Program Overview

Geoinformatics and Geospatial Intelligence, MS

Overview

The program addresses the emerging demand for scientists trained in the collection, organization, analysis, and dissemination of information about physical features, man-made structures, moving objects, people, and events that are geo-referenced or geo-located. This program focuses primarily on the computational approaches that support the synthesis and analysis of diverse types of data in order to identify and monitor complex events and phenomena that manifest over space and time.

Admissions

University-wide admissions policies can be found in the Graduate Admissions Policies section of this catalog. International students and students having earned international degrees should also refer to Admission of International Students for additional requirements.

Eligibility

• In addition to the university-wide requirements, applicants for this master's should hold a BA or BS degree in a discipline related to the program's theme from an institution of higher education accredited by a Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agency or international equivalent, including courses in differential and integral calculus.
• A working knowledge of a computer programming language is a plus.

Application Requirements

• To apply for this program, prospective students should submit the George Mason University Admissions Application and its required supplemental documentation, two letters of recommendation, and a goals statement.
• GRE scores are not required for admission into this program, but are encouraged if the student is seeking internal funding.

Policies

For policies governing all graduate programs, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Transferring Previous Graduate Credit into this Program

• Previously earned and relevant graduate credits may be eligible for transfer into this program; details can be found in the Credit by Exam or Transfer section of this catalog.

Secondary Program Options

• Students enrolled in this master's program have the option of adding a secondary graduate certificate program. Depending upon the secondary program chosen, many courses may be applicable to both the certificate and the master's. Before adding a secondary program, students are advised to carefully review AP.6.8 Requirements for Graduate Certificates and AP.6.9 Requirements for Master's Degrees. Faculty advisors should be contacted for further guidance and for graduate certificate program suggestions.

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 30

Core Courses

• GGS 553: Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
• GGS 579: Remote Sensing (3 credits)
• GGS 664: Spatial Data Structures (3 credits)
• GGS 684: Selected Topics in Geospatial Intelligence (3 credits)
• GGS 685: Capstone Course in Geoinformatics (3 credits)
• GGS 787: Scientific Data Mining for Geoinformatics (3 credits) Total Credits: 18

Thesis or Non-thesis Option

• Students choose the culminating experience of either a thesis or a project and a comprehensive exam (either must total 3 credits). The same graduate-level quality will be expected from either option:
  • Thesis Option:
    • GGS 799: Thesis (3 credits)
  • Non-thesis Option:
    • GGS 700: Comprehensive Exam (1 credit)
    • GGS 798: Master's Research Project (2 credits) Total Credits: 3

Electives

• Select three courses from the groupings below, with no more than two courses from a single group (courses must be taken from at least two groups):
  • Image Analysis:
    • GGS 562: Photogrammetry
    • GGS 622: Drone Remote Sensing
    • GGS 626: Physical Fundamentals of Remote Sensing
    • GGS 629: Remote Sensing of the Environment and Earth System
    • GGS 680: Earth Image Processing
    • GGS 740: Hyperspectral Imaging Systems
    • GGS 760: Advanced Topics in Remote Sensing
    • GGS 840: Hyperspectral Imaging Applications
  • Geographic Information Science:
    • GGS 563: Advanced Geographic Information Systems
    • GGS 653: GIS Analysis and Application
    • GGS 655: Geovisualization
    • GGS 675: Location Science
    • GGS 791: Advanced Spatial Statistics
  • Computational Geoinformatics:
    • GGS 631: Spatial Agent-Based Models of Human-Environment Interactions
    • GGS 632: Spatial Modeling for Public Health
    • GGS 650: Introduction to GIS Algorithms and Programming
    • GGS 681: Social Media Analysis
    • GGS 692: Web-based Geographic Information Systems
    • GGS 754: Earth Science Data and Advanced Data Analysis
    • GGS 773: Interoperability of Geographic Information Systems
    • GGS 788: Deep Learning for Geoinformation Total Credits: 9

Bachelor's Degree (any)/Geoinformatics and Geospatial Intelligence, Accelerated MS

Overview

Offered by the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Sciences (GGS) in the College of Science, this bachelor's/accelerated master's degree program enables highly qualified undergraduates to obtain any Mason bachelor's degree and the Geoinformatics and Geospatial Intelligence, MS degrees within an accelerated timeframe.

Application Requirements

• Students with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 may apply for provisional acceptance into this accelerated master's program after completing at least 60 undergraduate credits.
• Additionally, students must have completed the following courses with a combined GPA of 3.0 or better: GGS 300 Quantitative Methods for Geographical Analysis, GGS 311 Geographic Information Systems, and any one upper level GGS-prefixed course.

Accelerated Option Requirements

• Students admitted to this program may start taking graduate courses after completing 75 undergraduate credits.
• It is recommended that students register for one of the following courses in their first semester of accelerated coursework:
  • GGS 553: Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
  • GGS 579: Remote Sensing (3 credits)
  • GGS 664: Spatial Data Structures (3 credits)
  • GGS 684: Selected Topics in Geospatial Intelligence (3 credits)
• Including the course chosen above, up to 12 credits of graduate coursework may be applied to both undergraduate degree and the master's degree.
• If students earn at least a B- in these classes, they are granted advanced standing in the master's program and must then complete 18 additional credits to receive the master's degree.

Reserve Graduate Credit

• During the bachelor's degree status, students may take up to 6 graduate credits as reserve graduate credit.
• These credits do not apply to the undergraduate degree, but will reduce the subsequent master's degree credits accordingly.
• With 12 credits counted toward the undergraduate and graduate degrees plus the maximum 6 reserve credits, the credits necessary for the graduate degree can be reduced by up to 18.
• The ability to take courses for reserve graduate credit is available to all high achieving undergraduates with the permission of the department.