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PhD Program
Requirements
Candidates for the PhD
degree must specialize in one of the research areas where the department
has in-depth competence. These include urban, economic, historical and physical
geography. The doctoral program has given parts, which must be completed
by the student to the satisfaction of the department:
• certain required courses and seminars (as indicated below), all designed
either for research orientation or as preparation for the PhD Comprehensive
Examination;
• an appropriate academic minor;
• fulfilled the language/technique requirement by demonstrating reading
proficiency in a foreign language in which a substantial geographical literature
exists or which is relevant to the student's dissertation research, as determined
by the department, (Students whose native language is not English may use
English to satisfy the foreign language requirement), or by taking 12 credit
hours of approved computer science courses and obtaining a grade of "B"
or higher in each of these courses.
• the PhD Comprehensive Examinations; and
• the writing of a dissertation embodying original research, the preparation
of which must alsoentail
1. the prior submission of a dissertation proposal acceptable
to the department, and
2. a successful open defense of the dissertation before an appointed examining
committee.
Students who concentrate
in physical geography should have at least nine
college-level credit hours of calculus, chemistry, physics or biology
before candidacy.
Full-time candidates are expected to register for 15 hours of graduate
credit during each quarter of their three-year residency. They must become
familiar with, and operate in accordance with, the regulations of the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Cincinnati,
as well as with the departmental guidelines set out in this document.
PhD candidates are required to complete 135 graduate credits past an acceptable
BA degree or 90-graduate credits past an acceptable MA degree. Doctoral
dissertations must conform to departmental conventions and University
of Cincinnati graduate school standards.
Students whose background preparation for the required graduate-level
courses is weak, or who lack certain of the background skills for writing
a dissertation, are expected to repair these deficiencies by taking appropriate
courses, if necessary, at the undergraduate level.
The department evaluates student performance regularly at the end of the
first quarter, in each course and seminar, and through a written progress
report submitted by each graduate student during the spring quarter (by
May 15) of each year.
At the end of the second quarter of residence, all PhD students must select
a faculty adviser, or a faculty adviser will be appointed by the director
of graduate studies. It is the faculty adviser's responsibility to assist
graduate students in the completion of all degree requirements in a timely
manner, to monitor student academic progress and to mentor students during
their graduate career.
Every quarter, a student's course schedule is worked out in consultation
with the director of graduate studies and the faculty adviser.
As an essential part of their educational experience, and as a condition
of admission to a degree program, all full-time graduate students are
given certain responsibilities within the department as research, teaching,
fieldwork, cartographic, or computer assistants. These responsibilities
involve approximately 15 hours per week during the academic year, over
and above time spent in classes.
Requirements
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