The MA in Geography is offered by the School of Planning, Policy and Environmental Studies . Admission to the graduate program is flexible, and potential students are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. A strong record based on either undergraduate performance or employment experience is expected. Graduate students without a geography degree can expect added course work in geographic literature and theory. More information can be found on the Geography webpage.

University Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements . Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirement webpage.

Students can be admitted to either classified or conditionally classified standing.

Admission to Graduate Standing - Classified 

Basic requirements for admission to the Graduate Division are outlined in the Admissions section. In addition, the department requires the following for admission to classified standing:

1. An undergraduate degree in geography or a reasonably related field from an accredited institution.
2. A 3.0 (“B”) overall grade point average for the last 60 semester units of academic study.
3. The capability, in the opinion of the Department Graduate Committee, of successfully completing the degree requirements.
4. The removal of deficiencies if preparation differs markedly from the BA - Geography at San José State University.

Admission to Graduate Standing - Conditionally Classified 

If not accepted into classified standing, the applicant may qualify for conditionally classified status for which the following will be required:

1. The ability, in the opinion of the Department Graduate Committee, to remove deficiencies which do not exceed the equivalent of one full-time semester of course work.
2. The qualifications to be accepted to classified standing within a reasonable length of time, and the background to conduct studies at the graduate level.

Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Addtional Department Requirements

Sudents must obtain their thesis advisor’s approval for their thesis proposal. Students will complete a course of study designed to prepare them for professional work in their chosen subfield. Accordingly, they will need to take specific courses to support research and project work in that field.

Program of Study Requirements 

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.

Culminating Experience

In consultation with the department advisor, the candidate will develop and pursue a program of study outlined in Plan A or Plan B. The candidate must successfully complete all requirements of the selected plan including the course work specified in the Master’s Degree Approved Program.

Plan A (with Thesis)

1. A minimum of eighteen units in geography.
2. The thesis, based on independent research, is to be conducted under the direction of a thesis advisor and must be acceptable to and approved by the Thesis Committee. The Committee consists of the thesis advisor (committee chair), an additional member from the university faculty, and an additional member who may be from outside the university. The thesis topic shall be developed within the departmental foci in consultation with the thesis advisor. The thesis must conform to the SJSU Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Guidelines.
3. Final Examination: The thesis must be successfully defended orally before the thesis committee.

Plan B (without Thesis)

1. A minimum of twenty-one units in geography, with at least 50% of the units in graduate-level courses.
2. Project: The student shall present the results of a project in one of the areas of departmental focus. Appropriate projects include research completed for a geography graduate seminar or an independent study conducted under the supervision of a faculty advisor. The results will be reported in a written paper and other materials submitted to the department, and will be presented formally to a geography faculty and student colloquium for acceptance.