Northwest Missouri State University

2017-2018 Graduate Catalog

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Geographic Information Science Certificate

CIP: 450702

Students taking a selected subset of courses for the online Master’s degree may earn a Certificate in Geographic Information Science.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

Federal regulations require Northwest Missouri State University to report certain information about students who are enrolled in eligible educational programs that lead to gainful employment in a recognized occupation.

Visit www.nwmissouri.edu/academics/disclosure/gis.htm for more information.

Requirements

Prerequisite Course (exam to test out)

GEOG 32545Principles of GIS

3

Required Courses

GEOG 32543Applications of Remotely Sensed Data

3
OR
GEOG 32582Cartographic Design and Visualization

3
OR
GEOG 32663Digital Image Processing

3
 
GEOG 32620GIS Theory and Research

3
OR
GEOG 32630Raster-based GIS and Modeling

3
 
GEOG 32650GIS Database Design

3
OR
GEOG 32655GIS Project Management

3
 
GEOG 32641Geoprocessing with Python

3
OR
GEOG 32642Internet GIS

3
OR
GEOG 32580Spatial Analysis and Geostatistics

3

Total Credit Hours: 12-15

Program Admission Requirements for the Certificate in Geographic Information Science

Applicants seeking admission to the Certificate in Geographic Information Science program must meet the following requirements.

  1. Compliance with all of the eligibility requirements of the Graduate School as set forth in this catalog.
  2. Acceptance to graduate study by the Dean of the Graduate School.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

General Requirements and Policies for Certificate in Geographic Information Science

  1. All requirements of the Graduate School for GIScience certificate students must be met. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and submit undergraduate transcripts. A member of the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences will serve as the major advisor for the student's certificate program. The major advisor will assist students in approving and submitting the Degree Audit to the Graduate Office. When updates are complete, the student will be notified to review and agree to the Degree Audit. The major advisor must approve any additional changes to the student’s Degree Audit by notifying the Graduate Office.
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 must be earned for the courses in the certificate program.
  3. A grade of “B” or better must be earned in all courses that are prerequisites to other courses.
  4. No more than three semester hours of graduate credit may be transferred from a regionally- or nationally-accredited institution for the certificate in Geographic Information Science. All other Graduate School policies related to transfer credit must be satisfied.
  5. All courses for the certificate must be completed within an eight-year period beginning with the date of the first course taken for the certificate.
  6. All courses in the certificate program can be applied toward the M.S. in Geographic Information Science program. (Such students must formally apply for admission to this program and complete all admission requirements, including the writing sample. The GRE will be waived for students who have earned the graduate certificate in Geographic Information Science from Northwest.)