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M.S. Geographic Information Science
Northwest Missouri State University offers a completely online Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Science (GIScience). The focus of this program is applied GIScience as used in industry and the public sector. The online Master's program includes courses on such GIScience topics as modeling with GIS, geostatistics, cartographic design, GIS database design, and project management. The target population for the online Master's program consists of people working in business or government who wish to use GIS technology for managing geographic data and solving geo-spatial problems, and who need in-depth knowledge that goes beyond the mechanics of using GIS software. Those in academia who want to use GIS as a tool to conduct research in their discipline may also be interested in the courses.
The Master's program requires 32-35 credit hours and centers on a core of seven online courses (21 credits) that are required of each student. Students choose three elective courses (9 credits) and also complete a thesis. An introductory course in GIS is intended for students with limited background in GIScience. Students taking a selected subset of courses for the online Master's degree may earn a graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science. This option is appropriate for students seeking advanced coursework but who do not wish to pursue a Master's degree.
The courses in the GIScience program are taught by full-time faculty at Northwest with Ph.D. degrees. Four of these faculty members have GIScience and GIS as their primary specialty.
Prerequisite Course (exam to test out)
|
| 32-545 |
Principles of GIS |
3 |
Required Core Courses
|
| 32-601 |
GIS Research Seminar |
3 |
| 32-543 |
Applications of Remotely Sensed Data
|
3 |
| 32-563 |
OR Digital Image Processing |
|
| 32-562 |
Digital Cartography and Geovisualization
|
3 |
| 32-662 |
OR Issues in Cartographic Design |
|
| 32-580 |
Spatial Analysis and Geostatisics |
3 |
| 32-620 |
GIS Theory and Research |
3 |
| 32-650 |
GIS Database Design |
3 |
| 32-660 |
Trends in GIS |
3 |
| Total Core Hours Required |
21 |
Electives (Choose 9 hours)
|
| 32-563 |
Digital Image Processing |
3 |
| 32-611 |
Special Topics in GIScience |
3 |
| 32-630 |
Raster-based GIS and Modeling |
3 |
| 32-640 |
GIS Customization |
3 |
| 32-655 |
GIS Project Management |
3 |
| 32-662 |
Issues in Cartographic Design |
3 |
| 44-560 |
Advanced Topics in Database Systems |
3 |
| 44-660 |
Database Design and Implementation |
3 |
| Total Elective Hours Required |
9 |
Thesis
|
| 32-699 |
GIS Thesis |
2 |
| Total Program Hours Required |
32-35 |
Comprehensive Exam
A Master's degree student takes a comprehensive exam near the end of his or her coursework. The degree candidate must earn an average grade of "B" or better to pass the comprehensive examination.
Thesis
A Master's degree student conducts an original research project and writes a thesis documenting the research project. The degree candidate submits a thesis proposal to his or her thesis committee. The committee members must approve the proposal before the student proceeds with the thesis research. A formal defense of the thesis is required, which is conducted on-line through desktop conferencing software. The degree candidate must enroll in at least one thesis credit hour each trimester that he or she expects to consult with his/her committee or use university resources. At a minimum, two thesis credit hours are required for the degree.
Apply
Our students come from a broad diversity of backgrounds. Many of our students are using GIS in their current jobs and are seeking more in-depth knowledge to support and advance their careers. Other students want to make a career change to the GIS industry and are using the GIScience program to give them the education needed to become part of the rapidly growing geo-spatial workforce. Our students have undergraduate degrees in a wide variety of majors, including geography, forestry, geology, biology, agronomy, urban planning, environmental science, history, English, anthropology, architecture, and finance.
Software Requirements
The Master's and certificate programs require that students have access to ArcGIS and its Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst, Network Analyst and Geostatistical Analyst extensions. For more details on software and hardware requirements, please see: Software Requirements.
Contact Inforamtion
Northwest Missouri State University is excited to offer this online Master's degree in GIScience.
| Application Procedures/Status |
M.S. in GIScience program |
|
Graduate Office
Northwest Missouri State University
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468-6001
E-mail: gradsch@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1145
|
Patricia Drews, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Graduate GIScience Program Director
E-mail: drews@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1273
|
