Master of Science Degree in Geographic Information Science (GIS)

https://www.una.edu/geography/Grad/index.html

Admission

The Master of Science Degree in Geographic Information Science at the University of North Alabama may be completed either on campus or 100% online. In addition to the general requirements for admission to graduate studies (See General Regulations and Procedures), admission to the Master of Science degree program in Geographic Information Science requires the following:

Unconditional Admission

  1. Preparation: Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or higher degree in an appropriate field of study from an accredited institution or complete coursework that will meet this requirement as determined by the Graduate Admissions Committee.
  2. Scholastic Achievement: Applicants must possess a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale in the last two years of undergraduate work and in all previous graduate work (if any).
  3. Test Scores: Applicants must have a combined score of at least 290 on the Verbal and Quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
  4. Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources. At least one letter of recommendation must be provided by a faculty member from the applicant’s prior undergraduate or graduate program.
  5. Personal Statement: Applicants should describe themselves academically and professionally and include a narrative of their intellectual and academic history and heritage. Applicants should describe their interests in graduate school, desire for entrance into the UNA Department of Geoscience, and their long term plans.
  6. Letter of Intent: Applicants should describe their desired area of study and why that is of interest to them, what they hope to learn, and what they plan to do with what is learned and the experience that is gained.

A departmental Graduate Admissions Committee will review each application and make all admission decisions. Applications, transcripts, and test scores must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions in accordance with submission deadlines established by that office. Letters of Recommendation, Personal Statement, and Letter of Intent will be submitted directly to the Department of Geoscience in care of the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Conditional Admission

A student may be conditionally admitted to the M.S. program in Geographic Information Science if his/her GRE scores have not yet been obtained, if the Graduate Admissions Committee deems the undergraduate coursework insufficient, or if the applicant’s letters of recommendation have not been received by the Department of Geoscience. A student without sufficient prior coursework in geography may be required to enroll in undergraduate courses to meet prerequisites for graduate level work. The student must submit satisfactory test scores or complete remedial coursework prior to completing 12 credit hours in the program. Applicants not meeting requirements #2 and #3 above may still be considered if other evidence of potential academic achievement is presented.

Advisement

Initially, students will be advised by the Graduate Program Coordinator for the Department of Geoscience until students have been assigned or have selected an academic advisor.

Degree and Program Plans

Requirements for the MS in Geographic Information Science

The Master of Science Degree in Geographic Information Science requires a minimum of 33 semester hours and includes the following core and options:

Core Classes9
GE 609
Geographic Methods in Design
GE 610
Seminar in Geospatial Science
GE 615
Advanced Quantitative Methods in Geography
Thesis or Culminating Project - Select one from the following:24
Thesis Option 2
GE 695
Thesis (6 hours)
GE 699
Thesis and Research and Defense
18 hours from 500-600 electives 1
Culminating Project Option 3
GE 692
Research (6 hours)
GE 699
Thesis and Research and Defense
18 hours from 500-600 electives 1
Total Hours33
1

No more than 6 hours of field courses may count towards credit for the MS in Geographic Information Science degree.  No more than 12 hours of courses taken at the 500 level may count towards credit for the MS in Geographic Information Science degree.  Students may take up to 9 credit hours of graduate coursework at UNA outside the department, with advisor and department approval. Courses taken at the undergraduate level in the department which are cross-listed as 400/500, may not be retaken for credit towards the MS in Geographic Information Science degree. Courses with blanket course numbers (e.g., Special Topics (GE 597)) that have different titles are exempt from this limitation.

2

Students choosing the Thesis Option must complete a minimum of six hours of Thesis (GE 695),in addition to the core and 18 additional hours from the 500-600 level electives.

3

Students choosing the Culminating Project Option must complete a minimum of six hours of directed research(Research (GE 692)) in addition to the core and 18 additional hours from the 500-600 level electives. Students selecting this option will be required to complete one culminating project. The project will be supervised by a faculty member within the department and include a second reader. The project will be publicly presented and submitted as a paper.