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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