GIS Certificate Information

The GIS Certificate is a professional certification for students looking for a complete and well-rounded set of GIS skills. The Certificate is recommended for any student who is interested in having GIS as part of their resume and future work. The certificate can be completed by any student regardless of his or her major. Add the certificate with this form.  The certificate will be issued after graduation.

The Certificate can be completed in a minimum of 3 semesters.

Core classes - 7 credits (both courses must be completed with a C grade or better)

• GEOGRPHY 270 - GIS I: Mapping Our World (3 credits)
  • Students will learn how use geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze spatial patterns and communicate through maps. ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 370 - GIS II: Spatial Data and Analysis (4 credits)
  • Laboratory exercises provide extensive hands-on experiences with a number of GIS software packages ( Full description link)

Techniques core - 6 credits - choose two options (both courses completed with a C grade or better)

• GEOGRPHY 340 - Economic Geography
  • The study of the spatial organization of economic activities. Students learn how to use widely-available data to produce powerful analyses. ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 377 - Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • An introduction to the satellite images, aerial photography, sensors, and techniques used to gather and process data on the Earth. Students learn the fundamentals of utilizing remotely sensed data in studying  both natural and human induced processes impacting the Earth's surface. ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 380 - Cartography and Geovisualization
  • Advanced techniques for thematic maps are stressed. Students create digital and print maps in addition to interactive web maps. ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 390 - Spatial Solutions: Geographic Data Analysis
  • This course trains students in the potential and pitfalls of geospatial data analysis using quantitative techniques and modern software. ( Full description link)

Application elective - 3 credits - choose one option (course must be completed with a B grade or better)

• GEOGRPHY 440 - Applied GIS for Social and Business Research
  • This project-based course addresses social- and business-related issues through the application of Geographic Information Systems tools. ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 460 - GIS in Water Resources
  • The course focuses on the use of GIS to develop solutions to problems associated with water resources. ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 470 - Applied Environmental and Natural Resource GIS
  • The course is designed to 1) identify and resolve environmental and natural resource problems in terms of spatial analysis, 2) explore a conceptual understanding of GIS, 3) provide students with technical instruction in current GIS software. ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 477 - Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Students will learn a variety of skills needed in professional GIS careers including field techniques (unmanned aerial vehicles and differential GPS), web-based GIS (servers and interactive cartography), and GIS automation through scripting (Python and JavaScript). ( Full description link)
• GEOGRPHY 485 - Internship in Geography (approval required)
• GEOGRPHY 498 - Independent Study/Research (approval required)

Please see individual course details for required prerequisites.