1. Choose a research topic for an MA thesis based on discussions with the student’s departmental advisor.
2. Committees for students seeking an MA degree with thesis will consist of three members of the graduate faculty. The committee and its chair (normally the student’s advisor) will be appointed by the department chair, with approval by the faculty. 
3. When the thesis topic and research questions have been selected, students will prepare a 2-3 page thesis proposal, and submit it to their committee by the end of the second semester in the program.
4. Upon completion of their research, MA (with thesis) students must submit a readable copy of their thesis to each committee member at least three weeks prior to the date of the thesis defense. A defense of the thesis serves as the final examination of the student. 
5. Two unsatisfactory votes by the MA committee results in the candidate failing the thesis defense. Candidates may present themselves for re-examination, but not sooner than the following semester. The examination may be repeated only once.

See Chapter 5, Section 1 of the Graduate Student Handbook for more details on the MA thesis process. 

The thesis MA requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate work and typically is completed in four semesters. To fulfill program course requirements, students must take: 

• GEOG:5070 Research and Writing in Geography (required only for thesis students)
• GEOG:7000 Geography Colloquium (taken each semester)
• 15 semester hours from courses numbered 5000 and above 

Of the 30 semester hours required for the thesis degree, not more than 9 semester hours can be thesis hours (GEOG:7999), and the Kohn Colloquium (GEOG:7000) may count for no more than 3 semester hours.

Courses from other departments may be taken and with advisor approval, counted for the degree. MA students often accumulate more semester hours of graduate credit than are required for graduation (e.g., 40 semester hours). Students are advised to use any additional hours to increase their breadth of knowledge of geography and to tailor their program of study to their individual interests. Additional semester hours may also be accrued while undertaking a graduate certificate. 

A professional MA is a degree program to be completed through coursework, typically over a 2-year period. The program builds skills across a range of topics in our department in the first year, and further develops skills within specific application areas in the second year.

The final step in the professional MA is for the student to provide the committee with a portfolio of coursework completed in the program. A portfolio typically includes at least four and up to eight examples of coursework or research that illustrate the core of what the student has accomplished during their Master’s program. These works are collected into a single document and presented before the committee. The portfolio should include a 1-2 page introduction that describes how these themes fit together and summarizes knowledge gained from through the graduate program. The committee will conduct an oral review of the content of the portfolio with the student. 

Committees for students seeking a professional MA will consist of three members of the graduate faculty. All must be from the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences, and members of the University of Iowa tenure-track faculty. 

The professional MA requires a minimum of 32 semester hours. Courses from other departments may be taken and with advisor approval, counted for the degree. MA students often accumulate more semester hours of graduate credit than are required for graduation (e.g., 40 semester hours). Students are advised to use any additional hours to increase their breadth of knowledge of geography and to tailor their program of study to their individual interests. Additional semester hours may also be accrued while undertaking a graduate certificate