Geography and Geospatial Science Graduate Major (MS, PhD)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus (MS Project only)
Geography is the study of human use and interaction with the Earth and the analysis of spatial and temporal processes in natural and human systems. Geospatial science applies spatial thinking and computational methods to address geographic problems. Geographers combine field, laboratory, and computational work to analyze, interpret and resolve geographic problems in three main topic areas:
- Geospatial Analysis and Modeling. Theory and applications of geospatial technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and data visualization, and their ethical implications.
- Earth System Science. How biogeographic, physical, ecological, chemical, and human spheres interact within the Earth System and how these connected components are dynamically changing in time and space.
- Global Change Risk and Resilience. How environmental processes such as climate change influence human risk and vulnerability, and how social processes such as resource consumption or geopolitical conflict affect justice, equity, and the environment.
Major Code: 5455
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
MS
- Conduct research or produce some other form of creative work.
- Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
- Conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner.
- Use terminology and basic principles to describe and explain (a) physical geography, (b) human geography, and (c) geospatial science and technology.
- Apply spatial reasoning and critical thinking to create, synthesize and analyze data; model human-environment interactions; and evaluate contemporary issues in geography.
- Communicate findings and their implications, including ethical aspects, in visual, oral and written form.
PhD
- Produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge.
- Demonstrate mastery of subject material.
- Conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner.
- Use terminology and basic principles to describe and explain (a) physical geography, (b) human geography, and (c) geospatial science and technology.
- Apply spatial reasoning and critical thinking to create, synthesize and analyze data; model human-environment interactions; and evaluate contemporary issues in geography.
- Communicate findings and their implications, including ethical aspects, in visual, oral and written form.
MS - Thesis
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| GEO 518 | GEOSCIENCE COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| or GEOG 515 | PROBLEM FORMULATION IN GEOGRAPHY AND GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE | |
| GEOG 511 | HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GEOG 560 | GISCIENCE I: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE 1 | 4 |
| GEOG 564 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND ETHICS | 3 |
| GEOG 565 | SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN ECOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCE | 4 |
| or ST 511 | METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS | |
| GEOG 580 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS 1 | 4 |
| GEOG 595 | FIELD GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON | 3 |
| GEOG 596 | FIELD RESEARCH IN GEOMORPHOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY | 3 |
| Thesis and Seminar credits | ||
| GEOG 503 | THESIS | 6 |
| GEOG 507 | SEMINAR 2 | 1 |
| OC 507 | SEMINAR 2 | 1 |
| Electives 3 | ||
| Geospatial Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| GISCIENCE II: ANALYSIS AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| PROGRAMMING FOR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS | ||
| ADVANCED SPATIAL STATISTICS AND GISCIENCE | ||
| ADVANCED CARTOGRAPHY | ||
| INTERACTIVE CARTOGRAPHY | ||
| SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS | ||
| Earth System Science | ||
| GEOG 523 | SNOW HYDROLOGY | 3 |
| or GEOG 524 | HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | |
| Global Change Risk and Resilience | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR STUDYING SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| POLITICAL ECOLOGY | ||
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY | ||
| CONFLICT, COOPERATION, AND CONTROL OF WATER IN THE US | ||
| THE WORLD'S WATER | ||
| PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT | ||
| EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE SCIENCE | ||
| Total Credits | 45 | |
MS - Project
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| GEOG 511 | HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GEOG 515 | PROBLEM FORMULATION IN GEOGRAPHY AND GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| GEOG 560 | GISCIENCE I: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE 1 | 4 |
| GEOG 564 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND ETHICS | 3 |
| GEOG 580 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS 1 | 4 |
| Research and Seminar | ||
| GEOG 501 | RESEARCH | 6 |
| GEOG 507 | SEMINAR 2 | 2 |
| Electives 3 | ||
| Geospatial Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Select 8 credits from the following courses: | 8 | |
| GISCIENCE II: ANALYSIS AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| PROGRAMMING FOR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS | ||
| SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN ECOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCE | ||
| ADVANCED SPATIAL STATISTICS AND GISCIENCE | ||
| ADVANCED CARTOGRAPHY | ||
| INTERACTIVE CARTOGRAPHY | ||
| SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS | ||
| Earth System Science | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following courses: | 6 | |
| ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION | ||
| STREAM ECOLOGY | ||
| CONSERVATION BIOLOGY OF WILDLIFE | ||
| WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN ECOLOGY | ||
| WILDLIFE ECOLOGY | ||
| SNOW HYDROLOGY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| Global Change Risk and Resilience | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following courses: | 6 | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL AND RESOURCE ECONOMICS | ||
| CONSENSUS AND NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR STUDYING SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| POLITICAL ECOLOGY | ||
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY | ||
| CONFLICT, COOPERATION, AND CONTROL OF WATER IN THE US | ||
| THE WORLD'S WATER | ||
| PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT | ||
| EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE SCIENCE | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS AND POLICY | ||
| SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| Total Credits | 45 | |
PhD
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| GEO 518 | GEOSCIENCE COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| or GEOG 515 | PROBLEM FORMULATION IN GEOGRAPHY AND GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE | |
| GEOG 511 | HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| GEOG 560 | GISCIENCE I: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE 1 | 4 |
| GEOG 564 | GEOSPATIAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND ETHICS | 3 |
| GEOG 565 | SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN ECOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCE | 4 |
| or ST 511 | METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS | |
| GEOG 580 | REMOTE SENSING I: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS 1 | 4 |
| GEOG 595 | FIELD GEOGRAPHY OF OREGON | 3 |
| GEOG 596 | FIELD RESEARCH IN GEOMORPHOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY | 3 |
| Thesis and Seminar | ||
| GEOG 603 | THESIS | 6 |
| GEOG 607 | SEMINAR 2 | 1 |
| OC 607 | SEMINAR 2 | 1 |
| Electives 3 | ||
| Geospatial Modeling and Analysis | ||
| Select 12 credits from the following courses: | 12 | |
| GISCIENCE II: ANALYSIS AND APPLICATIONS | ||
| PROGRAMMING FOR GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS | ||
| ADVANCED SPATIAL STATISTICS AND GISCIENCE | ||
| ADVANCED CARTOGRAPHY | ||
| INTERACTIVE CARTOGRAPHY | ||
| SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS | ||
| Earth System Science | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following courses: | 6 | |
| ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION | ||
| STREAM ECOLOGY | ||
| CONSERVATION BIOLOGY OF WILDLIFE | ||
| WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN ECOLOGY | ||
| WILDLIFE ECOLOGY | ||
| SNOW HYDROLOGY | ||
| HYDROLOGY FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
| ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| Global Change Risk and Resilience | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following courses: | 6 | |
| SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR STUDYING SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS | ||
| POLITICAL ECOLOGY | ||
| RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | ||
| CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY | ||
| CONFLICT, COOPERATION, AND CONTROL OF WATER IN THE US | ||
| THE WORLD'S WATER | ||
| PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT | ||
| EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE SCIENCE | ||
| Additional electives and/or research credits | 49 | |
| Total Credits | 108 | |
- 1
GEOG 560 or GEOG 580 may be substituted with permission of the Geography Program Director. Elective courses outside of GEOG may be used with approval of the committee and the Geography Program Director
- 2
MS and PhD students should register for GEOG 507/GEOG 607 in the fall of year 1, and in winter of years 1 and 2, if GEOG 507/GEOG 607 is offered. Students should register for OC 507/OC 607 once, during the final year
- 3
Other elective courses may be accepted with approval from the advisor and program director
Major Code: 5455