Geographic Information Sciences (GISci), M.S.
Minimum Totals for Graduation: 33 hours
The Geographic Information Science graduate program provides students with high quality training in a cutting edge field combining geography, information science, statistics, remote sensing and environmental studies. The wide diversity of faculty expertise in the program enables students to pursue their own research interests by applying geospatial technologies (e.g. GIS, spatial statistics, cartography, unmanned aerial systems remote sensing) to surface hydrology, atmospheric processes, cultural and natural resource management, demography, historical change, location analysis, transportation/land use planning and regional economics. Program graduates are highly competitive in the job market; and most past graduates obtained high quality jobs upon graduation or continued on to pursue a Ph.D.
The M.S. in GISci is a program available either through a Plan A option (thesis) or Plan B option (non-thesis). The Plan A option requires students to propose, complete, and defend an MS Thesis; while Plan B requires students to propose, complete and defend a research project and complete an additional course. For both options, a total of 33 graduate credit hours are required to graduate, of which 15 credits have to be earned from courses at the 600 level or above. More detailed information is available in the Department office.
Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
Admission Requirement Snapshot
GPA: 3.0 (and 3.25 in major)
Entrance Exam: GRE
Application Deadline: March 15 (Fall), Oct. 15 (Spring)
See Admission Requirement Details Below
To receive full consideration for financial support beginning in a fall semester, all application materials must be received in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies no later than March 15/October 15 (October 15 for unfunded spring admission). Applicants should allow approximately one month for materials submitted to the College of Graduate Studies to be processed and forwarded to the department. Details regarding the application process and the program may be found at https://www.cmich.edu/colleges/cst/Geography/Pages/Graduate-Programs.aspx.
Students entering the M.S. GISci program are required to have a sound knowledge of the fundamental concepts of cartography, GIS, and remote sensing. It is also expected that M.S. GISci students have a basic knowledge of a computer language and statistics as these are the foundations of advance education in Geographic Information Science. A minimum 3.0 GPA in the student's undergraduate major is required.
Computer Programming
One course in a current programming language (CMU equivalent: 180) with minimum grade of B.
Mathematics and Statistics
One course in Statistics (CMU equivalent: STA 282 or STA 382)
Fundamental Courses in Geographic Information Sciences
Option 1. At least one course in Cartography (CMU equivalent: GEO 203), one course in Introductory Geographic Information Systems (CMU equivalent: GEO 303), and one course in Introductory Remote Sensing (CMU equivalent: GEO 305). Minimum grade of B (3.0/4.0) in each.
Option 2. Students who have not completed all of the undergraduate GISci courses listed in Option 1 may fulfill this entrance requirement by completing GEO 501. Students who have completed all of the undergraduate GISci courses from Option 1 may not earn credit in GEO 501.
Program Requirements
Required Courses I (15 hours)
| GEO 500 | Advanced Cartography | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 503 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 508 | Applications of Remote Sensing | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 512 | Quantitative Methods for Spatial Analysis | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 615 | Research Design in Geographic Information Sciences | 3(3-0) |
Note: A student satisfying any of the required courses or their equivalents prior to entering the program may be excused from these courses. Other courses will be substituted with the approval of the advisor. Credits from these courses will be applied to the 21 hours of required courses. A student must receive a minimum grade of C in each course to have their course work approved for the graduate program.
Required Courses II (6 hours)
Select two courses from the following:
| GEO 600 | Dynamic Mapping and Geospatial Visualization | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 603 | GIS Design and Programming | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 608 | Topics in Advanced Remote Sensing | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 701 | Spatial Data Management | 3(2-2) |
Note: A student satisfying any of the required courses or their equivalents prior to entering the program may be excused from these courses. Other courses will be substituted with the approval of the advisor. Credits from these courses will be applied to the 21 hours of required courses. A student must receive a minimum grade of C in each course to have their course work approved for the graduate program.
Additional Requirement (3-6 hours)
Select either Plan A (Thesis) or Plan B (Directed Research)
Plan A Thesis (6 hours)
Plan B Directed Research (3 hours)
| GEO 797 | Directed Research in Geographic Information Sciences | 1-6(Spec) |
Electives (6-9 hours)
Two or three 500 to 700 level courses in a technical or cognate field(s) in consultation with advisor.
Technical courses might include relevant Computer Science, Mathematics, and/or Statistics courses or Special Topics courses in Cartography, Geographic Information Systems, Global Positioning System (GPS), or Remote Sensing. Cognate courses might include relevant Biology, Earth Science, Geography, Geology, Political Science, or other courses that would complement the student's area of specialization. A student must receive a minimum grade of C in each elective course.
Total: 33 semester hours
Accelerated Program
Undergraduate students in Geography with a Concentration in Geographic Information Science can pursue a Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Science while still fulfilling the requirements for their Bachelor's degree. The Accelerated Master's Degree Program (AMDP) allows students to reduce the total number of credits to complete their undergraduate and graduate level degrees by applying up to 12 credits (500 level courses) towards graduate requirements on both degree programs.
Admission Criteria:
Students must have an overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 and have completed a minimum of 86 credits toward a Bachelor's degree, including all University Program requirements (including transfer and/or AP credits) the semester that they apply for admission to the Accelerated MS program in Geographic Information Science. Students must also satisfy all other requirements for regular admission to the MS program in Geographic Information Science to be eligible for the accelerated program including the completion of GEO 203, GEO 303, and GEO 305; STA 382; and CPS 180.
During the fourth year, students will complete 12 credits of course work that will be counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. The student is responsible for fulfilling all of the requirements of the undergraduate degree and, therefore, additional credits may need to be taken to complete the Bachelor of Science degree requirements during the fourth year.
A sample curriculum for a student who has completed 94 credit hours of undergraduate course work is given below:
Year Four:
Fall
| GEO 500 | Advanced Cartography | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 503 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 3(2-2) |
| | Undergraduate Courses | 9 |
Total: 15 credits
Spring
| GEO 508 | Applications of Remote Sensing | 3(2-2) |
| GEO 512 | Quantitative Methods for Spatial Analysis | 3(2-2) |
| | Undergraduate Courses | 9 |
Total: 15 credits
Year Five:
Fall
| GEO 600 | Dynamic Mapping and Geospatial Visualization | 3(2-2) |
| | OR | |
| GEO 603 | GIS Design and Programming | 3(2-2) |
| | OR | |
| GEO 608 | Topics in Advanced Remote Sensing | 3(2-2) |
| | | |
| GEO 701 | Spatial Data Management | 3(2-2) |
| | Graduate Electives | 6 |
Total: 12 credits
Spring
| GEO 600 | Dynamic Mapping and Geospatial Visualization | 3(2-2) |
| | OR | |
| GEO 603 | GIS Design and Programming | 3(2-2) |
| | OR | |
| GEO 608 | Topics in Advanced Remote Sensing | 3(2-2) |
| | | |
| GEO 798 | Thesis | 1-6(Spec) |
| | OR | |
| GEO 797 | Directed Research in Geographic Information Sciences | 1-6(Spec) |
Total: 9 credits