Application Guidelines

The Geography Graduate Program is selective, but admissions are based on a wide range of factors, with no single factor ensuring or precluding acceptance. Students from a variety of majors and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Applying for Admission

The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School has standard requirements. Above and beyond those, departments can set their own requirements.

Students in all disciplines, whose goals are related to faculty interests, are welcome to apply. Admission is very selective, and is based in part on GRE scores (combined quantitative and verbal), grade point averages, short essays, recommendations, suitability of previous training and experience for the proposed topic of graduate study, and other related factors. Although no single factor guarantees or precludes admission, most new graduate students have combined GRE scores higher than 1100 and upper-division grade point averages higher than 3.2. Doctoral students typically have GRE scores higher than 1200 and a graduate GPA higher than 3.5, and must complete the M.A. or its equivalent before entry.

Under some circumstances, students may be provisionally admitted as a graduate student on a non-degree basis, with admission as a regular student being conditional upon satisfactory performance and progress in course work during the first semester.

Deadlines

Students should contact relevant faculty members to discuss their goals before applying; all application materials must be submitted by January 1. (If you encounter difficulties beyond your control in signing up for the GRE exam and delivering GRE scores prior to January 1, you may still apply for admission and financial aid with the understanding that you will supply us with your GRE score as soon as possible).

Application Procedures

Because you must meet requirements of both the Graduate School and the Department, you must submit materials as follows

For the Graduate School

ATTENTION: The Graduate and International Admissions Center strongly encourages the use of the online application. This is their preferred method for receiving applications.

Anyone who has previously attended the Graduate School at UT Austin: Contact the Office of Admissions for a Readmission Application, and information on deadlines.

U.S. Citizens, Permanent Resident Immigrants, and International Students whohave previously attended UT Austin in a non-graduate capacity should contact the Office of Graduate and International Admissions. From that office you can request a Graduate Admission Bulletin. It contains information and materials necessary to complete your application to the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School.

International Students who have never attended UT Austin should contact the Office of Graduate and International Admissions to request the booklet Information for Prospective International Students and the form Application for Students From Other Countries. As indicated in the Information booklet, you will need to send directly to the Office of Graduate and International Admissions

1. the completed application, which includes an online statement of purpose and online letters of recommendation.
2. the fee
3. an official copy of your GRE scores
4. your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores
5. official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended.

For The Department of Geography and the Environment

Applicants to the Department’s master’s program need send nothing to the Department.

If you are already in the Department’s Master’s program and are seeking admission to the Department’s doctoral program, submit a formal statement of purpose and at least two letters of recommendation directly to the department by January 1. Also send a copy of your master’s thesis (on disk) if available. The Department’s Graduate Admissions and Awards Committee will evaluate this along with all other applications for admission to the PhD program. Students should be aware that strong evidence of imminent completion of the Master’s thesis is required. In many cases, the student will be requested to delay application to the doctoral program until after the Master’s thesis is completed. 

Other applicants to the Department’s doctoral program may submit a digital copy of the Master's thesis, or other research papers, published or unpublished, on disk or as a pdf file. In lieu of digital copies, the student may send paper copies to the department. 

Note: These Web pages provide general information as a courtesy to viewers. The Catalog of the University (General Information, The Undergraduate Catalog, The Graduate Catalog, and The Law School Catalog) is the document of authority for all students. The requirements given in the catalog supersede information issued by any academic department, program, college, or school. The University reserves the right to change the requirements given in the catalog at any time. Please be aware that different admissions procedures apply to foreign applicants (undergraduate and graduate), U.S. applicants for undergraduate study, U.S. applicants for graduate study, and former University of Texas students applying for readmission.