GIS is one of the best courses that you can learn in 2020. This software can be used in almost every field. Getting a job for an individual with GIS knowledge is possible in any field. If you have a GIS certificate communication, planning, resource allocation, and even education sectors need you. The need for GIS specialists who have gone past the graduate education level is even more. You stand a higher chance of landing a job with a GIS education past the graduate level. Would you like to go on with your GIS education and take a graduate program? The following 15 graduate programs can be accessed either in-person and online or both.
This institution offers an online master’s program in the subject of GIS. Under the department of geography and the environment, you can a graduate master’s program. The program is a reflection of what the on-campus program teaches and you will learn the exact things as those in class. The course looks at areas such as database design, remote sensing, Geographic information analysis, and 20 hours of elective classes. The course offers a comprehensive 48-hour tutorial on the GIS course. To earn a master’s degree you must complete research and a capstone project at the end of the course.
The school offers an online course in Geospatial information systems. You can take the 34-credit-hour online programs for 13 months or more if you take the part-time plan. Some of the areas that the course touch on including the GIS leadership and they expose you to learn how to use the GIS software and tools to give accurate results. When you finish this online GIS master’s program you will be able to work in different areas including the transport sector among others.
3. Northern Arizona University
The master’s program features areas such as Planning, & Recreation, and Geospatial Technologies. The students determine their area of specialization depending on their goals. If you plan to take this course you will learn skills that will prove to be of benefit to you; you will be able to get access to topics such as Geographic Thought and Method, Programming for GIS, and Enterprise Geodatabases. The program can be taken online.
4. University of Central Arkansas
If you have some skills with GIS and you would like to advance your program you would definitely consider the University of Arkansas. It takes 24 hours and 6 hours for those who also need the thesis option. For the non-thesis plan, the course takes 30 hours. It is an online course that equips learners with skills such as advanced reading and research skills, digital image processing, mapping fundamentals, and spatial analysis/modeling. If interested in electives, the course will also provide some.
5. University of Colorado – Denver
The course requires 30-credit hours and it deeply specializes in GIS knowledge. Some of the units covered by the course include the GIS Spatial Database Development, Interactive Web Mapping GIS, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Introduction to Geomatics.
6. Northwest Missouri State University
This university offers a purely online course and no attendance to class or school is required. They have the thesis and nonthesis options that you can choose from. This master’s program equips in skills from titles such as raster-based GIS and modeling, Geoprocessing with python, and applications of remotely sensed data. There is a full-time or part-time option for students to make a choice.
7. North Carolina State University
The campuses of the North Carolina universities offer online courses but mainly the course is taught online. The course can take two years on average with an option of both part-time and full-time. Practicals are taught and theories brought in to equip the students with skills and a better understanding of the course. The graduates are issued with a master’s transcript that shows the technical and professional skills that they have received. The transcript is recognized nationally and you get a better chance to get employed.
Both business and GIS courses are combined and taught at this university. They offer titles that explain remote sensing, database systems, and photo interpretation. The classes are taken online. You will get first-hand knowledge that will prepare you for working in areas such as environmental resource management, and urban and regional planning.
Within the school of geography and development, you can complete an online master’s Geographic Information Systems course within 18 months. You get exposure to topics such as Remote Sensing Science and GIS programming and automation.
10. Pennsylvania State University – World Campus
The master’s degree course takes 36 hours online. The courses included in the program are just the best for your study. You get exposure to courses such as GIS Database Development, Problem Solving with GIS, and Geospatial Technology Project Management. Towards graduation, you need to handle a capstone project.
They teach; in courses that will equip you with skills in system implementation, database design and implementation, raster-based GIS, and GIS modeling. The ESRI software is used to help you master the course and pocket skills that will be applicable in your career path. The master course takes 48 quarter hours and can take you 2-3 years to complete the whole program. There is an option of either part-time or full-time mode for this project and this offers you an opportunity to multitask between career and education.
12. Elmhurst College
You need 30 semester hours to finish this program which has 10 classes to be attended apart from the online course. You require classes such as spatial analysis and web mapping, remote sensing, photo interpretation, and geodatabase for you to join the course. It takes two years to complete the course. Each week you are needed to attend 8 hours sessions through their online platform.
13. University of Southern California
The university offers an online master’s program through its online platform to students from all over the world. GIS course is one of the best courses they offer on this platform. You may decide to specialize in one of the four branches of the GIS course that this online platform offers. These include Spatial data acquisition, analysis, integration, and spatial thinking. There are 16 units that mark the critical course content to be completed. There is a master’s thesis to be completed in order to earn a master’s degree certificate.
14. Unity College
The program can be completed in 12 months. This master’s course offers a complete GIS core. There is also a capstone project to complete during the project finalization. This course prepares you for jobs such as GIS specialists, remote sensing, and GIS data managers.
This course focuses on projects and non-thesis 8 courses that are done throughout the period. It is a part-time project that takes two years. The areas taught in this course include Geospatial data analysis, GIS and decision support, and principles of GIS mapping. At the end of the program, you are also required to handle a capstone project.
The above courses form the best graduate programs you can join online wherever you are. You will enjoy learning as a graduate in the comfort of your home and without pressure.
