Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are rapidly becoming indispensable for many government and private sector operations. This certificate program provides training in this exciting technology, while also granting university credit which can be applied toward a graduate degree. Training is available for both novice and experienced GIS professionals. Emphasis is on applications in government and business, with more traditional environmental and geological applications also included.
Classes are offered through the state of the art GIS facilities housed within the Bruton Center in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the NASA Center for Excellence in Remote Sensing in the Department of Geosciences. The certification requires 15 graduate hours (5 classes) detailed below. All courses taken as part of the Certificate also count toward the Master of Science in Geospatial Information Sciences degree, and can be taken in conjunction with the Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing and/or the Master of Science in Geosciences.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems is to provide students with a thorough grounding in the theories, concepts and skills needed to apply GIS effectively and correctly in a variety of substantive areas, while simultaneously developing proficiency in the use of industry-standard GIS software products. UT-Dallas certificate recipients will have the background and skills necessary to successfully accomplish GIS projects and support GIS operations in a variety of areas in the public and private sectors which could include infrastructure and facility management, urban and regional planning, environmental conservation, market research, site selection, real estate, civil engineering, or natural resource exploration.
Admissions Requirements
Students seeking the GIS certificate must have completed an undergraduate degree and should apply as "non-degree seeking" students. Admissions paperwork requires only:
- an application to UTD Graduate School
- an undergraduate transcript.
You may complete and submit an application for admission online. You should apply as a "non-degree" student to the MGIS program. You do not need a GRE (graduate record examination) score or letters of reference for admission to the certification course sequence. Competence in microcomputer use and familiarity with MS Windows and file management (directories, copying, etc.) is expected. Admissions requirements are the same for students who would simply like to take one or more of the GIS-related courses, without pursuing certification. Up to 15 hours of course work taken as a non-degree seeking student can be applied later to a graduate degree should you desire.
Registration by Current UTD Students
Graduate students in any degree program may register for GIS courses using standard registration procedures. Undergraduate students eligible for the Fast Track program may also enroll. See your program adviser regarding degree-plan credit assignment. Courses are listed under geospatial information sciences (GISC) in the UTD Class Schedule, with additional offerings under Geosciences (GEOS) and Political Economy (POEC).
Required Courses
The five courses required to earn the certificate are:
I. GISC 6381 Geographic Information Systems Fundamentals: PC-based hands-on introduction to GIS concepts, technologies and their applications.
II. GISC 6383 GIS Management and Implementation: Teaches strategies for GIS management and implementation based on systematic user needs assessment, requirements specification, database design, pilot project, application development, implementation, operation, and maintenance.
III. GISC 6382 Applied GIS: Provides the opportunity to further develop and apply hands-on GIS skills for application in a variety of areas including urban infrastructure management, marketing and location analysis, environmental management, geologic and geophysical analysis and the social sciences. (GISC 6385 Adavnced GIS taken in Spring 1999 or earlier will substitute.) Prerequisite: GISC 6381.
IV. GISC 6387 GIS Workshop: Allows students to work on independent projects tailored to their professional needs or interests. Can be completed through the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences or the School of Natural Science. Prerequisite: GISC 6381 & 6382 (or 6385 taken Spring 1999 or earlier.)
V. A Topics Course chosen from the following, or as approved by the GIS certificate director:
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School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
- GISC 5317 Computer Programming for GIS (taken Fall 99 or later)
- POEC 5313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
- POEC 5318 Advanced Regression Analysis
- GISC 6384 Spatial Analysis
- GISC 6385 GIS Theories, Models and Issues
- POEC 6388 Computer Techniques for Research
- GISC 6386 Urban & Environmental Applications of GIS/RS
- GISC 6388 GIS Application Development
- GISV 7360 GIS Pattern Analysis
- GISC 7361 Spatial Statistics
- GISC 7362 GIS Network Modeling
- GISC 7363 Internet Mapping and Information Management
- GISV 7364 Demogrpahic Analysis and Modeling
- GISC 7365 Remote Sensing Digital Image Processing
- GISC 7368 Spatial Epidemioloogy
- GISC 7384 Advanced Raster Modeling
- GISC 7387 Research Design in GIS
- GISC 6332 GIS Applications in Criminology
- School of Natural Science (Geoscience)
- GEOS 5422 GPS Satellite Surveying Techniques
- GEOS 5489 GIS Applications in Geosciences
- GEOS 5325 Intro to Remote Sensing
- GEOS 5329 Applied Remote Sensing
- GEOS 5328 Radar Remote Sensing
- GEOS 5326 Remote Sensing Digital Image Processing
- School of Management (MIS)
- MIS 6326 Database Management Systems
- MIS 6308 Systems Analysis & Project Management
- MIS 6324 Business Intelligence Software and Techniques
- MIS 6328 Information Strategy Planning
Individuals experienced with GIS may have the introductory course waived, but must take an additional course from the topics courses listed above. No more than two courses may be transferred from another institution. Courses for the Certificate must be completed within a 3-year period with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Costs
The total cost per semester for Texas residents, including tuition and all fees, is approximately (Fall 2007):
- $1,558 for one course
- $2,512 for two courses
Additional information on fees is available here. Inquiries about financial aid should be directed to the University's financial aid office.
Course Planning
The usual course sequencing is such that the Introductory course and the Management and Implementation course are offered in the Fall. The Applied GIS is offered in the Spring and the workshop in the Summer. Courses from the topics are offered on a rotating basis. Students can complete the certificate in one calendar year starting in the Fall. Click here for current schedule of classes.
Example One Year Program |
||
Semester |
Course # |
Course Title |
| Fall | GISC 6381 | GIS Fundamentals |
| Fall | GISC 6383 | GIS Implementation and Management |
| Spring | GISC 6382 | Applied GIS |
| Spring | Optional Topics Course | |
| Summer | GISC 6387 | GIS Workshop |
Facilities
Classes are offered through state-of-the-art GIS facilities housed at the Bruton Center in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and at the NASA Center for Excellence in Remote Sensing in the Department of Geosciences. These include PC labs for GIS instruction, advanced PC, UNIX and MAC systems for more specialized GIS research, and input/ output devices for handling high resolution and large scale GIS materials. The University's extensive instructional computing facilities are also available. Facilities are open extended hours including evenings and weekends. Enrollment in hands-on courses is controlled to ensure access to computer resources.
Information
For further information, send e-mail Dr. Stuart Murchison or contact the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences as follows:
Graduate Studies
School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
800 West Campbell Rd
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Phone: (972) 883-2720
E-mail: gis-grad-info@utdallas.edu
World Wide Web: http://www.utdallas.edu/epps
- Updated: May 8, 2008
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