Structural and compositional change in geography graduate programs in the United States: 1991-2001

This paper presents an accounting of observed shifts within the structure and composition of geography graduate programs between 1991 and 2001. Using the AAG Guide to Programs, the study details how geography's primary divisions and areas of specialization have changed based on several parameters. These parameters include: department name, total tenure track lines, tenure track lines by major division (macrospecialization), tenure tracks by selected research areas (microspecialization), faculty rank, and degree programs. Using descriptive statistics, the paper identifies the structural implications of retirement in recent years, notes the emergence of new research areas (at both the macro- and microlevel), charts the expansion of traditional geography graduate programs, and the creation of new geography degree programs. The trajectory of the discipline is positive and growth continues. When and where reductions have been observed, the demographic transition of the professoriate is often an issue. Despite this inevitable transition, the growth and expansion of graduate programs continues and the overall pace observed is encouraging.