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Department of Geography
Kansas State University
118 Seaton Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-2904
Tel: 785-532-6727
Fax: 785-532-7310
Email: geog@k-state.edu

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A Ph.D. in Geography

 

Program Objectives

 

The geography Ph.D. at Kansas State University is designed to develop and enhance a student's knowledge and ability to conduct original independent research that makes a scholarly contribution to the student's areas of specialization. The Ph.D. program fosters:

• An understanding of scientific inquiry;
• Knowledge of the structure of the geographic discipline, its history, issues, methods, and trends;
• Proficiency in appropriate analytical and technical skills; and
• Competency in communicating the results of research.

Program Requirements

 

Applicants to the Ph.D. program are expected to have earned a master's degree with a thesis or equivalent. Students without a previous degree in geography are encouraged to apply. Students without previous course work in human geography, physical geography, and spatial techniques, may, however, be required to add hours to their program of study. If a student has not previously taken a course in the history and philosophy of geography, the student will be required to take GEOG 820 as part of the program of study. The addition of hours to a program of study is determined on a case-by-case basis during the program planning interview in the student's first semester and will reflect the faculty's appraisal of the student's experience and needs. Courses taken to strengthen the student's background in geography may count toward the 30 credit hours of course work required for the Ph.D., but only if approved by the student's graduate committee.

Students will complete a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree: at least 30 credit hours of course work and 30 credit hours of dissertation research.

All students seeking the Ph.D. in geography will:

• Complete GEOG 830 (Seminar in Rural Geography - 3 credits), and GEOG 900  (Methods, Theory, and Models in Geography - 3 credits). Also, all geography graduate students are required to enroll in GEOG 800 (Graduate Seminar in Geography) each semester. These courses must be taken while in residence.
• Complete at least 24 additional credit hours in courses that support the doctoral research objective. Twelve credit hours must be at the 800-level or above. No more than 6 credit hours of 500-level courses are permitted in a Ph.D. program, but no 500-level geography course may appear in the program of study.
  • Complete two geography research seminars (6 credits), both of which must be at the 800 or 900 level. These two research seminars may not be used to meet the research tools requirement.
  • At least three hours must be taken in a department other than geography. Preferably, a course will be taken from a faculty member who will serve as the outside member of the supervisory committee.
  • Students may not include more than six credits of independent study course work.
• Complete the research tools requirement. The student in consultation with the advisory committee, selects two tool areas and appropriate course work to develop competency in each area. Tool areas include but are not limited to: a foreign language, quantitative methods, GIS, remote sensing, qualitative methods, survey research methods, and field methods.
  • At least six hours of course work must be in classes that help meet the research tools requirement. For those selecting a foreign language, the student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of the foreign language based on standards established by the Department of Modern Languages at Kansas State University. Students whose first language is not English must document that they will be using their native language in their dissertation research if they want to use their native language to help meet this requirement.
  • Fill out and submit the “Documentation of Research Tools Selected for Completing the PhD Requirements” form. This form must be on file with the department prior to taking the preliminary examination. Click on the following link to complete and print the Documentation of Research Tools Selected for Completing the PhD Requirements.
• Spend at least one full academic year in residence.
• Pass a preliminary examination. Students who have filed their program of study with the Graduate School and have completed at least 21 of the 30 hours of course work with a grade point average of 3.33 or better are eligible to take the preliminary exam. The examination covers the student’s fields of specialization as defined by the student’s doctoral committee. It will include both a written and an oral portion. Performance on the examination must provide evidence of the student’s mastery of the subject in four sub-fields, knowledge of related geographic literature, and an understanding of research theory and methods. Successful completion of the preliminary examination is required for the student to become a doctoral candidate.
• Complete a written dissertation proposal following completion of the preliminary examination. An oral defense of the proposal will be conducted before the supervisory committee, other faculty, and students.
• Complete 30 credit hours of GEOG 999 (Ph.D. Research in Geography).

Dissertation

 

The dissertation will be a cohesive, original, and independent contribution to scholarship. The research is to be performed under the guidance of the major professor and the supervisory committee and must be acceptable to them. The dissertation must follow guidelines outlined by the Graduate School.

Dissertation Defense

 

TA final oral examination in defense of the dissertation will be conducted and evaluated by the supervisory committee. Two weeks prior to the dissertation defense the written dissertation will be available for review by the supervisory committee, other faculty, and graduate students. Other faculty and students are encouraged to attend the defense.

Sample Doctoral Program of Study

 

K-State Geography PhD's in Academia

 

The PhD in Geography at Kansas State University was approved in 1996 with the first graduates in 2000.  Our former doctoral students are contributing to geographic research and education at a variety of institutions and agencies:

• Dr. Holly Barcus - Department of Geography, Macalester College
• Dr. Johnny Coomansingh - Division of Social Science, Minot State University
• Dr. James Davis - Department of Geology/Geography, Eastern Illinois University
• Dr. Sujata (De) Dunn - Assistant Director/Consultant, Southwest Kansas Library System
• Dr. Jincheng Gao - Division of Biology, Kansas State University
• Dr. Jason Holcomb - Department of Geography, Government, and History, Morehead State University
• Dr. Shawn Hutchinson - Department of Geography, Kansas State University
• Dr. Nancy Leathers - U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
• Dr. Luke Marzen - Department of Geography, Auburn University
• Dr. Bradley Rundquist - Department of Geography, University of North Dakota
• Dr. Thomas Schafer - Department of Geosciences, Fort Hays State University
• Dr. Gregory Vandeberg - Department of Geography, University of North Dakota