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The department offers an online Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Science. The degree program focuses on applied geographic information science as used in industry and the public sector. Students may earn a certificate in Geographic Information Science by taking a subset of courses required for the Master’s degree.
The department also offers traditional graduate-level geography courses, which permit greater curriculum enrichment for those students seeking the M.S.Ed. in Teaching History with an emphasis in social science, or as general electives toward degrees in other disciplines.
Program Admission Requirements for the Online M.S. in Geographic Information Science
Applicants seeking admission to the M.S. in Geographic Information Science program must meet the following requirements:
- Compliance with all of the eligibility requirements of the Graduate School as set forth in this catalog.
- Acceptance to graduate study by the Dean of the Graduate School.
- Completion of a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale.
- Minimum verbal plus quantitative GRE score of 286. Students not meeting this score must maintain a 3.00 average for the first nine hours of graduate credit before admission to candidacy. GRE scores must be on file in the Graduate Office before a student’s application for admission will be evaluated. The GRE will be waived for applicants with a graduate degree (Master’s or higher) from an accredited institution, and for those who have earned the graduate GIScience certificate at Northwest.
- Two references on the student’s ability to do graduate work, submitted with the student’s application for admission to the Graduate School. The references are to be submitted using the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences’ reference form.
- A two-page essay describing the applicant’s career goals and how the Geographic Information Science program will help the applicant meet these goals. Applicants are to submit the essay as part of the application for admission to the Graduate School. The essay will serve as the writing sample required by this catalog. An unacceptable ability to write will necessitate some remedial work and a subsequent writing sample on a topic to be provided by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences reserves the right of final decision in accepting students to graduate degree candidacy in the department. Criteria for admittance to the program and acceptance to degree candidacy may include academic qualifications and performance, letters of recommendation, number of applicants, and available resources.