Geographic Information Science

The Geographic Information Science Certificate Program is designed to prepare graduates with advanced training for the rapidly expanding field of geographic information science (GIS).

Why GIScience at the University of Georgia (UGA)

• A comprehensive collection of courses in GIScience and GI Technology is offered by the Department of Geography and other UGA departments.  Learning geospatial concepts and skills in geographic data collection and analysis will increase your research and employment opportunities in the growing field of GIScience.
• GIScience faculty have research interests covering various aspects including theories and methods in GIScience, remote sensing, landscape ecology, cartography and geovisualizaiton, health and the environment, urban studies, transportation, community studies,  social media, natural resources, human-environment interaction and more. 
• Gain real-world experience through GIS internship or a GIS independent study.

Inquiries, Application and Completion

1. There are no prerequisite courses required for the graduate certificate program. If you have any inquiries, please contact the certificate program coordinator (Dr. Lan Mu, mulan@uga.edu). 
2. To apply, fill in the first line of the Certificate/Concentration Change Form and email it to the certificate program coordinator. You will receive a reply confirming your registration for the certificate. 
3. After you have completed all the course requirements, please fill out the Graduate GIScience Certificate Completion Form and send it to the certificate program coordinator for the final evaluation and approval.
4. Your GIScience Certificate will be approved if you have fulfilled all the course requirements with an average 3.0 and above GPA in the 15 credits of GIScience courses.  You will receive the following confirmation and documents:
   • A signed copy of the UGA Graduate GIScience Certificate through the mail (please make sure we have your most updated mailing address).
   • An official record on your UGA transcript to show that you have earned the Graduate GIScience Certificate.

Course Requirements (15 credits, with at least 9 credits of GEOG courses)

Fifteen credit hours are required to complete the GIScience Graduate Certificate Program. A repeated course (such as a directed study) can only be counted once toward the GIScience Certificate Program’s requirements. Only courses with A-F grading can be used to fulfill the course requirements.  

Required (6 credits)

Elective (9 credits)

Additionally, upon request by the applicant, a GIS related graduate course taken in another department at UGA can be considered as an elective course contingent upon an evaluation by the certificate program coordinator or the GIScience faculty.

B. Internship/Applied GIS Project (3 credits)

Internship in GIS with a private firm or government agency (GEOG 6990), or a GIS research or applied project conducted under an 8000-level course. For students wishing to use a geography course, GEOG 8590 - Directed Problems in Geographic Techniques meets this requirement. Approval of the Internship and/or the GIS research project is required by the certificate program coordinator prior to the student taking these courses.

Additional Stipulations

In order to ensure that certificate recipients display a strong command of GIScience, the certificate is granted only to those students who achieve a 3.0 GPA in courses that constitute the GIScience Graduate Certificate Program. The GPA for certificate purposes will be computed in accordance with UGA policy.

Note: Applicants to this certificate program must be degree-seeking University of Georgia students and will be required to satisfy the requirements of their chosen field in addition to earning this certificate.