The master's program provides a unique opportunity for specialized graduate training in geography within the context of application to natural resource issues.
Faculty members address problems of resource management at national and international levels.
The goal of the master's program is to prepare students for careers in applied professional fields or for further graduate study. An undergraduate degree in geography is not a requirement for entering the Master's Program at Utah State University. The role of graduate education in Geography is to provide opportunities for students to gain advanced technical knowledge and skills not readily available in an undergraduate program, to hone research and writing skills, and inculate the joy and stimulation of discovery that comes with the pursuit of new knowledge in the discipline. Whereas most undergraduate do not become involved in generating new knowledge, the major task of the graduate student is learning how to design and carry out a research project. Graduate students are expected to actively participate in on-going research activities carried out in the department, most frequently with selected faculty members.