Geography and Environmental Resources
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Contact Us
Associate Provost for Academic Programs
Anthony Hall, Suite 220
1265 Lincoln Drive - MC 4305
SIU Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
(618) 453-2121
webmaster@siu.edu
Main Content
The School of Earth Systems and Sustainability offers a program that leads to the Master of Science degree in Geography and Environmental Resources. It also houses an interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Resources and Policy.
Geography and Environmental Resources is the study of how humans modify, impact, adapt to, monitor, and manage the natural environment. Students in the M.S. program study the dynamic relationship between nature and society in the field and the computer laboratory as well as in the traditional classroom. Students choose from two concentrations: environmental geography and sustainability and geographic information science.
Graduate students in Geography and Environmental Resources take core courses that provide them a strong disciplinary foundation, then work with a faculty advisor to develop a research focus area with appropriate analytical and research skills.
The graduate program stresses a problem-solving perspective, for which skills of critical analysis and dialogue are essential. Geography maintains strong collaborations with many other SIU Carbondale (SIUC) programs and students are encouraged to take advantage of courses and faculty expertise in other units. Each student’s progress is assessed at regular intervals by the faculty and provided with feedback. Students are expected to show continued progress in carrying out the program of study, and in developing habits of scholarship and professionalism.
This program requires a $65 nonrefundable application fee that must be submitted with the application for Admissions to Graduate Study in Geography and Environmental Resources. Applicants must pay this fee by credit card when completing the online application. Questions regarding the program can be directed to geog@siu.edu.
Master of Science (M.S.) in Geography and Environmental Resources
Advisement
Students newly admitted to the M.S. in Geography and Environmental Resources degree program are advised by the graduate program director, with the assistance of program faculty. Students choose a permanent adviser at the end of the first semester in residence. The choice of permanent adviser and advisory committee is made in consultation with the graduate faculty, taking into consideration such matters as faculty expertise and faculty advisee loads.
Degree Requirements
To obtain the M.S. in Geography and Environmental Resources degree, the student shall:
- Complete all degree requirements specified by the Graduate School, and explained under degree requirements, M.S. in Geography and Environmental Resources degree program in the Graduate Catalog. A total of 30 Graduate Credit Hours must be completed, with 50% of these hours at the 500 level or above.
- Include as required courses the following: GEOG 500, Principles of Research, during the first fall semester in residence; GEOG 501, the following semester; GEOG 504, Spatial Analysis, or GEOG 512, Applied Geographic Statistics or equivalent. GEOG 502, Geographic Information Systems is recommended depending on the student’s background.
- In consultation with an adviser, develop a program of study, identifying courses to be taken, research skills to be developed, deficiencies to be rectified. This shall be approved by the faculty. The program of study shall include a core of substantive courses in geography and environmental resources, as explained in the policy statement on core curriculum for master’s degree students, available from the graduate program director. The program of study may include courses offered by other programs. The graduate faculty will meet to review and approve/disapprove the program of study of each M.S. in Geography and Environmental Resources degree student enrolled in GEOG 500. An approved program of study will be filed with the graduate program director as part of GEOG 500.
- Develop a thesis or research paper proposal. The thesis or research paper proposal must be approved by the student’s master’s advisory committee before the student registers for GEOG 599, Thesis, or GEOG 593A-C, Research in Geography and Environmental Resources. A total of six credit hours of GEOG 599 may be awarded for a thesis at the discretion of the advisory committee upon final examination on the thesis (see #5 below). A total of three credit hours may be awarded for a research paper.
- Submit a thesis or research paper to the advisory committee at least two weeks before the defense. A student who writes a thesis will be examined by the committee at a meeting that may be attended by other faculty and students. A research paper may be evaluated and approved by the advisory committee with or without public presentation.
Environmental Geography and Sustainability Concentration
Environmental Geography and Sustainability is for students who want training in physical and social aspects of environmental and sustainability science. We focus on the interactions between people, natural resources, policies, and the environment. Relevant skills and techniques include the ability to collect, evaluate, and analyze social and environmental data, engage with stakeholders, assess policy, and solve environmental problems. Students in Environmental Geography and Sustainability pursue careers as sustainability consultants, environmental managers, environmental educators, community organizers, environmental regulators, and more.
Geographic Information Science Concentration
Geographic Information Science is for students who are interested in environmental applications of geospatial technologies, such as GIS and remote sensing. GIS links locational and database information to enable people to visualize patterns, relationships and trends. Students in Geographic Information Science develop skills related to cartography, geographic data management, and quantitative methods and pursue careers spanning the public and private sectors. Career options for those pursuing the Geographic Information Science specialization include GIS analyst, GIS manager, data scientist, environmental consultant, and others.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Environmental Resources and Policy
The central focus of the Ph.D. in Environmental Resources and Policy is advanced interdisciplinary training and research on geological, physical, biological, and social processes responsible for natural resource and environmental problems facing contemporary society. Additionally, the Ph.D. in Environmental Resources and Policy focuses on assessing public policy alternatives to address those problems and create new opportunities.
Within the broad and flexible Environmental Resources and Policy framework, a customized program is developed for each student, permitting them to conduct research in traditional and non-traditional earth science sub disciplines, under the direction of one or more Geology faculty members. Please see the Environmental Resources and Policy section of this catalog for detailed information and admission procedures.
Certificate in GIS
The GIS post-baccalaureate certificate enables students to focus on advanced geospatial techniques and analytical skills. This certificate meets the needs of the expanding job opportunities for Masters’ and Ph.D. students. Students must be admitted to an SIUC graduate program or the SIUC non-declared graduate program and maintain a 3.0 GPA in the certification courses. This certificate ensures that the students understand advanced mapping technologies; know how to combine individual models and functions in ArcGIS to carry out a complicated spatial analysis task; master advanced digital image processing and analysis technologies; and obtain competence in designing, developing, and managing spatial databases. Further, they will demonstrate an understanding of GIS’s relationships with remote sensing, global positioning system (GPS), mathematics, statistics, and other sciences and obtain capacity in integrating multi-disciplinary methods for problem-solving. Finally, they will be competent in planning, developing, and implementing a complex GIS project. The program requires students to complete 18 credit hours of graduate level coursework from the following:
- GEOG 502: Geographic Information Systems (3 CH)
- GEOG 504: Spatial Analysis (3 CH)
- GEOG 506: Intro to Remote Sensing (3 CH)
- GEOG 508: Advanced Remote Sensing (3 CH)
- GEOG 520: Advanced GIS Studies (3 CH) -OR- GEOG 517: GIS Programming and Customization (3 CH)
- GEOG 528: GIS Portfolio/GIS Capstone Project (3 CH)
Certificate in Sustainability
The Sustainability post-baccalaureate certificate enables students to expand their knowledge and understanding of the long-term sustainable use of the earth’s resources, including water, land use and food systems, climate change, urban sustainability, and “green” energy. This certificate meets the needs of the expanding job opportunities in environmental sustainability. Students must be admitted to an SIUC graduate program or the SIUC non-declared graduate program and maintain a 3.0 GPA in the certification courses. The program requires students to complete 18 credit hours of graduate level coursework, as follows:
- GEOG 521: Urban Sustainability (3 CH)
- GEOG 524: Sustainable Development (3 CH)
- GEOG 536: Natural Hazards (3 CH)
- GEOG 539: Global Climate Change (3 CH)
- GEOG 570: Contemporary Issues in Environmental Studies (3 CH)
Plus, one of the following:
- GEOG 502: Geographic Information Systems (3 CH)
- GEOG 512: Applied Geographic Statistics (3 CH)