Certificate in Geographic Information Science

The University of Mary Washington's College of Graduate and Professional Studies is offering a new opportunity to address the growing demand for GIS-trained personnel in today’s working world. The 18 credit certificate program requires the completion of five courses designed to give students a comprehensive knowledge of GIS.

Completion of the GIS certificate can lead to GIS Professional (GISP) certification, which requires GIS field experience in addition to the course work. The credential, offered by the independent, non-profit GIS Certification Institute, recognizes individuals for having met certain standards for professional practice and ethical conduct. For more information, visit www.gisci.org.

The GIS certificate courses may also be applied to the Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree-completion program. GIS expands concentration offerings available to BPS students, who now choose from six concentrations, including computer information systems. Visit www.umw.edu/cgps/bachelors_degrees/bachelor_professional_stud.php to understand the details of the Bachelor of Professional Studies program.

For more information about the certificate program, contact:
- Brian R. Rizzo, Assistant Professor of GIS - 540/286-8112 or rizzo@umw.edu or
- Stephen P. Hanna, Chair/Associate Professor of Geography - 540/654-1490 or shanna@umw.edu.

Admission requirements:

Completed application for admission to the GIS Certificate Program and
The application fee of $50 will be waived for all applicants to this program

Individuals who are not matriculated UMW students must submit the additional following items to the CGPS Office of Admissions:

Application for Virginia In-State Tuition (if applicable) and
Ofﬁcial transcript(s) of previous course work from a regionally accredited college or university, with evidence of a minimum of 12 credit hours completed with a C or above, including ENG 101 or equivalent.

For more application information, contact the Office of Admissions at graduate@umw.edu or call 540/286-8088.

Requirements for the certificate: (18 credit minimum)*

Introduction to GIS
Students focus on the theory and application of GIS technology by combining classroom lessons with laboratory assignments. Requirement may be fulfilled by completing one of the following courses:

GISC 200 Introduction to GIS
GEOG 250 Introduction to GIS and Cartography
EESC/GEOL 205 Computer Applications in Environmental Science and Geology

Intermediate GIS
Students develop hands-on skills using industry-standard GIS software to complete assignments in urban infrastructure management, environmental modeling, and many other areas, while also learning about GIS as an analytical research tool. Requirement may be fulfilled by completing one of the following courses:

GISC 220 Advanced Spatial Analysis
GEOG 351 Applications of GIS

Programming in GIS
Students learn about the fundamental concepts of ArcObjects, Visual Basic Applications, and Object-Orientated Programming by completing hands-on programming exercises. Requirement may be fulfilled by completing the following course:

GISC 350 ArcObjects Programming

GIS Elective
Students focus their program by choosing to complete at least one of the following courses:

GISC 390 Geodatabases
GISC 471 Special Topics
GEOG 225 Mobile Geographic Information Systems and GPS
GEOG 340 Remote Sensing and Air Photo Interpretation

Capstone Experience
Students complete the program by completing a faculty supervised internship or independent study. To fulfill this requirement, students must register for one of the following courses:

GISC 491 Directed Study in GIS
GISC 499 Internship in GIS

*See the GIS Course Descriptions Sections for more information on each course.