{"id":1724,"date":"2021-04-19T12:58:46","date_gmt":"2021-04-19T19:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1724"},"modified":"2024-07-23T11:59:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:59:53","slug":"giscience-online-certificate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/giscience-online-certificate\/","title":{"rendered":"Oregon State’s GIScience online certificate is an entirely hands-on experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a website that touts the \u201c1,000 applications and uses\u201d of geographic information science and how the field is \u201cchanging the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

If that sounds like hyperbole, Kuuipo Walsh is here to assure you that it is not.<\/p>\n

GIScience is a technological field that integrates geographical features with data to map and analyze real-world problems. This technology is everywhere in the world around us, in ways we see and cannot see.<\/p>\n

Walsh, the director of Oregon State University\u2019s GIScience program, says this pervasiveness is driving the high demand for professionals with spatial analysis skills.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s how our smartphones can show us real-time roadway traffic. It\u2019s how public health experts developed vital COVID-19 dashboards and maps. It\u2019s how we track packages and how self-driving cars go.<\/p>\n

And that demand is why Oregon State offers an Undergraduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cGIScience certificate-holders will be in demand as spatial analysts in basically every field including all technical sectors, in government, in any type of environmental field, health care and civil engineering,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our students are involved in natural resources-related fields. If you\u2019re interested in analyzing where things are, why they\u2019re there and how they\u2019ve spread, you\u2019ll have the skills to do so once you complete the certificate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what else Walsh had to say about the features and benefits of Oregon State\u2019s GIScience online undergraduate certificate program.<\/p>\n

What practical skills will students gain in the program?<\/h2>\n

\u201cAll of the coursework in the GIScience online certificate comes with hands-on experience, and it all helps students gain practical skills. There\u2019s a very practical side of collecting spatial data.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsing cartography as an example, you\u2019re creating maps, then critiquing and using them to communicate. You bring that data to your computer and try to find patterns and relationships and apply statistical analysis to that data.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur students use all sorts of open-source data and products like Google Earth and ArtGIS. Every class includes lab work, and students are creating something through hands-on experience all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot

Kuuipo Walsh, director of Oregon State’s geographic information science program.<\/p><\/div>\n

How will students benefit from earning a GIScience online certificate?<\/h2>\n

\u201cWhat makes Oregon State special is that we have really world-class faculty who have won national and international awards. These are the people students will be learning from online, and that\u2019s the main benefit.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso, with the GIScience online certificate, students have the opportunity to gain real-world experience through a 10-week internship, which is very valuable. Oregon State is also a part of Esri\u2019s innovation program<\/a>. The chief scientist at Esri is Dawn Wright<\/a>, a longtime member of the OSU faculty.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are three tips for becoming a GIScience professional?<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. \u201cLearn how to program. This career has changed drastically in the last 10 years, moving from physical maps to digital maps and apps. The more you know about programming, the better.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. \u201cCreate an online r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and portfolio of all your maps and projects. Not only will it display your work, but also your skills in creating an online presence. A great way to highlight your skills and interests is through Esri\u2019s ArcGIS Story Maps<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. \u201cGet involved in professional organizations like URISA<\/a> and SCGIS<\/a> or any kind of community, and start networking. Ask people what they\u2019re doing specific to GIS. I really encourage my students to find an academic or professional conference they can attend.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What are some of the career opportunities this certificate can lead to?<\/h2>\n