Geographic Information Sciences (Professional Science Master's)
Program Mission: The Professional Science Master's in Geographic Information Sciences is an interdisciplinary program designed to allow students to pursue an advanced degree with training in the Geographic Information Sciences while at the same time developing skills in business that are highly valued by employers. Program size facilitates the personal development of the student by encouraging student mentoring with faculty from the departments of Geology/Geography, Biological Sciences, Economics, Political Sciences, Business, and Technology. Experiences provided by the faculty in the classroom, laboratory, and field will prepare the student for internships. Each experience will form a basis for the degree requirements of the program as well as for preparing the successful graduate to address the documented local and regional workforce needs in business, government, and non-profit sectors.
Admission Requirements: To be eligible for degree candidacy, applicants must meet all the requirements for admission to the Graduate School (see "Admission to Graduate Degree and Certificate Programs").
Degree Audit: The graduate plan of study is the EIU Degree Audit, which is generated automatically in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) at the time of degree or certificate candidacy. Modifications of the standard EIU Degree Audit are submitted by the graduate coordinator to the certification officer in the Graduate School at the time modifications are approved. The Degree Audit serves as an unofficial summary of requirements for the program. Degree and certificate candidates are advised to review the comprehensive summary of the Degree Audit process specified on the "Requirements for All Degree and Certificate Candidates" section of the Graduate Catalog. Individual programs may require candidates to submit plans of study in addition to the Degree Audit, candidates should consult with the program coordinator.
Degree Requirements
Degree requirements include those outlined for the master's degree by the Graduate School (see "Requirements for the Master's Degree").
Additional requirements are outlined below:
Core Courses
It is assumed that applicants are interested in increasing their current competencies in the area of Geographic Information Sciences and its application to the business, government and non-profit sectors. All degree candidates must successfully complete courses designed as the core classes. The purpose of this group of required courses is to present aspects of the fundamental theory and practice of Geographic Information Sciences and give candidates a preliminary background in business administration.
Students will enroll in the following core courses. Credits: 12
OR
Elective Set I
Students will complete one of the following statistics and modeling courses.
Credits: 3 to 4
Elective Set II
Students will complete minimally 14 credit hours from the following list.
Credits: 14
Experiential (Internship) Component
Minimum of 3 credit hours of internship.
Comprehensive Examination and the Examining Committee
The candidate for the Professional Science Masters in Geographic Information Sciences must successfully complete a final comprehensive examination. The examination will require the candidate to complete a literature review of a topic within their field of study, present a seminar to their graduate committee, and demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in their field of study. The candidate’s examining committee shall consist of a minimum of the
candidate’s advisor and two other faculty members agreed upon by the candidate and advisor. Successful completion of the examination in a specific concentration must be filed in the Graduate School at least one week prior to the graduation date.
Transfer Credit
Up to six semester hours of transfer credit from another accredited graduate school may be applied to the degree. Course work must be applicable to the degree program. The program director must approve transfer credit. All transfer credit must meet the requirements for transfer credit established by the Graduate School.
Study Plan
The student, in consultation with the advisor, must obtain approval of the study plan from the program director and student’s advisory committee prior to the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate credits, which count toward the graduate degree.
Graduate Assistantships
Information on graduate assistantships may be obtained by contacting the program director.
Accelerated Graduate Program
Admission to the accelerated PSM in GIScience requires that a student have completed a minimum of 60 hours of undergraduate course credit and have a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.25. In addition, applicants must have completed a minimum of 21 hours of Geography or Geology courses, and have taken the following courses: GEO 3800; GEO 3885 or MAT 1400 (or any math course numbered higher than 1400.)
To apply for the accelerated PSM in GIScience, applicants meeting the above requirements must submit a personal essay to the Graduate Coordinator describing reasons for pursuing graduate study in Geographic Information Science and one letter of reference from a person outside of the Department of Geology and Geography who can speak to the applicant's ability to communicate and work independently. Students must also complete the Graduate School's Accelerated Program Application
Shared Coursework
Students may share up to 12 credits between their undergraduate requirements for the BS in Geography, BS in or Geology or GIS Minor and the PSM in GISci. Students may choose from the following shared credit options:
Information sourced from the 2019-2020 EIU Graduate Catalog.