Choose the Track That Fits Your Goals
Please note, this program is no longer accepting new students. Please consider the Applied Archeology, MA, Safety Sciences, MS, or browse our other graduate programs.
The Master of Science program requires the student to complete a 15-credit track in GIS/Cartography, Regional Planning, or Environmental Planning. Each track includes two required courses and a list of options.
GIS/Cartography
Students in this track will gain expertise in geographic data management, map production, and geospatial analysis. Broaden your knowledge by taking courses in map and photograph interpretation, remote sensing, and field techniques in geography and planning. You'll also master the art and science of GIS, with courses in technical issues and applications development.
This program can strengthen your GIS and cartography credentials for leadership positions or help you build a new skill set to increase your professional options.
Regional Planning
Acquire the theoretical, practical, and policy knowledge necessary to become a regional planner. As a student in this track, you'll choose from a number of geography-centered studies: population, urban, trade and transportation, political, social, and settlement. You can then study the many different areas that impact regional planning: design, law, policy, theory, economy, environment, and plan implementation.
Environmental Planning
Students in this track attain the theoretical, practical, and policy knowledge necessary to become an environmental planner. You'll select courses that focus on the environment, choosing classes that you are the most passionate about such as conservation, climatology, physiography, law, and policy. You can also gain valuable field skills by taking courses in remote sensing, GIS, and field techniques.
Imagine Your Future
IUP’s Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences offers graduate programs leading to the degree of Master of Science in geographical sciences and planning. The MS program is designed to prepare students for a variety of careers as geographers in business, government, research, environmental, and planning organizations or for entry to a doctoral program at another university. Emphasis is placed upon developing professional competence in the tools, substance, methodology, and geographic theories.
Graduates of the program are employed by the state and federal government, city, county, and regional planning commissions, private consultant and engineering firms, business and industry, and colleges and universities. Knowledge of environmental processes, the organization and operation of the planning field, and geographic information systems is of value to the graduate in the job search.
Careers
With an MS in Geography, you can pursue leadership positions in:
- Cartography
- Community and economic development
- Conservation
- Energy development
- Engineering firms
- Environmental compliance
- Facilities management
- Geographic information systems
- Land use analysis
- Municipal/urban (city or county) planning (with regional, state, and federal agencies)
- Social science education
- Transportation
Path to Higher Degrees
With an MS in Geography, you can pursue higher degrees such as:
- PhD in Geography
Classes and Requirements
All graduate degree programs require a minimum of 33 hours of credit for the thesis option or at least 39 hours for the non-thesis option. Nine of these hours constitute the core program. These include three core courses: GEOG 610, GEOG 612, and GEOG 614. Graduate students have the option to incorporate an internship as part of the MS program, up to six credits.
For students selecting the non-thesis option, a portfolio is a nongraded graduation requirement. A three-person faculty committee will evaluate the portfolio, which will include at least three of the student's best pieces of work and written reflective analysis. The portfolio is submitted by the end of the first week of the semester the student is scheduled to graduate.
Full Academic Catalog Listing
The course catalog is the official reference for all our degree and course offerings. Check it out for a full listing of the classes available and requirements for this degree.
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Graduate Geography Studies Faculty
The Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences Department includes eight geography and five regional planning full-time professors who have all earned their doctorates from highly respected universities. They bring a broad range of experience and expertise, always challenging and encouraging students to get truly involved in their work. They strive to know their students well and promote a friendly atmosphere within the department.
- Our professors' first priority is teaching. While they consult with organizations in the public and private sectors and/or conduct research and publish papers and books with leading academic presses and journals, their primary focus is making sure their graduate students are getting the support they need.
- All graduate students work with an advisor from the Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences faculty.
- Our professors work with graduate students to connect them with internship opportunities most suited to your career path.
Examples of Theses and Portfolios
Wesley Burkett, MS Geography/Regional Planning, 2011, Thesis
- The Development of a Post-Industrial Commercial Core in Bair County, Pennsylvania, 1954–2002, and the Change in Retail Concentration
Aaron Burkle, MS Geography/Regional Planning, 2010, Thesis
- Immigration and Ethnic Neighborhoods in Altoona, Pennsylvania
Sara Fortnam, MS GIS and Cartography Track, 2009, Thesis
- The Identification of Archaeological Remains via Quickbird Imagery: A Case Study on Cyprus
Nicholas Holdzkom, MA Geography, 2011, Thesis
- From Production to Consumption: Gentrification, Preservation, and the Uneven (Re)development of Pittsburgh's South Side
Amy Salsgiver, MA Geography, 2011, Thesis
- Surviving Rural Pennsylvania: The Use of Social Networks in Livelihood Strategies
Amber Snavley, MS Geography/Environmental Planning, 2011, Thesis
- The Spatial Variation in Dog Fighting Cases in the United States, 2000–2010
Student Organization
Gamma Theta Upsilon, Gamma Omega Alpha Chapter
Gamma Theta Upsilon membership is earned through superior scholarship; it is an honor and a professional distinction. The IUP GTU chapter, in conjunction with the Department of Anthropology, Geospatial and Earth Sciences, sponsors speakers, campus activities, field trips, and social events. Members also have the opportunity to participate in volunteer activities. GTU provides a network where you can become better acquainted with other geography students and can meet and talk with geography faculty members. As a GTU member, you can improve your expertise in the field of geography by learning things not normally dealt with in the classroom.
