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Distance Education in GIS, LBS, and Geo-Spatial Sciences
Distance Learning is typically thought of as being an Internet-Based Learning
and/or training program. Numerous educational institutions, often in conjunction with
corporate sponsors, partners, and clients are now offering Web-based
educational courses and programs in virtually any field. The GeoCommunity receives numerous
requests from individuals for information about distance education programs in GIS. We've responded
to this demand by providing a comprehensive summary of a number of programs around the world which
have been brought to our attention. If you've taken a distance learning course in GIS, GPS, or another
geo-spatial discipline and we haven't listed details of the program here, please feel free to
share some information about your experience with us. Send your GIS/LBS Distance Ed. suggestion to
editor@geocomm.com
-- Printer Friendly Version Here. Note: Keep checking back as this piece will be periodically updated with new submissions.
University of North Dakota, Division of Continuing Education
- Earn your GISc Graduate Certificate ONLINE without leaving your job or family! With the University of North Dakota’s online GISc program, you will receive the GIS education and technical training you need for career advancement.
The Vespucci Initiative - Summer School on Geographic Information Science
- The School is open to post-graduate researchers in the academic, public, and private sectors selected on a competitive basis through an open call for expression of interest.
28 July to 8 August 2003 (two, one-week sessions)
Villa Demidoff, Pratolino (Florence), Italy. (Added April, 2003)
UU GIS For Professionals - The University of Utah's Geographic Information Systems for Professionals
Program is a non-credit program, offered through distance education, and focused on the
working professional (experienced in GIS or not). The GIS programs at the University of Utah have a unique, career-oriented approach. "We blend
computer science and geographic techniques, producing in-demand graduates that specialize in
problem solving, in building GIS appliations, or in actually developing GIS." There are two certificate tracks. The standard certificate is for those new to the GIS field, or
transferring over from a related occupation. "Advanced" is for experienced users interested in
upgrading their analytical and modeling skills. Your materials are presented on-line, and an
instructor is involved in evaluating your work and in discussing concepts. (Added Nov 15, 2001)
MSC in GIS from Birckbeck Colege, London -
MSc in Geographic Information Science from Birkbeck College London – For the past four years the School of Geography, Birkbeck College, University of London, has offered GIScOnline an advanced and flexible Masters degree for professionals and researchers working with geographic data. The course is entirely delivered over the World Wide Web, so that no attendance is required at any stage (although facilities for study are available to those who can). The course consists of 4 units, each of which is a semester long and can be taken in ‘full time’ (one year) or ‘part time’ (two years) modes. To graduate all students must complete a supervised research dissertation. Reasonably full details can be seen at http://www.bbk.ac.uk/gisconline
Pre-requisite: Applicants should have a second class Honours degree from a UK University or its international equivalent.
Timing: the course runs from early October through to September in each of its years.
Contact: m.roy@bbk.ac.uk Tel: +44(0)20 7631 6490/6475, FAX +44(0) 20 7631 6498, School of Geography, Birkbeck College, 7-15 Gresse Street, London W1P 2LL, UK
Curtin University, Australia -
The distance learning program in geographic information science
provides participants with an open and flexible
means of studying the
exciting and dynamic field of GIS. The distance
units are open to anyone
within the GIS Graduate Diploma or Graduate
Certificate programs or to
someone who simply wants to learn some GIS and
enrols as an extension
(external) student.
Courses Currently Offered:
Geographic Information Systems 501 (Semesters 1 & 2)
Geographic Data Analysis 502 (Semester 2)
Spatial Analysis 502 (Semester 1)
Spatial Data Handling 502 (Semester 2)
Students get access to the Curtin Learning Link - a
web-based communications system for
Curtin distance and open learning students
Contact:
Interested students should view the online
Distance Ed Handbook.
Curtin is located in Perth, WA. The distance ed program can be reached
by phone at (08) 9266 2100 or via email at gis@vesta.curtin.edu.au
GIS distance Education from CRWorld UK and the Kingston Center -
The Kingston GIS Professional Training Programme is a complete course in
GIS The programme is composed of three modules, which can be taken in
sequence as one course, or on their own as independent courses. Each
Module consists of 8 units, each with notes, exercises and assignments. Each module is
designed to take baout 30 hours of work.
Modules include:
Intro to GIS
Practical GIS
Management in GIS
Course Price: Ł449 each
There are no pre-requisites for these modules. You do not need either
A-levels or a degree to enrol on this Programme, however, it is helpful if you
are currently working in a GIS environment.
Kingston University was the first University in Europe to offer both an
undergraduate GIS degree and an HND GIS programme. The Distance Learning
GIS modules are a full part of this recognised centre for GIS.
Contact:
Training Manager, The GeoInformation Group, 307 Cambridge Science Park,
Milton Road Cambridge CB4 0ZD, UK, Tel: 01223 425 325, Fax: 01223 425
735, email: training@crworld.co.uk, website: www.crworld.co.uk
The GIS Administrator, School of Geography, Kingston University, Penrhyn
Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2EE, UK, Tel: + 44 (0) 181 547 7508,
Fax: + 44 (0) 181 547 7497, email: t.connolly@kingston.ac.uk, website:
www.kingston.ac.uk/geog/gis
Department of Geoinformatics, College of Surveying and Land Management,
The University of West Hungary -
Postgraduate Diploma
Course and Master of
Science in GIS in English -- The Postgraduate Diploma in Geographical Information Systems is aimed at
professional development by in-service training
and as such is focused on the practical knowledge and skills required to
design and implement GIS in real situations. The part-time UNIGIS
distance-learning
Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Science (M.Sc.) programme in GIS of
UNIGIS Hungary provides opportunities for
professionals to acquire knowledge and skills in the field of GIS,
within their existing organisation as well as to increase job
mobility.
Contact:
H-8000 Székesfehérvár, Pirosalma u. 1-3. Tel: 22 348 271 Fax: 22 327 697
Email: geoinfo@cslm.hu
Louisiana Tech -
Louisiana Tech offers a Distance Learning certificate in GIScience.
From their website..."The Distance Learning Certificate in Geographic
Information Science is a
Continuing Education
program delivered via the
Internet. The Certificate
program is an excellent
opportunity for working
professionals to gain valuable
GIScience training on
a flexible schedule without having
to travel to attend
classes."
They recommend the following skills from applicants:
Experience in the field where you plan to apply GIScience technology
(a bachelors degree, or 2 or more years professional experience)
Experience working in a windows-based computing environment
Experience navigating the Internet
Tuition is roughly $480 per class
Courses:
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Database Creation and Management in GIS
Data Integration in GIS: Understanding and Applying
Vector and Raster Data Sets
Spatial Analysis in GIS
Contact: Spatial Data Lab, LA Tech School of Forestry, PO Box 10138,
Ruston, LA 71272, (318) 257-3714
Oregon State University -
OSU currently offers Geog465/565 - an intro to GIS course via their distance ed. program. Complete lecture material and labs are available online as are bibliographies, past term papers, and a nifty discussion board to keep in touch with distance ed. class mates.
Johnston Community College -
GPS/GIS Technology Program. According to the website..."Johnston Community College proposes to conduct a pilot project designed to restructure the delivery of Geographic Information Science in an attempt to meet the burgeoning need for trained spatial information users in North Carolina. The goal of this project is to provide geographic information science training to the people of North Carolina who have been denied the opportunity." Courses listed include Intro to GIS, GIS/GPS, Advance GIS, raster GIS, Air Photo Interpretation, and many more... a very impressive list!
Be sure to check out details of the Dr. William A. (Bill) Finch, Jr. Scholarship (PDF). To top it all off, JCC maintains a Virtual Classroom which hosts a number of the distance ed. program resources and learning aids.
Contact:
Darryl McGraw
Dean of Information Technology
Johnston Community College
PO Box 2350
Smithfield, NC 27577
email: mcgrawdarryl @novell.johnston.cc.nc.us
voice: (919) 209-2000
Earth Observing System (EOS) Education Project at The University of Montana -
The EOS Education Project disseminates Earth imagery, develops interdisciplinary programs, and deploys advanced technologies to the global K-16 education community. The EOS Education Project combines Web-based technologies and educator workshops for the interpretation, utilization and relevancy of geospatial information. According to Charlotte Lauerman, the K-12 Online Curriculum Instructor for the Earth Observing System (EOS),"...we investigate how geoinformation enhances our exploration and understanding of the diverse and changing landscapes of the world."
Online courses include; ArcView GIS: GEOG 495.3 Introduction to ArcView GIS, GEOG 495.2
Intermediate ArcView GIS, and GEOG 495.4 Advanced ArcView GIS. These courses are available for three undergraduate or graduate credits, and they are ten weeks in length. The courses are online and instructor led, thus are not self-paced. They are written and taught in a somewhat non-technical fashion, as they are geared towards K-12 school teachers, and hopefully someday school children. These courses are perfect for the person with no GIS or technical background.
Be sure to check out the following white papers:
- Geospatial and Internet Technology Integration
- EOS Technology Strategy
UNIGIS -
A worldwide network of educational institutions offering distance learning courses in GIS.
According to their website, institutions
within the UNIGIS network offer internationally recognised
qualifications for GIS professionals and those seeking to enter the field. Members of the
UNIGIS network offer postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and Masters courses in Geographical Information Systems by open and distance
learning. Additional information from member schools are provided within this document.
Contact:
Austria - unigis@sbg.ac.at
Canada - poiker@sfu.ca
Czech Republic - unigis@mendelu.cz
Ecuador - unigis.admin@mail.usfq.edu.ec
Hungary - mb@cslm.hu
Italy - unigisstaff@sit.iuav.unive.it
Netherlands - unigis@feweb.vu.nl
Portugal - unigis@isegi.unl.pt
Romania - unigis@hidro.utcb.ro
Russia - simonov@informika.ru
South Africa-Pretoria unigis@postino.up.ac.za
South Africa-Port Elizabeth unigis@petech.ac.za
Spain - Irene@giscampus.udg.es
Sweden - hans@geomatics.kth.se
UK - unigis@mmu.ac.uk
USA - jpwilson@rcf.usc.edu
Tel: 0161 247 1581
Fax: 0161 247 6344
Email: UNIGIS@mmu.ac.uk
Simon Fraser University, UNIGIS -
The emphasis of the SFU UniGIS program is on acquiring knowledge of the
design and implementation of Geographic Information Systems. It provides the
necessary
background to understand spatial relations and geographic modelling and
to
undertake geographic analysis. The program consists of 12 courses, each
requiring 70 to 85 hours of study over a
two month period. The program is designed to be completed within
approximately
two years. Admission to the program will be determined by an assessment
of the candidate's
academic qualifications, work experience and commitment to the field of
GIS.
Preferred candidates will have a degree from a recognized university or
professional
institution. In addition, candidates will normally be expected to have
appropriate
experience working in GIS or a related field.
Cost:
Tuition fees are Cdn $1,350 or U.S. $1,025 for each of six 4-month terms
which covers all materials and instruction for two courses, or an annual fee
of Cdn $4,000 or U.S. $3,000 which covers the costs for six courses.
Additional Information:
UniGIS, Department of Geography
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
Email unigis@sfu.ca
Telephone 604.291.5095
Fax 604.291.5098
USC GIS Distance Learning Certificate Program - This 12-unit (three-course) graduate
program
leads to a Graduate Certificate
in
Geographic Information Science.
Our courses incorporate ESRI Virtual Campus ArcView courses taken by
over 70,000
students in 170 countries: Introduction to
ArcView GIS (in GEOG-581), Spatial Analyst and
Network Analyst (in GEOG-583), and 3-D Analyst
(in GEOG-585), or another of your
choice. Students complete the ESRI Internet
courses in tandem with USC course material.
USC pays the ESRI course fee and students
recieve the ESRI Course Certificates upon
successful completion of each ESRI course.
Read this article which appeared in ArcNews for more info about the
program
http://www.usc.edu/dept/geography/learngis/arcnews.html
Students taking this course may be eligible for Hope Scholarship And
Lifetime Learning Tax Credits
TOTAL PROGRAM COST: $10,019
The University of Colorado ON-LINE MASTER OF ENGINEERING DEGREE - GIS - The University of Colorado at Denver offers an on-line Master of Engineering degree - Geographic Information Systems. The MEng-GIS degree at CU-Denver is multidisciplinary involving Civil Engineering, Geography and Environmental Sciences, Urban and Regional Planning, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Engineering Management. The 10-course degree builds on a core curriculum of 7 GIS courses in association with 3 electives in the student’s domain of interest. A GIS Certificate option is also offered. The degree is offered on-line using web-based course instruction and telecommunications technologies. It is possible for a student to complete all degree requirements at distance.
Contact:
Lynn E. Johnson, Professor & Director, MEng-GIS Program
Dept. Civil Engineering, CB 113
University Colorado at Denver
1200 Larimer St.
PO Box 173364, Denver, CO
80217-3364.
Email: Lynn.Johnson@cudenver.edu
GeographyWeb - Between January 1997 and
August 1998, the GeographyWeb project created Internet-based
instructional materials and course homepages for Geography Departments
at the University of Colorado. This homepage contains links to five
geography lessons on the Web.
University of Huddersfield, Geographical Sciences -
In partnership with colleagues from Manchester Metropolitan University
and Salford
University, the Department offers the unique, 'UNIGIS',
programme of studies leading to
either a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or
MSc in Geographical
Information Systems.
The diploma consists on ten modules, eight of which are
compulsory.
To obtain a placein the program you need:
a first degree or HND or equivalent,
and/or relevant professional qualifications,
and/or relevant experience.
Each application is considered individually on the basis of
qualifications and experience,
and attitude and degree of commitment are particularly
important. Candidates with an
inadequate background in Geography, Computing or related
studies who are otherwise
eligible for admission to the course may be advised to
undertake foundation studies.
These may include attendance at appropriate courses or
recommended reading.
The course leader for the UNIGIS programme at Huddersfield is Derek
Reeve (Phone : 01484 472246 Email: d.e.reeve@hud.ac.uk)
Penn State World Campus Certificate in GIS -
The Penn State World Campus GIS certificate program is comprised
of four
courses. Each course involves 40 to 80 hours of
student activity (depending
on prior computing and GIS experience). The courses
are delivered via a combination of information technologies
including (but not limited to) Internet/WWW, CD–ROM,
e–mail, and print.
The World Campus GIS program has a formal partnership with ESRI and
relationships with organizations such as Intergraph
and the Urban and
Regional Information Systems Association (URISA). In
addition, the
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a
division of the American
Planning Association, has approved the World Campus
GIS certificate
program as an AICP–sponsored education program for
planners, worth a
total of 40 continuing professional development
credits.
Students must have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and should
be
familiar with the Windows operating system and the
World Wide Web.
A SpatialNews reader tells us the program consists of four 10 week web-based courses, for 16 continuing
education credits. "There are two "tracks", one using GeoMedia Pro and
MFWorks, and the other using ArcView and Spatial Analyst. I've taken two of
the four courses, and I'm quite pleased with the scope of the program and
the quality of the instruction."
Costs: Courses range from 395 - 995 each and materials including
software and books will need to be purchased.
It is recommended that students have a minimum, 300 mhz pentium PC with
a 15" monitor
Contact:
psuwd@psu.edu
Western Michigan University -
Western Michigan University's (WMU) self-instructional courses
offer students the opportunity to take courses without
limitations of time and place. Courses are developed
and
approved by University faculty and meet the same high
standards as the traditional face-to-face courses.
No GIS courses are currently offered, however, several geography courses (credit)
are available including Geology of National Parks and Monuments,
Human Geography, and Geography of Michigan. Plans are in the works for additional Engineering related
courses to be offered.
UC Riverside - In cooperation with the ESRI Virtual Campus, UC Riverside offers several distance learning modules in GIS. These include;
- Introduction to ArcInfo Using ArcMap, ArcCatalog and ArcToolbox -A Self-Paced Online Course
- Introduction to Visual Basic for ESRI Software
- Introduction to ArcView GIS
- Introduction to ArcView Spatial Analyst
- Introduction to ArcView 3D Analyst
- Introduction to Avenue
Additionally, the UCR Extension, University of California, Riverside, has scheduled an intensive program July 2-Aug. 31 in Geographic
Information Systems. Participants may earn the prestigious UCR Extension certificate in GIS in eight weeks by taking the
"full bundle" of 10 courses (prerequisite course is Introduction to ArcView). Details can be found in this Press Release
University of Leeds School of Geography -
The School is one of the top research-based Geography Departments in the
UK, gaining a '5' Rating in the Research Assessment Exercise in
1996. They offer a MA/Dip/PgCert in GIS for Business and Service
Planning.
Contact:
odl@geog.leeds.ac.uk
Houston Community College -
Dr. Kenneth L. Russell from the Dept. of Geology and GIS
Houston Community College informs us that Houston Community College offers
"Introduction to GIS/GPS" as a distance
education course each semester including summer. This is a four credit
course with emphasis on GIS principles and real-world problem solving.
It uses ArcView as the main software. More Details are on our web site.
ESRI's virtual campus - thousands of ESRI users around the world have taken training from ESRI's
virtual campus. Select from Introduction to ArcView GIS, Map Projections, What's New in ArcInfo 8 and much more.
Be sure to check out the Free course section for dozens of free training modules. Credit from some courses
can be applied to the Penn State certificate program in GIS.
Non-credit courses and online Tutorials
GIS Self Learning Tool - University of Melbourne - This is a general introduction to GIS, its algorithms and applications. It is not software specific. Shockwave is required for the interactive components. The developers would appreciate feedback. Topics covered include raster overlay, vector and raster analysis, data entry, line generalisation, and more.
(Added 05.01.01)
ArcView Tutorial - Christoph Uhlenküken Prof. Dr. U. Streit, Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster, Germany
has developed this popular online training module.
IDRISI Tutorial - IDRISI is a rasterbased GIS & image processing software serving a broad range of tasks.
Put together like modules makes this training somewhat similar to the IDRISI package, which consists of
approximately 120 single programs, called 'modules'.
The tutorial will try to give you an overview to IDRISI's capabilities, and show you some ways how to solve spatial problems.
Some background in GIS and fundamentals of GIS are recommended. Developed by Eric Lorup.
JShape Online Workshop - Online JShape trianing module covering the basics through to
complex scripting of this popular Java mapping program.
NCGIA - The National Center for Geographic Information Analysis (NCGIA) is a research consortium whose main focus is to conduct basic research in
geographic information science and its related technology. There are three sites in the consortium: University of California at Santa Barbara, State
University of New York at Buffalo, and the University of Maine. They provide core curriculum to assist educators
in developing GIS related course content. Comprehensive course material is provided starting with an intro to GIS and
the fudamentals, as well as numerous in-depth, topic specific lecture material.
University of Alberta Environmental Studies Program - Environmental Resource
Management Certificate Program, Applied Land Use Planning Certificate Program, Geographic
Information Systems, Natural Resources
GPS training From Trimble - for those of you looking to get some experience with GPS, Trimble offers this online
tutorial designed to introduce you to the fundamentals. Start off with how GPS works, then delve into
differential GPS, navigation, and GPS mapping.
The Remote Sensing Tutorial - for those of you looking to get some experience with GPS, Trimble offers this online
tutorial designed to introduce you to the fundamentals. Start off with how GPS works, then delve into
differential GPS, navigation, and GPS mapping.
Other Training Options & Resources
Online course in Physical Geography through the University of Regina
Geography 221 is an introduction to the physical basis of
geography. This course provides a basic understanding of
the atmospheric, hydrological, biological and geological
processes which account for the earth's landscapes and
their geographic variability. The interaction of human and
physical processes, in terms of physical constraints and
opportunities for land use and human impacts on the
physical environment, is also considered. The lab
exercises provide an introduction to the quantitative and
practical aspects of physical geography.
Students must receive permission from the head of the
Department of Geography at the University of Regina to take
this course. Please contact the Geography office at (306)
585-4222, or send an e-mail to Dr. Randy Widdis, Acting
Head (randy.widdis@uregina.ca). Listing Added (08.07.01)
Destination Lab - A collaboration between the U.S. Space & Rocket Center® and the
world's largest independent, nonprofit R&D organization, Stanford Research Institute,
International (SRI). With its combination of small classes, mentor-based learning and field work, Destination
Lab is designed to address the needs of the GIS novice and the expert. An outgrowth of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, GTAC provides the next step on the
learning and training continuum. GTAC's mission is to become the gateway for the
dissemination and application of GeoSpatial technologies. One of the first programs to
emanate from GTAC is Destination Lab™...a unique field-based, immersive GIS training
experience. They boast 3-5 day project-based classes that combine: technology instruction, real-world
application exercises, field work and video teleconferencing. See the
Press Release.
NCGIA Core Curriculum in GIS
This is a resource for educators, however, anyone looking for material to familiarize themselves
with GIS should look no further. No credits or certificats to be had here, however, you will find some excellent material
for self-learning and teachers can pick and chose some fine material to incorporate into the classroom.
From the NCGIA "...In keeping with the spirit and success of the original Core Curriculum and to meet the same specific need in the GIS education
materials market, the new Core Curriculum will concentrate solely on providing fundamental course content assistance for
educators - formally as lecture materials, but adaptable for whatever instructional mode each course instructor wishes to use.
Thus, as before, we are not interested in compiling a comprehensive textbook for students, but rather, lecture note outlines
similar in structure and content to those used originally. As a "core" curriculum, it is not intended to impose any specific structure
or educational objectives. Nor does it imply any required content for GIS courses. Instructors will be encouraged to pick and
choose amongst the materials on offer in order to develop courses suited specifically for their own students. Course design
remains the responsibility of individual instructors."
Material Includes:
Fundamental Geographic Concepts for GIScience
Implementing Geographic Concepts in GISystems
Geographic Information Technology in Society
Application areas and case studies
Contact:
If you would like to contribute to this project, please send a brief email message describing your proposed contribution to
giscc@ncgia.ucsb.edu.
Gateway2Earth/AmericaView
According to their website, Gateway2Earth/AmericaView is a national consortium of universities,
colleges, schools, federal, state, local and tribal governments and industry
designed to promote the development of the satellite remote sensing industry
in the United States through improved access to geospatial data and
technology for education and research.
Gateway2Earth/AmericaView boasts a number of members including educational, commercial, and government partners.
Lists of members are posted on the website.
Third Gateway2Earth Conference at the NASA Stennis Space Center - April 2nd, 2001.
Details available at
http://www.spacecommerce.com/g2earth/
OhioView -
OhioView is a consortium of
state universities, the USGS
EROS Data Center, the NASA
Glenn Research Center,
OhioLINK, The Ohio
Supercomputer Center,
OARnet, and NREN whose
mission is to promote the
low-cost distribution of US
Government civilian satellite
data for public use. OhioView boasts a number of educational and government partner agencies.
Individuals looking for training material will find several remote sensing courses referenced from the website.
Courses include: Getting Started with ER Mapper, Use of Color Composites in Landsat TM Data, Using MultiSpec to create a 3-band composite.
There are also a number of K-12 targeted tutorials listed.
PTEX - The Petroluem Extension Service at the University of Texas at Austin is not strictly a geospatial educational resource, but definitely
a related vertical sector. Founded in 1944, PETEX specializes in training field-level personnel, administrative staff at oil and gas
companies, and the professionals who support and offer services to the industry. PETEX courses and materials
cover topics such as drilling, offshore, pipelines, production, well service and workover, compliance and
regulatory, skills training, and others.
Suggested Links
If you've developed online GIS courses or taken part in distance learning from any of the institutions listed above,
please send us your comments. We'd like to keep building on this section and provide pointers and comments
from course participants. Please send e-mail to
editor@geocomm.com
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