Description: Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) degree

The Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) degree is awarded to students who demonstrate mastery of the technical competencies and leadership skills required to design, manage and use geographic information technologies successfully in a wide range of professional fields. The MGIS program is intended specifically for working professionals who are able to participate only on a part-time basis and at a distance. It is offered exclusively through Penn State's World Campus. The MGIS complements, but does not replace, the Department of Geography's academic Master of Science program, which is offered at the University Park campus. Students who expect to pursue the Ph.D. in Geography should apply for admission to the residential M.S. program.

1. Admission Requirements

Students who wish to pursue the MGIS degree must be admitted both to the MGIS program and to Penn State's Graduate School. Prospective students also need to complete an application for the World Campus, Penn State's distance delivery unit. The Graduate School requires applicants to possess any baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution earned under residence and credit conditions substantially equivalent to those required by Penn State. It also requires official TOEFL scores for students from countries in which English is not the primary language. The Graduate School recommends that a minimum overall total score of 80 points (out of 120) on the new test, with a minimum of 23 points (out of 30) on the new speaking portion, should be required for new admissions beginning Spring 2006.

Additional requirements imposed by the Department of Geography include:

Statement of professional experience and goals including documentation of a minimum two years of professional experience, preferably (but not necessarily) related to geographic information technologies. A resume may be attached as a supplement, but the statement itself should be an essay (2-3 pages in length) that demonstrates the applicant's verbal communication skills;
Three letters of recommendation that attest to the applicant's readiness for graduate study and that he or she has the requisite minimum of two years of professional experience;
Two official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, including the institution that conferred the applicant's baccalaureate degree (and any graduate degrees, if applicable). Applicants are expected to have earned grade point average of 3.0 (or equivalent) or better during their final two years of undergraduate work; and
Official Graduate Records Examination (GRE) score reported directly from the testing center to Penn State.

A committee consisting of three Geography faculty members, including one faculty member not currently participating in the MGIS program, will meet three times a year to screen applications and identify applicants qualified for admission. Cohorts of approximately twelve students each will be admitted three times a year. Applicants who are only able to participate part-time and at a distance, while maintaining full-time professional responsibilities (and who are therefore effectively excluded from participation in the Department's resident program) will be preferred. The best qualified applicants will be admitted up to the number of spaces that are available for new students.

Prior to admission in the MGIS program students may enroll in MGIS courses as non-degree graduate students. Non-degree graduate students who are subsequently admitted to the MGIS program may count up to 15 credits of course work accumulated in non-degree status toward the MGIS degree. Applicants for non-degree graduate status must submit transcripts that confirm they have received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution under residence and credit conditions substantially equivalent to those required by Penn State. Official TOEFL scores are also required for students from countries in which English is not the primary language. The Graduate School recommends that a minimum overall total score of 80 points (out of 120) on the new test, with a minimum of 23 points (out of 30) on the new speaking portion, should be required for new admissions beginning Spring 2006. Admission as a non-degree student neither guarantees nor implies subsequent admission to the MGIS degree program. Changing from non-degree status to regular graduate status requires a new admission application.

Students admitted to the MGIS program who completed the Certificate Program in GIS on a non-credit basis within five years of their application to the MGIS program may request that specific course work from the non-credit GIS certificate be converted to credit (11 credit maximum). When this is done, student will pay an appropriate tuition differential that will be identified and cleared with the University Budget Office.

By Graduate School rules, a maximum of 10 credits of high-quality graduate work completed at an accredited institution may be applied toward the requirements for the MGIS degree. However, credits earned to complete a previous master's degree, whether at Penn State or elsewhere, may not be applied to a second master's degree program at Penn State. Approval to apply any transferred credits toward a degree program must be granted by the student's academic adviser or program and the Graduate School. Transferred academic work must have been completed within five years prior to the date of first degree registration at the Graduate School of Penn State, must be of at least B quality and must appear on an official graduate transcript of an accredited university.

Additional information regarding program admission can be found on the Application Instructions page.

2. Degree Requirements

Students earn the MGIS degree by successfully completing 35 credits of graduate-level course work, including a supervised independent project. Course requirements include a minimum of 18 credits at the 500 level, six to nine credits of which are earned through individual studies (GEOG 596). Students create and maintain personal e-portfolios that chronicle their achievements in the program, outline long-term professional development strategies, and foster meaningful interactions among students and faculty members. The independent project demonstrates the student's ability to apply advanced knowledge and skills related to geographic information systems in a way that makes a substantial contribution to his or her professional work. The project culminates in a formal public presentation, attended by a member of the graduate faculty associated with the MGIS Program, which takes place at either an appropriate professional conference (such as annual conferences of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, or ESRI Users) or an annual meeting of MGIS students, faculty and Advisory Board members. International students who are unable to travel to a mutually agreeable conference location may fulfill this requirement through a presentation to a qualified proctor that is videotaped and subsequently delivered to the student's advisor for review. The presentation will be preceded by a dress rehearsal that is open to all students in the program through Web and audio conferencing. As part of his or her individual studies, every student is expected to contribute a formal peer review of one other student's rehearsal. Each graduate's e-portfolio, including digital presentation materials, is delivered to the student on CD-ROM and archived at Penn State as a permanent record of his or her achievements.

3. List of Courses

An Advisory Board consisting of accomplished GIS professionals in government and industry, as well as Penn State faculty members in a variety of disciplines who specialize in geographic information science, guides the ongoing development of the MGIS curriculum. Designed for students who are able to participate only on a part-time basis and at a distance, the curriculum is spread over three years. Courses are ten weeks in length and require eight to twelve hours of student effort per week. Most courses are offered four times annually, starting in early January, April, July and October. Most students will complete four courses per year, one course at a time. First-year courses are designed to help students develop the information literacy and technical competencies they need to become knowledgeable and skillful users of desktop geographic information technologies. Second-year courses prepare students for leadership in their organizations with regard to the design, specification and management of complex geographic information infrastructures. During the third year, students complete electives and an independent study project by which they demonstrate a substantive contribution to their organization as well as the ability to communicate their contribution to a professional audience. Students who successfully complete the Penn State MGIS satisfy the minimum educational achievement required for professional certification by the Geographic Information Systems Certification Institute (www.gisci.org).

The following courses comprise the MGIS curriculum:

482. The Nature of Geographic Information* (2 cr.)
483. Problem-Solving with GIS* (3 cr.)
484. GIS Database Development* (3 cr.)
485. GIS Programming and Customization (3 cr.)
486. Cartography and Visualization (3 cr.)
487. Environmental Applications of GIS (3 cr.)
488. Acquiring and Integrating Geospatial Data (3 cr.)
489. GIS Application Development (3 cr.; new)
495c. Internship Supervision and Mentoring (1 cr., may be repeated up to 3 credits)
496. Independent Study (2 cr.)
497k. GIS for Analysis of Health (3 cr.)
583. Geospatial System Analysis and Design* (3 cr., new)
584. Geospatial Technology Project Management* (3 cr., new)
586. Geographical Information Analysis* (3 cr., new)
596a. Individual Studies - Capstone Project Work* (3 cr., 596 a and b may be repeated up to a total of 9 credits)
596b. Individual Studies - Peer Review* (3 cr., 596 a and b may be repeated up to a total of 9 credits)
597. Special Topics (3 cr.)
* Required courses