Geographic Information Science, Non-Thesis Option M.S.
CIP: 450702
Completion of 31 hours of approved graduate credit (courses numbered 500 or above) is required. Fifteen hours must be 600-level or above. A maximum of six advisor-approved hours may be taken outside the department. A research paper will fulfill the research component.
Requirements
Prerequisite Course (exam to test out)
Required Core Courses
Electives (Choose 15 hours)
Research Paper
Total Credit Hours: 31-34
General Requirements and Policies for M.S. in Geographic Information Science
- All requirements of the Graduate School must be met.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.00 in all graduate work is required for graduation.
- A grade of “B” or better must be earned in all courses that are prerequisites to other courses.
- No more than six semester hours of “C” grades may be applied toward the master’s degree.
Advisement
A member of the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences will serve as the major advisor. The major advisor will assist students in 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.
Comprehensive Examination/Thesis Committees
A student selecting the thesis option, in consultation with his or her major advisor, will select other faculty members to serve with the major advisor on the student's comprehensive exam and thesis committees. Both committees will consist of three faculty members and will be chaired by the major advisor. In addition to the major advisor, at least one other member of each committee must be a faculty member of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
For students selecting the non-thesis option, the Department will designate the three faculty members who will comprise the comprehensive exam committee.
Comprehensive Examination
The examination will be scheduled, administered, and evaluated by members of the student’s comprehensive exam committee. The examination will consist of a timed online exam consisting of two parts of two hours each. The degree candidate must earn an average grade of “B” or better to pass the examination.
Research Component
Thesis option: A student selecting the thesis option must submit a thesis proposal to his or her thesis committee. The committee members must approve the proposal before the student proceeds with the thesis. A formal defense of the thesis is required. The student must enroll in at least one thesis credit hour each trimester that he or she expects to consult with his/her thesis committee or use university resources for thesis research.
Non-thesis option: A student selecting the non-thesis option will write a research paper that originates in a GIScience course in their degree program and is revised and completed in 32-698, GIS Research Paper. The paper must meet quality standards established for the research component.
Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program
This program allows outstanding students to concurrently pursue a Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in either Geographic Information Science or Geography and a Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Science (GIScience) and to complete graduation requirements for both degrees within five years. It works by allowing undergraduate students in the accelerated program to complete 15 credit hours of graduate coursework, which will count towards both their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, in their junior and senior years. Students can complete the remaining 16 hours of graduate coursework in the two trimesters of the fifth year.
Admission Requirements for the Accelerated Program:
The GIScience graduate committee or coordinator will review applications to assess whether the applicants meet these requirements:
- Students must be currently pursuing a B.S. with a major in Geographic Information Science or Geography at Northwest or transferring into one of these programs from another accredited institution within the United States.
- Students must apply for admission to the program no sooner than the end of the sophomore year (at least 60 hours of graded courses) and no later than the beginning of the final trimester of their undergraduate program. (Students who begin the accelerated program in their final undergraduate trimester will have to complete summer coursework in order to finish the M.S. by the end of the fifth year.)
- Students must submit their transcripts, a writing sample, and a letter of recommendation from a faculty member in a relevant discipline to the Graduate School.
- Students must also have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum major GPA of 3.3. Students with a slightly lower GPA may be considered for conditional admittance to the program with a strong writing sample and recommendation letter.
- Applicants must satisfy all of the eligibility requirements of the Graduate School as outlined in the Graduate Catalog at the beginning of the fifth year.
Students are not eligible to apply to the accelerated program after they are awarded a Bachelor’s degree but can still apply for the traditional GIScience M.S. program. Students who are not admitted to the accelerated program may reapply later and/or apply for the traditional program.
Advising for Courses in the Junior and Senior Years:
- The accelerated program will begin after a student is admitted to it. Students can enroll in graduate courses only after the sophomore year (60 graded hours).
- The students’ undergraduate academic advisors and the GIScience graduate coordinator will assist them in developing a plan for enrolling in classes to complete both degrees within a five-year time frame. The GIScience graduate coordinator will approve the plan.
- During the junior or senior years, a student may take graduate courses under the following conditions:
a. Students can enroll in 500- and 600-level courses for undergraduate and graduate dual credit.
b. Students may take a maximum of 3 hours of graduate credit per trimester during the junior year with no more than 16 total credit hours.
c. Students may take a maximum of 6 hours of graduate credit per trimester during the senior year with no more than 16 total credit hours.
d. The graduate coordinator and the associate provost of graduate studies may approve exceptions to the maximum credit hours.
e. Earned undergraduate credits cannot be retroactively applied as graduate credit.
Advising during the Fifth Year:
- The GIScience graduate coordinator will be the primary advisor for all fifth-year students.
- Students will complete the M.S. degree by fulfilling the degree requirements as stated in the graduate catalog.
Degree Status:
- Students are awarded a B.S. degree as soon as those degree requirements are completed and are then admitted as candidates for the M.S. degree.
- Students are awarded an M.S, degree in GIScience as soon as their M.S. requirements are completed.
- For the purposes of financial aid and scholarships, students are considered to be undergraduates until the B.S. degree is awarded and graduate students thereafter. Students are eligible for graduate assistantships after receiving the B.S. degree but not before.