# Geography
**Source**: https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/discover-opportunities/explore-programs/geography-phd
**Parent**: https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/discover-opportunities/explore-programs/anthropology-ma-thesis
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Thesis-based program
[Start your application](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/how-apply)
## Program overview
Engage in deep scholarship on the relationships between spaces, people and places. Graduate students admitted into the Geography program join a community of internationally recognized scholars offering one-on-one supervision and small graduate seminars. The program offers a judicious mix of course work and investigation that is tailored to meet the needs of each student's research endeavour. Faculty have extensive experience with physical and human geography, as well as geographic methods. With a campus located in Alberta's open prairies at the foot of the stunning Rocky Mountains, the University of Calgary offers students an incomparable location to pursue advanced study in Geography.
Students are normally admitted to the Fall term. However, off-cycle admissions may also be considered on an individual basis, but will require alternate funding arrangements. Program funding will only be distributed in the competition for Fall admissions. Please contact the program for details
### Completing this program
- **Seminars:** Students will participate in four semesters of graduate research seminars.
- **Conference:** Students will participate in the annual department conference.
- **Thesis:** Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.
- **Courses:** Topics may include remote sensing, statistical methods, spatial analysis and modelling, geocryology, fluvial geomorphology and others.
- **Candidacy:** Students will complete both oral and written candidacy exams.
### Outcomes
Cartographer, commercial/residential surveyor, environmental consultant, planning and development surveyor, teacher, planner, demographer, community developer, resource management specialist, municipal advisor, development officer.
**A PhD in geography is usually considered a final degree.**
### Thesis-based program
Students are required to prepare a thesis and successfully defend in an open oral defense.
### Courses
Two courses and four graduate research seminars
[Learn more about program requirements in the Academic Calendar](https://calendar.ucalgary.ca/programs/GEOGPHD)
### Classroom delivery
### Time commitment
Four years full-time; six years maximum
### Supervisor
A supervisor is required, and must agree to oversee the student's research before the student applies for admission
### Fees and funding
See the Graduate Calendar for information on [fees and fee regulations,](https://calendar.ucalgary.ca/uofcregs/tuitionandfeesoverview/grad) and for information on [awards and financial assistance](https://calendar.ucalgary.ca/uofcregs/studfinsupport/awardsgrad).
## Virtual Tour
Explore the University of Calgary (UCalgary) from anywhere. Experience all that UCalgary has to offer for your graduate student journey without physically being on campus. Discover the buildings, student services and available programs all from your preferred device.
[Take the FGS Virtual Tour](https://virtualtour.grad.ucalgary.ca/ucalgary/home/campuses/?utm_source=Explore+Programs+Pages&utm_medium=Web&utm_campaign=Circuit+Tour)
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## Supervisors
Learn about faculty available to supervise this degree.\
Please note: additional supervisors may be available. **[Please visit this page](https://arts.ucalgary.ca/geography/research/meet-our-faculty)** for more information.
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1. [Shelley Alexander](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/shelley-alexander)
Accepting Inquiries
Human-Animal Relationships, Conservation and Geospatial Science
2. [Darren Bender](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/darren-bender)
Unavailable
3. [Gwendolyn Blue](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/gwendolyn-blue)
Seeking Students
Public engagement with science and technology; Science-based controversies (climate change, genomics), Human-animal relations; More-than-human geographies
4. [Dianne Draper](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/dianne-draper)
Unavailable
Sustainability; resources and environmental management and planning, Sustainable tourism, Parks and protected areas, Experiential education
5. [Brent Else](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/brent-else)
Seeking Students
Air-sea interactions in the Arctic, Arctic marine carbon cycles, Remote sensing of Arctic marine environments, Arctic marine ecosystems, Improved weather observations for Arctic operations
6. [Andrea Freeman](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/andrea-freeman)
Seeking Students
Geoarcheology, Pedagogy in Geography and archaeology
7. [Geoffrey Hay](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/geoffrey-hay)
Accepting Inquiries
GEOBIA - Geographic Object Based Image Analysis, Thermal Imaging: HEAT - Heat Energy Assessment Technologies, MyHEAT - Startup Company (www.myheat.ca), \*\*Please visit these sites for more information:
8. [Dan Jacobson](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/dan-jacobson)
Unavailable
9. [Greg McDermid](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/greg-mcdermid)
Accepting Inquiries
Remote Sensing and Geospatial Technologies, The Boreal Ecosystems Recovery and Assessment Project, Forestry and Ecological Applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Characterizing the Effects of Linear Disturbances on Peatland Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Remote Sensing for Biodiversity Monitoring in Alberta, The Alberta-Bavaria Research Network (ABBY Net)
10. [Byron Miller](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/supervisor/byron-miller)
Accepting Inquiries
urban governance, politics of urban and regional sustainability, neighbourhood change and inequality, social movements, governance of smart cities
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## Admission requirements
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#### GPA
A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.
#### Minimum education
A master’s degree, or equivalent from a recognized institution.
#### Work samples
None
#### Documents
- A proposal describing applicant’s intended research area
- A C.V
#### Reference letters
Two (one of the references must be from your master's supervisor)
#### Test scores
None
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#### **English language proficiency (ELP)**
An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in different ways. For accepted criteria, please refer to the program “Admissions” tab in the [Academic Calendar](https://calendar.ucalgary.ca/programs/GEOGPHD).
*\*Please contact your program of interest if you have any questions about ELP requirements.*
#### Deadlines
**For admission on September 1:**
- Canadians and permanent residents - apply by January 5, submission of all supporting documents due at time of application.
- Online reference submission required by January 15
- International applicants – apply by January 5, submission of supporting documents due at time of application.
- Online reference submission required by January 15
If you're not a Canadian or permanent resident, or if you have international credentials, make sure to learn about
[international requirements](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/international-students)
## Are you ready to apply?
[Application process](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/how-apply)
## Learn more about this program
### Department of Geography
Earth Sciences Building, Room 356
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4
[Contact the Graduate Program Administrator](mailto:agscinquiry@ucalgary.ca)
[Visit the departmental website](https://arts.ucalgary.ca/geography)
### Faculty of Arts
University of Calgary\
2500 University Drive NW\
Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4
[Visit the Faculty of Arts website](https://arts.ucalgary.ca/)
## Related programs
If you're interested in this program, you might want to explore other UCalgary programs.
#### [Geography](#collapse556148513)
[Course-based Certificate in Geospatial Information Technology](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geospatial-information-technology-certificate)
[Course-based MGIS](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geography-mgis-course)
[Thesis-based MA](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geography-ma-thesis)
[Thesis-based MSc](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geography-msc-thesis)
#### [Civil Engineering](#collapse464053753)
[Course-based MEng](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/civil-engineering-meng-course)
[Thesis-based MEng](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/civil-engineering-meng-thesis)
[Thesis-based MSc](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/civil-engineering-msc-course)
[PhD](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/civil-engineering-phd)
#### [Geomatics Engineering](#collapse31832410)
[Course-based MEng](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geomatics-engineering-meng-course)
[Thesis-based MSc](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geomatics-engineering-msc-thesis)
[PhD](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geomatics-engineering-phd)
#### [Geoscience](#collapse100231367)
[Thesis-based MSc](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geoscience-msc-thesis)
[Course-based MSc](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geoscience-msc-course)
[PhD](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geoscience-phd)
## Curious about the University of Calgary?
Located in the nation's most enterprising city, we are a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude.
[Learn More about student life at UCalgary](https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/student-life)