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M.A. Graduate Admission Requirements
It is the policy of the department to provide equal opportunities
to all students regardless of race, creed, color, sex, or national
origin. The department maintains slightly different requirements
than the general requirements for admission to graduate study at
UNC-Charlotte. The department requires applicants to demonstrate
evidence of suitability for the program. Applicants are evaluated
in the five major areas listed below. Each of these areas are weighted
equally during the evaluation of applicants.
All applications for admission will be reviewed by the Graduate
Advisory Committee. The department will admit applicants on a competitive
basis as space in the program allows and grant exceptions to the
minimum standards already mentioned as deemed in the best interests
of the program.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
In general the department would prefer an overall GPA above 3.1
(or a 3.1 for the last 2 years) and a GPA of 3.2 in the major. However,
averages less than these minimums will not exclude applicants if
the other elements of the application are strong.
Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of reference are required. For the most part, letters
from college or university teachers who have worked with and or
taught applicants are preferred. These letters will be evaluated
on the basis of how well the applicant is suited, in terms of intellect,
motivation and temperament, to do graduate course work.
Personal Essays
Applicants must write a personal essay which directly addresses
why they wish to do graduate work in geography, why they wish to
participate in the MA Program at UNCC and what they wish to do with
the degree they would obtain. They should address directly how the
program at UNCC fits their career and/or professional goals.
This essay is very important in determining the applicant's commitment
to graduate education and to a professional career in geography
or a related field. Careful consideration of what goes into this
essay is time well spent.
Scores on the Graduate Record Exam
In general the Department would prefer scores in the range of 1000
or more on the combined Verbal and Quantitative portions of the
GRE. Again, scores less than these suggested minimums will not automatically
exclude applicants if the remainder of the applicant's file is strong.
Transcripts of College Course Work
The transcripts will be evaluated on the basis of types of courses
attempted, range of geography, statistical and computer course work
attempted. Not only will the applicant be evaluated on the strength
of the performance in these areas, but also On the range, depth
and suitability of the preparation of the applicant for graduate
level course work.
Additional Requirements for International Applicants
Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate
their proficiency in English by taKing the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination. Overall scores of 575 with
scores of 55 on individual sections (listening comprehension; structure
and written expression; vocabulary and reading comprehension) are
preferred.
Prerequisite Requirements
Minimum Preparation Suggested for Students Entering the
Program:
All prospective graduate students must demonstrate competence in
undergraduate subject matter in their area of study. While the Department
does not require that applicants have a degree in Geography, prospective
graduate students should provide evidence that they are prepared
to immediately take full advantage of graduate level course work
in Geography.
Students applying to the program should, at a minimum, be familiar
with the concepts and materials offered in courses such as basic
Economic Geography, Introduction to Spatial Analysis, Location Theory,
and Introduction to Research Methods or Statistics.
Any student wishing to pursue additional training in Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) should have basic cartography preparation
and computer file management and data base skills. The relevant
courses at UNC Charlotte are Maps and Graphs and Cartographic Lab.
These courses are considered basic for admission to the UNC Charlotte
Masters of Arts in Geography Program. Consequently, a student will
normally not be considered prepared for graduate study without equivalent
course work. Any student passing the above courses with a grade
of B or better at UNC Charlotte or the equivalent courses from another
university with a grade of at least B will not be judged deficient
in these courses and will not be denied entry based solely on a
lack of preparation. All judgments in this area are the responsibility
of the Graduate Advisory Committee, the Community Planning Interdisciplinary
Committee, and the Department Chair.
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