Geographic Information Science – CTGISG

Geography Department
Clippinger 122
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701
740-593-1140
sinhag@ohio.edu

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: Fall, Spring

Terms of Entry Requiring Program Permission: None

Enrollment Eligibility: Degree-seeking students or non-degree status

Link to Program:  https://www.ohio.edu/cas/geography/grad/gis-certificate.cfm

Certificate Overview

Geographic information science (GIScience) emerged as an interdisciplinary field to critically study geographic information and geospatial technologies, especially geographic information systems (GIS). This certificate’s curriculum ensures a balanced background in the three core areas of GIScience:

• theoretical foundations of mapping and geospatial analysis;
• use of geospatial technologies for creating, mapping, and analyzing geographic information; and
• general computational and/or information analysis skills.

On completion of this certificate, students will be able to independently complete typical mapping and geospatial analysis tasks arising regularly in a wide variety of disciplines and professions. The certificate program is designed to accommodate both degree and non-degree seeking students. The expected time to complete this certificate is 9 to 18 months, depending on the number of certificate courses students can enroll in concurrently.

Certificate Director

Dr. Gaurav Sinha
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
Clippinger Labs 105A, Athens OH 45701
Ph: 740.593.0304
Email:  sinhag@ohio.edu

Certificate Learning Outcomes

On certificate completion, students will be able to:

• define and discuss the major theoretical issues of and emerging trends affecting the computational representation, visualization, and analysis of geographic information.
• demonstrate ability to think spatially, engage in spatial analysis using GIS software, and interpret and communicate about geographic patterns to support geoscientific analysis and decision making.
• demonstrate practical knowledge of GIS and other related analytical software for mapping, database management, and geospatial analysis.
• demonstrate high quality graphic and map design abilities.

Opportunities upon Completion

According to the GIS Certification Institute (https://www.gisci.org), the number of professionals engaged in the geospatial industry will exceed 675,000 after 2020. GIS and mapping jobs are now so diverse that they are available at various levels of proficiency across thousands of different industries, government agencies, and academic institutions. Job opportunities for GIS specialists abound in both government and private sectors. Depending on skill level, career tracks include, but are not limited to, the following: geospatial analyst, spatial database administrator, cartographer, remote sensing analyst, software designer, data technician, GIS educator, and project manager.

Admission Requirements

No requirements beyond University admission requirements.

International Students

This certificate program alone does not permit full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 cannot be issued based on admission to this certificate.

Completion Requirements

A minimum of 15 credit hours in which the student has earned a cumulative GPA of 3.00, and to include the following: