Auburn's graduate certificate in Geographic Information Science gives students a working grounding in geospatial science. Coursework centers on how geographic questions get framed and solved, how scale and map projections affect what a map can show, and how spatial datasets are kept in good order over time.
Students also learn to weigh the different GIS software applications available and choose the one that suits a given task. The curriculum draws on both geography and geosciences offerings, so the same subject matter is reachable through either departmental listing.
The certificate is organized as a single professional year spread across fall and spring terms. Participants complete between 16 and 17 credit hours in total, which includes courses in remote sensing and aerial imagery, quantitative and spatial analysis, and advanced GIS work, plus one elective. The sequence is meant to prepare graduates for positions involving geographic information in industry, government agencies, or academic settings.
