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BPS Program News

UMW BOARD OF VISITORS APPROVED NEW GIS PROGRAMS, BEGINNING FALL 2008

The University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors has approved new programs in geographic information science (GIS) to satisfy the growing need of organizations and agencies for professionals trained in this highly specialized field. The new programs will begin fall 2008 on the university’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies campus in Stafford.

“Launching these programs fits our mission of responding to this region’s particular needs,” said Meta R. Braymer, the university’s vice president for graduate and professional studies. “Our faculty consulted with leaders in the field to determine what skills, knowledge and understanding are required for exceptional performance in GIS. We’re delighted to support work force development with these offerings.”

The growing need of government agencies, private business and nearby military installations for individuals with GIS training helped serve as a catalyst for the new five-course, undergraduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science and the new GIS concentration in the Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) program.

The use of GIS has soared in business, in the defense industry, and in planning and environmental fields worldwide, and the region’s anticipated economic development and population growth are expected to fuel the need for GIS expertise to manage local growth.

The concentration or the certificate, when combined with field experience, can lead to GIS Professional certification, a credential offered by the independent, non-profit GIS Certification Institute.

The GIS concentration will be the sixth area of concentrated study available to students pursuing the BPS, the degree-completion program offered at the Stafford campus.

Students at both the Stafford campus and the College of Arts and Sciences at the Fredericksburg campus may pursue the GIS certificate as part of a bachelor’s program. With the addition of the GIS certificate, there will be five certificates available through the Stafford campus for individuals in business and information science fields.

The College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS) had 984 students enrolled in fall 2007 in degree and certificate programs and other for-credit classes, while hundreds of others complete professional development courses and training through CGPS. This campus in Stafford offers academic programs in the evenings and on weekends to allow working adults to pursue degrees and certificates on a part-time basis.

For more information about programs at the Stafford campus, visit www.umw.edu/cgps. Prospective students may contact the Office of Admissions at (540) 286-8088, toll-free (866) 261-4458 or graduate@umw.edu.

Information sessions for anyone interested in adult degree and certificate programs are scheduled at the Stafford campus. Visit http://www.umw.edu/admissions/infosessions/default.php for additional details.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE PROGRAMS

Background

Geography, environmental science and geology faculty on the Fredericksburg campus have taught GIS courses to undergraduates for years. Growing demand by public, private and military entities for GIS-trained staff helped serve as a catalyst in the development of the new GIS programs.

Local Need

  • Anticipated economic development and population growth within the region are expected to fuel the need for GIS expertise to manage the region’s growth.
  • Local military sites – Quantico, Fort Belvoir, Fort A.P. Hill and the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren – need GIS-trained staff for security, research and development, and support services.

Jobs in GIS

  • An increasing number of public and private jobs require employees to use GIS in environmental science, urban planning, civil engineering, surveying, landscape architecture, geography, geoscience and related fields.
  • Government agencies have cited a growing need for new and replacement GIS-trained staff. The U.S. Bureau of Labor has identified geotechnologies as one of the most important emerging fields.

Uses of GIS

  • The multidisciplinary nature of GIS permits applications across fields of study ranging from historic preservation and geology to information systems and business administration.
  • GIS technology can be used in scientific investigations, mapping, marketing, emergency preparedness, criminology, environmental impact assessment, and the management and exploration of resources.