Why Apply to Clark Geography’s Doctoral Program?
Please note: GREs are no longer required.
Established in 1921, the Graduate School of Geography at Clark is internationally renowned for innovative scholarship and is an acknowledged leader in the field. Consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 graduate programs by the National Research Council, Clark Geography enables graduate students to train with top professionals and participate in a world-class research community. Students are guaranteed tuition remission and graduate assistantships for eight semesters, paid at a nationally competitive rate ($29,719 for the 2024/2025 academic year) with fully funded health insurance, in order to foster a tight-knit, supportive intellectual community. Having awarded more Ph.D.s than any other geography program in the U.S., Clark Geography has a reputation for training future leaders in the field.
Our Close-Knit Community
The Graduate School seeks talented students with diverse backgrounds who can contribute to the atmosphere of innovation and collaboration that defines Clark Geography. The intimate atmosphere of a small urban university fosters close faculty-student relationships that are a key component of graduate study at Clark. The program offers a strong emphasis in both qualitative and quantitative analysis and the option to combine both in a research project.
Areas of Study
Our objective is to produce scholars and other professionals whose research and pedagogy are path-breaking. We intend our students to contribute significantly to research and application in one of four main geography areas of focus:
- Climate change
- Cryosphere
- Economy and culture of cities
- Ecosystem ecology
- Environment and development
- Feminist geography
- Forest ecology
- Geographies of energy and extractive industries
- Geographies of social movements
- GIS and spatial analysis
- Global economic change
- Land change and sustainability science
- Land surface hydrology
- Political/cultural ecology
- Political economy
- Resource geography
- Social and spatial theory
- Urban geography
- Urban political
- Urban development
Program Timeline and Requirements
How long will it take to complete the Ph.D. in geography at Clark University? Can students who already hold master’s degrees enter the program? What are the requirements?
View University Overview: Doctoral Program in Geography
Program Timeline
Geography Ph.D. Program Handbook
Please note that the GRE exam is no longer required for this program.
Recent Dissertations
Our Ph.D. students conduct research across the world on issues ranging from the impact of mining on communities in South America to the decline of ice in the Arctic and Antarctica. For dissertation titles before 2012, visit the Burnham Index.
Prospective Doctoral Program Applicants
All prospective applicants for Clark University’s Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Geography should contact the department with any questions pertaining to the program or the application process, or to schedule a campus visit. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to contact faculty with whom they have aligning research interests.
Prospective applicants are welcomed and encouraged to visit the Graduate School of Geography, if possible. To learn more about the Clark University campus or about the Admissions process, visit the Graduate Admissions website. To request a visit to the Graduate School of Geography, please email geography@clarku.edu.
Graduate Admissions
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Doctoral Program in Geography