The Geospatial Intelligence postbaccalaureate certificate program comprises 5 required courses totaling 14 credits. The curriculum is designed so that all 14 credits earned in this certificate program count toward Penn State's online master of geographic information systems degree, should a student be accepted into the master's program.
The courses are spread over 4 primary competency areas. The recommended sequence in these areas for an individual seeking the Geospatial Intelligence certificate is:
- Conceptual Foundations (3 credits)
- Geographic Information Sciences and Technology (6 credits)
- Individual Professional Preparation (3 credits)
- Professional Integration (2 credits)
Competency Area 1: Conceptual Foundations (required first course)
- GEOG 882: Geographic Foundations of Geospatial Intelligence
Competency Area 2: Geographic Information Sciences and Technology (choose two 3-credit courses)
Select a first course:
- GEOG 497D: Lidar Technology and Applications (prior approval required)
- GEOG 883: Remote Sensing for the Geospatial Intelligence Professional
Select a second course:
- GEOG 483: Problem Solving with GIS
- GEOG 884: Geographic Information Systems for the Geospatial Intelligence Professional (prior approval required)
Competency Area 3: Individual Professional Preparation (choose one 3-credit course)
Select one:
- GEOG 485: GIS Programming and Customization
- GEOG 486: Cartography and Visualization
- GEOG 489: GIS Application Development
- GEOG 497D: Lidar Technology and Applications
- GEOG 585: Open Web Mapping
- GEOG 597K: GIS for Analysis of Health
- GEOG 863: GIS Mashups for Geospatial Professionals
- GEOG 884: Geographic Information Systems for the Geospatial Intelligence Professional
- GEOG 885: Advanced Analytic Methods in Geospatial Intelligence
- IST 885: Introduction to Multisensor Data Fusion
Competency Area 4: Professional Integration (capstone; required last course)
- GEOG 889: Seminar in Geospatial Intelligence
The Geospatial Intelligence certificate course content focuses not just on technical skills but also on the analytical knowledge necessary to apply those skills in the real world. In the capstone course, students apply what they have learned to complete a semester-long virtual field experience.
