The Research on the Spatial Distribution of Geography Master's Degree Programs in China

Based on the basis data of the year 2009 concerning the Master's degree programs of Geography and its secondary subjects in the nation and with the support of GIS softwares, as well as variable coefficient, the Gini coefficient, trend analysis and gravity model, the paper reveals the spatial distribution pattern of Master's degree programs of geography and its secondary subjects in our country. It is concluded in the research that:(1)The various Master's degree programs are distributed at a highly concentrative trend in different provinces, wherein the concentration ratio is as follows: Cartography and Geography Information System>Physical Geography>Human Geography.(2)The Master's degree programs of Geography in our country are distributed as follows: East>West, North>South, North-South gap>East-West gap.(3)Beijing is the biggest centralized place for Master's degree programs of Geography in our country; Jiangsu Province is the biggest centralized place in the South, while Gansu Province, Sichuan Province, Hubei Province and Guangdong Province are respectively the centralized places in Northwest, Southwest, Central China and Southern Coastal Region.(4)In 2011, our country added 22 Master's degree programs of first-level subjects of Geography, which further consolidates the original spatial distribution pattern, and Shandong Province in the north of Eastern Coastal Region becomes the new centralized place. It is thus clear that construction of Master's degree programs of Geography in Western China shall be strengthened.