PGCert in Geographic Information Systems at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada is a postgraduate certificate in Geographical Information Systems programme. The programme runs for 1 year, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English.
At a glance
Degree:Postgraduate Certificate
Field:Geographical Information Systems
Duration: 1 year
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
We have no tuition fees on record for this programme yet — see the official programme page.
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Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Overview Specialize your career path - Explore geographic science and information systems technology. The one-year Geographic Information Systems Ontario College Graduate Certificate program provides you with knowledge and skills relating to geographic and cartographic science, with a focus on information systems technology. In this program, you use both hands-on and theoretical approaches to explore topics such as: field data collection programming remote sensing enterprise geo-database design and management cloud-based services application development 2D and 3D cartographic design spatial analysis and project management A key part of this program is the independent project that you begin in your first semester and complete throughout your studies. You identify an area of interest, develop a project proposal, and then implement and complete your project, all in collaboration with an industry or government sponsor. Students also have the option to gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term (see Additional Information for more details). Please note that places in the co-op work term are subject to availability and academic eligibility. Please note admission to the co-op program does not guarantee a co-op placement. The use of GIS in various business environments is growing. Graduates may find work in: utility/resource management companies survey/engineering/environmental companies software companies municipal, provincial or federal agencies Graduates may also seek employment in jobs where GIS is a tool used within the discipline of their previous degree or diploma.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission to this postgraduate certificate requires an Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma, Degree, or equivalent, in a related field, or equivalent with departmental approval; prior programming experience is not required, though applicants are encouraged to gain basic programming exposure before starting. International applicants must meet Algonquin's English Language Proficiency requirement: IELTS Academic overall band 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band, the Duolingo English Test at 120 overall with no component below 105, or TOEFL iBT at the score Algonquin publishes for the test's current format. No minimum GPA is published on the page.
Application Details
Start Date:Intake terms Algonquin lists for this program, read from its own availability table on 6 September 2026: Fall 2026 (AC Day 1 orientation 8 September 2026; Fall term classes start 9 September 2026). Term start dates come from the Registrar's Important Dates page, which also gives 11 January 2027 for the Winter 2027 term and 10 May 2027 for the Spring 2027 term. Availability changes as seats fill and an intake already under way may be closed, so check the program page before applying. Algonquin's academic year runs September to August.
Application Deadline:DOMESTIC APPLICANTS (Canadian citizens and permanent residents). Algonquin publishes no deadline unique to this program; the dates below are the college-wide Ontario colleges cycle and apply to every full-time day program. Applications go through ontariocolleges.ca, where 1 February is the equal consideration date each cycle: apply by then and your application is assessed alongside every other one received by that date, while applications arriving later are handled first-come, first-served for as long as places remain. For entry in Fall 2027 the ontariocolleges.ca application opened on 26 September 2026, colleges may begin issuing offers on 1 November 2026, the equal consideration date is 1 February 2027 and an offer must be accepted by 1 May 2027. The equal consideration date that governed the Fall 2026, Winter 2027 and Spring 2027 intakes was 1 February 2026 and has already passed, so those three starts are now first-come, first-served while seats last.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS. Apply directly to Algonquin on the International Application Form in its International Application Portal (AC360) rather than through ontariocolleges.ca, with a CAD 135 application fee. There is no single fixed international deadline: Algonquin asks you to confirm the program is open before applying, warns that a program's status can change to waitlisted or closed before an admissions officer reviews the file, and publishes a closing-date sheet for each intake. For the Fall 2026 intake that sheet gives this program's own dates: 9 September 2026 is the last day to apply on the International Application Portal and receive an acceptance, and 14 September 2026 is the last day to register.
