Graduate Certificate in GIS
The demand for geospatial science skills is growing across many disciplines and industries: scientific investigation, resource management, civil engineering, marketing, archeology, environmental research, urban planning, demography, development, policy, public health and emergency management, to name a few. The Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) prepares students to work in these fields and more.
In the certificate program, students use a combination of industry standard and open-source software in hands-on classes. They learn all aspects of GIS theory and practice, from the science of cartography and geographical statistical analysis to database design and geospatial modeling. All students in GIS classes also attend at least one Mapathon as part of their coursework.
“I was involved in a research project to understand how air quality varies throughout D.C. on a neighborhood level. … My favorite memories included speaking about the scope of the project with communities in Wards 7, 6, and 1 amongst groups ranging from homeowners associations to the DMV chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.”
Jonathan Kvilhaug
BA ‘20, Geography; Graduate Certificate '22, GIS
Course Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled: 12 credits, including 6 credits in required courses and 6 credits in elective courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| GEOG 6304 | Geographical Information Systems I | |
| GEOG 6305 | Geospatial Statistics | |
| Electives | ||
| Two courses selected from the following: | ||
| GEOG 6303 | Introduction to Remote Sensing | |
| GEOG 6306 | Geographical Information Systems II | |
| GEOG 6307 | Digital Image Processing | |
| GEOG 6308 | Programming for Geospatial Applications I | |
| GEOG 6309 | GIS for Emergency Management | |
| GEOG 6310 | Geovisualization and Cartography | |
| GEOG 6311 | Open Source Solutions for Geospatial Project Management | |