Geographers analyze and solve problems – social, economic, political and environmental – that have a place-specific dimension. In the process, they make significant contributions to public policy, as well as, the advancement of science. While many important issues are locally placed, they are frequently linked to larger regional, national and global processes. With their capacity to innovate and adapt, metropolitan regions lie at the geographic intersection of the global and local dynamic and act as agents and conduits for multi-scalar change.

The UNC Charlotte Ph.D. in Geography and Urban Regional Analysis is focused on the metropolitan region and the interaction between the local, regional, national, and international scales as a unifying framework for research and instruction. The program offers two interconnected research streams:

• Multiscalar Analysis
• Geographic Information Science

Pairing technology and theory in the core curriculum, the program prepares doctoral graduates who are grounded in an understanding of metropolitan processes, possess the capacity to develop scientific research questions from empirical data, and can answer pressing place-specific questions. Leveraging its presence in the dynamic Charlotte metropolitan region as a teaching and research laboratory, students in the program are:

• Provided with strong theoretical grounding;
• Trained to use the latest technologies of geographic analysis, preparing them for employment in the academy, and research positions in the public and private sectors; and
• Engaged in research that informs local, regional and state public policy.

Geography at UNC Charlotte has a long-standing track record of integrating teaching, research and service that connect with the broader community. Indeed, program graduates are “cross-trained” in theory and technology, making them stronger candidates for employment in the public and private sectors, as well as, the academy.