Geographic Information Systems Certificate

OSRHE Program Code: 163
CIP Code: 304401

Certificate Code: 9302

The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate program provides students with broad exposure to principles and applications of GIS. A student who has earned the Certificate in GIS will be well-versed in general GIS theory and will have knowledge and/or practical exposure to the following: 1) hardware and software used in GIS, 2) planning and construction of spatial databases, 3) GIS analyses (performed on data related to the student’s area of interest), and 4) representation of data in both mapped and tabular form. Requirements for the Certificate have been designed to parallel skills needed by GIS professionals.

Admission into the Certificate Program is open to any student currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at NSU. People who are only interested in earning the GIS certificate, but are not currently enrolled at NSU, can apply through Undergraduate Admissions and get admission for the purpose of pursuing the GIS Certificate.

At least 25 percent (6 hours) of the coursework applied to this embedded certificate must be satisfactorily completed at NSU.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the hardware and software used in Geographic Information Systems.
2. Demonstrate the capacity to plan and construct spatial databases.
3. Demonstrate the capacity to analyze data using Geographic Information Systems.
4. Demonstrate the capacity to identify and incorporate geographic data from a wide range of primary and secondary sources to solve geospatial problems and research questions.
5. Demonstrate the capacity to present data using graphic and data visualization concepts such as color theory and symbolization.
6. Demonstrate the capacity to conceptualize, plan, and implement automations and customizations for Geographic Information System processing and analysis tasks.