Geography, Geology, and Anthropology

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GRADUATE DEGREES OFFERED:

Master of Arts in Geography
Master of Science in Geology
Doctor of Philosophy in Geography

Department of Geography, Geology, and Anthropology
Science Building, room 159
Phone: 812-237-2444
Fax: 812-237-8029
E-mail: sberta@indstate.edu
Web site: http://web.indstate.edu/~gga

Department Chairperson: Dr. Susan M. Berta
Graduate Contact Persons: Dr. Qihao Weng (Geography); Dr. James Speer (Geology)
Phone: 812-237-2255

GRADUATE FACULTY

Professors

Dutta, Prodip K., Ph.D., Indiana University
Professor of Geology
Specializations: Sedimentary Petrology, Stratigraphy, Environmental Geochemistry

Gomez, Basil, Ph.D., University of Southampton
Professor of Geography and Geology
Specializations: Geomorphology, Sediment Transport

Pontius, Steven, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Professor of Geography and Geology
Specializations: Cultural Geography, Economic Development, Communications, Tropical Africa, Southeast Asia

Stafford, C. Russell, Ph.D., Arizona State University
Professor of Anthropology
Specializations: Archeology, Statistics, Geoarcheology, Hunter-Gatherers, Lithics, Eastern and Southwest United States

Associate Professors

Weng, Qihao, Ph.D., University of Georgia

Associate Professor of Geography

Specializations: Remote Sensing, GIS, Environmental Modeling

Latimer, Jennifer, Ph.D., Indiana University
Assistant Professor of Geology
Specializations: Environmental Geology, Geochemistry, Oceanography

INTRODUCTION

The graduate program was established in geography in 1963 beginning with the master of arts in geography. In 1968, the master of science degree in geology and the doctor of philosophy degree in geography were first offered. In 1994 anthropology joined the department which resulted in the further enrichment of curricular and research offerings. The disciplines of geography, geology, and anthropology have since been integrated to provide graduate students with an unique opportunity to study the dynamic relationship between the physical environment and culture on the Earth’s surface.

The department currently has 19 full-time tenured/tenure-track teaching faculty and over 60 graduate students. State-of-the-art research facilities are available for graduate research projects. These include laboratories for remote sensing/GIS, climatology, geomorphology, biogeography, spatial analysis, environmental geology, geochemistry, paleoceanography, sedimentary petrology, dendrochronology, anthropology, bioanthropology, and astrophysics. The department also has equipment for sample preparation, including rocks saws, crushing and grinding equipment, ovens, and thin-section equipment, and microscopes for the studies of rocks, minerals, fossils, and tree rings. Other analytical facilities are also available in life sciences, physics, and chemistry.

Students finishing the geography and geology graduate programs have been extremely successful in securing high salary, decision-making positions with the U.S. Geological Survey, NASA, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, CIA, ES RI, Inc., ERDAS, Inc., British Geological Survey, Indiana Geological Survey, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and environmental firms. In addition, graduates of the department’s programs also hold university-level academic positions.

GENERAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The department offers a master of arts degree and a doctor of philosophy degree in geography and a master of science degree in geology. The programs emphasize innovative interdisciplinary applied research that can be summarized as six distinct research clusters that offer graduate students excellent opportunities to develop the professional skills they desire. The clusters are: cultural-historical-regional, economic-urban, remote sensing-GIS-cartography, geomorphology-climatology-biogeography, geology, and geoarchaeology. Remote sensing, GIS, cartography, and quantitative techniques link the clusters together into a cohesive graduate program. Students interested in the departmental offerings should contact the department’s graduate coordinator or the faculty member working in the student’s content area of interest.

Research funding comes primarily from federal and Indiana state agencies, as well as private industry. The School of Graduate Studies at Indiana State University also provides monetary support for graduate research and for meeting presentations. The department has well-equipped research facilities, and faculty members work with scientists from other departments at the University and with colleagues from nearby universities and government agencies.

The department offers a graduate degree in earth science that has temporarily been suspended. Graduate courses required for completion of the earth science degree also support graduate degrees in other disciplines including science education. Please contact the department chairperson for updated information.

Anthropology does not offer a graduate degree program, but does offer graduate-level courses that strongly support other disciplines. Specifically, the master of arts degree in geography may be tailored to geoarcheological research interests in geography. Graduate-level courses in anthropology will help students achieve a broader perspective on humans as biological and social organisms and on the diverse means humankind has employed to adapt to the environment.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the graduate programs in geography and geology are to: provide research experience in the geospatial sciences, provide a strong educational foundation in the core areas of geography/geology, and prepare students for academic and professional careers in geography and geology.

MASTER’S DEGREE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A student must have a baccalaureate degree with the equivalent of a minor in geography or geology before being admitted to the Master of Arts (geography) or the Master of Science (geology) Programs.

MASTER’S DEGREE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

All candidates for the master’s degree in geography are required to submit a thesis or its equivalent in research reports as one of the requirements for the degree. Candidates for the master’s degree in geology are required to submit a thesis or complete the non-thesis option as described in this Catalog. A course or program established early in the first semester of participation as a graduate student will be followed. A list of courses making up the core program of 18 semester hours for each departmental degree will be provided by the advisor. A minor outside of the department of not more than ten hours may be counted toward the degree. Students should expect to take two years to complete the master’s program in geography or geology unless they enter the program with advanced standing.

PH.D. DEGREE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Students seeking admission to the Doctor of Philosophy Program must meet the criteria for admission to the School of Graduate Studies. All requests for admission to the program will be screened by the Graduate Committee and the Chairperson of the Department of Geography, Geology, and Anthropology. Meeting the minimal standards listed below does not guarantee admission. The chairperson will make recommendations to the dean of the School of Graduate Studies as to the approval or denial of each applicant to the program. Official notice of admission will be sent to the student by the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must:

1. Attain a minimum score of 500 on each of the sections of the General Tests of the Graduate Record Examination. (See GRE or GMAT section of chapter concerning admissions.)
2. Possess an undergraduate average of at least 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale, or if an international student, be in compliance with the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. Students entering with advanced standing or with the master’s degree from another institution must possess a graduate average of 3.25; and
3. If entering with a master’s degree, students must have written a thesis or be able to provide evidence of the ability to write original material.

PH.D. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Geography, Geology, and Anthropology offers a graduate curriculum leading to a doctor of philosophy degree in geography with a specialization in either economic or physical geography. The program prepares individuals for a career as a professional geographer in the academy or as an applied researcher in the public and private sectors. Each student’s program draws on prior preparation in geography or a closely allied field and requires that the core courses, a preliminary examination, and dissertation be completed.

Diagnostic Examinations

In the first semester of residence toward the doctoral degree, the applicant will be asked to submit to an oral diagnostic examination, the results of which will be used in planning the student’s program. The examination is prepared by the department.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy is based upon successful completion of minimum residence requirements (a normal load for two consecutive semesters), research tool proficiencies, written preliminary examinations in five substantive areas within the major field, and a general oral examination in the major and minor fields.

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