GIS Certificate
GIS Certificate
Geographic Information Science Certificate (18 credit hours)
?GIS Coordinators: Rafael Moreno and Peter Anthamatten
Welcome! The Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences (GES) at the University of Colorado Denver is proud to offer one of the most robust and well respected Geographic Information Science & Technology (GIS&T) programs in the region.
Place-based technologies permeate our lives, from the location services on our Smartphones to the spatial-decision support systems that guide application in areas such as disaster management, health care and public health, digital humanities, infrastructure support and management, resource and water management, urban and regional planning, sustainability, business analytics, among many, many others. It’s not difficult to imagine how place influences your particular area of study or practice. Because of the broad array of GIS&T applications across a variety of disciplines and fields, people from diverse backgrounds and interests can benefit immensely from gaining experience in this field. GIS&T is expanding rapidly and is a growing area of employment with a need for high quality geo-spatial professionals. Having expertise in GIS&T provides a competitive edge when seeking employment in many fields.
The Geographic Information Science (GIS) Certificate is designed to provide CU Denver undergraduates and graduates, as well as non-degree seeking students interested in professional development, with proficiency in the application of spatial thinking, geographic information science, and geo-technologies in the social and physical sciences, spanning the natural, built and human environments and emphasizing human-environment interconnections. The GES GIS Certificate core establishes a broad foundation in spatial technologies and methodologies, including geographic information systems, remote sensing, cartography, spatial extensions to database management systems, and statistics. From this base, students can delve into various specialization areas depending on their interests.
We look forward to assisting you in your pursuit of a GIS Certificate from the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at CU Denver. If you have any questions, please contact the GIS Coordinator.
There are two versions of the GIS Certificate:
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Undergraduate GIS Certificate. For students in undergraduate programs.
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Graduate GIS Certificate/Non-Degree-Seeking Certificate. For graduate students or non-degree seeking individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree.
Eligibility
Geographic information science and geo-technologies have broad applications across many disciplines. Consequently, CU Denver undergraduate students in any discipline or major may be admitted to the program. Students who already hold a bachelor's degree from CU Denver or other institutions may also be admitted as a CU Denver graduate student or a non-degree-seeking student, depending on enrollment status.
Application Process
If you are a non-degree student, you must complete the Application for GIS Certificate, which can be found here: www.ucdenver.edu/admissions/non-degree-admissions. The application requires copies of former transcripts indicating that an undergraduate degree has been previously granted. This application is required to be formally registered in the GIS Certificate program.
If you are already enrolled at UCD as a degree-seeking student and would like to pursue the GIS Certificate, please contact Rafael Moreno and Peter Anthamatten to get started. The following deadlines do not apply to you.
Application Deadlines for Non-Degree Applicants
Fall Semester: July 1st
Spring Semester: December 1st
Summer Semester: April 15th
Current CU Denver Students
A student may begin the program in any semester or during the summer by making arrangements with the GIS Certificate Coordinators. This should be done as soon as you have decided to pursue the certificate, and no later than the semester previous to completion of all the courses required to obtain the certificate.
Former CU Denver Students or Graduates of Other Universities
In order to start the certificate program, you will need to apply to the university as a non-degree seeking student to this certificate program if you are not already enrolled in a graduate program within CU Denver. Once accepted, you will be able to enroll in all of the appropriate classes.
Admissions: http://www.ucdenver.edu/admissions/non-degree/Pages/default.aspx.
Current Tuition Rates:http://www.ucdenver.edu/student-services/resources/CostsAndFinancing/Pages/CostsandFinancing.aspx.
Specific questions about enrollment or tuition should be addressed directly to the University Registrar's Office.
Procedure to request the issuing of GIS Certificate
When you have completed all the courses required for the Graduate or Undergraduate GISc Certificate with a grade of B- or above, send the following information to the GIS coordinators (Rafael Moreno and Peter Anthamatten):
Graduate students:
- Filled out form: Graduate Certificate Completion Master Form.
- Attach unofficial transcripts with the courses used for the certificate highlighted.
- Send your permanent mailing address.
Undergraduate students:
- Student ID#
- List of courses you took toward the GISc certificate.
- Unofficial transcripts with the courses used for the certificate highlighted.
- Send your permanent mailing address.
Once the information above is processed and approved, the request to issue the GISc Certificate is sent to the Graduate School or the Registrar’s Office. It takes some time for the certificate to show in your transcripts. The diploma of completion will be sent to your mailing address.
The requirements for the GIS Certificate are five core classes and one elective, a total of 18 credit hours. All core classes are required for completion of the GIS Certificate and are offered at least on a yearly basis. The statistics course requirements can be fulfilled by several different statistics classes offered by CU Denver, or a CU Denver approved class transfer from another institution. The one elective course can be taken from the elective list below. The course requirements are as follows:
Undergraduate Core Class Requirements
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GEOG 2080: Mapping and Map Analysis
- GEOG 4080: Geographic Information Systems
- GEOG 4081: Introduction to Cartography and Computer Mapping
- GEOG 4060: Remote Sensing I: Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing
- Statistics Course: Approved by the GIS Certificate Coordinator
Elective Class Requirement
One elective from the following course list must be chosen to complete your Undergraduate GIS Certificate:
- GEOG/GEOL 4070: Remote Sensing II: Advanced Remote Sensing
- GEOG 4085: GIS Applications for the Urban Environment
- GEOG 4090: Environmental Modeling with GIS
- GEOG 4091: Open Source Software for Geospatial Applications
- GEOG 4092: GIS Programming and Automation
- GEOG 4095: Deploying GIS Functionality on the Web
- GEOG 4235: GIS Applications in the Health Sciences
- CVEN 4382: GIS Spatial Database Development
- CVEN 4385: GIS Relational Database Systems
Although only one elective is required to complete the Undergraduate GIS Certificate, it is strongly recommended that additional elective courses are taken to broaden the experience and knowledge of the student in GIS analysis and applications. A three-credit hour internship with a geospatial faculty sponsor is highly recommended. Students should plan early for this. Visit GIS Jobs & Internships for more information.
- Students at CU Denver must follow the graduation guidelines specified in the catalog from the year in which they were admitted. The following link contains an archive of the course catalogs from previous years: www.ucdenver.edu/registrar/catalogs/archived
Because a certificate is a CU Denver certification of a students’ specialized knowledge in an advanced subject matter, all courses in a certificate program are expected to be taken in residency at CU Denver. Only in rare circumstances will exceptions be made regarding this policy. Courses taken within the GIS Certificate Program may be used towards one other degree requirement. Any changes to the standard curriculum program must be approved in writing by the GIS Certificate Coordinator and filed with the GIS Certificate Application Form. Please pay close attention to prerequisites for specific courses.
Performance Expectations
Students must earn a 3.0 GPA average with no course below a "B-" in all approved courses for the certificate. For undergraduates seeking a bachelor’s degree, the certificate will be awarded when the student graduates. For graduate and non-degree seeking students, the certificate will be awarded upon completion of the program and be added to the student’s transcript.
