Graduate Certificate in Geographical Information Systems

The Graduate Certificate in Geographical Information Systems is an 18-unit program offered by the School of the Environment within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

The Graduate Certificate in Geographical Information Systems articulates with the 36 unit Graduate Diploma in Geographical Information Systems.

• Admission requirements
• Course aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study

Admission requirements

Applicants will normally hold an approved degree or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution. Admission may also be granted based on prior work and voluntary experience. This must include four years of industry experience. Admission will be based on the extent to which work or voluntary experience has enabled the applicant to develop an understanding of Geographical Information Systems and any familiarity with software applications, databases or statistics.

Applicants who wish to be admitted on this basis will need to provide:

• curriculum vitae
• description of the roles and activities in work or voluntary positions
• description of the skills and abilities demonstrated through their work/voluntary experience
• name(s) of referee(s) who could verify work/voluntary experience.

Assessment of the work or voluntary experience will be undertaken by the Chair of the Course Management Committee. The Faculty Board may admit others who can demonstrate fitness for candidature.

The Graduate Certificate in GIS is not available to graduates of the Bachelor of Applied Geographical Information Systems or of equivalent undergraduate courses from other tertiary institutions. 

Course aims

The Graduate Certificate in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provides an introduction to the theory and application of GIS and remote sensing and is intended for students with an undergraduate degree that is not related to studies in GIS.

It provides a theoretical and practical framework for students from a range of graduate backgrounds, as well as those from the public sector and non-government organisations wishing to extend their choice of career path by acquiring knowledge and skills in the capture, synthesis and communication of spatially-referenced information.

It provides both a stand-alone program for the purposes of mid-career development, as well as an entry point into more advanced studies in the Graduate Diploma in Geographical Information Systems. Students will learn skills which are applicable to a range of areas such as urban and regional planning, infrastructure management, transportation, the environment, biological sciences, biodiversity management and archaeology.
 

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete the graduate certificate will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the processes required to combine and effectively manage various sources of data for spatial analysis
• undertake data manipulation and GIS analyses of the type commonly required in industry using ESRI&##39;s ArcGIS software
• demonstrate an understanding of remote sensing theory and principles that are fundamental to scientists across all areas, including its relationship and integration with GIS
• use the professional image processing software ERDAS IMAGINE for visualisation, geometric correction, analysis and inquiry of remotely sensed data.
  

Program of study

To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Geographical Information Systems, students must complete 18 units with a grade of P or NGP or better, from the following list of optional topics.

The Graduate Certificate in GIS is specifically designed to provide flexibility to students with different levels of GIS experience and skills. Specifically, the Graduate Certificate in GIS allows students who have already completed undergraduate introductory topics in GIS or remote sensing to complete more advanced topics in these areas, while also providing an entry level for those students who have no GIS experience.

A student&##39;s program of study must be approved by the program approver.

Except with the permission of the Faculty Board, a student may not include a topic (as credit or otherwise) which repeats work previously undertaken at the undergraduate level.

Option - Year 1 topics

18 units selected from:

 GEOG7701  Research Project Design, Conduct and Management  (4.5 units)
 GEOG8700  Geographical Information Systems GE  (4.5 units)
 GEOG8701  Introduction to Remote Sensing GE  (4.5 units)
 GEOG8702  Image Analysis in Remote Sensing GE  (4.5 units)
 GEOG8711  Advanced Digital Image Analysis GE  (4.5 units)
 GEOG8722  GIS Field Practice  (4.5 units)
 GEOG8731  GIS Modelling GE  (4.5 units)
 GEOG8732  Spatial Information Management GE  (4.5 units)
 GEOG9721  Spatial Statistics and Surface Models  (4.5 units)

 Note: a different 4.5 unit topic may be taken with the approval of the Course Coordinator.