Ph.D. in Geography

The UCSB Department of Geography’s joint Ph.D. program with the Department of Geography at San Diego State University is distinctive. It brings together two outstanding departments that complement each other. California State Universities do not offer stand-alone doctoral programs. The joint doctoral program thereby provides mutual benefits for two of the strongest research-oriented Geography departments in the US: The program increases SDSU’s attractiveness to their students by permitting them to pursue a doctorate, and, in turn, it allows UCSB to increase its exposure to a more diverse set of gifted students. Students conduct a majority of their studies at SDSU but are required to attend UCSB for one year, where they will work more directly with their UCSB faculty advisors and take advantage of class offerings at UCSB that are not present at SDSU. This allows students to draw upon the strengths of two highly-rated Geography programs.