Master of Applied Geography and Master of Science Policies and Procedures Handbook

Purpose of the Handbook
The purpose of this Handbook is to identify and describe the objectives, curriculum and regulations of the Master of Applied Geography (M.A.Geo.) and Master of Science (M.S.) programs in the Department of Geography at Texas State University. The Graduate College awards the M.A.Geo. and M.S. degrees. In addition to the regulations of the Department specified in this Handbook, students must comply with the regulations of the Graduate College as specified in the most recent edition of the Graduate Catalog. The regulations of the Graduate College take precedence over the regulations of the Department in the event of any conflict or ambiguity.

Students are responsible for knowledge of the contents of the Handbook and the latest edition of the Graduate Catalog. Students are responsible for compliance with the regulations of the Department and the Graduate College.

Unless stated otherwise, the specific policies in this Handbook apply to both the M.A.Geo. and M.S. programs.
 

Objectives of the Programs
The Department of Geography has designed the M.A.Geo. program to educate students in solving real-world problems within a geographic framework.  Graduates of the program work at a variety of positions in the public and private sectors including environmental management, land use planning, transportation planning, land development and management, cartography, geographic information systems (GIS), and geographic education. The M.A.Geo. program was instituted in 1981.

The objective of the M.S. program is to provide theoretical, research-oriented master's-level instruction in environmental geography, geographic education, and other areas of departmental expertise to interested and qualified students who wish eventually to pursue doctoral work in Geography or prepare themselves for research-oriented or teaching careers. The program was formally approved by action of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in August 2000.

 

Administration of the Programs

To be admitted to the M.A.Geo. or M.S. program, applicants must submit a completed application to the Graduate College in accordance with the procedures specified in the Graduate Catalog. The completed application must include the application form located at http://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/, official transcripts of all universities attended, statement of purpose, Resume, three letters of recommendation, and M.S. students must provide an official report of the score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE),. These documents are to be submitted directly to the Graduate College. International students should see the Graduate College website for additional procedures.

Admission to the M.A.Geo. program requires a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale over the last sixty hours of undergraduate course work to be considered for admission by the Department. Admission to the M.S. program requires a grade-point average of at least 3.4 on a 4.0 scale over the last sixty hours of undergraduate course work, and competitive scoring on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE. The GRE must be completed before the Department acts on M.S. applications.

Students who meet these criteria are eligible for admission and are admitted if approved by the Department. The Department's admission decisions are based on academic performance and potential as evaluated on the basis of the GPA, GRE, letters of recommendation, the compatibility of the research interests with the current research objectives of the Department's Graduate Faculty, and the Department's interest in maintaining a balance among the number of students pursuing research topics with particular advisors.

Admission decisions are made twice per year. Applications received by the Graduate College before October 15th are eligible for admission in the spring semester. Applications received by the Graduate College before May 1st are eligible for admission in the fall semester.

Structure of the Programs
The M.A.Geo. degree requires completion of 33 graduate hours. These hours include a nine-hour core curriculum, a twelve to fifteen-hour major in one of four major programs (Resource/Environmental Studies, Geographic Education, Geographic Information Science, and General), a directed research project, and a six-to-nine-hour resource area or elective. Passing a comprehensive examination is also required for graduation.

The M.S. degree requires completion of 30 graduate hours, including a nine-hour core curriculum and six hours of thesis credit. The remaining fifteen hours are elective. Passing a comprehensive examination is also required for graduation.

Independent study credit requires permission of the instructor. Before requesting independent study credit, a student should have a clear idea of the topic(s) to be investigated. The student and the instructor must agree on what final product (for example a research paper) is expected of the student before the student formally enrolls for independent study.

Before the student enrolls, the instructor must send an email indicating approval for the student to enroll in an Independent Study course. The Graduate Staff Advisor enters an override onto the computerized enrollment (SIS) system allowing the student to enroll. The Graduate Staff Advisor will then send an email to the student letting them know that the override has been entered and the student may enroll in the course.

Internships
Internships provide opportunities for M.A.Geo. students to use their knowledge in real- world work experience. Internships provide valuable entree into the professional employment market. M.A.Geo. students who do not have work experience in applied geography are strongly encouraged to pursue internships, especially if their career plans involve working in the Austin- San Antonio corridor.

Up to six hours of credit for internship may be counted as elective hours toward the M.A.Geo. degree. Internship course numbers are GEO 5380 (three hours) and GEO 5680 (six hours). Normally, students enroll for internships after having completed at least 12 graduate hours. Students must consult with the Internship Coordinator to enroll for internships. Students may bring proposals for internship placement to the Internship Coordinator, or the Internship Coordinator may provide placement. Students may not receive internship credit for work at jobs that they already hold.

Graduate Courses Taken at Other Institutions
Up to six hours of graduate-level course work taken at another accredited university may be counted toward the graduate hours required for the M.A.Geo. or M.S. degree. These hours must not have been used toward completion of any other graduate degree. A request to count graduate-level hours taken at other institutions requires approval of the Graduate Coordinator and the Dean of the Graduate College. Prior approval is required if the course is taken after admission to the M.A.Geo. or M.S. Program. Students who wish to have hours taken at another institution counted towards the M.A.Geo. degree must contact the Graduate Coordinator with their request (see Section III above). The Graduate College requires an official transcript or other evidence that the courses to be transferred were graduate-level courses.
 

Paper Preparation Style
All formal papers submitted in partial fulfillment of course requirements in the Department of Geography are to be completed using the style requirements as detailed in the most recent edition of Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations using the PR and RL formats, or the Annals of the Association of the American Geographers. The same requirement applies also to the thesis or directed research project.

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Grades, Retention, and Time Limits

Retention, Probation, and Suspension
The M.A.Geo.and M.S. degrees require a minimum grade-point average of 3.0. Students must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 for all coursework taken.

Students whose grade-point averages falls below this standard are placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation have one semester to raise their grade-point averages to the minimum standard. Students who fail to do so are suspended from the Graduate College and are not permitted to enroll in courses.

After being on suspension status for six months, students may petition for permission to re-enroll in the M.A.Geo. or M.S. program in accordance with the policies of the Graduate College. The petition process requires permission of the Graduate Coordinator. Except under extraordinary circumstances, the Coordinator will not support petitions for re-enrollment and will not do so without the explicit approval of the Department Chair and the student’s research advisor.

Completion Time Limit
Students in the M.A.Geo. and M.S. programs must complete all requirements for the degree within six calendar years of initial enrollment.

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Advising

Advising is critical to a student’s success in the M.A.Geo. and M.S. programs. Over the course of the M.A.Geo. and M.S. programs, students will work closely with her or his major research advisor.  Therefore, students are encouraged to identify a research advisor before the end of the first semester in the program.  The research advisor guides a student in course selection, research, and other academic activities.  Before a student identifies a research advisor, the Graduate Program Coordinator serves as the temporary research advisor.  

At the beginning of each fall semester, the Graduate Staff Advisor provides orientation information to all new master level students about academic advising and degree plans in GEO5309 (Geographical Analysis). 

Research Advisor
The major research advisor plays a critical role in the student’s program. The research advisor serves as the committee chair of a student, directs the thesis or directed research project, chairs the comprehensive examination committee, and takes the lead in ensuring that the degree is completed in a rigorous and timely fashion. Any member of the Geography faculty who holds graduate faculty status can serve as the research advisor. A list of those persons holding such status, along with their research interests may be viewed on the Department’s website. Again, the selection of the research advisor must be made by the end of the student’s first fall semester.

Although the Department as a whole is committed to the advising of all students who enroll in the M.A.Geo. and M.S. programs, individual faculty members are under no obligation to accept advisees. Nor are individual faculty members under obligation to advise students in areas outside their own major research interests. Students should be prepared to modify their ideas about potential thesis or directed research topics in a manner compatible with faculty research interests.

Once the research advisor has agreed to accept a student as an advisee, the research advisor and the student must fill out the Master Advisor form. The form is located outside ELA 127 or on the Departmental website.

Changing Advisors
Occasionally, students may need to change research advisors. A change in the research advisor may be the result of one of the following circumstances:

Death, retirement, incapacity, or resignation from the University of the research advisor;

Loss of status as Graduate Faculty on the part of the research advisor;

A student’s decision that his or her academic and professional interests would be better served with a different research advisor.

If a change of research advisor is necessitated the student needs to fill out another Major Advisor form.

Summer Advising
Students and their advisors should make every effort to complete their major degree requirements, including the comprehensive examination and the proposal preparation, within the time limits during the fall and spring semesters as specified in this Handbook.

Summer teaching depends on the availability of funding from the University and the willingness of the faculty to teach in the summer, there is no guarantee that specific course work in Geography will be offered during the summer sessions. Faculty who are not paid to teach summer school are under no obligation to supervise independent study projects, theses, and directed research projects during the summer. The Geography faculty works on nine-month contracts. During the summer, their primary responsibilities include professional research along with the completion of grant and contract activities. Because of these activities, many faculty members are away from the San Marcos area for extended periods of time during the summer.

For these reasons, students do not have the right to expect advising during the summer sessions. Students must plan carefully to avoid having completion of their degrees delayed during summer sessions. The one exception to this policy is that students enrolled in M.A.Geo. in Geography (Geographic Education Concentration) and working full time are advised to consult with the research advisor and take three to six hours in summer semesters.

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Comprehensive Examination

Comprehensive Examination Requirement
The Graduate College requires that all candidates for the master's degree pass a comprehensive examination. Ordinarily, the comprehensive examination is taken after formal course work has been completed and the research proposal has been presented to the committee. The examination covers the research proposal, course work, and general knowledge of geography as developed throughout the curriculum.

Selecting the Examination Committee
A student in the M.S. program will have an examination committee consisting of at least three members including the research advisor. A student in the M.A.Geo. program will have an examination committee consisting of at least two members including the research advisor. At least two members of the committee including the chair must be members of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Geography. The responsibilities of the committee include the comprehensive examination and evaluating the directed research or thesis.

Students identify potential committee members in consultation with their research advisor(s). After all members of the committee have agreed to serve, the student or the research advisor must sign a Master Committee Request Form. The committee should be identified as soon as possible after the research advisor has been selected.

Examination Procedure
The research advisor arranges the date and location of the oral examination in consultation with the student and the committee. Except under extraordinary circumstances, such as a medical emergency, all members of the committee must be present at the examination. The examination lasts no more than two hours.

Except under unusual circumstances approved by the Graduate Coordinator, the examination may not take place less than three weeks before the end of the fall or spring semesters or at any time when the University is not in session.

Evaluating the Comprehensive Examination
The committee evaluates the comprehensive examination. The research advisor fills out the report of the comprehensive examination form and forwards this form to the Graduate Staff Advisor, who then sends it to the Graduate College.

In evaluating the examination, the committee has two options: pass or fail. Students who fail the examination may be required by their committees to complete additional course work or undertake research projects.  These must be completed to the satisfaction of the committee before the examination is retaken. Students who fail the examination may retake it at least thirty days after the scheduled date of the original oral examination.

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Research Proposal

The thesis or directed research project begins with the preparation of a research proposal only at the research advisor’s discretion. Students who elect to write a thesis must follow the formal proposal requirements of the Graduate College.

Directed research project proposals require the formal approval of the student’s committee, but do not have to be submitted to the Graduate College.

Elements of the Research Proposal
The proposal for either the M.A.Geo. or M.S. must include the following elements:

An appropriate, concise title;
A clear statement of purpose;
A statement of the research problem including the goals and objectives of the study;
A brief survey of relevant professional literature;
A statement of hypotheses or expected findings;
A clear description of research design and methods to be used to evaluate the hypotheses and/or determine the research findings;
A statement of the significance of the research;
A bibliography of cited references.

Proposal Approval Process
Students work closely with their research advisor(s) in preparing the proposal. Drafts of the proposal should not be circulated to the committee until the research advisor is satisfied that the student has completed a reasonable draft incorporating all of the elements described above.

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Thesis/Directed Research Project

Thesis/Directed Research Requirement
M.S. students are required to complete a thesis.  Six hours of credit are given for the thesis (GEO 5399A and 5399B). M.A.Geo. students are required to complete a directed research project, and three hours of credit are given for the directed research (GEO 5335). Students should be aware that thesis and directed research projects require considerably more time and effort than do ordinary courses. Ordinarily the completion of a thesis or directed research project takes at least one and a half semesters.

Thesis/Directed Research Committee
The thesis or directed research project is evaluated by the student’s committee (thesis – 3 members and directed research – 2 members) chaired by the research advisor. The research advisor assigns grades for GEO5399A, GEO5399B, and GEO5335. Ordinarily, the comprehensive examination committee also serves as the thesis or directed research committee. If changes to the committee are necessary, the research advisor should report these changes to the Graduate Coordinator as soon as possible. Such reports should indicate the approval of all old and new members of the committee.

Completion of the Thesis/Directed Research
Once the proposal for the thesis or directed research has been approved by members of the committee, the student then proceeds to complete the research. During this period, the student works closely with the research advisor. Absent the approval of the research advisor, students should not circulate drafts of the thesis or directed research project to committee members until the research advisor is satisfied that the work is reasonably close to completion. The thesis or directed research project is considered approved when the majority of the Committee signifies to the research advisor that the thesis or directed research project meets their expectations.

Thesis approval requires the signatures of members of the committee on a Thesis Signature Form in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate College. Also, an electronic copy of the thesis must be sent to the Graduate College and the university library in accordance with Graduate College regulations. Details about thesis preparation are included in the Thesis Handbook, which is published and distributed by the Graduate College.

An electronic copy and data file of the thesis must also be made available for the Department's records. A copy of the student’s thesis must be sent to the Graduate Staff Advisor.

Thesis/Directed Research Deadlines
Students are responsible for compliance with deadlines for completion of theses and directed research projects established by the Graduate College and the department.

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Transfer and Transition between the M.A.Geo. and M.S. Degree Programs

 

General Requirements for Transfer between Programs
A student currently enrolled in the M.S. program may transfer to the M.A.Geo. program upon request. A student currently enrolled in the M.A.Geo. program may transfer into the M.S. program provided that the following conditions are met:

The student must have completed at least 9 graduate hours in Geography with a GPA of 3.6 or better. If the student has not completed 12 graduate hours in Geography, he or she must have a 3.4 grade-point average in the last sixty hours of undergraduate course work.

Transfer of Hours between Programs
A student who transfers from the M.A.Geo. program to the M.S. program will be permitted to count all courses that are approved for M.S. students toward the M.S. degree regardless of whether they were taken before the transfer. In addition, the student may count up to six hours of M.A. Geo., non-M.S. courses toward the M.S. degree as outside electives. Except for these courses, others taken toward the M.A.Geo. degree will not count toward the M.S. degree.  A student transferring from the M.S. program to the M.A.Geo. program may count all course work applicable to the M.A.Geo. program along with up to six hours of M.S., non-M.A.Geo. courses. Except for these courses, others taken toward the M.S. degree will not count toward the M.A.Geo. degree. With the approval of the research advisor, the Graduate Coordinator will request exceptions to this policy to the Dean of the Graduate College.

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Graduate Student Forum

Purpose of the Graduate Student Forum
Geography graduate students have organized the Graduate Student Forum. The purpose of the Forum is to provide students with an opportunity to discuss concerns about the program, to provide formal feedback to the Graduate Coordinator, the Department Chair, and the faculty of the Department about these concerns, and to encourage the dissemination of information about the program among the graduate student population.

Graduate Student Representation
The Graduate Student Forum is empowered to elect a master’s degree student, along with a Ph.D. student, as representatives to the regular meetings of the departmental faculty and the Graduate Committee. The representative may participate in any discussions involving the graduate program, and vote, except in personnel matters, in Graduate Committee meetings. The representatives can participate in discussions.