Learn More About Certificates and Certification
Learn More About Careers in Cartography | GIS | Remote Sensing | Geomatics (Land Surveying) | Geographic Technologies
How many students are normally enrolled in each program?
We currently service 20-30 undergraduate and graduate students on an annual basis, as well as the hundreds of students who take selected GISci courses for their degrees programs, career development, or general interest and skill-building. Based on past success with the now defunct Earth Information Science and Technology undergraduate and graduate minors, our estimated number of certificate program graduates is 10 per year for the graduate certificate and 15 per year for the undergraduate certificate.
As of Summer 2006, the professional certificate became greatly oversubscribed at 60 students! The program has been closed to further applications. In Winter term, 2010 we are offering new options for working professionals or other non-degree students.
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How many credits are required?
Twenty-seven (27) credit hours are required for the undergraduate certificate, and 19 for the graduate certificate.
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In terms of when classes are offered, please click on the course numbers listed in the Curriculum for your chosen certificate program (see the links to the left, Curriculum). Each of those numbers links automatically to the online OSU catalog, which tells you when a course is offered during the academic year.
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Which track should I choose (GIS, Cartography, Remote Sensing, or Geomatics)?
You should seek some advising from one of the Core Faculty members in the program. See the link to the left, Faculty --> Core Faculty. Also, see the links on the upper right corner of most of the pages on this site that tell you "About" cartography, GIS, remote sensing, and geomatics. Note also that the geomatics track is available only for the undergraduate certificate.
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What is the cost of the certificate program?
There is no additional cost for the undergraduate or graduate certificate programs as the required courses will be taken as part of an existing degree program that the student is already enrolled in.
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What materials, if any, are supplied by the program?
None. The student must purchase textbooks as required by the credit courses.
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What are the recommendations for computer hardware, software, and Internet access?
If you are taking a course on the OSU campus, this information will be provided to you by your instructor, and you will receive the necessary hardware, software and Internet access as part of the course. If you are taking a course by way of distance education (through OSU Extended Campus, ESRI Virtual Campus, and/or OSU QuickSkills), please be advised that you will need access to a computer with the following MINIMUM requirements in order to successfully run any software needed for the laboratory component of a course, as well as to download the many large PowerPoint, PDF, and movie files that normally accompany lectures:
- Pentium computer (laptop or desktop) with at least an 800 MHz processor
- running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP as an operating system (Windows XP Pro is best). Please note that the software will not function properly in Windows 95/98/Me and that Windows NT will not be supported much longer by ESRI
- 600 MB RAM
- approximately 1 Gb of free disk space
- standard graphics cards that come with today's latest laptops and desktops should be more than sufficient.
- robust Internet connection, i.e. BROADBAND (cable Internet or DSL)
And the necessary software is usually provided as part of the cost of a distance ed. course
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Is there any fieldwork or final thesis involved?
No.
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What is the minimum GPA (grade point average) required while in the program?
At this time we are not enforcing a minimum GPA but will seek a student out for counseling if his/her GPA in certificate coursework falls below 3.0.
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Is there a maximum time allowed for a student to complete a certificate?
The undergraduate certificate must be completed by the time the student's baccalaureate degree is conferred. The graduate certificate must be completed within a time frame of 7 years. A student not completing a graduate certificate by this time, but who at a later time wishes to do so, may receive a subsequent certificate through the Alumni College with the permission of the GIScience certificate program core faculty members.
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Do the credits taken apply to other college programs or CEUs (continuing education units)?
Yes, credits earned at OSU in courses taken for the any of the certificates should be transferrable to other accredited universities or applicable as continuing education credits for post-baccalaureate students.
The GIS Certification Institute (www.gisci.org), runs a national program for the certification of GIS Professionals, including an ascription to a GIS code of ethics. The program was originally piloted by the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA). OSU geographic information science courses and certificates DO count toward this national certification (GISP).
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If I was enrolled in the original professional certificate program (2004-2006), will my courses be transcripted?
Yes, the courses that you take for credit will be transcripted. However, the required non-credit QuickSkills and ESRI Virtual Campus courses will NOT be transcripted. The professional certificate, when awarded, will not be recorded on the transcript. You will receive a paper certificate from OSU Geosciences to indicate your completion of the certificate program.
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What are the admission/residency requirements or prerequisites for the certificate program?
Undergraduate and graduate students must already be enrolled in good standing in any major course of study or degree program at OSU. Students desiring the undergraduate certificate must also have background training in college algebra and trigonometry, and introductory statistics, while students desiring the graduate certificate must have background training in college algebra/trig, introductory cartography, and introductory statistics/statistical methods.
For those interested in online offerings only, here is a list of completely online GIS certificates or degrees offered elsewhere.
