Master's Degree & Certificate Options
The geography graduate program at the University of Nebraska Omaha offers a personalized and hands-on graduate studies experience.
| Graduate Programs offered in Geography | ||
|---|---|---|
| Master of Science | Catalog Information | Advisor: Dr. Christina Dando |
| Graduate Certificate | Catalog Information | Advisor: Dr. Rex Cammack |
| Graduate Assistantships | Application | Questions: Dr. Christina Dando |
| Other Graduate Programs offering Coursework in Geography | ||
|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts in Creative & Critical Thinking |
Advisor: Dr. Joe Price | |
Master of Science in Geography
- Option I: Thesis option (30 credit hours)with 24 hours of approved graduate work and 6 semester hours of the thesis; and
- Option II: Non-Thesis with 36 credit hours of approved graduate courses. Individual programs of study are designed for incoming graduate students on the basis of previous coursework and personal interviews.
| Concentrations Available | |
|---|---|
| Geographic Information Science | Computer Mapping and Cartographic Visualization, Geographic Information Systems, Environmental Remote Sensing, Advanced Cartographic Methods, Quantitative Analysis; |
| Physical-Environmental Geography | Conservation of Natural Resources, Biogeography, Geomorphology, Climatology, Field Methods; |
| Human Geography | Political Geography, Economic Geography, Cultural Geography, Feminist Geography, Urban Geography. |
* Students generally specialize in one area but are encouraged to take courses in all four.
* History and Philosophy of Geography and Research Methods courses are required of all graduate students.
Departmental Strengths and Research Directions
The geography program is enriched by special programs and faculty research in:
- Cartography
- Remote sensing and geographic information science applied to urban landscapes
- Vegetation
- Plains and mountain environments
- Gender and work in the United States
- Geographic education
- Geoarchaeology in the Middle East
- Political economy of post-communist transformations in Central and Eastern Europe
- Foreign direct investment
- Car industry restructuring
- Regional development in Central and Eastern Europe
Computer Facilities
The Department of Geography/Geology houses three state-of-the-art computer laboratories. The Cartography & GIS Laboratory consists of two separate computer labs. The Cartography Laboratory supports instruction in cartographic design with eight Macintosh computers and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Software in the GIS laboratory includes ESRI ArcView, ArcGIS, MapObjects, MapINFO, SpaceStat, and Visual Basic. The laboratory has been recognized as an ESRI-certified training facility.
The Remote Sensing and GIS Applications Laboratory (RSAL) is a sophisticated computational facility that facilitates instruction and research. Faculty, staff, and students from physics, engineering, computer science, biology, and geography and geology are involved with multi-disciplinary basic and applied research projects involving:
- Remote sensing
- Geographic information systems (GIS) technology
- Environmental modeling
- Terrestrial monitoring
- Artificial intelligence
- Software and algorithm development
- Virtual reality simulations
- Scientific visualization
Funding
Research grants and contracts have been funded by a variety of sources including:
- Army Corp of Engineers
- National Geographic Society
- U.S. National Science Foundation
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- University of Nebraska
- The University of Nebraska Foundation
Hardware resources enable advanced computation analysis to be used to study environmental issues and problems. All computers and input and output devices are networked on a high-speed local area network.
Graduate Certificate in Geography
A total of 17 graduate credits are required to receive a graduate GIScience certificate at UNOmaha. The curriculum stresses spatial theory, oral and written communication, computer training, problem-solving skills, and GIS industry experience.
Prerequisites:
The student must demonstrate a background in geography, statistics, and computer science. Prerequisites could include courses such as the following:
GEOG 1020: Human Geography
GEOG 1070: Physical Geography: Soils and Landforms
MATH 1530: Introduction to Applied Probability and Statistics
CIST 1400: Introduction to Computer Programming
Required courses:
GEOG 8535: Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (2 cr)
GEOG 8545: Cartography and Geographic Information Systems Lab (2 cr)
GEOG 8056: GIS I (3 cr)
GEOG 8666: GIS II (4 cr)
Two of the following courses:
GEOG 8016: Conservation of Natural Resources (3 cr)
GEOG 8036: Computer Mapping and Cartographic Visualization (3 cr)
GEOG 8636: Environmental Remote Sensing (4 cr)
GEOG 8670: Advanced Cartographic Methods
ISQA 8410: Database Management
GEOG 8800: Internship in Environmental/Regional Planning (3 cr) - highly recommended for practical experience
An approved graduate course in statistics.
Students may substitute advanced courses in GIScience for required courses already taken. Students will be allowed a maximum of two substitutions for these required courses. Substitutions must be approved by the GIScience certificate program advisor.
For more information about the GIScience certificate, please contact us at:
Geography Graduate Program
Department of Geography & Geology
University of Nebraska - Omaha
Omaha, NE 68182
Phone: 402.554.2662