Admissions Requirements
The graduate admission requirements for the University of Connecticut are given at the following site: https://grad.uconn.edu/admissions/admission-requirements
Regarding your personal statement, you may refer to the UConn Center for Career Development, which recommends personal statements to be 2-3 pages or about 750-1000 words. See https://cdn.uconnectlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/12/Writing-a-Personal-Statement-Supplement-2018-12.pdf
Three letters of recommendation are required.
The GRE is not required.
International students note: If English is not your primary language, you may be required to submit evidence of your proficiency in English. Please see the Graduate School’s information on English Proficiency for Admission at https://grad.uconn.edu/admissions/requirements/#englishtest
Application Deadlines
The departmental deadlines for applications for Fall admissions are:
December 15: For consideration for university fellowships.
January 31: For consideration for departmental graduate assistantships.
After January 31: Applications received after January 31 will be reviewed but may be less prioritized for departmental funding. Students seeking admission without the need of financial assistance departmental funding can request the application be reviewed outside the normal cycle.
Link to the graduate school application page: https://grad.uconn.edu/admissions/apply-to-uconn
How we fund our students
Funding for graduate students in the geography program is a top priority. Our goal is to provide students with up to four years of funding as part of their PhD degree work. There are several primary sources of funding and financial aid for graduate students in the program, including departmental teaching assistantships (TAs) and research assistantships (RAs), research assistantships in other departments, and university fellowships.
University-Wide Fellowship Awards
Outstanding applicants may elect to be considered for one of the fellowships detailed below. Recipients of these fellowships will be the most academically promising members of the entering class of graduate students at the University of Connecticut. The applicant must select that they wish to be considered in the online SLATE application system. The criteria used to select recipients include the following:
- Evidence of scholarly or creative achievement highlighted by the department or program in their nomination and evidence that the department or program provides the environment necessary for success in the areas of interest highlighted by the applicant.
- Evidence of any prior scholarly or creative achievement by the nominee, e.g., publications, presentations, exhibits, performances.
- Evidence that the nominee has been successful at previous academic institutions, e.g., letters of recommendation.
- Quantitative evidence of academic accomplishment, e.g., undergraduate grade point average, GRE/GMAT (when available).
The Jorgensen Fellowship (JF) is available to outstanding young scholars applying to doctoral programs. The award consists of a service-free fellowship providing a $20,000 annual stipend for five years.
In addition, to be eligible for either the fellowships below, applicants must demonstrate a commitment to enhancing diversity in higher education and/or a commitment to enhancing diversity in their field of study.
- The Harriott Fellowship (HF) is available to outstanding young scholars applying to doctoral programs. The award consists of a service-free fellowship providing a $20,000 annual stipend for five years.
- The Crandall Fellowship (CF) is available to outstanding young scholars applying to master’s programs. The award consists of a service-free fellowship providing a $20,000 annual stipend for two years (MFA is for three years).
For HF and CF fellowships students must submit a diversity statement through the SLATE application system. Students can demonstrate a commitment to enhancing diversity in higher education through participation in organizations or activities that (a) directly relate to increasing access to higher education and retention in higher education of individuals, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, gender, nationality, cultural background, religion, or beliefs or (b) that help to ensure that individuals are welcomed and included in higher education environments regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, gender, nationality, cultural background, religion, or beliefs. Such organization and activities might include participation/affiliation with TRIO programs, cultural/affinity organizations/centers, volunteer experiences, and college or university committees focused on these goals. Students provide evidence of this commitment through research and educational experience reflected on their CV/resume (articles, presentations, internship, and research experience), in their personal statement, or in letters of recommendations.
More details can be found on the Graduate School’s Internal Fellowships Awards page (https://grad.uconn.edu/gradfellows/uconn-grad-internal-fellowship-awards)
Admission & Funding Decisions
The Geography Department reviews applications for fall admissions as soon as possible after application deadlines. Admissions decisions are independent of funding decisions.
Funding decisions are based on availability of funding through the University and other sources. Please note we provide funding primarily to students applying to the PhD program.
Graduate Program Description
The MA and PhD program descriptions are in the Graduate Catalog (https://gradcatalog.uconn.edu) for which there are University level requirements and Departmental requirements http://gradcatalog.uconn.edu/fields-of-study/geography.
GIS Graduate Certificate
Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree are welcome to complete the graduate coursework for the GIS Certificate. Coursework from the MA and PhD programs can be used for the GIS Certificate, where applicable.