Graduate Certificate in Geographic Informations Systems

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About

The Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) will give you in-depth hands-on experience with data collection and management, spatial analysis, web development, and geovisualization and map design with software such as ArcGIS. This certificate can help support your master’s thesis research, or jumpstart a career in environmental resource management, urban planning, archaeology, geology, cartography and surveying, community advocacy, anthropology, social services, and many other fields. It can be completed in one academic year or spread out over two.

Curriculum GIS Resources

Application Requirements

To apply, you must have an undergraduate BA or BS from an accredited four-year institution and a GPA minimum of 3.0. You can apply whether you’re currently enrolled in a separate master’s program (e.g. Biology, Critical GIS and Public Anthropology, History) or if you wish to earn only the graduate certificate.

If you are interested in applying, please contact the program advisor, Stacy Warren, PhD at swarren@ewu.edu or 509.359.7962.

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Curriculum & Requirements

Geographic Information Systems Certificate, Graduate

The graduate certificate is open to all current graduate students and to post-degree continuing education students. No prior background in GIS is required.

The Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems offers current graduate and post-baccalaureate students an intensive, interdisciplinary course of study in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and theory. All certificate students complete four required courses that introduce GIS concepts and applications, database formats, mapping, and spatial analysis. Based on area of specialization, students then elect to pursue GIS applications in either the environmental sciences or the social sciences. All students are required to participate in a “real world” GIS project in order to complete the certificate.

Required Core
GEOS 528GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I5
GEOS 538GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS II5
GEOS 548GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS III5
GEOS 549GIS PORTFOLIO2
Elective Concentrations
Application Area Concentration
GEOS 521GIS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES3-5
or GEOS 523 GIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Programming and Geospatial Database Concentration
GEOS 536GIS PROGRAMMING5
or GEOS 599 INDEPENDENT STUDY
Visualization Techniques Concentration
GEOS 527DESKTOP MAPPING3-5
or GEOS 599 INDEPENDENT STUDY
Note: Current graduate students in programs other than this certificate program will be required to demonstrate use of GIS analysis in their master's research project. Current post-baccalaureate students will be required to complete an internship with a designated community partner as part of their GEOS 548 course.
Total Credits28

Catalog Listing

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully earn a Geographic Information Systems Graduate Certificate from EWU should be able to do the following:

  • critically evaluate research in the field of geographic information science;
  • critically evaluate the quality and accuracy of spatial data;
  • demonstrate knowledge of the history of the technologies, methodologies, and philosophies of geographic information science;
  • demonstrate mastery of foundational concepts of geographic information science;
  • demonstrate proficiency with geographic information system software and related programming languages;
  • design and implement methods and communicate results using geographic information system software as part of critical spatial analysis research.

GIS Resources

The Geography Program supports hands-on learning. If you’re interested in learning GIS, we have software licenses and labs to help you. We currently use ArcGIS 10.7 as part of the Washington State Higher Education ESRI site license. All EWU students, faculty, and staff have access to ArcGIS software through our license. ArcGIS is installed locally in computer labs in Isle, Senior, and Kingston Halls. You can also access ArcGIS through EWU’s Virtual Labs.

For more information, contact Stacy Warren, PhD at swarren@ewu.edu.

Certificate Options

Data Resources

  • WAGDA: Basic public GIS data for Washington State
  • WSDOT: Transportation-related GIS data for the state of Washington
  • WA Dept. Ecology: Environmental GIS data for the state of Washington
  • American Fact Finder: A variety of GIS and demographic data for the United States from the Bureau of the Census
  • GIS DataDepot: A basic public GIS data from around the world