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Accelerated Geographic Information Science Pathway
University of Redlands offers an internal GIS pathway program that allows you to pursue GIS as a future career path and earn a master’s degree in GIS within a year of completing your undergraduate degree at Redlands.
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science
Program Types
Pathway, Undergraduate
Mode of Study
On Campus
Department
Geographic Information ScienceSchool / College
College of Arts and Sciences
Why pursue a GIS pathway at Redlands?
The GIS pathway curriculum is designed with a focus on balancing both geographic information science and cutting-edge geospatial technologies. By following the pathway program curriculum, you will gain a solid understanding of geographic principles, develop technical skills using GIS software, and enhance your problem-solving capabilities through learning various applications of GIS, leading to a smooth transition through our highly reputable GIS graduate programs with the goal of earning a master’s degree during your fifth year at Redlands.
Classes you'll take
The pathway program curriculum includes one required course and three electives.
- Required Couse
- SPA 110 Introduction to Spatial Analysis and GIS (Fall & Spring)
- Take one elective from Category I*
- SPA 210 Advanced Spatial Analysis & GIS (Spring)
- EVST 205 Great Environmental Disasters (Fall)
- HIST 251 Mapping African History (Spring)
- EVST 350 Environmental Design Studio II (TBD)
- EVST 351 PanaMapping: GIS in the Jungle (May Term)
- EVST 391 Environmental Hydrology (Spring)
- SOAN 305 Mapping People Mapping Place (Spring)
- BUS 351 GIS & Spatial Analysis for Orgs (Spring)
- * Other classes with a GIS component may be approved as a Category I elective.
- Take two electives from Category II or one from Category II plus a summer GIS internship*
- SPA 425 Remote Sensing Image Analysis (Spring)
- GIS 411 Fundamentals of Geographic Information, Research, and Applications (Fall & Spring)
- GIS 467 Introduction to Programming for GIS (Fall & Spring)
- * The students who complete GIS 411 and GIS 467 with a minimum GPA of 3.0 are eligible to waive GIS 611 and GIS 667 required by the Master’s program. They will then be able to take additional electives.
SUGGESTED ACADEMIC PLANS
In order to complete the required courses, students need to make their academic plans before their senior year. Below are the 4-year, 3-year, and 2-year plan examples. Students will work in collaboration with their CAS advisor and their GIS advisor to customize an academic plan.
4-YEAR PATHWAY
This plan is suggested for freshmen who are interested in learning spatial literacy in their first year.
|
YEAR –SEMESTER |
AVAILABLE COURSE(S) |
|
|
Year 1 – FA |
SPA 100 |
|
|
Year 2 – FA |
SPA 110 |
|
|
Year 2 – SP |
SPA 210 | EVST 205 | HIST 251 |
Apply for GIS Pathway Program |
|
Year 3 – SP |
SPA 425 | EVST 391 | SOAN 305 | BUS 351 |
|
|
Year 3 – May |
EVST 351 |
|
|
Year 4 – FA |
GIS 411 |
|
|
Year 4 – SP |
GIS 467 |
|
3-YEAR PATHWAY
This plan is suggested for sophomores who want to complete the pathway program in three years.
|
YEAR –SEMESTER |
AVAILABLE COURSE(S) |
|
|
Year 1 – FA |
SPA 110 |
|
|
Year 1 – SP |
SPA 210 |
|
|
Year 2 – SP |
SPA 425 | EVST 391 | SOAN 305 | BUS 351 |
Apply for GIS Pathway Program |
|
Year 2 – May |
EVST 351 |
|
|
Year 3 – FA |
GIS 411 |
|
|
Year 3 – SP |
GIS 467 |
|
2-YEAR PATHWAY
This plan is suggested for juniors who have two years to complete the course requirement.
|
YEAR –SEMESTER |
AVAILABLE COURSE(S) |
|
|
Year 1 – FA |
SPA 110 |
|
|
Year 1 – SP |
SPA 210 | SOAN 305 | BUS 351| EVST 391 |
Apply for GIS Pathway Program |
|
Year 1 – May |
EVST 351 |
|
|
Year 2 – FA |
GIS 411 |
|
|
Year 2 – SP |
SPA 467 |
|
Program Info
The Spatial Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary program, which focuses on developing and applying spatial thinking in creative ways for research and studies in various academic fields. The Spatial Studies Minor curriculum includes a diverse choice of the electives from various disciplines such as environmental science, natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. In comparison, the GIS pathway program curriculum only contains the classes that largely focus on GIS fundamentals and technical skills. In addition, the pathway students will have opportunities to work with the faculty of the GIS Department and take Esri trainings through the Department’s arrangement. Through careful advising, the requirements for the GIS pathway can be fulfilled within the Spatial Studies Minor.
The students who did not take the pathway program are encouraged to apply for the MS GIS or MGIS program through the regular application procedure.
Students with a minimum GPA of 2.7 are eligible to apply for the GIS Pathway program.
The application starts after the freshmen year.
- Fill out the online Application Form
- Open to all University undergraduates with a minimum 2.7 GPA after their freshmen year.
- Students will be invited to the activities hosted by the GIS Department.
The students who fulfill the following requirements will be offered admission to the Master’s degree program of their choice.
- Complete the online GIS Application
- A bachelor degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA
- A grade of 3.0 or above in each of the Pathway courses
The GIS pathway students are eligible to apply for a special GIS scholarship available only to graduates of the U of R.
Undergraduate application deadlines
Fall 2025 - First Year
November 15, 2024 - Early Action
Fall 2025 - First Year
January 15, 2025 - Regular Decision*
Fall 2025 - Transfer
March 1, 2025 - Regular Decision*
Note
*Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after the deadline based on capacity.
Want to know more?
Get in touch with our admissions team.
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