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 Geographical 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.

 


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Attend an upcoming info session
 

Geography Info Sessions

Join us for an online info session discussing the field of geography and the GW Master of Science in Geography & Environment and Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs.

Register for January 23

Register for February 10


“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

jonathan_kvilhaug

Course Requirements

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 12 credits, including 6 credits in required courses and 6 credits in elective courses.

Required
GEOG 6304Geographical Information Systems I
GEOG 6305Geospatial Statistics
Electives
Two courses selected from the following:
GEOG 6303Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOG 6306Geographical Information Systems II
GEOG 6307Digital Image Processing
GEOG 6308Programming for Geospatial Applications I
GEOG 6309GIS for Emergency Management
GEOG 6310Geovisualization and Cartography
GEOG 6311Open Source Solutions for Geospatial Project Management