Where can I study GIS?
We on the Esri education team frequently receive questions on the topic of "Where can I take GIS courses in colleges and universities?" This essay describes selected maps and listings from which GIS programs can be searched and investigated. These maps and listings may be helpful for students seeking certificates, courses, and degree programs, as well as faculty seeking employment.
1. The AAG Guide to Geography Programs. For many years, the AAG Guide was a longstanding, well-researched comprehensive printed book. Its current delivery mechanism is online, in a map-driven, interactive, filterable, and easy-to-use format. The Guide features programs beyond the USA, throughout North America and South America. While it is true that some GIS programs are housed outside of geography departments, the AAG Guide includes many of those GIS programs, as well.
2. GISDegree.org. Aspiring GIS students and current professionals can use GISDegree.org to browse all GIS degree programs offered at US colleges and universities. Their GIS program directory includes 400 colleges and universities with 1,000 degree programs in GIS, geospatial science, and related subjects. Visitors can browse programs by location (e.g., GIS programs in California), delivery (online versus on-campus), and level (bachelor's, master's, etc.), as well as GIS school rankings. The website also provides comprehensive degree guides written by GIS graduates with first-hand experience in GIS degree programs. Students can also use the website to learn about GIS professional certifications, conferences and clubs, and more. I've spoken with the creators of this site and they have done a noble job in making this very user friendly, up-to-date, and informative.
3. GeoTech Center's National Program Locator. The GeoTech Center's national program locator is map-based: You can can pan and zoom and search for an institution. If any information about an institution needs updating or your own institution is not showing on the map, a form is located below the map that provides a direct update to the GeoTech Center staff maintaining the map and listing.
The listings are valuable, but I encourage you to also do the following:
(1) Carefully consider what you want to do with GIS. Do you want it to be your main focus of your job, or a tool that you use as a city planner or a wildlife biologist or in some other capacity? What disciplinary focus motivates you beyond geospatial--is it population change, land use, natural hazards, design, health, business, sociology, or some other fields?
(2) Do a deeper dive--talk with the departments' staff and faculty, alums, friends, colleagues, and read other career advice elsewhere on this Esri education community blog and in the YPN community space when choosing a program. For programs outside the USA and outside the Americas, examine the resources from the International Geographical Union, the International Cartographic Association, and the European Association of Geographers. Also investigate the AGILE and the Chinese Professionals in GIS sites on www.agile-online.org and www.cpgis.org, respectively.
I have created a video to accompany this blog essay, here, that I hope is helpful as well:
https://youtu.be/MPyjQUJTILY?si=s84FFhpTfSJkSw-E
I hope this essay is helpful and I look forward to your comments.
--Joseph Kerski