Geography Department > Graduate Study
Graduate Study
The Geography Department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa offers programs of graduate study and research leading to the MA and PhD degrees. In addition, geography faculty offer core and elective courses for interdisciplinary certificate programs, including programs in population studies, resource management, Pacific and Island studies, Asian studies, planning, and international cultural studies. The department emphasizes field work as an integral part of the graduate study.
- Letter to Applicants (DOC)
- GTA Application (PDF)
Facilities And Support
Departmental resources include cartographic / GIS, herbarium, paleo-ecology and soil. Computer facilities and internet access are available through both departmental and university services. The University library houses more than 2.6 million volumes and subscribes to more than 38,000 periodicals, featuring extensive Asia, Hawai‘i, Pacific, and Map collections. East West Center libraries and the Bishop Museum are also important resources for faculty and students.
Admission
We welcome applicants with broad-based undergraduate education encompassing basic courses in the physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Intended candidates for the MA or PhD do not need to have had an undergraduate major in geography, but any subject area weakness must be remedied by course work. Our students are drawn from many fields and many return to graduate school after establishing professional careers. They are brought together by a common discovery: they cannot find answers for searching questions about development, environment, urbanism, resource use and other geographic topics in their work or in other disciplines.
Admission decisions are based upon grades, GRE scores, letters of reference, strength of prior educational program, purpose and direction of the applicant, and compatibility of the applicant's interests with our departmental strengths.
Application materials, with information on deadlines in early spring are available online. Foreign applicants must meet an earlier deadline in January. All prospective applicants are encouraged to contact faculty with like interests as early as possible to facilitate planning.
Financial Information
The Department offers a limited number of research and teaching assistantships. These positions require up to 20 hours of work per week and provide tuition remission along with stipends starting at $13,296 a year.
In addition, students are encouraged to apply for East West Center degree fellowships, which are available to students from Asia and Pacific countries, as well as to American students studying these areas. Please contact the East West Center for more information and current deadlines.
