Graduate Program
“The power and beauty of geography allow us to see, understand, and appreciate the web of relationships between people, places and environments.”
Background Information
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is among the nation’s most distinguished teaching and research institutions. The campus is the home of the thrid largest academic library in the United States and the largest map collection among the public universities.
A national leader in the field of computer design and applications, the Urbana-Champaign campus also houses the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. The campus serves approximately 36,000 students of whom about 10,000 are engaged in graduate work in more than 100 fields of study. An internationally recognized graduate faculty of approximately 2000 members works closely with graduate students in their respective fields.
Research Facilities
The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign is consistently at the forefront of user-oriented computer systems in the United States. The department maintains two computer-based laboratories for instruction - a main instructional facility containing 30 computers and a satellite facility containing 15 computers. In addition, a dedicated computer laboratory is available exclusively for graduate-student use. Computers are complemented by an assortment of printers, plotters and state-of-the-art analytical software. Lab users are engaged in a variety of training activities including data base development, multivariate spatial analysis, dynamic cartography, remote sensing analysis, digital photogrammetry, and environmental modeling.
The Regional Economics Applications Laboratory, which is housed in the department, focuses on the development of models of urban and regional economies for impact analysis and economic forecasting. Clients range from state governments and city agencies to private companies. REAL has provided funding for several graduate assistants in recent years.
A wide array of state-of-the-art field and laboratory equipment is available for research in physical geography. Additional facilities and expertise can be accessed through cooperative arrangements with the Illinois State Geological, Water and Natural History Surveys, all of which are housed on campus.
Application Procedure
Applicants must submit a completed application form, three letters of reference, official transcripts from each undergraduate and/or graduate school attended, and an official G.R.E. (Verbal/Quantitative/ Analytical) record. The Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates the student’s academic accomplishments and promise as well as the match between the applicant’s professional goals and core faculty expertise. Each candidate’s statement of purpose is read carefully to determine his or her suitability for the department’s graduate program.
Financial Assistance
The Department of Geography provides a wide range of financial support for graduate students working on MA, MS, and Ph.D. degrees. Please visit the Department of Geography homepage (http://www.geog.uiuc.edu) for details. Students whose native language is not English are required to submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 590 or higher for admission. For further information or admission requirements, deadlines, and applications contact:
Graduate Admissions
Department of Geography
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
220 Davenport Hall
607 S. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801