Geography (MA)

Location(s): Main Campus

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Please note: this program will not be admitting students for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Master of Arts in Geography

Program Website: Geography

Faculty and Administration

For a listing of program faculty and administrative contacts, please visit the program directory.

Program Description

The MA Program in Geography is designed to train students broadly in geographical approaches to understanding social and human-environment relations, with emphasis on how contemporary processes affect spatial relations across the range of scales from the local to the global. Course work and faculty expertise will expose students to a range of approaches to geographical analysis, including planning perspectives, a variety of critical and applied approaches in human geography, and geospatial data analysis. Students will be encouraged to develop a sophisticated and rigorous understanding of geographical processes through an examination of various current theoretical perspectives and research methodologies and through exposure to diverse empirical material. The training offered by the program will prepare students who wish to pursue careers in areas where the ability to examine and analyze the spatiality of social and human/environment relations is an asset, or continue to the PhD level in Geography, Planning or a related discipline.

Facilities

The department has a graduate student office equipped with computers and internet access, physical geography and GIS labs, and remote sensing equipment. The department is adjacent to the University Map Library, which contains the largest and most comprehensive map and air photo collection in the Niagara Region, as well as up-to-date electronic, digital data and on-line resources. Brock University’s location in Niagara, close to wineries and tourist attractions, to Niagara Falls, to the Niagara Escarpment, to the US border, and to many sites of historical interest, as well as its proximity to major cities such as Toronto and Buffalo, provide numerous opportunities for geographical field research and analysis.

Admission Requirements

Successful completion of four year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, in Geography or a closely-related discipline, with a minimum average of 75% B.

The Graduate Admissions Committee will review all applications and recommend admission for a limited number of suitable candidates.

Degree Requirements

Students will consult with the Director or designated faculty liaison person when planning their programs of study.

Graduate students follow either Scheme A or Scheme B.

Individuals interested in part-time study should consult with the Graduate Program Director. Part-time students must take GEOG 5P01 , GEOG 5P02 , or GEOG 5P03 in the first two terms, and successfully complete at least one half-credit course per year thereafter. For a full list of graduate course offerings by subject area, please refer to the Courses tab in the navigation menu.

Scheme A: Course Work and Thesis

Candidates in this scheme must successfully complete five half-credit courses, plus a thesis that demonstrates the capacity for sustained independent work and original research or thought. The thesis topic will be developed in consultation with the Supervisory Committee. A formal thesis proposal must be approved before research commences on the thesis.

Students are required to complete the following half-credit courses:

GEOG 5P01 - Theoretical Approaches to the Critical Examination of Geographical Issues
One of GEOG 5P02 or GEOG 5P03
Three half-credit elective courses

Scheme A is designed to normally be completed in five terms.

Those lacking sufficient background preparation may be required to complete additional credits.

In normal circumstances full-time students will satisfy the core course requirements by the end of the second term, and the elective course requirements will be met by the end of the fourth term. Students will prepare their thesis proposal in the first term, and commence work on the thesis after the proposal has been approved, normally during the second term.

Elective courses may be selected from: electives offered by the GEOG program, graduate courses in other programs, or a maximum of one half-credit GEOG directed studies course.

Scheme B: Course Work and Major Research Paper

Candidates in this scheme must successfully complete seven half-credit courses plus a major research paper that demonstrates capacity for sustained independent work. The research topic will be developed in consultation with the Supervisor. A formal proposal must be approved before research commences on the major research paper.

Students are required to complete the following half-credit courses:

GEOG 5P01 - Theoretical Approaches to the Critical Examination of Geographical Issues
One of GEOG 5P02 or GEOG 5P03
Five half-credit elective courses

Scheme B is designed to normally be completed in four terms.

Those lacking sufficient background preparation may be required to complete additional credits.

In normal circumstances full-time students will satisfy the core course requirements by the end of the second term, and the elective course requirements will be met by the end of the fourth term. Students will prepare their major research paper proposal in the second term, and commence work on the major research paper after the proposal has been approved, normally during the third term.

Elective courses may be selected from: electives offered by the GEOG program, a graduate course in other programs, or a maximum of one half-credit GEOG directed studies course.