Department of Geography

Information for Current Graduate Students

Graduate Assistantships (GA)

Typically there are three types of funding opportunities available for graduate students. Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Research Assistants (RAs) receive a scholarship to cover tuition, plus a stipend (paid bi-monthly). TAs and RAs are expected to work 15-20 hours on their assignments. Students awarded a Graduate Recruitment Scholarship (GRS) receive a scholarship and stipend (paid bi-monthly), which combined cover the cost of tuition; students receiving a GRS are expected to work 6 hours per week on their assignments. Regardless of the nature of the funding, all graduate students are representatives of the department, and need to accord their assignments top priority.

Graduate Assistantships are nine-month appointments. Special Summer Tuition Scholarships are available for students enrolled during the summer term, provided that they were enrolled in either the previous spring or subsequent fall semesters.

Departmental Scholarships Available for Geography Graduate Students

[Application guidelines forthcoming]

The Isaac Sindiga Memorial Fund for Geography. Established in honor of the late Dr. Isaac Sindiga, who received his master's degree from the Department in 1981, this award is given annually to a graduate student to conduct research in completion of his/her degree and may be used for such expenses as travel, software, or other items related to the research. Isaac Sindiga Scholars will be chosen on the basis of academic performance, research potential, and a research agenda that requires travel expenses.
Margaret Boyd Research Scholarships. Named in honor of Ohio University's first female graduate (of the class of 1873), the Margaret Boyd Research Scholarship is to be used as research support for applied geographic research in Ohio, or elsewhere in the U.S. Recipients are to be full-time graduate or undergraduate students, although preference is given to graduate students.

Travel Grants

To help defray travel expenses, the Department will award Geography Graduate students a maximum of $250 per academic year, to present at a professional conference. Students should check with Amy Meeks for specific requirements for reimbursement. Graduate students are also encouraged to apply for Graduate Student Senate Travel Grants.

Forms

For students pursuing a thesis:

Thesis proposal defense form. Students should take this form to their thesis proposal defense, which should take place by the end of their first year, or no later than the fifth week of their third semester (excluding summer). The form is to be signed after the thesis committee approves the proposal, then delivered to the Department's Administrative Associate.
Thesis Defense: You must follow the instructions on completing your thesis available from "Thesis and Dissertation Services" (TAD) within the Graduate College. Please visit this link and familiarize yourself with the requirements and deadlines as soon as you start to write your thesis (www.ohio.edu/graduate/etd) Please visit this link (http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/etd/oraldefense.cfm) and complete the required forms from the College of Arts and Sciences: "Arrangement for Oral Defense" and "Report of Oral Thesis Examination and Dissertation Defense." Please deliver the signed originals to the Geography Graduate Chair.
Complete the Exit Survey within one week of your thesis defense, and return it to the Department's Administrative Associate.

For students pursuing a non-thesis degree:

Complete the comprehensive examination committee form at least one semester prior to the comprehensive exams are administered, and ideally by the end of your first year. Please deliver the signed original to the Department's administrative associate.