UTD EPPS UTD EPPS

Master of Science

A professional degree program focused on the management and analysis of spatially-referenced information.

  • Degree Plan: PDF, XLS
  • Degree Plan (06-08 Catalog): PDF, XLS

The Master of Science in Geospatial Information Sciences (MGIS) is a professional program offered jointly by the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Geosciences. The program focuses on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which combine software and hardware capabilities for managing spatially referenced information.  Students are provided with the concepts underlying GIS, the skills for implementing GIS projects, and the ability to use GIS in pure or applied research in substantive areas. The curriculum incorporates the Graduate Certificate in GIS thus offering a degree option to students seeking additional expertise in this area.

Graduates of the program can apply their skills in multiple areas including public administration and policy analysis; public safety, criminology, and emergency preparedness management; environmental management; public works management; urban, regional, social service, and transportation planning and analysis; private sector business, especially marketing, site selection, and logistics; geophysical exploration, including petroleum; and real estate.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Master of Science in Geographic Information Sciences program is to provide students a rigorous understanding of the technologies, quantitative techniques, models and theories used to acquire and manage spatially referenced information and to analyze spatial processes. UT-Dallas graduates will have strong analytical and numerical skills, knowledge of empirical and quantitative research methodologies, and employ novel geographic information sciences technologies. They will use these capabilities to support public and private sector organizations, to address significant societal issues, and to enhance understanding of the human and natural environments. They will successfully compete at the highest level for jobs requiring geospatial skills and for entry into quality doctoral programs in relevant areas.

Curriculum

To earn the Master of Science in Geospatial Information Sciences, students must complete a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of work in the program.   The program consists of a base requirement of 9 hours, a core requirement of 9 hours, a research project requirement of 3 hours, and prescribed elective courses of 9 hours. Students must achieve at least a 3.0 grade point average in the core requirement and an overall grade point average of 3.0 to graduate.

Base Requirement (9 credit hours):

Statistics (1 or 2 courses):
GISC 5313 Geospatial Data Analysis Fundamentals or
  GEOS 5306 Data Analysis for Geoscientists or
  GISC 6311/ECON 6311 Statistics for Geospatial Science
GISC 5316 Regression with Spatial Applications or
  POEC 5316 Advanced Regression
Programming (1 or 2 courses):
GEOS 5303 Computing for Geoscientists
GISC 5317 Computer Programming for GIS
GISC 6388 GIS Application Software Development
GISC 7363 Internet Mapping and Information Processing
MIS 6326 Database Management Systems

Core Requirement (9 credit hours):

GISC 6325 (GEOS 5325) Introduction to Remote Sensing
GISC 6384 Spatial Analysis and Modeling
GISC 6387 Geographic Information Systems Workshop or
  GEOS 7327/GISC 7367 Remote Sensing Workshop

Research Project Requirement (3 hours):

GISC 6389 GIS Master's Project, or GISC 7389 GI Sciences Ph.D. Research Project Qualifier, or GEOS 8000-level research course with prior approval

Elective Courses (at least 9 credit hours from the following, not duplicated elsewhere)

GISC 5316 Regression Analysis with Spatial Applications
GISC 6380 Spatial Concepts and Organization
GISC 6383 GIS Management and Implementation
GISC 6385 GIS Theories, Models, and Issues
GISC 6386 Urban and Environmental Applications for Geographic Information Systems (GIS)/Remote Sensing
GISC 6388 GIS Application Development
GISC 7360 GIS Pattern Analysis
GISC 7361 Spatial Statistics
GISC 7362 GIS Network Modeling
GISC 7363 Internet Mapping and Information Processing
GISC 7364 Demographic Analysis and Modeling
GISC 7365 Remote Sensing Digital Image Processing
GISC 7366 Applied Remote Sensing
GISC 7368 Spatial Epidemiology
GISC 7387 GIS Research Design
GISC 7384 Advanced Raster Modeling
GISC 8320 Seminar in Spatial Analysis
GEOS 5322 Global Positioning System (GPS) Satellite Surveying Techniques
GEOS 5324 3-D Data Capture and Ground Lidar
GEOS 5325/GISC 6325 Introduction to Remote Sensing
GEOS 5326/GISC 7365 Remote Sensing Digital Image Processing
GEOS 5329/GISC 7366 Applied Remote Sensing
CS 6359 Object Oriented Analysis and Design
CS 6360 Database Design
CS 6366 Computer Graphics
CS 6384 Computer Vision
MIS 6308 Systems Analysis and Project Management
MIS 6324 Decision Support Systems
MIS 6326 Database Management Systems
MIS 6328 Information Strategy Planning
PA 5318 Information Systems in Policy Environments
POEC 5316 Advanced Regression Analysis

see degree plan or consult advisor for other courses which may substitute for those listed above.

GISC: Geospatial Information Sciences
GEOS: Geoscience.
POEC: Political Economy, the designation for interdisciplinary graduate courses in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.
MIS: Management Information Systems

No more than two transferred courses can be used to meet the Certificate or MGIS requirements. No more than 15 hours of course work taken as a "non-degree seeking" student may be applied later to a graduate degree. Students seeking two master's degrees (e.g. MGIS and MPA) must have at least 15 hours of coursework unique to each degree and not used for the other degree. All course work for any one masters degree must be completed within one six-year period.

Thesis Option

Students may elect to follow a thesis option by working under the supervision of a selected GISC faculty member and two committee members (one of whom is assigned by the GISC program head) to extend their Geospatial Information Sciences Master's Project (GISC 6389) into a written Master's research thesis. If this option is followed, GISC 8V98 Master's Thesis may substitute for 3 hours of elective credit. Permission to pursue this option must be obtained from the GIS Program Head prior to enrolling in GISC 6389 or GISC 8V98.

Admission

General information, including an on-line application (Texas Common Application), is available here. The M. S. in Geospatial Information Sciences welcomes applications from students with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college in any discipline relevant to GIS. A 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), and a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or equivalent score on the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), are desirable. Students must also submit transcripts from all higher education institutions attended, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement, approximately one page in length, outlining their background and educational and professional objectives. Applications should be received by by July 1 (US residents) or May 1 (international) for Fall admittance, and by November 1 (US residents) or September 1 (international) for Spring admittance. However, admission is possible for US residents until the first day of classes. Because of the timing of classes, it is preferable to start in the Fall semester especially if you have no previous GIS experience. Classes begin in mid August for the Fall semester and early January for the Spring semester. Exact dates are available here.

Prerequisites

Students must have the equivalent of GISC 6381 GIS Fundamentals and GISC 6382 Applied GIS, or they must take these courses at UTD in addition to the 30 credit hours required for the MGIS.  Additionally, beginning students are expected to have at least one course at the graduate or undergraduate level covering descriptive and inferential statistics (or take POEC 5313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics but this will not count toward the 30 hours needed for the degree), to have completed college mathematics through calculus, and to have at least one programming or computer applications course or possess equivalent knowledge.

Financial Support

The GIS program at UTD is primarily a professional program and few masters students receive financial support through the university. Most work full or half time off-campus. Nevertheless, there are support opportunities as teaching or research assistants for the exceptional student, especially those seeking the Ph.D.. Generally, this requires a strong existing background in GIS or another closely related area such as computer science (thus the ability to be a research assistant) and/or degrees in the social sciences or geology (thus the ability to be an undergraduate teaching assistant). Detail on assistantships and other awards is available here. Please indicate your interest in an assistantship when completing your application for admission. For information on loans and similar programs, go here.

Example Degree Plans for Masters in GI Science

30-hour program for students who have met the prerequisite for GIS Fundamentals and Applied GIS (five semesters to completion).

Year 1
Year 2

36-hour program for students who have not met the prerequisite for GIS Fundamentals and Applied GIS (six semesters to completion).

Year 1
Year 2

Advising

Students seeking the M.S. in Geospatial Information Sciences select Geosciences or Economic, Political and Policy Sciences as their "base" for advising and related purposes. They are expected to consult regularly with the adviser for the M. S. in Geospatial Information Sciences program for that area. In particular, they are urged to meet with an adviser before registering for classes. These advising sessions are intended to help students plan how they can most effectively fulfill their program of study.

Information

For further information, e-mail (smurchison@utdallas.edu) the director of the masters program, 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/

Students also may contact:
School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Department of Geosciences
Phone: 972-883-2516