Master of Science in Geographic Information Science and Systems

A Master of Science in Geographical Information Science and Systems, or Master of Science in Geographical Information Science, or Master of Science in Geographic Information Systems (Latin: Magister Scientiæ; abbreviated M.Sc. GIS, MSc (GIS)., MSc GIS) is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a number of countries. The degree is typically studied for one year (in the United Kingdom) and two years (in the USA, Switzerland, Austria and Germany) full-time^[1] or three to five years part-time.^[2]

Background

The concept of a Masters programme in Geographical (sic) Information Systems (later Science) was first developed in the United Kingdom, with the University of Edinburgh offering the world's first in 1985 ,^[3] followed by the University of Leicester, also in the UK, three years later. Universities elsewhere in Europe followed in the early 1990s, with US universities coming later. The innovative Edinburgh curriculum was designed by GIS pioneers such as Tom Waugh and Richard Healey, with input from Sandy Crosbie, Steve Dowers, Bruce Gittings and Roger Kirby. Edinburgh continues to be an international leader in GIS teaching, and has the largest graduate network of any programme worldwide.

Job outlook

This postgraduate degree prepares students to work as GIS analysts, applied researchers and consultants providing expertise in this area of computer mapping analysis, spatial databases management and development, software/application development, geomarketing and project management. GIS technologies are widely utilised worldwide, and there is a high demand for these skills.^[4]

Universities offering MSc GIS

Canada

• University of New Brunswick

United Kingdom

• Aberystwyth University
• University of Brighton
• Cranfield University
• The University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• Birkbeck College, University of London
• University College London
• Kingston University London
• Manchester University
• University of Nottingham
• Portmouth University
• University of Salford
• University of Sheffield
• Sheffield Hallam University
• University of Southampton
• University of South Wales
• Swansea University
• University of Ulster
• University of the West of England

United States

• Johns Hopkins University, Advanced Academic Programs (online degree)
• North Carolina State University, Center for Geospatial Analysis (online degree)
• University of Southern California
• The University of Arizona
• University of Redlands
• Western Kentucky University
• Florida State University, Department of Geography
• University of Minnesota, Geography Department
• California State University, Long Beach
• Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Spain

• Complutense University of Madrid

Switzerland

• University of Zurich

Austria

• University of Salzburg

Germany

• University of Augsburg
• University of Jena
• University of Münster
• University of Osnabrück
• University of Trier

Portugal

• Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Papua New Guinea

• Papua New Guinea University of Technology

See also

• Geoinformatics
• Geographic information system
• Geographic information science
• UNIGIS
• Master of Science

References