Admission And Financial Aid

Admission to the master’s program in geography is granted to college graduates with superior academic records. An undergraduate geography major is not required and students with degrees in social, physical, and behavioral sciences or from the humanities are encouraged to apply.  However, incoming graduates who do not have a degree in geography must demonstrate that coursework or other preparation has been completed in human geography, physical geography, statistics, and cartography.  Students with deficiencies may be required to take remedial coursework.

 

Prospective students must send materials to the Graduate College and the Geography Department.  The following must be sent to the Graduate College:

 

            *1.  Graduate application for admission

*2.  Application fee of $25.00 ($50.00 for international students) as specified on the application form

  3.  Two official transcripts from each institution attended

  4.      Results of the Graduate Record Examination  (the Geography Department has no stated minimum score on this test)

              *  You can complete these portions online at www.osu-ours.okstate.edu/gradcoll/default.html 

 

The following must be sent to the Graduate Advisor at the Department of Geography:

 

1.      A letter that indicates:

a)      whether you would like to be considered for a teaching or research assistantship and/or tuition waiver.

b)      your academic and vocational interests.

2.      At least three letters of reference from persons familiar with your academic abilities and prospects.

 

Applications are accepted throughout the year.  However, those students wishing to be considered for a teaching or research assistantship should submit all materials to the Graduate College and  Geography Department by February 1st to receive full consideration for  academic year support starting in August.  It should be noted that admission decisions are made continuously (in most cases as soon as all of a candidate's materials arrive at OSU).  Decisions on academic year (August-May) assistantship awards are ordinarily made in March, but can also be made at other times when funds become available.

           

Students receiving ANY SORT of assistantships, fee waivers, or other form of financial aid at Oklahoma State University are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, available at the OSU Office of Student Financial Aid and at financial aid offices at other institutions.  This can be done in advance of enrollment but must be completed at the time of first enrollment and must be updated each year.

 

Financial Considerations

Students in the M.S. Program have access to a variety of sources of financial aid.  Oklahoma State University maintains an Office of Financial Aid with access to information about scholarships and federal loans outside of the control of the Geography Department.

 

All award decisions made by the Department are determined on the basis of scholastic promise and achievement rather than financial need.  A graduate teaching or research assistantship carries with it a monthly stipend and automatic waiver of out-of-state tuition.  Superior students entering the program are eligible for complete remission of in-state tuition through the Dean's In-State Tuition Waiver; the department must apply for this waiver on behalf of the student.  Additionally, the Graduate College provides the Geography Department some in-state tuition waiver funds and this money is awarded to eligible students.  The Graduate College also provides full in-state tuition waivers for entering minority students.

 

Note:  Graduate students must be enrolled for 9 credit hours for the Fall and Spring semesters to avoid being charged FICA tax.  The exception is if a grad student is enrolled for 6 credit hours but is enrolled in either GEOG 5000 or GEOG 6000 (thesis or dissertation) and is certified by the graduate college as a full time student.

 

International Student Requirement

The Geography Department welcomes applications from foreign students.  OSU has a large and diverse international graduate student population.  The University has special requirements for admission of International graduate students.  To comply with U.S. Immigration laws international students should submit applications at least 6 months prior to the desired enrollment date.  In order to enroll at OSU, an International Student must:

 

1.      Provide a TOEFL score of at least 550 (213 computer-based score).  The Geography Department requires a TOEFL score of at least 600 (250 computer-based score) for appointment as a teaching assistant.
 

2.      Provide evidence of financial support to meet U.S. Immigration requirements.  If a student has been offered an assistantship and/or fee waiver by the Geography Department, these may be used to demonstrate financial support on the I-20 form.  The student will be sent a letter stating the value of the assistantship and/or fee waiver with an indication of how much additional financial support, if any, is required before an I-20 form can be issued.  Once the necessary financial support is shown, then the I-20 and certificate of admission is sent to the student clearing the way for the student to apply for a visa.

3.  Take the English Proficiency Test (TELP) for international students a test measuring writing skill.  The test is administered after the student arrives on campus.  Should the results of the test indicate a need for additional English study, the student will be required to remain enrolled in a non-graduate credit English course until the deficiency is removed.

4.  If English is a second language, a graduate student with an instructional assignment must successfully pass the Test of Spoken English (TSE), a nationally/internationally administered test, and complete a graduate teaching assistantship training program administered by the OSU English Department.  English Department faculty and OSU Geography faculty are part of the evaluation team.

-OSU Graduate College – online admission form