We recognize that the geospatial intelligence professional is expected to understand and make analytic judgments on a broad spectrum of problems, support diverse customer sets, and cope with unprecedented types of information. Given these challenges, Penn State is committed to providing a flexible curriculum to meet the exceptionally diverse needs of the working professional.
All courses are online and instructor led. You'll complete weekly assignments, submit projects online, take quizzes, and receive feedback from faculty. The geospatial course work includes, but is not limited to, geographic foundations of geospatial intelligence, GIS, and remote sensing.
The geospatial intelligence analytics graduate certificate program comprises six courses totaling 15 credits. The curriculum is designed so that all 15 credits earned in this certificate program count toward Penn State's online Master of Geographic Information Systems or Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security programs, should a student be accepted into one of these highly competitive master's programs.
Prescribed Courses (15 credits)
- GEOG 571: Intelligence Analysis, Cultural Geography, and Homeland Security — 3 credits
- GEOG 883: Remote Sensing Image Analysis and Applications — 3 credits
- GEOG 884: Geographic Information Systems for the Geospatial Intelligence Professional — 3 credits
- GEOG 885: Advanced Analytic Methods for Geospatial Intelligence or elective— 3 credits*
- GEOG 594A: (Capstone) Culminating Experiences in Geospatial Intelligence Analysis - 1 credit
- GEOG 594B: (Capstone) Culminating Experiences in Geospatial Intelligence Analysis - 2 credits
The GEOINT Analytics 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.
The above course list is a typical sequence. Actual courses taken will vary based upon technical experience and will be determined upon consolation with your faculty adviser.
Program Flexibility
The GEOINT Analytics certificate program operates on five 10-week terms. With two terms that partially overlap in fall and spring, and one term in the summer, you are provided with the greatest flexibility possible in completing your certificate at your preferred pace. You can choose to schedule your courses without any overlap, or take as many courses as possible to finish sooner.
Registration for most courses begins three months before the start of the course. Given the limited number of seats available in our courses, early registration is strongly encouraged.
It is strongly recommended that students take only one course during each of the five terms.
Course List - Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence Analytics
Prerequisites as listed may be waived by the course instructor if you can demonstrate the required level of competency.
In order to determine the first day you are able to register for classes, enter your semester, campus location and student level into the Registrar's Registration Timetable. Note: Certificate students are considered 'nondegree' as the student level.
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Analysis, Cultural Geography, and Homeland Security | GEOG 571 | The application of cultural geography in the intelligence analysis and synthesis process by identifying prominent threats to civil security. |
3 credits |
| Remote Sensing Image Analysis and Applications | GEOG 883 | Understanding remote sensing systems' operation, data products, and processing techniques to address typical problem scenarios faced by the geospatial intelligence professional. | 3 credits |
| Geographic Information Systems for the Geospatial Intelligence Professional | GEOG 884 | How geographic information systems facilitate data analysis and communication to address common geographic problems faced by the geospatial intelligence professional. |
3 credits |
|
Advanced Analytic Methods for Geospatial Intelligence or Elective |
GEOG 885 or
Elective |
Prepares current and aspiring geospatial intelligence professionals to apply and interpret results of non-quantitative analysis and modeling techniques. or TBD |
3 credits |
| Culminating Experiences in Geospatial Intelligence (Seminar) | GEOG 594A | Seminar that brings together the threads of the Geospatial Intelligence program and reinforces the standards of professionalism applicable to geospatial intelligence analysis in government and business Prerequisite: GEOG 571, GEOG 883, GEOG 884, GEOG 885 or equivalent courses |
1 credit |
| Culminating Experiences in Geospatial Intelligence (Capstone) | GEOG 594B | Culminating experiences in current professional and ethical problems facing the geospatial intelligence professional. Prerequisite: GEOG 571, GEOG 883, GEOG 884, GEOG 885, GEOG 594A, or equivalent courses |
2 credits |
| Title | Abbreviation | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topographic Mapping with Lidar | GEOG 481 | Understanding lidar systems' design, operation, data processing techniques, and product generation to address typical application scenarios faced by the geospatial professional. | 3 credits |
| Problem Solving with GIS | GEOG 483 | How geographic information systems facilitate data analysis and communication to address common geographic problems. Prerequisite: GEOG 482 or GEOG 882 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| GIS Database Development | GEOG 484 | Database design, creation, and maintenance, and data integration using desktop GIS software. Prerequisite: GEOG 483 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| GIS Programming and Software Development | GEOG 485 | Customizing GIS software to extend its built-in functionality and to automate repetitive tasks. Prerequisite: GEOG 484 or GEOG 884 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| Cartography and Visualization | GEOG 486 | Theory and practice of cartographic design emphasizing effective visual thinking and visual communication with geographic information systems. Prerequisite: GEOG 484 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| Environmental Applications of GIS | GEOG 487 | Real-world applications of GIS and spatial analysis to investigate a variety of current environmental issues. Prerequisite: GEOG 484 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| GIS Application Development | GEOG 489 | Advanced topics in GIS customization, including the Systems Development Life Cycle, packaging and deployment, and consuming Web services. Prerequisite: GEOG 485 or GEOG 484 |
3 credits |
| Location Intelligence for Business | GEOG 497B | Understanding location technology and geospatial analysis to support an efficient and effective pathway to better business decisions. | 3 credits |
| GIS for Transportation Principles, Data, and Applications | GEOG 497C | This course examines the use of GIS principles, data, and applications that have been developed for the field of transportation. Prerequisite: GEOG 483 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| Intelligence Analysis, Cultural Geography, and Homeland Security | GEOG 571 | The application of cultural geography in the intelligence analysis and synthesis process by identifying prominent threats to civil security. | 3 credits |
| Geospatial System Analysis and Design | GEOG 583 | Systematic approach to requirements acquisition, specification, design and implementation of geospatial information systems. Prerequisite: GEOG 484 |
3 credits |
| Geospatial Technology Project Management | GEOG 871 | Principles of effective project management applied to the design and implementation of geospatial information systems. Prerequisite: GEOG 583 |
3 credits |
| Open Web Mapping | GEOG 585 | Design, development, and implementation of web mapping applications using OGC standards and open source software. Prerequisite: GEOG 485 |
3 credits |
| Geographical Information Analysis | GEOG 586 | Choosing and applying analytical methods for geospatial data, including point pattern analysis, interpolation, surface analysis, overlay analysis, and spatial autocorrelation. Prerequisite: GEOG 485 or GEOG 486 or GEOG 487 |
3 credits |
| Planning GIS for Emergency Management | GEOG 588 | Requirements analysis and proposal writing to plan and implement GIS solutions supporting emergency management activities of government agencies and contractors. Prerequisites: GEOG 583, GEOG 584; GEOG 488 recommended or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| Emerging Trends in Remote Sensing | GEOG 589 |
Advanced topics in remote sensing and image processing, including new sensors, applications, and decision making. Prerequisites: GEOG 480 and GEOG 883 |
3 credits |
| GIS for Health Analysis | GEOG 591 | The role of geographic information systems in understanding disease, including relevant spatial analysis and cartographic visualization techniques. Prerequisite: GEOG 484 |
3 credits |
| Geographic Dimensions of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) | GEOG 597G | Common platforms, analytical strategies, and policy dimensions of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in public, private, defense, and humanitarian applications. | 3 credits |
| Special Topics in Geospatial Intelligence Futures | GEOG 597I | Addresses cutting edge geospatial intelligence topics that impact the global academic and professional community. | 3 credits |
| The Earth is Round and Maps are Flat: Working with Spatial Reference Systems in GIS | GEOG 861 | Explores three important topics related to georeferenced data: datums, map projections, and grid systems. Prerequisite: GEOG 483 or permission of the program |
3 credit |
| GPS and GNSS for Geospatial Professionals | GEOG 862 | Cultivates a working knowledge of current and future capabilities of GPS and the emerging Global Navigation Satellite System. Prerequisite: GEOG 484 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| Web Application Development for the Geospatial Professional | GEOG 863 | Focuses on how geospatial professionals can create applications using industry-relevant geospatial APIs. Students will build applications using the core web technologies of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. | 3 credits |
| Professionalism and Ethics in Geographic Information Science and Technology | GEOG 864 | Prepares current and aspiring professionals to recognize, analyze and address legal and ethical issues in the GIS&T (geospatial) field. | 3 credits |
| Spatial Database Management for the Geospatial Professional | GEOG 868 | Advanced topics in the storage, management and retrieval of geospatial data using common proprietary and open-source relational database technologies. | 3 credits |
| Cloud and Server GIS | GEOG 865 | Theory and practical applications of using cloud computing and server resources to solve geospatial problems. Prerequisite: GEOG 484 or permission of the program |
3 credits |
| Advanced Analytic Methods in Geospatial Intelligence | GEOG 885 | Prepares current and aspiring geospatial intelligence professionals to apply and interpret results of non-quantitative analysis and modeling techniques. Prerequisite: GEOG 882 |
3 credits |
| Introduction to Multi-Sensor Data Fusion | IST 885 | General concepts, mathematical techniques, process models, computer architectures, and implementation issues. Prerequisite: GEOG 882 |
3 credits |
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.