HMC

That's true - I guess there's no reason to aim low. Things have been awfully competitive lately, though. So I'm just advising caution to a fine arts degree holder who is shooting for geography. And regarding your second point - I agree with you that GIS and remote sensing are almost never run by TAs, but I actually find that many human geographers are also teaching physical geography labs, as these courses often fulfill general education requirements for earth science or physical science. Similarly, teaching assistantships are more often available for grad students with proficiency in these areas. Moreover, this person had only one geography course, total. Surely a person in that situation might be able to find financial support somehow, but it isn't very likely when you have to compete with people who have a lot of experience. That's all I was saying. My point was not to discourage the applicant, but rather to give him or her a realistic pathway to success. I have no doubt that it would be possible to push on, right into a geography PhD from fine arts. At the same time, if I were considering that change, I would want someone to be honest with me about how I might get there.

My master's program had 7 people total, all of whom came from very diverse undergrad backgrounds: 1 from architecture, 1 from meteorology, 1 from political science (me), 1 from biology, 1 with a BA/MA in forestry... and only 2 people came in as geography undergrads. So, this encouragement people are giving you is true, in that sense: It is a diverse field. However, I would like to insert an element of realism and caution into this discussion so that you don't erroneously waste your money and time attempting the (near) impossible... Coming from the humanities, you probably won't be able to jump right into a PhD; you're very unlikely to be accepted with a MFA degree. BUT, if you're very serious about switching fields, I would advise you to do your MA in geography at a less-competitive university and then work your way into a PhD. You see, even if you somehow managed to get into a PhD program in geography (straight from the MFA)- you absolutely will not receive support without a strong background in earth science. They'll expect you to be able to instruct introductory and intermediate courses in the field. If you've only had a few undergrad classes in the subject, you can't do that. And they will know this right away when they review your application. They will throw out (probably recycle) your application and immediately send you the standard "we're sorry - you were a good candidate - blah blah blah" email. On the other hand, go to a master's program - immerse yourself in the field. Maybe you'll snag a TA spot for a couple semesters to prove you have working knowledge of the field... Suddenly, your PhD program candidacy stock just went way up! Your previous weakness in the subject (and strength elsewhere) is now viewed as extra experience. Your master's in another field that would have signaled your flakiness is now seen as proof that you are capable of multiple achievements. See what I mean? Get that MA or MS in a geography program, and the world is yours (literally, you can manipulate all of that in GIS). Don't just try to go directly to the PhD because you feel like you're getting old or that you've already earned a master's. There's no shame in getting two.

I realize this post is quite old, so I will give some advice to people in your position. Given your high GPA, (and if you can manage decent GRE scores), I would look into the possibility of doing your master's degree at a ranked PhD program. That way, if you decide to move forward with your education, you will spare yourself the stress of developing new contacts. For example, I did my M.A. at an institution where a PhD was not offered, mostly because, like you, I was planning on walking out with a graduate degree in geography/GIS so that I could work in the GIS field. Two years later, I had decided to pursue a PhD, and I found myself writing to professors with whom I had never shared a conversation, essentially trying to squeeze my life story into a couple paragraphs while simultaneously begging them to be on my prospective committee. Luckily, I was able to find acceptance and a fellowship/TA spot, but I was also rejected from many places despite my very high grades and GRE scores. I'm not saying pick a school and go for 6-7 years - but it would be nice to be very familiar with faculty because it will give you an edge. Many ignorant people on here write that they have a "safety" school in mind for a PhD program - but unless you know for certain that YOU are in demand, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if a school is ranked 15th or 50th - you're not safe just because you've got good grades and high scores; you're competing with a hundred other people for like 5 spots. I would agree with you that UCSB is also a very strong school, and Penn State might be right for you. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Clark University are also strong programs for someone interested in cartography and advanced GIS analysis. If you are interested in the engineering/economics side of it, I also suggest University of Illinois.