Overview

Key facts

A flexible curriculum, complemented by careful advising, permits the Department to design a program tailored to the educational goals of each master’s candidate. San Diego State University now offers three Geography degrees at the Master’s level.

Degrees Offered

The Geography Masters program at San Diego State University offers both M.A. and M.S. degrees. Students wishing to specialize in Watershed Science or Geographic Information Science register for the M.S. degree. Students interested in Human and Environmental Geography may choose the M.A. degree.

The Master’s degree programs are designed to provide advanced training for students who plan to terminate their graduate studies at the Master’s level and for those who anticipate additional work leading to the doctoral degree in geography or related fields.

All Master’s students are required to complete and present a thesis that fulfills the requirements of the Graduate School, described in the Graduate Bulletin Leave geography site.

Students work closely with a Thesis Committee Chair to develop an original project for the thesis, which is evaluated and approved by a committee chosen by the student and his/her advisor. Students work independently during all aspects of the thesis, including design, data collection, analysis, and write-up, but consult regularly with their advisor and committee members.

While many students are working on research problems in the San Diego region and other locations in the U.S., the Department has provided opportunities for students to conduct research abroad including Mexico, India, South Africa, Ghana, China and Ecuador.

Programme Structure

Courses include

Water Resources

Advanced Watershed Analysis

Cartographic Design

GIS Programming with Python

Geographic Information Systems Applications

Quantitative Methods in Geographic Research

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00

Language

English

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105

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

30 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

San Diego, United States

Disciplines

Geography View 175 other Masters in Geography in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

105

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TOEFL^® IBT

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

6.5

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4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

You can apply to SDSU as a graduate student if you:

have earned an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or one approved by a Ministry of Education or
will have earned an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or one approved by a Ministry of Education by the term immediately prior to enrollment.
have a minimum U.S. equivalent GPA (grade point average) of 3.0 (B grade or about 80%) or higher is required to be considered for admission.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

11548 USD / year

≈ 11548 USD / year
Out-of-State

11548 USD / year

≈ 11548 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

8548 USD / year

≈ 8548 USD / year

Additional Details

Non-resident tuition: Add $444 per unit to the basic tuition and fees listed above.

Living costs

San Diego

United States

1400 - 2455 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

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Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Geography.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Key facts

Degrees Offered

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Additional Details

Living costs

San Diego

Financing

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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