COURSE CURRICULUM

Students pursuing the Master's Research Paper option in the Master of Arts in Geography program must complete a comprehensive set of graduate-level courses designed to support both academic and applied research skills. This includes GEOG 700A and GEOG 700B (Geographic Scholarship and Practice 1 and 2, each 0.25 unit weight), which provide professional development and introduce students to research practices in geography. In addition, students must complete one 0.50 unit core methods course from the following options: GEOG 604 (Spatial Statistics), GEOG 617 (Applied Statistics in Ecology and Environment), GEOG 620 (Foundations in Human Geography), GEOG 625 (Qualitative Methods in Geography), or GEOG 640 (Contextualizing Research in Earth System Science). To support their research paper and develop broader expertise, students are also required to complete four additional graduate-level GEOG or GEMCC courses (each 0.50 unit weight) that align with their area of research. With approval from the Graduate Officer, students may take electives from outside GEOG or GEMCC. This course structure equips students with strong theoretical foundations and practical research skills, enabling them to explore diverse topics within geography and complete a research paper that demonstrates their ability to apply geographic knowledge in a focused, scholarly context.