Graduate coordinator Michael Konen
What would you call a place located:
- on the doorstep of one of North America’s largest cities, the birthplace of modern urban studies?
- at the northern frontier of tornado alley and at the juncture of the Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Mississippi Valley climatic regions?
- among some of the world’s most productive agricultural soils, at-risk from both over-use and urban encroachment, but with massive natural potential for sequestering greenhouse gasses?
- in a region renown for map and globe production, and a leader in the application of modern geographic technologies to agriculture, urban planning, environmental management, retail location analysis, transportation, emergency services and asset management, in addition to mapping?
- at the historic ecotone between the tallgrass prairies and eastern forests, that today remains a significant natural laboratory for understanding vegetative response to climate change?
- in the midst of one of America’s most vibrant economies, fueled by the productivity of its land and by the entrepreneurial heritage and “can do” attitude of its people?
- less than an hour driving time from the world’s busiest all-purpose airport, with travel and freight connections spanning North America and the globe?
- along the divide between the Mississippi River and Great Lakes drainage systems, where the loss of wetlands and rampant urbanization threaten regional water quality?
- within a region famed for day-to-day weather changes and where the impacts of climate variability – too wet, too dry, too cold, too warm – have global as well as local significance?
How about … the ideal place for graduate study in urban geography, climatology, soil science, GIS and mapping science, biogeography, economic geography, environmental management, or climate impacts!
Welcome to Northern Illinois University,
Geographic Observatory to the World.
The Department of Geography offers graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Geography.
Not sure if you’re ready to pursue a graduate degree?
… do you love to learn?
… do you need more specialized knowledge to advance in your chosen career field?
… do you enjoy the process of asking questions, developing a strategy to answer the question,
... and then finding the answer?
… do you want to expand your capabilities or add new substance to what you already do?
… are you a leader?
… is it something that you’ve always wanted to do?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’re ready! Here’s what you now need to do.
1. Visit the Graduate School for more information about graduate programs in geography (Masters of Science in Geography or Doctor of Philosophy in Geography).
2. Complete an application to the Graduate School (http://www.grad.niu.edu/grad/apply/degree_seeking.shtml)
3. Find out where to take the Graduate Record Exam (http://etsis4.ets.org/tcenter/) and make an appointment to take the exam.
4. Prepare a “Statement of Career/Educational Goals” and submit it to the Graduate School with your completed application.
5. Arrange to have “official copies” of all undergraduate (and graduate) transcripts sent to the Graduate School.
6. Identify three or more persons qualified to judge your academic potential and ask that they send a letter of reference, on your behalf, to the Graduate School.
7. Take the GRE and have an official record of your scores forwarded to NIU’s Graduate School. If you are an international student whose native language is other than English, you will also need to take the TOEFL exam and have those scores submitted to NIU.
8. Complete an Application for Graduate Assistantship and forward it to the Department of Geography (if interested in financial support).
9. Wait 3-4 weeks, and then you may call the Graduate School at 815/753-0395 to verify that they have received all of your application materials.
| Deadlines | approximate date for final receipt of all application material |
| - for summer semester admission: |
April 1
|
| - for fall semester admission (August) and financial support: |
March 1
|
| - for fall semester admission: |
June 1
|
| - for fall semester admission (International students): |
May 1
|
| - for spring (January) semester admission: |
November 1
|
| - for spring semester admission (International students) |
October 1
|