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CU Geography values diversity and inclusive excellence, a situation in which students and faculty can achieve excellence at comparable rates regardless of social identity, and where true excellence can only be achieved through inclusion. We believe that while numbers of individuals alone are not adequate to address inclusive excellence, they are a prerequisite for its achievement. We have taken concrete and active steps to diversify our faculty and student body, which we believe make us a strong choice for graduate studies and research for all students. We are committed to supporting the recruitment of graduate students from under-represented minority groups. The faculty voted to eliminate the GRE requirement for applicants and GRE scores are no longer considered when assessing applicants. A robust body of research shows that the GRE is biased against URM students and is not a predictor of future success. We hosted the 20th Annual Critical Geography Conference in 2014, an international event that focused on the theme of “Difference, Diversity, Critique: A People’s Geography for the Future,” and on anti-racism in Geography as a discipline.  In Spring 2020, the department received a Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Grant, “Decolonizing Geography: Transforming pedagogy, teaching and curriculum at CU.” This initiative seeks to transform curriculum and pedagogy within geography and the broader learning community at CU through department seminars and workshops.  Geography also participates in a multi-department colloquium series featuring BIPOC Earth scientists. The department assesses its works toward inclusion and equity by conducting periodic surveys as well as meetings with graduate students focused on diversity and inclusive excellence.

Graduate Curriculum

The graduate program of the Department of Geography offers both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The program’s basic purpose is to train scholars and professionals to produce and disseminate knowledge and to make outstanding contributions in the public and private sectors.

There are approximately 60-65 graduate students in the program. The M.A. program was founded in 1930 and the Ph.D. program began in 1965. The first Ph.D. was awarded in 1968. The Department is ranked as one of the top programs among the nation’s doctoral-granting departments of geography. It also attracts some 3,500 undergraduates to its courses every year and has approximately 200 undergraduate majors. 

Prospective students should have interests coincident with those of the faculty and strong preparation in the natural or social sciences, but not necessarily in geography. Prospective students may want to check the titles of recent theses and dissertations as well as information about current grad students.

How to Apply

Domestic and International Applicants:

• Apply Online anytime after August 1st.     
• Applications must be submitted by and materials received by December 1st 
• New for 2021: GREs are no longer required by the Department of Geography with any graduate application.
• We have a graduate application fee waiver for under-represented minority applicants and applicants with financial need

Flexible Coursework

The curriculum is highly flexible; students’ programs are individualized as much as possible. Only three courses are required of all students: GEOG 5152 History and Theory of Geography; GEOG 5161 Research Design in Geography; and either GEOG 5023 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Geography or GEOG 5722 Field Methods in Human Geography. All students must take GEOG 5152 and 5161, normally within the first 2 semesters of residency, even if they have taken similar courses at other institutions. Students must earn a B or better in all of these courses in order to pass the Preliminary Exam required by the Graduate School. 

New Student Orientation & Retreat

At the beginning of the Fall Semester, all entering graduate students are required to attend the Department’s Orientation and New Graduate Student Retreat. The Orientation is held on campus and includes a briefing on departmental organization, rules, and policies pertinent to graduate students. The New Graduate Student Retreat is held at the Mountain Research Station a few miles west of Boulder. The Retreat includes presentations by faculty members on their current research and professional activities, one or more field tours, and a hike to Niwot Ridge.

Beginning Fall 2022, all incoming graduate students are required to complete basic First Aid training provided by the department and the Red Cross. First Aid training improves the overall safety of our graduate students during their research and teaching activities.

Prerequisites for All Entering Students 

For admission without deficiency and to meet the Department’s mandatory requirements for a knowledge of basic geography, all entering graduate students are required to have the kind of knowledge presented in the Department’s introductory courses in physical geography (GEOG 1001 Our Changing Planet: Climate and Vegetation and GEOG 1011 and Our Changing Planet: Landscapes and Water) and human geography (GEOG 1962 Geographies of Global Change, GEOG 1972 Sustainable Futures, Environment and Society, GEOG 1982 World Regional Geography, GEOG1992 Human Geography). It is the responsibility of the student to obtain this knowledge prior to beginning their first graduate class. Students may gain the required knowledge by formally taking the introductory courses, by auditing the course(s), by reading the textbook on your own, or by any other means. This knowledge will enhance the student’s ability to perform at the level expected in the Geography 5152-5161 core series. In addition to knowledge of basic geography, it is desirable that the student has coursework in at least two areas outside geography in cognate fields in the social and natural sciences. Students are encouraged to have some background in college math,  and computer skills. Students are also required to have proficiency in basic statistics. This requirement may be met by having taken an undergraduate course in statistics. If a student has not had any prior statistics courses at the undergraduate level, they will need to take GEOG 3023: Statistics and Geographic Data, or an equivalent course in another department or institution. Graduate students entering the program without GEOG 3023 or equivalent will be considered deficient and will not receive graduate credit for making up this deficiency.

Graduate Courses

A complete list of graduate courses is available on the  website. The  is also available.

Only a small set of the total number of courses can be offered each semester. Course scheduling is done about six months in advance of each semester. Double-listed courses (e.g., 4061/5061) are available for both undergraduates (4061) and graduate students (5061). All numbers carry the departmental identifying prefix, “GEOG”; courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise indicated. To search for classes being offered in current and subsequent semesters see .