PhD in Geography - Space, Society, and the Built Environment in Urbana United States | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Department of Geography and Geographic Information Science (GGIS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides graduate studies culminating in either an M.A. or Ph.D, with a focus on Society, Space and Environments. This specialized program leverages human geography's interdisciplinary nature as a social science to analyze how societal and spatial dynamics interact to shape both natural landscapes and human-made surroundings. Doctoral candidates must fulfill all standard GGIS requirements, including completing Geography 471 (Introduction to Contemporary Geographic Thought) and Geography 491 (Research in Geography) or equivalent courses. Additionally, students need to pursue a formal minor (16 credit hours) in one or two complementary disciplines. The curriculum mandates advanced training in research methodologies, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The doctoral dissertation, conducted under faculty supervision, must represent an innovative scholarly contribution to the discipline while employing suitable geographic research methods to investigate spatial processes.