Complete a bachelor's degree. Doctoral programs require that applicants have at least a bachelor's degree, although many programs require a master's degree. Your degree does not have to be in geography, but you must have a strong background related to the field.
Research geography subfields. Geographers work in several areas including physical geography, human geography, geographic information science, climatology, global change and cartography. Once you have a clear idea of what subfields interest you, you can narrow your list of possible doctoral programs.
Find doctoral programs. The Princeton Review and PhDs.org both have search functions to help you find a suitable program. The Association of American Geographers also has a searchable database of programs. Consider location, subfield, cost and size of the institution when choosing a school.
Take the Graduate Record Examination General Test. GRE scores are a required component of most Ph.D. applications. Administered by the Educational Testing Service, the GRE consists of three sections: analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning. You can register for a computer-based test at any time; and ETS usually reports scores in 10 to 15 days. Some doctoral programs specify their minimum requirements for GRE scores, while others simply post the average scores of their incoming Ph.D. students.
Contact professors who match your research interests. The Ph.D. is a research-centered degree. Generally, your admittance to the program largely depends on if the department has faculty who match your research interests. Contacting the appropriate professors also promotes name recognition. Professors in each geography department decide together who will be admitted. If the professors know your name and are aware of your interests, your chances of admission improve.
Submit your application. The most important parts of the application are your personal statement and your letters of recommendation. While your GPA and GRE scores must be high, geography departments usually make admission decisions on more personal factors. Make sure to highlight your research interests and the professors with whom you want to work in your personal statement.
Investigate funding opportunities. While many Ph.D. programs offer teaching and research assistantships or fellowships, you cannot depend on having funding, especially in your first year. Many geography departments have links to funding opportunities. The U.S. Department of Education and AAG also have information on grants, fellowships and loans.