Admission to this program is based upon the completion of a Master's degree or its equivalent at a superior level at a recognized university.

The Ph.D. program involves:

1. Coursework: A minimum of three graduate term (semester) courses beyond the Master's. Courses must be selected with the concurrence of a faculty member and the Associate Head, Geography Graduate Program. Normally one of these may be taken outside the department and at least two courses must be taken within the department, one of which must be GPHY 801. 
2. Language: The Associate Head, Geography Graduate Program, in consultation with the student's supervisor, will require the student to gain competence in a language, other than English, if it is judged to be pertinent to a candidate' s program.
3. Qualifying Examination: This examination is held once the student has completed required course work. The focus of the examination will be a discussion of a research proposal and the broader philosophical, methodological and substantive issues which define the intellectual content of the area in which the student's work is located. Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program are required to have successfully completed their qualifying examination within six terms of residence for the Ph.D. degree. Students are permitted to sit the examination a second time, so long as the second examination is completed within the time limits as prescribed above.
4. Dissertation