Accelerated M.S.
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Earn two degrees in five years
A student can earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in five years from the Department of Geography through an accelerated M.S. in geography program. Interested students should apply for admission to the program through the Graduate School the semester before their final year of undergraduate study, typically the spring semester of their junior year. The application materials and process are the same as those for the M.S. in geography program, but the application must indicate the student's intention to begin graduate work in the semester immediately after completing their bachelor's degree. For example, if the student expects to finish their undergraduate degree in May 2024, they should apply to begin the accelerated M.S. program beginning in fall 2024.
The application consists of a résumé, three letters of reference, writing sample, unofficial transcript, and an Academic and Professional Goals Statement. Students must also identify a faculty advisor before applying to the accelerated M.S. program, and this advisor must be identified in the Academic and Professional Goals Statement. Students will not be admitted to the the accelerated M.S. in geography program without a dedicated advisor.
Students seeking an accelerated M.S. should be familiar with many of the faculty members in the Department of Geography, but finding the right person to agree to be an advisor is a key element of success. The list of faculty members who work with graduate students follows:
Graduate Faculty Subdiscipline
Timothy Baird Human geography
Anamaria Bukvic Human geography
Thomas Crawford GIS/remote sensing
Andrew Ellis Physical geography
Eranga Galappaththi Human geography
Luke Juran Human geography
Lisa Kennedy Physical geography
Junghwan Kim GIS/remote sensing
Korine Kolivras Human geography
Robert Oliver Human geography
Craig Ramseyer Physical geography
Lynn Resler Physical geography
Santosh Rijal GIS/remote sensing
Yang Shao GIS/remote sensing
Stephanie Zick Physical geography
Students in the accelerated M.S. in geography program must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3. Upper level courses (4000 level) may be applied toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and students can earn up to six credit hours with a GPA of 3.3-3.49, and up to 12 credits with a GPA of 3.5 and above. These courses must be taken during the final year of the bachelor’s degree, and accelerated M.S. students are expected to complete their bachelor’s degree within two semesters after being accepted into the program.
Master's candidates in this program should check with both their undergraduate advisors and Director of Graduate Studies Andrew Ellis to confirm which classes can be counted toward both degrees.
The accelerated M.S. in geography program is intended to be a terminal degree, thus graduate funding is not prioritized for students in the program.
Contact your undergraduate advisor or Director of Graduate Studies Andrew Ellis with questions about the program.
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