Geospatial Information Sciences Certificate

Program Description

This certificate program is designed to provide graduate-level education in Geospatial Sciences including such focus areas as Geographic Information Systems, Internet Mapping, and Remote Sensing. It is anticipated that this program would be attractive to students in other MSU graduate programs such as Anthropology, Biology and Criminology as well as to working professionals in such organizations as the United States Geological Survey, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and numerous other federal, state and local agencies involved in the management of natural, cultural and historical resources.

Admission Criteria

The Geospatial Information Sciences Certificate program is open to all persons holding a BS, BA, MS, or PhD degree. Students must, of course, satisfy all prerequisites for any courses they take in the program; or they must obtain instructor approval to waive specific prerequisites. Once admitted to the program, the student must take a minimum of four courses as designated and approved by the program coordinator and must have an average cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better to receive the certificate.

Students who complete the four-course requirements for the certificate with a grade of B or better in each course may be admitted directly to the MS program in Geospatial Sciences if they so choose. Students much go through the full application process for the MS degree. This admission does not waive the necessity for students to take required prerequisites for other required courses that are part of the MS program. The certificate credits taken will count toward the requirement for their MS degree.