/prospective/apply_online.html for information before applying.
2. Be sure to review the admissions online application check list at http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/prospective/application_checklist.html
3. The online application is at URL http://apply.embark.com/grad/ucdavis
4. The application fee is $70 for the domestic application and $90 for the international application. The fee may be paid by credit card or e-check. The fee must be paid before the application will be considered complete. The fee must be paid for each application submitted.
5. Letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically through the online application service. Do not have your recommenders send letters in hard copy form to the Geography Graduate Group program, but rather to submit all recommendations online.
6. Submit official transcripts ONLY after you have marked your application complete and submitted it.
7. Submit only ONE official transcript from each university, college or community college attended. The transcripts will be made available to each graduate program you apply to, as well as for the review of your fellowship application.
8. Send your official transcripts directly to the Geography Graduate Group. In case of multiple applications, send only one official transcript to your first choice of graduate programs OR to the first completed graduate program application.
9. Upload required curriculum vitae, resume, and/or writing samples via the online application web site. Applicants to programs that do not list these items as requirements will not be allowed to upload them.
For general information contact the UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies.
Minimum admission requirement: grade point average of B (3.0) in upper-division course work taken during the applicant's last two years as an undergraduate, or other evidence of comparable scholarship. Meeting this minimum requirement, however, does not assure acceptance. Admission is highly competitive and early application is encouraged.
GRE: Only the General Test is required; scores should be recent (within the past five years). A minimum combined score of 1100 for Verbal and Quantitative parts of the test is required for admission. Results should be received before January 2nd for admission and fellowship consideration.
TOEFL: The TOEFL is required of all applicants whose native language is not English, or whose education was not in English. A minimum score of 550 is required, or 213 if using the computer-based test. The Graduate Council has established an overall minimum score of 68 for the new TOEFL iBT.
Application materials include:
If applying to the Geography Graduate Group, please send official transcripts and TA applications directly to:
Program Coordinator
Department of Environmental Design
Graduate Group in Geography
University of California
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8585
(530) 752-4119 (telephone).
(530) 752-1392 (facsimile).
The annual application deadline for the GGG is January 2.
The geography graduate program offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Normally, admission into the graduate program is for full-time status, and for Fall Quarter only. Applicants should be prepared in geography or a related field.
Most students admitted will already have completed an undergraduate major in geography, and will have met entrance requirements (at least one upper division course in three of the following six areas of study):
Applicants also should have completed at least one upper division course in each of the following: human geography, physical geography, and regional geography.
The educational core of the program at UC Davis for both M.A. and Ph.D. students is represented by four courses:
Two options are available.
Thesis (Plan I) features a rigorous academic program of course work with a research project that leads to an approved thesis. Completion enables the graduate to undertake and conduct research with supervision. Minimum unit credit for the masters degree by thesis option is 24 course units in professional, graduate, or upper division courses. Candidates must be in residence for at least three academic quarters.
Basic Academic Program:
Comprehensive Examination (Plan II) offers the same rigorous academic program of course work, but a research project and thesis are not required. Qualification is certified by successful completion of a comprehensive examination. Minimum unit credit for the masters degree by examination is 32 course units in professional, graduate, or upper division courses. Candidates must be in residence for at least three academic quarters.
Basic program:
Students with undergraduate degrees not in geography will be required to complete additional courses or readings, beyond the above requirements, to overcome deficiencies in geographic theory and methods. These deficiencies should be determined within the first year of the program by the Graduate Adviser, in consultation with the student and another GGG faculty member, usually the student's Major Professor. Generally, a student with an undergraduate degree in a closely-allied field can expect to be required to complete the rough equivalent of a minor in Geography, consisting of one course each in human geography, physical geography, and geographic methods, plus an additional 9 units of geographic coursework.
GEOGRAPHY MINOR EQUIVALENT - 1 COURSE IN EACH AREA PLUS NINE ADDITIONAL UNITS
COURSES THAT WILL SATISFY THE DEFICIENCIES OF NO PRIOR DEGREE IN GEOGRAPHY.
GEO 123 --- Western Europe
GEO 126 --- Southern Asia
GEO 131 --- California
GEO 143 --- Political Geography
GEO 155 --- Urban Geography
ESP 101 --- Human Ecology
ESP 133 --- Cultural Ecology
CRD 140 --- Dynamics of Regional Development
CRD 141 --- Organization of Economic Space
CRD 142 --- Rural Change in the Industrialized World
ANT 14? --- Various regional ethnography courses
GEL 115N --- Earth Science, History, and People
GEL 134 --- Environmental Geology and Land Use Planning
GEL 144 --- Historical Ecology
WFC 156 --- Plant Geography
WFC 157 --- Coastal Ecosystems
EVE 147 --- Biogeography
ERS 105 --- Principles of Cartography for GIS
ERS 185 --- Aerial Photo Interpretation and Remote Sensing
ERS 186 --- Environmental Remote Sensing
ASE 132 --- Geographic Information Systems in Applied Ecology
ABT 180 --- Introduction to GIS
ABT 181 --- GIS Modelling
ABT 182 --- Environmental Analysis with GIS
The Doctor of Philosophy represents a rigorous commitment to extensive course work and research, designed to ensure academic breadth and depth in geography. Training stresses independent thinking and advanced research skills that enable the graduate to conduct and direct research in a variety of academic, government, or private sector settings.
Courses taken must be organized to demonstrate sufficient depth and breadth of coursework. Coursework must satisfy either of the following major and minor specialization requirements.
At least 30 units of courses must be taken at UC Davis.
At least 36 course units of courses must be at the graduate level and distributed appropriately between the major and minor(s). Each minor must have at least one graduate-level course.
Theory and regional specialty requirements:
Coursework and specializations must be approved by the student's Guidance Committee, then reviewed by the Graduate Advisor, and then approved by the Graduate Group Executive Committee.
Students without prior degrees in geography should expect to undertake additional coursework beyond the above requirements, in order to overcome deficiencies in their knowledge of geographic theory and methods. These deficiencies should be determined within the first year of the program by the Graduate Advisor, in consultation with the student and another GGG faculty member, usually the student's Major Professor. Generally, a student with an undergraduate degree in a closely-allied field will be required to complete the rough equivalent of a minor in geography, consisting of one course each in human geography, physical geography and geographic methods, plus an additional 9 units of geographic coursework. The student's guidance committee also must certify definition of this requirement.
GEOGRAPHY MINOR EQUIVALENT - 1 COURSE IN EACH AREA PLUS NINE ADDITIONAL UNITS
COURSES THAT WILL SATISFY THE DEFICIENCIES OF NO PRIOR DEGREE IN GEOGRAPHY.
GEO 123 --- Western Europe
GEO 126 --- Southern Asia
GEO 131 --- California
GEO 143 --- Political Geography
GEO 155 --- Urban Geography
ESP 101 --- Human Ecology
ESP 133 --- Cultural Ecology
CRD 140 --- Dynamics of Regional Development
CRD 141 --- Organization of Economic Space
CRD 142 --- Rural Change in the Industrialized World
ANT 14? --- Various regional ethnography courses
GEL 115N -- Earth Science, History, and People
GEL 134 --- Environmental Geology and Land Use Planning
GEL 144 --- Historical Ecology
WFC 156 --- Plant Geography
WFC 157 --- Coastal Ecosystems
EVE 147 --- Biogeography
ERS 105 --- Principles of Cartography for GIS
ERS 185 --- Aerial Photo Interpretation and Remote Sensing
ERS 186 --- Environmental Remote Sensing
ASE 132 --- Geographic Information Systems in Applied Ecology
ABT 180 --- Introduction to GIS
ABT 181 --- GIS Modelling
ABT 182 --- Environmental Analysis with GIS
A Qualifying Examination must be administered by the student's Qualifying Examination Committee and passed according to the rules of Graduate Studies.
The Qualifying Examination will be both oral and written and cover general geography, the specializations and course preparation indicated in the student program of study, and the area of proposed research. Written questions, submitted by each Committee member, are to be coordinated by the Qualifying Examination Committee Chair and administered at least one week before the scheduled oral examination and graded by the submitting committee member before the oral Examination begins. The oral part of the Examination should last at least three hours. Students are encouraged to discuss the Exam's emphases with the Committee Chair and members before the examination.
Each student shall have a guidance committee whose purpose is to advise and approve the student’s coursework and language requirements.
A limited number of out-of-state fee waivers, teaching assistantships, and other types of financial assistance are available to especially well qualified students. Application deadline is January 15. Notification of awards normally is made by April 15th.
Graduate students who are US citizens, permanent residents or immigrants are encouraged to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as possible, but no later than March 1. This form is used to determine financial need only. All domestic students are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Graduate Council recognizes that the mentoring of graduate students by faculty is an integral part of the graduate experience for both. Faculty mentoring is broader than advising a student as to the program of study to fulfill coursework requirements and is distinct from formal instruction in a given discipline. Mentoring encompasses more than serving as a role model. Because of the uncertainty as to the nature of mentoring, the UC-Davis Graduate Council has outlined the following mentoring roles to guide the relationship between faculty and graduate students. Faculty and graduate students must realize that, while the major professor will be the primary mentor during a student's career at UCD, many of the mentoring "functions" defined below may be performed by program faculty other than the major professor. An important corollary to this recognition is that faculty members must realize that much of their interaction with all students has an important mentoring component to it. Graduate students also have responsibilities to insure successful mentoring and these are also indicated below.
Faculty have a responsibility to mentor graduate students. Mentoring has been defined as:
As partners in the mentoring relationship, graduate students have responsibilities. As mentees, students should:
While we have tried to provide examples of what mentoring means, we recognize that each discipline will provide its own special set of mentoring needs and challenges. We recommend that each graduate program meet to define what "good mentoring" means to and for its faculty and graduate students.
Approved by UC Davis Graduate Council
June 24, 1999
Online Resources for UCDavis Geographers
UCDavis Geography Related Links
Various GGG Application Forms