Ph.D. Program
The Ph.D. is a highly individualized degree that emphasizes advanced training and research. Students develop and demonstrate both depth and breadth in geographical inquiry. They gain an understanding of the major epistemological and methodological questions that have shaped the development of geography as a discipline and master a set of research methods that are appropriate to their area of specialization. Students acquire a detailed understanding of a particular sub-field of geography, conduct and disseminate independent research in that sub-field and broaden their backgrounds through study in one or more allied disciplines. The program is intended to lead students into innovative research as demonstrated in research seminars, independent investigations, and the completion of a dissertation. The student's academic performance must be marked by initiative, intellectual integrity, a sense of problem, and critical acumen.
Students can enter the Ph.D. program through two routes: 1) after earning a Master’s degree, or 2) after earning a Bachelor’s degree. The degree requirements for each option are described separately.
Admission to the Ph.D is limited to those who have achieved distinction in previous undergraduate and graduate work (a 3.2 GPA on a 4 point scale is a generally accepted criterion) and who have demonstrated the determination and initiative required for doctoral success. Strong letters of recommendation are essential. Students whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL competency test. The TOEFL score must be less than two years old at the proposed term of entry in order to be valid. A minimum score of 590 (on the paper-based test), 243 (on the computer-based test, or CBT), or 95 (on the internet-based test or IBT) is required. Graduate College regulations preclude review of any application from a foreign student that does not include a TOEFL score.
An application to the Ph.D. program includes: a completed online application; three letters of reference; official transcripts from all undergraduate schools attended; official GRE (Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical/Writing) results; plus official TOEFL results from applicants for whom English is a second language.
Students currently in the Geography MA/MS program at UIUC who wish to apply to the Geography PhD program will need: three letters of recommendation, official transcripts from all undergraduate schools attended; a statement of purpose; plus a petition signed by your advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
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