Master of Science in Geography (Thesis Option)

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Geography brings together the natural and social sciences and utilizes geospatial technologies to understand Earth's processes and examine relationships between people and the environment. The breadth of geographic inquiry in the Department of Geography accommodates students who have broad interests and goals. The master’s program in geography within the College of Arts and Sciences is designed to provide students with a foundation in geography as well as specialization within one or more of geography’s sub-disciplines. A variety of career opportunities await graduates with a degree in geography from SIUE. We offer the only geography program in the St. Louis metropolitan area and as such, our graduates are in demand for positions in the region’s growing geo-spatial workforce. Employers include federal and state government agencies national security contractors tech companies engineering firms utility companies local and regional governments agricultural companies and environmental non-profit organizations. Our geography graduates work as geospatial analysts, cartographers, imagery analysts, urban planners, retail location analysts, climate scientists, resource managers, sustainability consultants and park rangers. Thesis - A minimum of 30 hours is required for the master of science, of which 21 semester hours must be geography graduate-level courses and Non-Thesis - A minimum of 36 credit hours is required for the master of science, of which 24 semester hours must be geography graduate-level courses.