UTD EPPS UTD EPPS

Graduate Certificate,
Geographic Information Systems

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:

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

Five courses are required to earn the certificate:

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 2008):

Consequently, the total cost for the five course certificate sequence is approximately $7,000 for in-state students. Text books would normally be an additional $75-$125 per course.

Additional information on fees is available here. Inquiries about financial aid should be directed to the University's financial aid office.

Course Planning

Students normally complete the certificate in one calendar year starting in the Fall. The usual course sequencing is that GIS Fundamentals course is taken in the Fall along with one topics course, Applied GIS is taken in the Spring along with a second topics course, and the Workshop is taken in the Summer. Topics courses are offered on a rotating basis but usually no frequently than once per year.

Example One Year Program

Semester

Course #

Course Title
Fall GISC 6381 GIS Fundamentals
Fall   Topics (elective) Course
Spring GISC 6382 Applied GIS
Spring   Topics (elective) 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, e-mail (smurchison@utdallas.edu) the director of the GIS certificate, Dr Stuart Murchison or contact:

Geospatial Sciences Program
School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
800 West Campbell Rd
Richardson, TX  75080-3021
Phone: (972) 883-4932
E-mail: gis-grad-info@utdallas.edu
World Wide Web: http://www.utdallas.edu/epps/gis