AAG

G&ES classes make use of the Chicago surroundings by way of field
trips, service-learning, guest lecturers, and adjunct faculty drawn from
the professional community. Geography students may undertake a
carefully designed and supervised internship in urban planning, GIS,
or other field in the student’s career or research interest. There are also
opportunities for student/faculty research projects and the department
offers an annual guided Field Camp, abroad. Class sizes are small and
all sections are taught by a core of five tenure track faculty members,
a strong group of regular Instructors and active professionals who
contribute to the rich curriculum. Students may also incorporate a
limited number of courses from other departments into their degree,
with advisor approval.
G&ES maintains two computer laboratories with student access 24/7.
Technical courses are scheduled in “smart” classrooms and the
department’s more traditional classroom is also fitted with laptops for
student in-class use. A number of courses are also available online.
ACADEMIC PLAN, ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS, AND
FINANCIAL AID:
Northeastern Illinois University uses a semester calendar, with sixweek
and 12-week summer sessions. Information for scholarships,
federal and state assistance, loans, and employment is available on the
web site: www.neiu.edu or by phone: (773) 583-4050.
FACULTY:
Judy Bock, Instructor, M.A. Geography & Environmental Studies,
Northeastern Illinois University 1982 — geography education
Mark Boyle, Instructor, PhD. Human Geography expected 2016
University of St. Andrews — human geography
Thomas Brecheisen, Instructor, PhD. Civil Engineering expected
2016, University of Illinois at Chicago — environmental studies
Robyn Flakne, Instructor, PhD. Forestry, University of Minnesota, St.
Paul 2000 — urban environment, forest resources
Dennis Grammenos, Associate Professor, PhD. Geography University
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2000 — urban/social geography
Erick Howenstine, Professor and Chair, PhD. Geography University
of Washington, 1989 — GIS, cartography
Melinda Storie, Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator, PhD.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences 2008, University
of Illinois, Urbana -Champaign — environmental education,
environmental interpretation
Alex Peimer, Assistant Professor, PhD. Geography expected 2016,
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — physical
geography, water resources, environmental policy
Ting Liu, Assistant Professor and GIS Coordinator, PhD. Geography
Florida State University 2014 — GIS, remote sensing, land
change science
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
DATE FOUNDED: 1968
GRADUATE PROGRAM FOUNDED: 1968
DEGREES OFFERED: B.A., B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in
Geography, B.S. in Meteorology, B.S. Emphasis in
Geomatics, Certificates in GIS/GIA
GRANTED: 9/1/14 - 8/31/15: 38 Bachelors, 8 Masters, 1
Ph.D.
STUDENTS IN RESIDENCE: 100 Majors, 13 Masters, 11
Ph.D.
NOT IN RESIDENCE: 7 Masters, 2 Ph.D.
CHAIR: David Changnon
DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATIVE ASST: Dawn Sibley
FOR CATALOG AND FURTHER INFORMATION WRITE
TO: Coordinator of Graduate Studies, Department of Geography,
Davis Hall 118, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115.
Telephone: (815) 753-6826. Fax (815) 753-6872.
Internet: www.geog.niu.edu
PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH FACILITIES: The B.S. and B.A.
in Geography are structured around five fields of study: natural
environmental systems, urban/economic systems, GI Science, area
studies and geomatics (land surveying). Undergraduate and graduate
Certificates in GIS can be earned online, or as part of degree program
on campus. Degree-seeking students may participate in experiential
learning in the department’s labs and through internships, mentored
research, and the department’s programs in community-based
geography. The B.S. program in geomatics meets State of Illinois
educational requirements for the (NCEES) Surveyor In-Training
exam.
The B.S. in Meteorology is a science-based, pre-professional program
conforming to American Meteorological Society and National
Weather Service standards. Mentored research and internships are
available in a variety of weather analysis, applied meteorology and
applied climatology fields. Students may take courses in broadcast
media through the university’s Communication Studies program. All
students are required to complete three semesters of calculus, one year
of calculus-based physics, one semester of statistics, and one semester
of a programming language.
The Ph.D. and M.S. programs invite students with interests in
biogeography, climatology, environmental systems, food systems, GI
Science, hydrology, soils, weather-related hazards, health, urban,
transportation or economic geography. The Master of Science
program normally takes two years to complete; the Ph.D. requires 60
semester hours beyond the master’s degree, including dissertation. All
students must successfully complete core courses in the intellectual
basis of modern geography, research methods, and quantitative
methods, and successfully pass a comprehensive exam. Masters
students may choose a 30 credit hour thesis track or a 36 credit hour
non-thesis track. Doctoral students complete at least 6 semester hours
in topical advanced course work, at least 6 hours of applications
experience, at least 9 semester hours in cognate fields outside the
department, and a dissertation.
The department maintains a variety of laboratories to support teaching
and research in climatology, biogeography, GI Science, meteorology,
remote sensing, soil science, and spatial analysis. Resources include:
instrumentation for the analysis of soil physical and chemical
properties, tree ring cores, and stream flow; field sampling tools; GPS
and land surveying equipment; a fixed-site automated weather station
and mobile weather stations; field photosynthesis system; soil
sampling ATV; and germination/growth chamber. The department
also operates the community’s National Weather Service cooperative
weather station.
ACADEMIC PLAN, ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS, AND
FINANCIAL AID:
Graduate: N.I.U. operates on a semester system. Admission as a
graduate student requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited
college or university, a GPA of at least 2.75 (4-point system), and
approval of the Department of Geography.
Assistantships and fellowships are awarded for the 9-month academic
year with a 12-month waiver of tuition. Applications for graduate
assistantships and fellowships should be sent as early as possible;
preferably before January 15. Students pursuing a specialization in
mapping science or GIS may apply for the Richard E. Dahlberg
Scholarship, awarded annually. Grants to support thesis/dissertation
research are available through the William Morris Davis Memorial
Research Fund. Research positions and internships providing work
experience, income, and/or academic credit may also be available.
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