Geography Department > Graduate Study > Doctoral Program > Ph.D. Requirements
Ph.D. Requirements
The following requirements will apply to all incoming students as of Fall 2006. Students already in residence may choose, in consultation with their advisory committees, to be governed by the requirements below or by the requirements in force during the academic year in which they entered the Ph.D. program.
Responsibility for familiarization with and adherence to departmental and university regulations rests with the student. Please consult the UHM Graduate Division Homepage (www.hawaii.edu/graduate/sitemap.htm). If you have any questions concerning the interpretation of specific requirements please consult the Chair of the Graduate Field of Study (hereafter Graduate Chair).
A) Departmental Colloquia
Attendance and participation in the Geography Department’s colloquium series is required by all Ph.D. students in residence.
B) Coursework
Each student is required to complete a minimum of three semesters of full-time work, or the equivalent in credits at the UHM for part-time students. Graduate Division defines each 8 credit hours completed, as a classified graduate student, as equivalent to one full-time semester. Students must consult with their advisors before registering for courses each semester and should maintain a Synopsis of Program which summarizes their coursework and should aim to complete their program in a timely fashion. Upon completion of coursework, including any pre-program deficiencies, a final Synopsis of Program must be submitted to the Graduate Chair for final approval.
i. Pre-Program Deficiencies
Incoming students will meet with the Graduate Chair to review the student’s previous record and determine whether any significant gaps exist in basic geographical knowledge. This will apply especially, but not exclusively, to those whose undergraduate degrees are in other disciplines and who did not take undergraduate geography courses. Faculty require students to have basic cartographic, and quantitative course skills. Additionally, students must obtain a basic knowledge in both human and physical geography during their degree program. Courses identified as pre-program deficiencies may be taken as credit / no credit (with credit being defined as grade of C (2.0) or better) or for grade (A-F). Students receiving a B (3.0) or better in coursework taken to remove a pre-program deficiency may apply this towards fulfillment of their Research Skill requirement if approved by the student’s advisory committee.
ii. The Core Program
This program consists of two related courses designed to introduce students to the world of professional geography and to the faculty of the department. These courses are best taken during the first fall semester in residence, although it is recognized that this is not always possible. These courses are required of all incoming doctoral students. GEOG 692 and GEOG 695 may be waived if previously taken during a student’s MA program at UHM. GEOG 695 may be waived by petition to the Graduate Chair if a similar course was taken at a previous institution – a course syllabus must be submitted to the Graduate Chair. Also, students must obtain a B (3.0) grade or better to satisfy the core requirement.
GEOG 692, Faculty Seminar Series (1 credit)
This course introduces students to the profession of geography and particularly the sub-disciplines of the UHM faculty via seminar-style presentations by individual faculty members. Faculty will generally assign readings of their own work and present their research. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and to complete short papers during the semester. This course will be offered in the fall and will run concurrently with GEOG 695.
GEOG 695, Concepts and Theories of Geography (3 credits)
This seminar course provides students with an introduction to the major concepts and theories of modern geography. The aim is to provide students with a basic understanding of the various epistemological and methodological approaches to the study of geography, and the major intellectual debates within the field since its inception as a university discipline in the late nineteenth century. The course will run concurrently with GEOG 692 in the fall semester.
iii. The Specialization
A minimum of 15 credits in graduate courses in a field of specialization approved by the student’s graduate committee is required of all Ph.D. students. Course work taken at the M.A./M.S. level, either at UHM or elsewhere, may be used in partial fulfillment of this requirement with the approval of the advisory committee. Students, in consultation with their advisor, should devise a program of courses that together constitute a coherent specialization. Faculty currently supervise students in the following areas:
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These specialization credits must:
- include a minimum of 9 course credits offered by the Department of Geography; and,
- come from courses numbered 600 and above (standing exceptions to this requirement include GEOG 309, GEOG 402, GEOG 403, GEOG 405, GEOG 409, GEOG 455, GEOG 487, GEOG 488 and other 300 or 400-level courses approved by petition to the dissertation committee and the Graduate Chair)
iv. Research Skills
A minimum of six credits of coursework in research methods or techniques approved by the student’s graduate committee is required. Students must take one course in research techniques appropriate to their field of specialization which may include statistics, cartography, remote sensing, GIS, quantitative or qualitative methods, computer applications, field methods, experimental methods, laboratory techniques or bibliographic techniques.
The student’s dissertation committee may also require competency in a foreign language in addition to the research skills requirement if a foreign language is essential to the student’s dissertation research. Competency, in a language other than English, may be demonstrated by passing the foreign language proficiency examination administered by their respective language departments. In some cases, individuals can also be certified competent in their language by a qualified instructor or examiner. The department will also accept the completion of the second semester of 300-level language instruction with a grade of B (3.0) or better.
c. Written and Oral Comprehensive Examinations.
Comprehensive examinations are required of all doctoral students in Geography. Comprehensives assess whether the student has attained an adequate level of geographical knowledge to continue with dissertation research, and are taken after the student has completed their coursework requirements. The exam will consist of questions directly related to the student’s field of specialization, but may also test a general understanding of the history of geographic thought, the nature of critical inquiry and research methodologies appropriate to the student’s field.
Each student will begin the comprehensive examinations with the development of a bibliography. The bibliography will be generated by the student in consultation with each committee member and constitutes the core knowledge upon which the written and oral examination will be based.
Written Exam
The doctoral committee will determine the format and content of the written exam. Each committee member may ask a question or a series of questions that require no more than four hours to complete. The exams will take no more than five consecutive workdays for a five member advisory committee.
Oral Exam
The oral exam will be a maximum of three hours in length. The advisory committee will determine the format and content of the exam. Students will be asked to clarify and elaborate on written exam answers, and may also be asked other questions on their field of specialization, and general questions on philosophy or methodology in the natural or social sciences.
d. The Dissertation.
The dissertation must demonstrate the student’s ability to formulate a research problem, to assemble and analyze relevant data, to draw appropriate conclusions, and to express findings clearly and concisely. It should be of publishable quality as judged by the advisory committee. In practice the dissertation varies considerably in length and style, and students are advised to review the collection of departmental dissertations to obtain guidance. All students must present one copy of their dissertation to the department for binding and placement in the reading room. Students should refer to the Graduate Division guidelines for further information on format and deadlines for dissertation submission. Students can obtain a current copy of the UHM Graduate Division Style and Policy Manual for Theses and Dissertations at the following website http://www.hawaii.edu/graduate/download/list.htm.
