Contents

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.

Orientation for New Students

Welcome

Welcome to the Graduate Group in Geography (GGG)! The group consists of graduate students and faculty members from across the UC Davis campus. In terms of the number and diversity of affiliated faculty, we are the nation’s largest geography graduate program. As such, the group supports a wide range of geographic scholarship.

We are fortunate to be housed administratively by the Landscape Architecture Program of Environmental Design Department, with the Group’s office located in 207 Walker Hall, and student office with mailboxes next door in TB 105.

We all look forward to helping you achieve your scholarly and academic objectives. Welcome and best wishes for a productive year.

Organization

The curriculum of the Geography Graduate Group is comprised of three elements, the Core curriculum and the curricula of four Areas of Emphasis and three Concentrations. All students take coursework in the Core and in one Area of Emphasis, and as an option, they may take coursework in a Concentration. The curricula of the Areas of Emphasis and Concentrations are comprised of depth, methods, and elective courses and are designed so that depth and methods courses overlap.

The Areas of Emphasis in the GGG recognize the breadth of scholarship of geography and correspond to the organization of the content of the Annals of the Association of American Geographers:

The Concentrations focus students’ coursework and research in three fields:

Communications

The group maintains several means of distributing information. These include:

Major Professor

To be accepted into an M.A. or Ph.D. degree program in the Geography Graduate Group, a student must have a Major Professor that has agreed to work with them. The student should contact faculty members in the Graduate Group directly when looking for a Major Professor. Students are responsible for finding a Major Professor and may change Major Professors at any time. The Major Professor must be a member of the Graduate Group in Geography and must agree to serve in this capacity. The Graduate Advisor and Graduate Staff Assistant in the Geography Graduate Group should be informed of any changes as soon as possible. For advice on finding a Major Professor, talk to the Chairperson, Graduate Advisors, and current students of the Geography Graduate Group.

Affiliation with a Major Professor determines the student’s Area of Emphasis. If a student wishes to enter one of the three Concentrations, his/her Major Professor must be affiliated with that Concentration. A student’s Major Professor serves as a mentor and is a primary resource for advising and scholarly information on research projects and sources of external funding. The Major Professor’s home department is responsible for providing the graduate student office and laboratory space and support, as available. The Major Professor serves as chairperson of the dissertation/thesis/master’s exam committee. He/she, along with the student and their Committee, recommend to the Graduate Advisor when the student is prepared to take the qualifying/oral examination. He/she should guide the student on exam preparation and the preparation of their dissertation proposal for the Ph.D. qualifying examination. For students without prior academic degrees in Geography, the Major Professor consults with the student to advise the Graduate Advisors on a preparatory program of courses in geographic theory and methods.

Though the Major Professor plays the lead role in providing guidance on research projects, he/she may not be aware of the latest Graduate Studies and GGG requirements. Therefore, the student should consult with the Graduate Advisors on a regular basis and report on his/her academic progress.

Paper Work

The Graduate Program Coordinator, manages almost all paperwork related to the Graduate Group. The Graduate Advisors, Professors Steven Greco and Deborah Elliott-Fisk, need to sign most student forms. You can make arrangements to speak with Steven or Debbie at any time. If all you need is a signature, you can also leave it with the Graduate Program Coordinator, Carrie Armstrong-Ruport, in 207 Walker, in Carrie’s mailbox in 142 Walker or in Steven’s mailbox in 142 Walker Hall or Debbie's mailbox in 1286 Academic Surge and it will be taken care of forthwith.

Graduate Advisors

Graduate Advisors are nominated by the Chairperson of the Geography Graduate Group and appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies to serve in matters affecting graduate students in their academic program. The Graduate Advisor’s signature is the only signature officially recognized by Graduate Studies on a variety of forms and petitions used by graduate students.

In general, Graduate Advisors act as the student’s first source of academic program information and provide assistance with the requirements of the program. Students should meet with their Graduate Advisor on a regular basis and keep him/her up to date on progress. In particular, the Graduate Advisors are responsible for:

  1. Development of academic study plans with the student.
  2. Reviewing and acting on requests by graduate students to drop or add courses or to take courses on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.
  3. Reviewing and approving petitions for advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree and making recommendations for the composition of committees for M.A. theses and exams, doctoral dissertations, or qualifying examinations.
  4. Periodic review of the student’s progress towards degree objectives, and in particular, the filing of an annual report with Graduate Studies concerning each student’s progress toward completion of degree requirements.
  5. The Graduate Advisor is also responsible for the approval of Planned Educational Leave (PELP).
  6. For students without prior academic degrees in Geography, the Graduate Advisor is responsible for approving a preparatory program of courses in geographic theory and methods, in consultation with the student and Major Professor.

Financial Support

It is the student’s responsibility to obtain needed funding. Many sources of financial support are available for students:

Teaching Assistant Positions. Teaching assistant (TA) positions are often available for classes taught by GGG faculty members through their home departments. The GGG Graduate Program Coordinator has TA applications for the group’s home department: Landscape Architecture. The TA application is also available online at http://ggg.ucdavis.edu. Graduate students may apply for TA positions in any department on campus. Please contact faculty in charge of teaching particular courses or the management officer of each department to learn of teaching assistant opportunities. Apply early, preferably between December and May the prior year. Application forms for Teaching Assistantships should be submitted to the Department or Graduate Group offering the course on which the student wishes to assist. TA positions of 25% or greater time carry an in-state fee waiver. A partial listing of available positions and contact information is available at the Graduate Studies website at http://gsintra.ucdavis.edu/listappt/.

Graduate Student Researcher. Individual faculty members fund graduate student researcher (GSR) positions. Faculty in your area of interest should be contacted to discover opportunities. GSR positions of 25% or greater time carry an in-state fee waiver and non resident tuition waiver.

Work-Study. The Geography Graduate Group has a limited number of 25% time work-study positions each year. Eligibility for these grants is related to individual income. Work-study grants are used to match funding from other employment on the campus, usually graduate student researchers. A 25% work-study GSR appointment includes full remission of in-state fees for the quarter the appointment is held. Deadlines and procedures for applying for work-study are available from the Graduate Program Coordinator.

GGG Block Grants. Graduate Studies allocates the GGG a block grant award to help fund students. This past year, this award was for $129,000 and split competitively between 19 new and 73 continuing students based on academic performance. The GGG issues a call for block grant applications in the winter quarter, and the Awards Committee makes recommendations to the Chairperson on these awards. Awards may be used towards fees or as stipends.

Other On-Campus. Other employment on campus may be available in technical and service capacities. See the Student Employment Center for more information at: http://jobs.ucdavis.edu/.

Fellowships. The University offers several fellowships for new and continuing students. Fellowships are allocated on a competitive basis. Fellowship deadlines and applications are available from the Graduate Staff Assistant. External fellowships are also available through federal agencies and private organizations with Graduate Studies providing information on many of these.

Off-Campus. Off-campus employment opportunities exist in many areas of geography. The opportunities can often be discovered through the Internship and Career Center (2nd floor, South Hall) or through directly contacting agencies and firms doing work of interest to you. Jobs also frequently are sent to our email list for distribution.

Research Funding. Geography Graduate students have been very successful in obtaining funding for their research projects from various private, state and federal agencies. Several funding sources are also available at UCD and UC systemwide. Further information may be found on our Graduate Studies and Office of Research campus websites.

Teaching Assistant and Graduate Student Researcher positions afford excellent opportunities to gain experience in areas of intrinsic importance to your graduate education and to receive financial support at the same time. Information and application materials for TAships are available from the department in which you wish to teach. Contact the faculty directly about the availability of GSR positions. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA is required to hold an academic appointment. GSR and TA appointments at 25% and above provide full remission of in-state fees for the quarter the appointment is held. This policy is reviewed for renewal each year. Nonresident (NRT) remission is provided as a non-taxable benefit to all eligible Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) employed by the University of California, Davis. You can look at a partial listing of currently available TA, GSR and Reader appointments on the Graduate Studies online listing at: http://gsintra.ucdavis.edu/listappt/.

Financial Aid, which is only available to U.S. citizens, permanent residents or immigrants, is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need, and is administered by the Financial Aid Office. Federal financial aid includes student loans, grants, and work-study funding. Contact your graduate program regarding the availability of work-study funding. All applicants (US citizens, permanent residents, and immigrants) are required to apply for financial aid. You may apply for financial aid before you have been admitted. As noted above, it is strongly suggested that you file the FAFSA by the priority processing date of March 1. A full-time counselor for graduate financial assistance is available for appointments and scheduled drop-in hours in the Financial Aid Office.

Fellowships, graduate scholarships, and block grant awards are awarded primarily on the basis of scholarship and the promise of outstanding academic and professional achievement. Consideration is given to the extent and quality of previous undergraduate and graduate work, evidence of ability in research or other creative accomplishment, evidence of intellectual capacity, and promise of productive scholarship. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, undergraduate and graduate grade point averages, academic transcripts, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, and other documentation such as publications or awards are used in this evaluation.

The minimum cumulative undergraduate or graduate grade point average required for a living allowance, in-state fee award, or nonresident tuition fellowship is 3.0 (A=4.00).

Financial need or the availability of other sources of support in your graduate program is not relevant to the evaluation of academic merit, but may be an additional criterion for some fellowships. Students must establish eligibility for need-based awards by filing a FAFSA with the Federal Student Aid Program by the March 1 deadline. To file the FAFSA online, go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov or pick up a paper application from the Financial Aid Office in Dutton Hall.

Office Space

The primary office space for GGG students is provided by the department of the Major Professor (as available) and for TA or GSR positions, by the student’s employer on campus. A phone, fax, xerox machine, and computer may or may not be available. The GGG also has been assigned TB 105 as a group office and mailroom for our students. If you use this space as your office, be sure to be considerate of others and their need for space and to personally secure any valuables you have.

Computing Laboratories

The GGG has a basic computer laboratory for our students (with a PC, a Macintosh, a printer, and internet access over the campus network) in TB 105. The campus also has many open general-purpose labs and special purpose laboratories (see http://scg.ucdavis.edu/). If you have an assigned office from your major professor and home department, you may be able to hook a departmental or your personal computer up to the campus high-speed network in that room, or access the computer internet wirelessly.

Entering the Program from outside Geography

For students entering the graduate program without an undergraduate or prior graduate degree in geography, it will be necessary to evaluate your prior coursework and most likely take additional preparatory course-work in geography. This preparatory work must be agreed upon early in your program in consultation with your Major Professor and Graduate Advisor. A form for this purpose appears on page 21. Students wishing to enter the Geography Graduate Group from other graduate programs on campus should contact a Graduate Advisor.

Graduate Student Association

The students select two representatives who represent the group in the UC Davis Graduate Student Association (GSA). These students may also serve on the GGG executive committee (or two other students may hold those positions). The GSA is a forum for graduate student matters and activities. The students organize various informal seminars and activities during the year. Also available to geography students is the Geographical Education Club.

GGG Executive Committee

The GGG Executive Committee meets quarterly (and sometimes more frequently) to conduct the work of the group in regard to curricula, awards, financial support, activities, and other matters. Two graduate students serve as elected members of the Executive Committee, along with the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson, the two Graduate Advisors, three Members-At-Large, and the Graduate Program Coordinator. Serving on this committee is a good way to learn more about how the University works!

Business Meetings of the GGG

The GGG holds two business meetings of the full group (faculty, staff, students and friends) at the beginning of the fall quarter and near the end of the spring quarter. These are both business and social functions and are very enjoyable events.

GGG Seminars and Field Studies Courses

GEO 280 Field Studies in Geography (3 units). May be repeated two times for credit. Students help organize our GEO 280 field studies course that is held in spring quarter. This course has a faculty coordinator.

GEO 290 Seminar (4 units)

GEO 291 Seminar in Cultural Geography (4 units)

GEO 295 Seminar in Urban Geography (4 units)

GEO 297 Geography Graduate Group Seminar (2 units)
GGG students help organize our GEO 297 weekly seminar series during fall winter and spring quarters. Students are required to take GEO 297 two times. This seminar series has a faculty coordinator each quarter. Topics are typically selected late in spring quarter or early in fall quarter. Seminar topics have included history of California’s landscapes, tourism, zoogeography, watershed science, the geography of food, and careers in geography.

HELP!

If you have any questions please let us know in person, by telephone, or by e-mail. We will do our best to help as fast as we can. Many questions regarding Campus graduate policies can be answered by consulting the Campus Graduate Guide, which is published over the web ONLY. The web address is http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/. .

Admissions Information

The UC Davis Geography Graduate Group is undergoing curriculum revision and restructuring and will not be accepting applications for admission in fall 2010. We expect to reopen admissions for fall 2011. If you are interested in pursuing a degree through the GGG, we encourage you to remain in touch with the program and with the faculty member who you wish to study under in the future.

Areas of Emphasis

The geography program at UC Davis is divided into the following four main areas:

Environmental Sciences

The Environmental Sciences area of emphasis in the discipline of geography and the graduate group has its center in physical geography. Environmental Sciences Geography is a field of geography concerned with the relationships between between the biological and physical environment, largely encompassing the subdiscipline of physical geography, but overlapping into associate natural science disciplines and engineering. Research is focused on natural and anthropogenic earth surface patterns and the physical and ecological processes that have produced them, as well as change through time and across space. Studies are conducted from local to regional to global scales, with a considerable amount of research in the graduate group within California’s diverse landscapes. Sustainable natural resources management is of great interest, especially in the face of human population growth, land use intensification, and global climate change. Concentrations in Global Environmental Change and Landscape Architecture & Environmental Design are also available to the students.

Environmental geographers rely primarily on quantitative methods, including field work, remote sensing, GIS and affiliated modeling techniques. Research by UC Davis faculty and students is conducted in several subfields of physical geography, including biogeography, geomorphology, climatology, hydrology, and soils geography. With the great strength of the UC Davis campus in the agricultural sciences, biological sciences, engineering, and veterinary medicine, opportunities abound to build a program of course work that builds the foundation for each individual student’s training to best address their interests. Subfields within the Environmental Sciences AOE that particularly reflect campus strengths and the strength of the Geography Graduate Group are agricultural geography, biogeography and conservation biology, environmental and natural resource management, and watershed science. Geography Graduate Group faculty with these interests are listed below.

Faculty and students in the Environmental Sciences AOE are also affiliated with campus research units, institutes and centers such as the Bodega Marine Laboratory, the John Muir Institute of the Environment, the Natural Reserve System, the Center for Watershed Sciences, the Center for Biosystematics, the Information Center on the Environment, the Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing, etc.

Environmental Sciences Curriculum

The geography core course requirements must be fulfilled in addition to the curriculum listed for the area of emphasis.

The curriculum of the Environmental Sciences AOE in the Geography Graduate Group consists of the following coursework: (1) a relevant core course, (2) a relevant methods course, and (3) elective courses that include both courses that relate to depth and methods. M.A. students are encouraged to take 15 units of coursework in this AOE if they do NOT do a concentration; otherwise the minimum is 8 units. Ph.D. students are encouraged to take 18 units of coursework in the AOE.

Environmental Science-AOE Required Courses
Depth (choose one):
GEO 210 Topics in Biogeography
ECL 201 Ecosystems and Landscape Ecology
ECI 267 Water Resources Management
EVE 220 Species and Speciation
LDA 280 Landscape Conservation

Methods (choose one):
GEO 211 Physical Geography Traditions and Methods
GEO 280 Field Studies in Geography
ECI 249 Probabilistic Design and Optimization
GEL 235 Surface Processes
HYD 286 Selected Topics in Environmental Remote Sensing
PLS 298 Spatial Statistics

Electives as best associated with subfield:
Depth focus:
GEO 210 Topics in Biogeography
GEO 211 Physical Geography Inquiry & Research Methods
ATM 240 General Circulation of the Atmosphere
ECL 201 Ecosystems and Landscape Ecology
ECL 205 Community Ecology
ECL 207 Plant Population Biology
ECL 208 Issues in Conservation Biology
ECL 214 Marine Ecology
ECL 232 Theoretical Ecology
ECI 260 Sediment Transport
ECI 240 Water Quality
ECI 267 Water Resources Management
ESP 220 Tropical Ecology
EVE 220 Species and Speciation
EVE 240 Paleobotany and Angiosperm Evolution
HYD 256 Geomorphology of Estuaries and Deltas
HYD 286 Selected Topics in Environmental Remote Sensing
LDA 280 Landscape Conservation
SSC 208 Soil-plant interrelationships
SSC 218 Soil Erosion and Conservation
SSC 220 Pedology
WFC 223 Conservation Biology and Animal Behavior

Methods focus:
GEO 211 Physical Geography Inquiry & Research Methods
ANT 218 Problems in Archeological Method
ATM 241 Climate Dynamics
BST 223 Biostatistics: Generalized Linear Models
BST 224 Analysis of Longitudinal Data
ECL 206 Concepts and Methods in Plant Community Ecology
ECL 225 Terrestrial Field Ecology
ECL 231 Mathematical Models in Population Biology
ECI 249 Probabilistic Design and Optimization
ECI 268 Infrastructure Economics
ECI 275 Hydrological Time-series Analysis
ECI 278 Watershed Hydrology
ESP 228 Advanced Simulation Modeling
EVE 231 Principles of Biological Data Analysis
GEL 206 Stratigraphic Analysis
GEL 227 Stable Isotope Biochemistry
GEL 235 Surface Processes
GEO 280 Field Studies in Geography
HYD 252 Hillslope Geomorphology and Sediment Budgets
HYD 264 Modeling of Hydrological Processes
HYD 273 Introduction to Geostatistics
HYD 275 Analysis of Spatial Processes
HYD 286 Selected Topics in Environmental Remote Sensing
PLS 205 Experimental Design and Analysis
PLS 206 Multivariate Systems and Modeling
PLS 298 Spatial Statistics (Richard Plant)
PBG 220 Spatio-temporal Ecology
SSC 205 Field Studies of Soils in California Ecosystems
STA 238 Theory of Multivariate Analysis
WFC 222 Advanced Population Dynamics

Methods, Models, and GIS Science

The Methods, Models, and Geographic Information Systems (MMG) Area of Emphasis focuses on important tools to the field of geography. This sub-discipline is chiefly concerned with the development, application and assessment of tools used in geographic research. A heavily quantitative discipline, this field aims to utilize recent advancements in technology; including computers, remote sensing and geolocation devices.

This Area of Emphasis provides an opportunity to study mathematical modeling, geographic information systems, remote sensing, spatial statistics, image analysis and visualization, global positioning and surveying technologies, sensor networks, and web-based research and communication of geographical concepts and data.

The UC Davis campus and Geography program in particular with a wide interdisciplinary group of researchers provides ample opportunities to apply and test techniques to solve real world issues.

The MMG geography sub-discipline takes advantage of the globally-recognized environmental, agricultural, and natural resources research programs at Davis to provide students with ample opportunities to apply and test techniques to solve real world issues.

Curriculum

The geography core course requirements must be fulfilled in addition to the curriculum listed for the area of emphasis.

The curriculum of the Methods, Models, and Geographic Information Systems in the Geography Graduate Group consists of the following coursework: (1) a relevant core course, (2) a relevant methods course, and (3) elective courses that include both courses that relate to depth and methods. M.A. students are encouraged to take 15 units of coursework in this AOE if they do NOT do a concentration; otherwise the minimum is 8 units. Ph.D. students are encouraged to take 18 units of coursework in the AOE.

Methods, Models, and Geographic Information Systems AOE – Required course

Core (choose one)
HYD 286 Selected Topics in Environmental Remote Sensing
LDA 280 Landscape Conservation

Methods (choose one)
HYD 275 Analysis of Spatial Processes
HYD 273 Introduction to Geostatistics

Electives
Graduate level
ECL 220 Spatio-temporal Ecology
ECS 266 Spatial Databases
ESP 228 Advanced Simulation Modeling
ESP 231 Population Biology
PLS 205 Experimental Design and Analysis
PLS 206 Multivariate Systems and Modeling
WFC 222 Advanced Population Dynamics

Undergraduate level (available for graduate credit)
ABT 180 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
ABT 182 Environmental Analysis with Geographical Information Systems
ABT/LDA 181N Concepts and Methods in Geographic Information Systems
ECS 124 Theory and Practice of Bioinformatics
ECS 129 Computational Structural Bioinformatics
ECS 130 Scientific Computation
ECS 165A Database Systems
ERS 185 Aerial Photo Interpretation and Remote Sensing
ERS 186 Environmental Remote Sensing
ESP 179 Environmental Impact Reporting

Nature and Society

“Nature and Society Geography” is a field of geography concerned with the relationships between people and the environment. The field is broad and includes geography’s two centuries of emphasis on humankind’s interaction with and modifications of natural systems, as well as newer interests in conflicts over natural resources and environmental change, assessments of the sustainability and equity of primary production systems, and critical analyses of the meanings of taken-for-granted concepts like “nature,” “natural resources,” and “degradation.”

The Nature and Society Geography area of emphasis in the discipline of geography and the UC Davis geography program occupies a middle ground between human and physical geography. Nature and society geographers rely on both qualitative and quantitative methods, including GIS and cartographic design. In this way, overlap among the areas of emphasis is intentional, and our faculty work across fields (e.g., teach courses in human geography and nature and society geography).

The subfields of Nature and Society Geography at UC Davis are agricultural geography; cultural and political ecology; environmental hazards; environmental justice and conflict; and historical nature and society geography.

Agricultural geography
UC Davis, as one of the nation’s leading research universities focused on agriculture, offers great potential for Nature and Society Geography students interested in the intersection of agriculture, environment, and society. The areas of sustainable agriculture, agricultural development, and agricultural policy and models are particularly strong in UC Davis geography. The new Agricultural Sustainability Institute offers Nature and Society Geography students engagement with cutting-edge work on organic, transitional, and local food and farming systems.

Cultural and political ecology
Central to Nature and Society Geography is the subfield of cultural ecology and political ecology. Cultural ecology, a subfield in geography and anthropology, has a long history at UC Davis with current faculty members including David Boyd, Stephen Brush, Benjamin Orlove, and emeritus faculty Jack Ives. Cultural ecologists use ethnographic and other methods to understand indigenous resource management and the iterative relationship between culture and environment. In the late 1970s, cultural ecology was expanded to political ecology, which emphasizes extra-local political and economic forces that cause environmental change and degradation. UC Davis has one of the top ranked ecology graduate programs in the country, giving Nature and Society Geography graduate students ample opportunity to engage and collaborate with ecologists.

Environmental hazards
Floods, extreme weather events, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes have important ramifications for society. Dating back to the work of Gilbert White in the mid-20th century, Nature and Society Geography has a tradition of informing policy by emphasizing that environmental hazards are invariably strongly influenced by social relationships.

Environmental justice and conflict
Environmental justice is the principle that all people and communities have a right to live in a healthy environment and to have equitable access to sufficient resources to maintain a good quality of life. Geographers and others from allied disciplines highlight uneven distribution of costs and benefits of environmental modifications along the lines of race, ethnicity, gender, and class. Additionally, environmental justice examines conflicts over the lived environment and the successes of the environmental justice movements. UC Davis houses the Environmental Justice Project through the John Muir Institute for the Environment, the lead faculty of which often collaborate interdisciplinarily with faculty and researchers associated with the Center for the Study of Regional Change, as well as faculty in Environmental Science and Policy, Plant Ecology, and other departments and disciplines.

Historical nature and society geography
Key to elucidating nature and society relations is an understanding of the processes that have shaped those interactions over time. An historical perspective offers multiple temporal scales of analysis, allows an examination of the ways different nature-society relations are constructed over time, and reminds researchers that environmental change is multidirectional and multifaceted.

Curriculum

The geography core course requirements must be fulfilled in addition to the curriculum listed for the area of emphasis.

Nature and Society-AOE Required Courses

Depth (choose one):
CRD 244 Political Ecology of Community Development
ECL 210 Advanced Topics in Human Ecology
ECL 211 Advanced Topics in Cultural Ecology

Methods (choose one course from Group A and one from Group B):
Group A
ARE 239 Econometric Foundations
ESP 278 Research Methods in Environmental Policy
POL 211 Research Methods in Political Science
SOC 201 Social Research

Group B
EDU 205A Ethnographic Research in Schools I:
HIS 204 Historiography
NAS 280 Ethnohistorical Theory and Method

Electives as best associated with subfield:
Depth focus:
ANT 211 Advanced Topics in Cultural Ecology
ANT 212 Political Ecology (4)
ANT 221 Rural Transformation in Postcolonial Societies
ARE 214 Development Economics
ARE 215D Environment and Economic Development
CRD 245 The Political Economy of Urban and Regional Development
ECL 213 Population, Environment, and Social Structure
ECL 216 Ecology and Agriculture
ECL 217 Conservation and Sustainable Development in Third World Nations
ECL 222 Human Ecology of Agriculture
ESP 212A Environmental Policy Process
ESP 220 Tropical Ecology (3)
IAD 200N Philosophy and Practice of Agricultural Development
LAW 285 Environmental Law
LAW 285A Environmental Justice Law
LAW 285C Agricultural Law and Policy
LAW 285T Farmworkers and the Law
LAW 290 International Trade Dispute Seminar
LDA 260 Landscape and Power
LDA 280 Landscape Conservation
NAS 212 Community Development for Sovereignty and Autonomy
POL 207 Environmental Public Policy
SOC 233 Gender, Culture, and Local/Global Transformation.
SOC 245 Developing Societies

Methods focus:
ABT 182 Environmental Analysis using GIS
ANT 207 Ethnographic Writing
ARE 240A Econometric Methods (Same course as ECN 240A.)
ECL 206 Concepts and Methods in Plant Community Ecology
EDU 205B Ethnographic Research in Schools
ESP 212B Environmental Policy Evaluation
SOC 206 Quantitative Analysis in Sociology
SOC 207A-207B Methods of Quantitative Research

People, Place, and Region

The People, Place, and Region Area of Emphasis in the Geography Graduate Group encompasses political, cultural, social, and economic aspects of social science. “People, Place, and Region” is a field of geography concerned with the relationships between space and society. Encompassing many foci under the heading of human geography, this field analyzes human processes vis-à-vis the physical environment and, in particular, the ways in which people assume, require, refer to, or seek particular geographical relationships.

As a broad area of emphasis, People, Place, and Region draws from other disciplines such as sociology, cultural studies, philosophy, history, urban planning, and the humanities, to name a few. Given this diversity, this area of emphasis utilizes a range of methodological approaches, using qualitative, quantitative, and participatory methods; theoretical and empirical investigations; GIS and other forms of spatial analysis.

The subfields of People, Place, and Region at UC Davis are cultural and historical geography, international development, political and economic geography, planning and urban design, and social geography. These subfields and the interests of associated faculty members, many of whom work in multiple subfields, are described below.

Curriculum

The geography core course requirements must be fulfilled in addition to the curriculum listed for the area of emphasis.

The curriculum of the People, Place and Region AOE in the Geography Graduate Group consists of the following coursework: (1) a relevant core course, (2) two methods course, and (3) elective courses. M.A. students are encouraged to take 15 units of coursework in this AOE if they do NOT do a concentration; otherwise the minimum is 8 units. Ph.D. students are encouraged to take 18 units of coursework in the AOE.

People, Place and Nature – AOE Required Courses

Core Course (choose one)
CRD 245. The Political Economy of Urban and Regional Development
CST 214. Studies in Political and Cultural Representations
LDA 201. Theory and Philosophy of the Designed Environment
LDA 250. Life-Place: Bioregional Theory and Principles
SOC 215. Economy, Polity, and Society

Methods course (choose one)
EDU 200. Educational Research
LDA 202. Methods in Design and Landscape Research
POL 211. Research Methods in Political Science
SOC 201. Social Research

Electives as best associated with subfield:
CRD 240. Community Development Theory
CRD 241. The Economics of Community Development
CRD 242. Community Development Organizations
CRD 246. The Political Economy of Transnational Migration
CRD 247. Transformation of Work
CRD 248. Social Policy, Welfare Theories and Communities
CRD 248A. Social Policy, Welfare Theories and Communities I
CRD 248B. Social Policy, Welfare Theories and Communities II
AAS 204. Methodologies in African American and African Studies
CST 206. Studies in Race Theory
CST 208. Studies in Nationalism, Transnationalism, and Late Capitalism
CST 212. Studies in the Rhetorics of Culture
ECL 210. Advanced Topics in Human Ecology
ECL 211. Advanced Topics in Cultural Ecology
ECL 212A. Environmental Policy Process
ECL 213. Population, Environment, and Social Structure
ECL 217. Conservation and Sustainable Development in Third World Nations
ECL 222. Human Ecology of Agriculture
LDA 200. Citizenship, Democracy, & Public Space
LDA 204. Case Studies in Landscape Design and Research
LDA 205. Physical Planning and Design
LDA 220. Public Space and Culture
LDA 230. Landscape and Memory
LDA 240. Historic, Cultural Landscapes: Concept, Perception, Preservation
LDA 260. Landscape and Power
LDA 270. Environment and Behavior
POL 201. Urban Government and Politics
POL 207. Environmental Public Policy
POL 246. Policymaking in Third-World Societies
SOC 225. Cultural Sociology
SOC 227. Sociology of Reproduction
SOC 230. Ethnic (Race) Relations
SOC 233. Gender, Culture, and Local/Global Transformation
SOC 234. Gender, Family, and Society
SOC 243. Urban Society
SOC 245. Developing Societies
SOC 248. Social Movements
SOC 280. Organizations and Institutions
SOC 295, Special Topics: Environmental Sociology, Social and Political Ecology, Environmental Philosophy

Concentrations

The following concentrations are offered:

Global Environmental Change

A number of GGG faculty and graduate students do research on global environmental change, as linked to paleoclimates, contemporary global warming, changes in ocean-atmosphere circulations, air quality, sea-level rise, biological response to climate change, and ecosystem-level impacts on watersheds, estuaries, the nearshore ocean, agriculture and urban areas. The faculty span all four of our areas of specialization in geography (environmental sciences, methods, models and GIS, nature and society, and people, place and region).

The Global Environmental Change Concentration has its conceptual center in physical geography and the affiliated disciplines of atmospheric science, ecology, geology, hydrology, and their associated environmental subdisciplines. With the great strength of the UC Davis campus in the agricultural sciences, biological sciences, ecology, engineering, law, physical sciences, and veterinary medicine, opportunities abound to build a program of course work that builds the foundation for each individual student’s training to best address their interests. Faculty and students associated with the Global Environmental Change Concentration are primarily in the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science and Policy, Geology, Land, Air and Water Resources, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, Plant Sciences, and Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. They are also affiliated with campus research units, institutes and centers such as the John Muir Institute of the Environment, the Center for Watershed Sciences, the Information Center on the Environment, the Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing, and the Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

The Global Environmental Change Concentration prepares students to (1) teach and conduct research in academic programs in geography and the environmental sciences at the university level (2) serve as researchers in public (e.g., National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, UCAR, California Resources Agency, U.S. Geological Survey), private (e.g., environmental consulting organizations, research organizations), and non-governmental organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy); and (3) assume leadership positions in agencies engaged in issues of global change at the local, regional, national and international levels.

Curriculum

The geography core course requirements must be fulfilled in addition to the curriculum listed for this concentration.

It is important for students to have an understanding of climatology and the mechanisms of global climate change, to go along with the linked ecological, geographical, and geological changes in our environment. If the student has not taken undergraduate courses in climatology/climate change and physical geography/environmental change, they should expect to take one upper-division courses in climatology and one in physical geography to fulfill these deficiencies. Suggested courses include:

Climatology
HYD 141 or 143
ATM 115, 116 or 133; 150, 160
ERS 120, 131, or 186;
GEL 150A.

Physical geography
ECI 123;
ERS 100, 121
ESP 151;
EVE 115, 117, 147 or 149;
GEL 107, 108, 116, 136, 139, 144
PLS 130, or 162;
WFC 155, 156 or 157;

Concentration in Global Environmental Change – required courses
GGG students doing a concentration (e.g., focus) in global environmental change are required to take one core and one methods course and take at least 12 units of electives as follows:

Core courses (choose one)
GEO 210 Topics in Biogeography
GEO 211 Advanced Physical Geography
ATM 241 Climate Dynamics

Methods courses (choose one)
HYD 286 Selected Topics in Environmental Remote Sensing
HYD 275 Analysis of Spatial Processes
HYD 273 Introduction to Geostatistics
LDA 280 Landscape Conservation

Electives
ATM 215 Advanced Hydroclimatology
ATM 221 Advanced Atmospheric Dynamics
ATM 240 General Circulation of the Atmosphere
ECI 267 Water Resources Management
ECL 201 Ecosystem and Landscape Ecology
ECL 216 Agroecology
ECL 219 Ecosystem Biochemistry
EVE 220 Species and Speciation

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design

The Concentration in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design (LAED) is an advanced research degree program focused on interdisciplinary inquiry related to landscape meaning, spatial patterns, the built environment, and environmental design. The Geography Graduate Group (GGG) faculty who teach and mentor students in the LAED concentration work in the areas of landscape architecture, urban and community design, sustainable development, public participation, environmental planning, landscape ecology, cultural and historical studies. The degree prepares students for advanced research, practice and teaching in landscape architecture and related fields of environmental design.

Landscape architecture and environmental design concern the relationship between people and their environment. Typically, this is manifested through the planning, design, and use of the physical and everyday environment. However, as design is human intent expressed in the material world, a central focus is how society shapes the physical landscape across different scales. Landscape architecture and environmental design is seen as an interactive and dynamic process where each informs the other. Analyses of these processes require a knowledge base in areas as diverse as culture, ecology, policy, economics, and history, among others areas. An appreciation for interdisciplinary inquiry and understanding is a common thread that defines the LAED concentration. Some examples of graduate-level study in LAED include analyses of landscape patterns using methods in geographic information science, design and planning at advanced levels, historical and cultural studies of landscapes and places, and the development of advanced methods and techniques in citizen participation.

The concentration in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design is based in the Landscape Architecture Program of the Department of Environmental Design at UC Davis and it also includes a multidisciplinary group of faculty who are members of the Geography Graduate Group, the Community Development Graduate Group, the Ecology Graduate Group and other graduate groups at UC Davis. The program is also closely affiliated with research organizations at UC Davis including the John Muir Institute of the Environment, Institute for Transportation Studies, Center for the Study of Regional Change and California Center for Urban Horticulture. It also cooperates closely with UC Berkeley and courses are available there to supplement graduate study.

In addition to a professional career in geography offered through the GGG, the LAED concentration will prepare students to: (1) teach and conduct research in academic programs in landscape architecture, architecture, and planning; (2) serve as researchers and analysts in public, private, and non-governmental research institutions; and, (3) assume leadership positions in agencies engaged in issues of planning and design at the local, regional, national, transnational, and international levels.

Curriculum

The geography core course requirements must be fulfilled in addition to the curriculum listed for this concentration.

The LAED Concentration in the Geography Graduate Group consists of the following coursework: (1) a core theory course, (2) one methods course, (3) a studio course, and (3) a minimum of 6 units of elective courses in the field.

M.S. and PhD Concentration in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design

Core (4 units)
LDA 201 Theory and Philosophy of the Designed Environment

Methods (4 units chosen from the list below)
LDA 202 Methods in Design and Landscape Research
LDA 205 Physical Planning and Design

Studio (4 units chosen from the list below)
LDA 181 A-Q Planning Studio
LDA 191 Workshop in Landscape Architecture
LDA 210 Advanced Landscape Architecture Studio

Students without a design or planning background are required to take a graphics course such as LDA 21, Design 21, etc. before taking a studio. It is recommended that LDA 21 be taken during summer session as space is limited during the academic year.

Electives (minimum 6 units chosen from the list below)
LDA 180 A-Q Planning Studio
LDA 220 Public Space and Culture
LDA 230 Landscape and Memory
LDA 240 Historic, Cultural Landscapes: Concept, Perception, Preservation
LDA 250 Life-Place: Bioregional Theory and Principles
LDA 260 Landscape and Power
LDA 270 Environment and Behavior
LDA 280 Landscape Conservation

Regional and Community Development

The Concentration in Regional and Community Development (RCD) offers a Ph.D. degree program founded on the premise that strong theory and research are the basis for solving problems related to the social, economic, and political development of localities worldwide. The Geography Graduate Group (GGG) faculty who teach and mentor students in this concentration work in the areas of urban studies, rural development, migration studies, communications research, urban design, the political economy of social networks, and global-local interconnections.

Understanding the current dynamics of community development requires the analysis of the networks of social practice that interact in the social construction of place. The networks are both local and extra-local in scope, linking local social actors to wider social fields like state- and non-governmentally based organizations, corporate business networks, and transnational migrant networks. Investigating networks requires innovative approaches to theoretically driven research seeking to: (a) map the social organizations involved in the politics of community development and the ties connecting them; (b) comprehend the multiple contexts in which interacting networks are produced and changed; (c) grasp normative structures guiding these interactions; and, (d) assess changing patterns of community development resulting from cooperation and conflict.

The Ph.D. concentration in Regional and Community Development is based in the Community Studies and Development Unit of the Department of Human and Community Development at UC Davis and it also includes a multidisciplinary group of faculty who are members of the Community Development Graduate Group (CDGG) and the GGG.

The graduates of the Regional and Community Development doctoral program will be prepared to: (1) teach and conduct research in academic programs in community development; (2) serve as teaching and research faculty in related departments such as urban design, city planning, rural development, communications, and other applied social sciences; (3) serve as researchers and problem-focused analysts in public, private, and non-governmental research institutions; and, (4) assume leading positions in agencies engaged in issues of community development at the local, regional, national, transnational, and international scales.

Curriculum

The geography core course requirements must be fulfilled in addition to the curriculum listed for this concentration.

The Ph.D. Concentration in Regional and Community Development in the Geography Graduate Group consists of the following coursework: (1) a core theory course, (2) two methods courses, at least one of these in quantitative methods and (3) a minimum of 12 units of elective courses in the field.

PhD Concentration in Regional Community and Development – required courses
Core (4 units)
CRD 240 Community Development Theory
Methods (8 units chosen from the list below or approved by student’s Guidance Committee)
EDU 200* Educational Research
EDU 201 Qualitative Research in Education
EDU 202N Computer Analysis of Qualitative Data
POL 211* Research Methods in Political Science
SOC 206* Quantitive Analysis in Sociology
SOC 207 A/B* Methods of Quantitative Research
*quantitative methods

Electives (12 units chosen from the list below or approved by student’s Guidance Committee)
CRD 241 The Economics of Community Development
CRD 245 The Political Economy of Urban and Regional Development
CRD 246 The Political Economy of Transnational Migration
CRD 247 The Transformation of Work
CRD 248 Social Policy, Welfare Theories and Communities
CRD 248A/B Social Policy, Welfare Theories and Communities I & II

Academic Programs

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.

Entrance Requirements

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.

Core Program

Core Courses
The educational core of the program at UC Davis for both M.A. and Ph.D. students is represented by three courses:

  • Geography 200A (Faculty Research Interests)
  • Geography 200B (Ethics and Professionalism)
  • Geography 200C (Theory and Practice)

In addition all students are required to fulfill requirement's in one Area of Emphasis.
Optionally students can also choose to fulfill requirement's in a Concentration as an additional distinguishing characteristic of their degree.

The Curriculum Framework Diagram visually explains the expected curriculum and approximate time schedule for incoming students.

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Master's Program

Two options are available.

Thesis: Plan I

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:

  1. Meet all entrance requirements.
  2. Complete the GGG Core Series.
  3. Meet all University requirements.
  4. At least 24 upper division and graduate course units must be completed (exclusive of 299 units).
  5. Of these, at least 18 graduate course units must be completed in the student's major subject area (exclusive of 299 units).
  6. A thesis must be completed. This must be approved, and signed by a three-person committee. At least two members of the committee must be faculty members of the Graduate Group in Geography.

Comprehensive Examination: Plan II

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:

  1. Meet all entrance requirements.
  2. Complete the GGG Core Series.
  3. At least 32 upper division and graduate course units must be completed (exclusive of 299 units)
  4. Of these, at least 21 graduate course units must be completed in the student's major subject area (including core course requirements, but exclusive of 299 units).
  5. Before sitting for the comprehensive exam the student must submit a paper of journal style and quality to the examination committee for unanimous approval. This paper should be prepared in consultation with the examination committee members.
  6. The student must pass a comprehensive examination administered by a three-person committee. At least two members of the committee, including the Chair, must be faculty members of the Graduate Group in Geography. The Chair of this committee will certify passing of the exam, which requires the unanimous vote of the committee, by letter to the Graduate Advisor.
  7. Meet all University requirements.

Special Circumstances

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.

Human 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

Physical Geography

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

Geographic Methods

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

MA Comprehensive Examination Committee

  • The Comprehensive Examination Committee must have three members.
  • At least two members of the committee, including the Chair, must be faculty members of the Graduate Group in Geography.
  • The decision on the examination must be unanimous.
  • The Chair of the Committee will report the result of the examination by letter to the Graduate Advisor.

Thesis Committee

  1. The Thesis Committee must have at least three members.
  2. The Chair of the Thesis or Dissertation Committee must be a Geography Graduate Group member.
  3. At least two members of the Thesis Committee must be Geography Graduate Group members.

Ph.D. Program

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.

  1. Meet all entrance requirements.
  2. Complete the four-course Core Series.
  3. 48 units of regular courses (minimum).
  4. Foreign language proficiency.
  5. Ph.D. Qualifying examination passed.
  6. Dissertation: written under the direction of a Major Professor who is a member of the Graduate Group in Geography.
  7. Exit seminar: candidates present a formal seminar of their research findings before the dissertation is filed with Graduate Studies.
  8. Meet all University requirements.
  9. Designated Emphasis Option-A specialization which might relate to two or more existing Ph.D. Programs.

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.

  1. Major specialization (> 30 units), Minor specialization (> 18 units)
  2. Major specialization (> 30 units), 2 Minor specializations (> 9 units each)

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:

  1. At least one major or minor specialization must consist of a focused theoretical core.
  2. At least one major or minor must consist of a focus on a particular geographic region (e.g. Latin America) or thematic region (e.g. Urban, arid, or mountainous).

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.

Human 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

Physical Geography

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

Geographic Methods

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

Language Requirement
  • Competence in at least one language other than English must be demonstrated.
  • This language must have scholarly relevance to the designated theoretical or regional specialty.
  • Language competence must be satisfied before the Qualifying Examination.
  • The Chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee must certify completion of the language requirement, in the form of a letter to the GGG Graduate Advisor.

Qualifying Examination

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.

Dissertation Research

  1. A dissertation must be completed which provides a significant contribution to the field of geography.
  2. All members of the student's dissertation committee must approve the final dissertation.

Ph.D. Guidance Committee

Each student shall have a guidance committee whose purpose is to advise and approve the student's coursework and language requirements.

  1. The student's Guidance Committee consists of three or more faculty approving the student's coursework. These are selected by the student.
  2. At least two Guidance Committee members must be members of the Geography Graduate Group.

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Committee

  1. The Qualifying Examination committee must have at least five members.
  2. At least two members must represent the major specialization.
  3. At least one member must represent each minor specialization.
  4. At least three members must be Geography Graduate Group members.
  5. The Chair of the Qualifying Examination committee may not chair the student's dissertation committee.
  6. The Chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee must be a Geography Graduate Group member.
  7. Members of the student's Qualifying Examination Committee are recommended by the Graduate Advisor, in consultation with the student, and appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Dissertation Committee

  1. The Dissertation Committee must have at least three members.
  2. The Chair of the Thesis or Dissertation Committee must be a Geography Graduate Group member.
  3. At least two members of the Dissertation Committee must be Geography Graduate Group members.
  4. Members of a Ph.D. student’s Dissertation Committee are recommended by the Graduate Advisor, in consultation with the student, and appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies

Advising

Although the curriculum of the GGG is laid out in the various Areas of Emphasis and Concentrations, the interdisciplinary and interdepartmental nature of the GGG requires that the student seek advising assistance throughout his/her program. The most important advising is done by the Major Professor, who with the student determines the specific course of study that will lead to successful completion of the Oral Examination or Thesis (M.A. students) and Qualifying Examination and Dissertation (Ph.D. students). No other advising can supplant the role of the Major Professor in this.

In addition, the student has two other Advisors who will assist him/her in the degree program:

  1. The GGG Advisor is appointed to certify to the Office of Graduate Studies that the student has followed the required program to reach the completion of the M.A. or Ph.D. degree. The GGG Advisor must also certify that a student with deficiencies has satisfied these.
  2. Each Area of Emphasis and Concentration has an Advisor to help the student plan his/her program within the specialized field.

GGG Advisors

Steven Greco: segreco@ucdavis.edu

Debbie Elliott-Fisk: dlelliottfisk@ucdavis.edu

Areas of Emphasis Advisors 

Environmental Sciences Debbie Elliott-Fisk
Methods, Models, and Geographic Information Systems Jim Quinn
People,Place, and Region Michael Rios
Nature and Society Ryan Galt

Concentration Advisors

Global Environmental Change Debbie Elliott-Fisk
Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design Mark Francis
Regional and Community Development Frank Hirtz


Mentoring Guidelines

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:

  • Guiding students through degree requirements. This means:
    1. Providing a clear map of program requirements from the beginning, making clear the nature of the coursework requirements and qualifying examination, and defining a timeline for their completion.
    2. Providing clear guidelines for starting and finishing dissertation or thesis work, including encouraging the timely initiation of the dissertation or thesis research.
  • Guiding students through thesis or dissertation research. This means:
    1. Evaluating clearly the strengths and weaknesses of the student's research.
    2. Encouraging an open exchange of ideas, including pursuit of the student's ideas.
    3. Checking regularly on progress.
    4. Critiquing written work.
    5. Providing and discussing clear criteria for authorship of collaborative research.
    6. Assisting in finding sources to support dissertation research; such as, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships, etc.
    7. Being aware of student's research needs and providing assistance in obtaining required resources. For example, serve as the student's advocate for necessary desk and/or laboratory space.
  • Guiding students through professional development. This means:
    1. Providing guidance and serving as a role model for upholding the highest ethical standards.
    2. Treating students respectfully.
    3. Encouraging and critiquing oral and written presentations.
    4. Encouraging participation in professional meetings of regional groups as well as of learned societies.
    5. Facilitating interactions with other scholars, on campus and in the wider professional community.
    6. Assistance with applications for research funding, fellowship applications, and other applications as appropriate for the respective discipline.
    7. Being the student's advocate in academic and professional communities.
    8. Providing career guidance, specifically assistance in preparation of CV and job interviews, and writing letters of recommendation in a timely manner.
    9. Recognizing and giving value to the idea that there are a variety of career options available to the student in her/his/your field of interest and accepting that the student's choice of career options is worthy of your support. For example, guiding the student to teaching opportunities when appropriate for the student's goals.

As partners in the mentoring relationship, graduate students have responsibilities. As mentees, students should:

  • Be aware of their own mentoring needs and how they change through their graduate tenure. Graduate students should discuss these changing needs with their mentors.
  • Recognize that one faculty member may not be able to satisfy all of a student's mentoring needs. Seek assistance from multiple individuals/organizations to fulfill the mentoring roles described above.
  • Recognize that their mentoring needs must respect their mentor's other responsibilities and time commitments.
  • Maintain and seek regular communication with their mentors, especially their major professor.

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

Financial Assistance

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.

Online Resources

Online Resources for UCDavis Geographers

UCDavis Geography Related Links

Various GGG Application Forms

Online Articles

Download Complete Graduate Guide

Download and Print a full copy of the GGG Graduate Guide.

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