This graduate certificate is for persons employed in geospatial intelligence applications (i.e., federal agency and/ or corporate or association personnel) or those interested in entering this field. Our program offers fundamental knowledge on geospatial intelligence and the ability to apply this knowledge to a diverse range of constantly evolving geospatial intelligence situations. This graduate certificate has been accredited by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation.

The majority of courses required for this certificate are also available online. For more information visit Mason Online.

The graduate certificate in geospatial intelligence may be pursued on a part-time or full-time basis, and qualifies for Title IV Federal Financial Aid.

Admissions

University-wide admissions policies can be found in the Graduate Admissions Policies section of this catalog.

Applicants to this graduate certificate program should hold a BA or BS degree in a discipline related to the certificate's theme from an institution of higher education accredited by a Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agency or international equivalent. Applicants are expected to have undergraduate backgrounds that include courses in differential and integral calculus, and they should possess working knowledge of a computer programming language. Depending on the background of the individual student, the coordinator may recommend remedial or preparatory courses tailored to the student's needs.

Applicants to this certificate program must submit a current résumé. GRE scores and letters of recommendation are not required but will considerably strengthen an application, if available. 

To apply, prospective students should complete the George Mason University Admissions Application

Policies

For policies governing all graduate programs, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Premium Tuition Rate

This professional certificate program charges students at a differential (premium) tuition rate. This rate applies to all students who enroll in this certificate program, regardless of in-state or out-of-state status. The differential tuition will be used to fund continuing improvements in the departmental computational facilities used to support the certificate program.

Transfer of Credit

Students may transfer no more than 3 credits into the certificate program with the approval of the academic director.

Banner Code: SC-CERG-GI

Certificate Requirements

Total credits: 18

This certificate may be pursued on a full-or part-time basis.

Students should refer to the Admissions & Policies tab for specific policies related to this program.

Core Courses

The mandatory core courses reflect the three key science emphases of this program: geospatial image analysis, spatial analysis, and information technology:

GGS 553Geographic Information Systems3
GGS 680Earth Image Processing3
GGS 684Selected Topics in Geospatial Intelligence3
GGS 685Capstone Course in Geoinformatics3
Select one from the following:3
Introduction to GIS Algorithms and Programming
Spatial Data Structures
Web-based Geographic Information Systems
Total Credits15

Elective

Select one additional elective course from the following:3
Advanced Geographic Information Systems
Remote Sensing
Spatial Agent-Based Models of Human-Environment Interactions
Introduction to GIS Algorithms and Programming
Terrain Mapping
Spatial Data Structures
Location Science
Social Media Analysis
Web-based Geographic Information Systems
Hyperspectral Imaging Systems
Scientific Data Mining for Geoinformatics
Total Credits3