Geographic Information Science and Technology in Today’s World

Technology has fueled the exponential growth of Geographic Information Science (GIS) over the past 3 years. As a result, GIS professionals are in demand throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. These professionals can be found across diverse fields such as government, non-profit organizations and the private marketplace. The field continues to expand because of global, environmental and societal changes. The spatial data being collected by GIS professionals and everyday citizens (OpenStreetMap is one example of citizen-led science) has driven new scientific discoveries and helped promote the need for continued innovation in the field. Today it is vital that we stay apace with the ever-growing demand for GIS.

The University of Southern California (USC) offers two online graduate GIS programs through its cutting-edge Spatial Sciences Institute, housed in the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Students can choose from either a Master of Science (M.S.) in Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) or a GIST Graduate Certificate, while continuing to work.

Online M.S. in GIST Program Overview:

• 28-unit program
• Combination of core courses and electives
• Completion in as few as 16-20 months when taking 2 courses each fall, spring, and summer semester
• One-week field excursion to the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island
• Small class sizes
• Access to a wide variety of academic, technical and human resources

Online GIST Graduate Certificate Program Overview:

• 16-unit program
• Core courses and electives
• Completion within 8 or 9 months when taking 2 courses each fall, spring, and summer semester
• Possible “stepping stone” towards the M.S. in GIST
• One-week field excursion to the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island
• Access to a wide variety of academic, technical and human resources

Upon enrolling in either program, you will benefit from:

• The convenience of accessing your course work according to your own schedule
• Access to a wealth of resources, such as:
  • An extensive library of both open-source and proprietary GIS and other programming-level software streamed live (online)
  • A significant collection of current and classic professional articles through direct Internet access to USC’s impressive library holdings and E-resources.
• Opportunities to participate in USC GIST events including webinars, field trips, M.S. thesis defenses and related Spatial Sciences Institute professional events and networking activities

The Following Chart Provides 2012-2013 Information Regarding the Certificate Program:

1. U.S Department of Labor (DOL) Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code
2. On-Time Completion Rate
3. Program Costs
4. Median Loan Debt

Legend

1. SOC Code – Allows students to search the occupational profile that the certificate program prepares them for on the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) at www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/. DOL identified the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) as a primary source of occupational information. O*NET provides comprehensive occupational descriptions and data for use by job seekers. O*NET provides a framework that identifies the most important types of information about work based on theory, experiment and observation. In addition, O*NET allows occupational information to be applied across jobs, sectors, industries, and within occupations.
2. Completion Rate – Number of student who completed the Program within normal time (published length of the Program)
3. Costs – Includes estimated tuition ($23,568), application fee ($85), lab fees ($554), books/supplies ($1,008), field excursion room/board ($450), field excursion travel ($0-$500, est.) expenses.
4. Loan Debt – Median loan (federal, private, institutional) debt incurred by students who completed the Program