Department of Geography  -   College of Arts and Sciences  -   State University of New York at Buffalo

For information about Graduate Studies in International Trade, please click on one of the following topics, or simply scroll down the page using the scroll bar at the right of this screen.

  DEGREE OPTIONS

  FACULTY AND SPECIALIZATIONS

  MAJOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND TRADE COURSES

  RECENT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND TRADE RESEARCH

  CANADA-UNITED STATES TRADE CENTER

  INTERNSHIPS AND CAREERS

  FINANCE AND FINANCIAL AID

  ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  APPLICATION

  REPRESENTATIVE COURSES FOR MASTERS AND PH.D.

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The Department of Geography offers four graduate-level degree options for students interested in issues related to globalization, international trade and capital investment, industrial geography, the internationalization of firms and the changing spatial structure of economic activities, technological change and regional growth and development, and the dynamics of cross-border interactions.

1.The International Trade Concentration (ITC) - Certificate Option

The ITC program at the Department of Geography offers a graduate degree concentration for those who wish to prepare for a professional career in international business and world trade, or, for further advanced graduate and post-graduate studies in international trade. Those who complete the 39-hour program will receive a Masters in geography and a special certificate describing their course of study.

The ITC curriculum has been designed with the assistance and guidance of practitioners from the business community and government. Careful attention has been paid to creating a training program that meets the specific job requirements of internationally oriented business firms, banks, and government agencies, while also providing suitable preparation for more advanced study.

One special feature of the ITC course of study at the Masters level, is the opportunity to develop an internship with a local international business firm or government agency. This part of the program provides students with an opportunity to gain insights into the operations of international firms in the area, and to make valuable professional contacts.

Students in this MA-level option select two advisors, and together design a set of courses inside and outside of the department that are focused on an aspect of industrial geography that is international in scope. The total number of hours required is 30.

The Department of Geography's ITC and the School of Management jointly offer a two-and-one-half year program leading to the M.B.A. and M.A. degress with a certificate in International Trade. This program requires a minimum of six hours of graduate level course work in a foreign language or in international culture. Students interested in this dual program must apply to both the Geography Department and the School of Management.

Students may also pursue a doctoral degree in international trade and/or related aspects of industrial geography. Students must complete 72 hours of coursework beyond the bachelor degree.

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1. Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen (Professor) (E-mail: geosbs@acsu.buffalo.edu)

Research: International Trade, Foreign Direct Investment, Service Industries, Labor Markets, Urban-Industrial Geography  

2. Alan D. MacPherson (Professor, Director of Canada-US Trade Center) (E-mail: geoadm@acsu.buffalo.edu)

Research: Industrial adjustment to technology, economic modeling, international trade.

3. James E. McConnell (Professor, Associate Director of Canada-US Trade Center) (E-mail: geojem@acsu.buffalo.edu

Research: International business, location theory, regional development  

4. Jessie P.H. Poon (Associate Professor, Director of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Study Center) (E-mail: jesspoon@acsu.buffalo.edu)

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• International business and related policies
• Transnational corporations, international competitiveness and global changes
• International management and across borders and cultures

• Location decision in terms of firms, technology and economic development
• Trade and investment modeling
• Industrial shifts and labor market development
• Regional and economic development
• Survey research

3. Information Society

• Knowledge-intensive producer services
• Organisation of R&D in high-technology sectors

• Japanese and Chinese business networks
• Political-economic organization of Asian industrialism

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• Business linkages between the bordernet region and Asia-Pacific Economies
• Business responses to the Asian economic crisis
• Regional headquarters in the Asia Pacific
• Trade adjustment strategies of US-based companies in the machine-tool industry
• Local impact of NAFTA on Western New York industrial employment, trade, and investment
• Deregulation of the New York State electricity market
• Locational variation in the innovation performance of biotechnology firms in the United States
• Intra- and intermetropolitan migration of workers in information-intensive industries in the United States

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The Canada-United States Trade Center (CUSTAC) conducts applied research on North American trade, investment, technology transfer, and industrial development. Established in 1989, the Center supports the research efforts of Masters and Doctoral students in the Geography Department's ITC program. CUSTAC also provides specialized business services to local companies and government agencies, notably with regard to export development issues.

For more information, visit our CUSTAC website.

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Students in the ITC-Certificate program are required to complete an internship with an internationally oriented business establishment or government agency. Students in the other degree options may elect to complete internships as well. Since the international trade programs began at UB in 1974, graduates who have not chosen to obtain jobs in higher education have found employment in a variety of areas, including exporting and importing businesses, state and federal government agencies, international commercial banks, freight forwarding and customs companies, transportation companies, and export marketing companies.

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The in-state and out-of-state fees for 2001 fall semester (September to December ) are US$3059 and US$4717 respectively. For international and foreign applicants, the fee for the fall semester is US$9,860. As a state university, the University of Buffalo offers quality education at a price which is moderate. Up-to-date tuition information may be obtained from the Office of Student Accounts web page at: http://www.wings.buffalo.edu/service/stu-acc

The department also awards teaching and research assistantships for a degree leading to a Ph.D. The 2000-2001 ten-month stipend ranged from US$8,400 to $12,400 plus full tuition scholarship. Research assistantships associated with sponsored research projects are also available periodically with competitive stipends and tuition awards. Both teaching and research assistantships entail a workload not exceeding twenty hours per week.

Outstanding students who receive departmental assistance may also be eligible to be nominated by the department for University Fellowships which carry a stipend of US$16,400 per year along with full tuition award and a reduced workload of 15 hours. There are also a number of fellowships available for qualified minority applicants.

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• Bachelor's degree
• Reasonably good GRE and TOEFL scores (those applying to the ITC certificate option may submit GMAT instead of GRE scores)
• Three letters of references 

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The interested applicant is encouraged to contact the department at the following address:

Director of Graduate Studies, 105 Wilkeson Quad,
University at Buffalo-SUNY
New York 14261, USA
Telephone: (716) 645-2722
Fax: (716) 645 2329

Alternatively, email us at: geog-grad@acsu.buffalo.edu

Students may apply to the Department at any time. However, those who wish to to be considered for financial aid must have all of their application materials into the Department by 1 February for entry into the graduate program in September, and by 1 October for entry in January. Those who wish to be considered for special merit awards and University Fellowships must have their completed applications into the Department by 1 February of each year.

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The Department of Geography offers graduate work at either the M.A. or Ph.D. level for students interested in research in international business and world trade. Representative courses are:

GEO 502 Survey Methods for Human Geography (3 cr.)

GEO 531 Introduction to International Business and World Trade (3 cr.)

GEO 625 Industrial Geography (3 cr.)

GEO 519/628 International Transportation (3 cr.)

GEO 632 Location and International Trade Theory (3 cr.)

GEO 634 World Regional and Cultural Systems for International Business Managers (3 cr.)

GEO 636 Spatial Problems of Multinational Operations (3 cr.)

GEO 640 Organization of Industrial Space in Asia Pacific (3 cr.)

GEO 741 ITC Internship and Research Project (6 cr.)

GEO 631 Project Guidance

GEO 505/509 Univariate/Multivariate Statistics (or approved elective if student has previously taken these courses or equivalent)

 Each student in the ITC program must take either 6 or 9 hours of graduate - electives that are approved by the student's Major Professor. Students who opt to enroll in GEO 741 are required to complete 6 hours of such electives, and those who decide to take GEO 631 must complete 9 hours of electives.

GEO 503 Labor Geography (3 cr)

GEO 520 Transportation Systems (3 cr)

GEO 525 Manufacturing Location Theory (3 cr.)

GEO 639 Special Topics in International Trade (3 cr.)

MGA 604 Intro. To Financial and Management Accounting

MGM 625 Intro. To Marketing Management

MGF 631 Financial Management

ECO 613 Intro. To Econometric Theory

ECO 609-610 Macroeconomics I, II

ECO 665-666 Microeconomics I, II

ECO 721-722 Industrial Organization

ECO 725-726 Growth of Underdeveloped Economies

ECO 775 International Economics I

IE 550 Intro. To Operations Research

IE 551 Simulation and Stochastic Models

PS 504 International Law

PS 542 Comparative Foreign Policy

PS 544 International Theory

PS 641 International Economic Relations

PS 647 International Organization

PD 594 Global Issues and Futures

PD 538 Economic Concepts and Regional Contexts

LAE 629 International Commercial Transactions

CS 580 Computer Graphics

Foreign language area: Graduate-level courses only

Courses on foreign culture and history: Graduate-level courses only

 Some of the courses listed may not be offered on a regular basis.

*Students may petition to have courses not listed here considered as appropriate electives for the ITC curriculum.

Students may petition their Major Professors to have one or more of the required courses in the ITC program waived if they have satisfactorily complete an equivalent course. "Satisfactory completion" is defined as occurring when the student has received a grade of B or better in a course; and an "equivalent" course is defined as one that has been completed at the graduate level (or at the 400-level where certified extra work has been required) and that has been approved by the student's Major Professor, in consultation with the instructor of the course in question. The total number of required credit hours remains at 39, and can be achieved by a combination of UB credits (minimum 24 hours) and appropriate graduate transfer credits.

GEOGRAPHY HOMEPAGE            INTERNATIONAL TRADE HOMEPAGE