Studies & Degrees in Spatial Information Technology

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Have you recently completed an undergraduate program, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in a field such as Information Systems, Geology or Engineering?  Are you thinking about advancing your education, perhaps to gain more knowledge and experience in your field and to make yourself more marketable from an employment standpoint?  If you answered yes to these two questions, you may be an ideal candidate for the Master of Science Degree program in Spatial Information Technology.  To give you an idea about what this degree entails, below we will highlight some of the background information with regards to the Master of Science Degree in Spatial Information Technology, including a brief description of the program, the rationale behind earning the degree and the minimum eligibility requirements for admission into the program.
 
Master of Science Degree in Spatial Information Technology:  General Description and Requirements
 
The Master of Science Degree in Spatial Information Technology is an interdisciplinary program, offered by the Graduate School of Technology in a number of colleges and universities throughout the country.  In addition to the core requirements students must take in disciplines such as Information Technology and Information Systems, the program also offers a number of elective courses which allow students to focus on their key areas of interest—areas in which a knowledge of Spatial Information Technology is essential.  These elective courses are contributed by a number of different departments, including the departments of Engineering, (particularly Survey Engineering and Mining Engineering), Mathematics, Geology, Forest Resources, and Environmental Science, among others.
 
The coursework for the M.S. degree program in Spatial Information Technology aims to provide students with an expertise in one of the two main areas of the field:  terrestrial remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS).  The program, which typically spans two years or four full semesters, requires approximately 36 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. In addition to the traditional classroom experience, the program also involves outside projects, internships and applied research within the students’ areas of interest. Once students successfully complete the coursework they will be required to develop and present a thesis to the faculty, although some institutions will also allow a capstone project report or comprehensive examination as an alternative to the thesis. 
 
Students who wish to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Spatial Information Technology must have at least a bachelor degree in a relevant field, with a 3.0 grade point average in all core and elective coursework.  Depending on the institution, an entrance examination and an interview with the faculty may also be required prior to admittance.
 
Why Pursue a Master of Science Degree in Spatial Information Technology?
 
The Master of Science Degree in Spatial Information Technology is a highly specialized program, one in which students receive the knowledge and experience working with technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, digital image processing, photogrammetry and cartography.  Graduates who have background working with these types of measurement and analysis tools are highly sought in a number of different employment sectors, including fields such as forestry, wildlife management, environmental and civil engineering, volcanology, geology and geophysics, regional planning, surveying and archaeology.  There is currently a shortage of personnel in all of the above-named professions, and according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of jobs involving Spatial Information Technology is expected to increase by more than 20% in the next several years.