Electives may be chosen within the department or in cognate disciplines. A grade of B is required in each of these core courses. If a grade lower than a B is received in one of the core courses the student must retake the course by audit and demonstrate a B-level of proficiency. The topical fields available in the department are climate and meteorology, economic development, environmental geography, and urban geography. Each candidate must complete a minimum of 9 graduate hours in his or her field, including at least one graduate seminar.
Substantial course overlap exists among the concentration areas in human geography.
Regional offerings on Africa, the U.S.S.R., Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and East Asia are available and may be taken as supplementary courses and as areas of applied topical research. Advanced study in geography normally requires a background in research methods. Entering students are expected to have completed basic courses in statistics and college-level mathematics although these courses may be taken during the early semesters of graduate study. In addition, students may expect to take one or more courses in mathematics, or operations research. Students may choose between an M.A. thesis or two research papers.