Program Overview

Introduction to the Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence

The Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence (GeoInt) is a 15 semester credit hour program that caters to the rapidly evolving field of geospatial intelligence. This field demands specific technical skill sets, the ability for individual rapid critical thinking, and a global awareness of supporting information for national security and other intelligence activities.

Program Overview

The certificate program is designed to produce graduates who have met the requirements for professionals set forth by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF). Classes are offered through state-of-the-art facilities housed within the Geospatial Information Sciences program in the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences. The certification requires 15 graduate semester credit hours (5 classes), which are detailed below. All courses taken as part of this certificate also count toward the Master of Science in Geospatial Information Sciences degree and can be taken in conjunction with the Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems and the Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing.

Faculty

The faculty for the Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence includes:

• Professors:
  • Brian J. L. Berry
  • Denis J. Dean
  • John F. Ferguson
  • John W. Geissman
  • Daniel A. Griffith
  • Fang Qiu
  • Weili Wu
  • May Yuan
• Associate Professors:
  • Thomas H. Brikowski
  • Yongwan Chun
  • Dohyeong Kim
  • David J. Lary
  • Michael Tiefelsdorf
• Assistant Professors:
  • Anthony R. Cummings
  • Hejun Zhu
• Professor Emeritus:
  • Carlos L. V. Aiken
• Senior Lecturers:
  • Bryan Chastain
  • Irina Vakulenko

Mission

The mission of the Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence is to provide students with a broad set of skills in the areas of geographic information systems, remote sensing, geospatial statistical analysis, intelligence gathering, and global positioning systems. Courses will emphasize these skills along with the ability to find and interpret data, conduct accurate analysis, work in a professional and collaborative environment, and communicate effectively.

Registration

Graduate students in any degree program within the university may register for GISC courses using standard registration procedures. Students should see their program advisor regarding degree-plan credit assignment. Courses are listed under geospatial information sciences (GISC) in the university class schedule, with additional offerings under Geosciences (GEOS) and Management Information Systems (MIS).

Required Coursework

The program requires 15 semester credit hours, which include:

• Three required courses:
  • GISC 6301: GIS Data Analysis Fundamentals
  • GISC 6325 (GEOS 5325): Remote Sensing Fundamentals
  • GISC 6381 (GEOS 6381): Geographic Information Systems Fundamentals
• One elective course chosen from the following:
  • GISC 5322 (GEOS 5322): GPS (Global Positioning System) Satellite Surveying Techniques
  • GISC 5324 (GEOS 5324): 3D Data Capture and Ground Lidar
  • GISC 6317: GIS Programming Fundamentals
  • GISC 6321: Spatial Data Science
  • GISC 6323: Machine Learning for Socio-Economic and Geo-Referenced Data
  • GISC 6363: Internet Mapping and Information Processing
  • GISC 6375: Spatial Optimization
  • GISC 6379: Special Topics in Geographic Information Sciences
  • GISC 6384 (GEOS 6384): Advanced Geographic Information Systems
  • GISC 6385 (GEOS 6385): GIS Theories, Models and Issues
  • GISC 6388: Advanced GIS Programming
  • GISC 7310: Advanced GIS Data Analysis
  • GISC 7360: GIS Pattern Analysis
  • GISC 7361: Spatial Statistics
  • GISC 7365 (GEOS 5326): Advanced Remote Sensing
  • GISC 7366 (GEOS 5329): Applied Remote Sensing
  • GISC 7387: GIS Research Design
  • MIS 6320: Database Foundations
  • MIS 6324: Business Analytics With SAS
  • MIS 6360: Agile Project Management
• One required research project course:
  • GISC 6387 (GEOS 6387): Geospatial Sciences Workshop

Completion Requirements

Courses for the certificate must be completed within a 3-year period with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Students should take the Geospatial Sciences Workshop course with varied research topics if different certificate programs are pursued.