Program Summary
Earn an Online Certificate in Remote Sensing and Earth Observation
The need for GIS professionals who can work with remotely sensed imagery and terrain models is increasing rapidly, along with the rise in new satellite and drone platforms for capturing imagery.
The Penn State World Campus Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing and Earth Observation provides a foundation in remote sensing, terrain mapping, and image analysis for the geospatial professional who possesses a working knowledge of fundamental principles in GIS.
The Penn State Difference
With one of the most respected online GIS programs in the country, Penn State takes pride in providing convenient online instruction to aspiring and experienced GIS professionals since 1999. As a leader in online geospatial education, we constantly refine our curriculum to incorporate emerging trends to ensure that you gain skills using today's most widely used technologies and analytical methods.
For more than 15 years, our nationally ranked, award-winning GIS programs, coupled with our extensive alumni network, have provided graduates with the knowledge and confidence they need to excel in this growing field.
Your Online Remote Sensing Courses
This 12-credit, four course online certificate program boasts a curriculum that addresses the theory, methodologies, and techniques for the professional application of remote sensing in geographic information systems and analysis. Completing this certificate can empower you to leverage data gathered from sources such as satellites, drones, and lidar. You'll also learn how to use computational methods to automate the analysis of earth observation data and integrate those skills into a GIS workflow.
Our remote sensing certificate program can help prepare you to sit for the GISP, ASPRS, and/or USGIF certification exams. In addition, the credits you earn in this program may also be applied to the Penn State Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) or Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security – Geospatial Intelligence Option (iMPS HLS-GEOINT), if you apply and are accepted into one of these competitive programs.
Gainful Employment Disclosure
The U.S. Department of Education requires universities to disclose a variety of information for any financial aid eligible program that "... prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation..."
Please visit the Remote Sensing disclosures page to review the Federal Aid Gainful Employment Disclosure for the Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing and Earth Observation.
Accelerated Admission to the Online Master of GIS (MGIS)
This certificate can help you take the next step into higher-level graduate studies. Any geospatial certificate student who earns a 3.67 GPA or higher after completing the first three courses of the certificate may apply to the MGIS program through this new option. Advantages of accelerated admissions include:
- No GRE test is required
- No professional experience is required
- No letters of recommendation are required
Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, so you can learn about your admission decision even earlier. Up to 15 credits of certificate program courses may also count toward the MGIS degree. Learn more about how you may qualify for the Master of GIS accelerated admission option.