GRADUATE FACULTY COUNCIL DOC. NO. 914 Approved March 24, 2003

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1 GRADUATE FACULTY COUNCIL DOC. NO. 914 Approved March 24, 2003 RECOMMENDATION OF THE GRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE AND THE FACULTY OF THE URBAN PLANNING PROGRAM FOR CHANGES TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CERTIFICATE IN URBAN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I. Current Graduate School Bulletin Copy Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems (GIS) The Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems is designed to provide a formal program of studies for students who wish to pursue careers in geographic information systems in local government. Students wishing to earn the Certificate must be enrolled in a master's degree program in any department at the University or have received a master's degree from UWM in Urban Planning or a related field. Students in the Certificate Program must complete a minimum of 21 credits while maintaining a GPA of B or better from the following groups of courses: GIS Core Required Courses: 9 Credits UrbPlan 791 Introduction to Urban GIS for Planning UrbPlan 792 Using Urban GIS for Planning UrbPlan 793 Applied Projects in Urban GIS GIS Core Elective Courses: 6 Credits Geog 403 Remote Sensing: Environmental and Land Use Analysis Geog 405 Introductory Cartography Bus Adm 747 Systems Analysis and Design Civ Eng 594 Physical Planning and Municipal Engineering GIS Elective Courses: 6 Credits Bus Adm 711 Managing Information Systems Bus Adm 744 Management of Information Systems Bus Adm 749 Data Management Systems Geog 440 Geography of Cities and Metropolitan Areas Geog 525 Geographic Information Systems Pol Sci 965 Municipal Management UrbPlan 794 Advanced Techniques in Urban Geographic Information Systems UrbPlan 991 Legislative/Administrative Agency Internship UrbPlan 999 Independent Study Students wishing to obtain the Certificate must meet the minimum admission requirements of the Graduate School. Students also must declare their intention by applying to the

2 Graduate Faculty Council Doc. No. 914 p. 2 Approved March 24, 2003 Department of Urban Planning and receiving the Department's approval prior to the student's completion of the three GIS Core Required Courses. Non-degree students also must provide evidence of having completed a master's degree prior to initial enrollment in the Certificate Program. Students will be advised by the Urban Planning faculty who teach GIS courses. Following completion of the program requirements and after the student has shown evidence of receiving a master's degree from UWM, a Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems will be awarded to the student by the Department of Urban Planning. The program of study must be completed within seven years of initial enrollment in Urban Planning 791. II. Summary of Proposed Changes Modify the certificate to conform to the GFC's policy on graduate certificates. The certificate will be changed to be a post-baccalaureate certificate targeted at those wishing a professional certification in Geographic Information Systems without pursuing a Master of Urban Planning degree. Specific changes will 1) Decouple the UGIS certificate from the MUP degree 2) Reduce the number of credits from 21 to 18 3) Decrease the time limit from 7 to 3 years, consistent with guidelines for an 18-credit certificate III. Justification for Proposed Changes The graduate Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems has existed since In that time, 42 students have received the certificate. Because of changes in the national standards relating to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) professional certification and changes in the UWM Graduate School s policies regarding certificates and concentrations, the Department of Urban Planning conducted a review of our existing curriculum options related to GIS and how these fit with national and UWM standards. As a result, the faculty concluded that the certificate program should be revised to fit the Graduate School s postbaccalaureate certificate option. The existing graduate certificate should be eliminated and recast as a transcript-designated concentration within the Master of Urban Planning degree. As a result of these changes, the post-baccalaureate certificate will be targeted toward those individuals seeking a career as GIS professionals who hold GIS technical support roles in organizations in a variety of fields. This has been the focus of the existing certificate program. About half of those who have earned the existing certificate fill specialized GIS

3 Graduate Faculty Council Doc. No. 914 p. 3 Approved March 24, 2003 support positions. The market for such positions continues to be strong. In addition, the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is about to initiate a professional certification program in geographic information systems that will include points for the courses in this GIS Certificate thus potentially increasing the demand for a formal professional development program such as this. INSTITUTIONAL MISSION Relationship to Mission of Institution UWM's mission is centered on meeting the diverse needs of Wisconsin's largest metropolitan area by providing a wide array of degree programs, a balanced program of applied and basic research, and a faculty who are active in public service. The post-baccalaureate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems will maintain UWM s program array while maintaining the quality and relevance of the program in light of national standards and UWM policies. About half of the recipients of the current certificate work in Wisconsin, many in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. A number of local organizations require the services of GIS specialists. These include engineering companies, governments, utility companies, and planning and development firms. Demand also exists in health care, banks, retail firms, and non-governmental organizations. Fulfilling this demand is central to UWM s mission. Relationship to/impact on Other UWM Programs The impact of the proposed certificate program is likely to be two-fold. First, the certificate program offers a set of specialized skills to graduates of a large number of UWM undergraduate programs, including geography, engineering, architecture, business, anthropology, and biology. Second, the proposed list of courses includes courses in geography and business. Additional courses may be added in the future, including courses in information studies and computer science. Although most recipients of the current GIS certificate have pursued it as part of their Masters of Urban Planning degree, a number of students have completed the degree in conjunction with degrees in geography or anthropology. The proposed certificate would be available to students with undergraduate degrees in any field. NEED GIS is becoming an increasingly specialized and growing field, providing spatial data management and analysis services to a broad range of business and public organizations. In 1999, the publication, US News, identified the occupation as one of the 21 hot jobs for the 21st century, claiming the number of GIS positions in local government alone will rise from 20,000 to 36,000 in the next decade. Beginning in 2003, the new national GIS professional certification program ( ) will provide for GIS certification and also

4 Graduate Faculty Council Doc. No. 914 p. 4 Approved March 24, 2003 required continued professional education. This is likely to increase the demand by existing professionals to obtain education specifically concentrated in GIS. The Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA) announced that it will encourage educational institutions to offer GIS degrees and certificates as stand alone programs rather than as part of other academic disciplines. The availability of a stand alone certificate would undoubtedly attract even more students than the current certificate. Some alumni of our master s program really sought only the GIS certificate, but could receive the certificate only as part of a master s degree. The target population for the certificate will be individuals seeking to become GIS professionals or seeking to upgrade their GIS skills. Many will have undergraduate degrees from academic institutions that did not offer GIS education at the time they were enrolled. These are people seeking careers in technically oriented GIS support units. Job titles for recipients of this certificate would include GIS Specialist, GIS Analyst, or GIS Coordinator. Estimated enrollment in the certificate is anticipated to start at 10 students annually. Comparable programs at other universities: University of Alaska Anchorage - Certificate in GIS (undergraduate program 32 credits) California State University Long Beach - Certificate in GIS (no degree required short courses) Cleveland State University - Certificate in Urban GIS (baccalaureate degree required 9 credits) University of Connecticut - Certificate in GIS (baccalaureate degree required 12 credits) George Mason University - Professional Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (baccalaureate degree - short courses) Idaho State University - Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in GeoTechnologies (baccalaureate degree required 19 credits) University of Massachusetts at Boston - Certificate in GITechnologies (no degree and undergraduate program 6 courses) University of North Alabama - Certificate in GIS (no degree required 15 credits) Oklahoma State University - Certificate in GIS (baccalaureate degree required 21 credits) Rutgers University Professional Certificate in Geomatics (no degree required short courses) St. Cloud State University - Certificate in Geographic Information Science (baccalaureate degree required 15 credits) San Diego State University - Certificate in GIS (no degree required short courses)

5 Graduate Faculty Council Doc. No. 914 p. 5 Approved March 24, 2003 San Francisco State University - Certificate in GIS (no degree required short courses) San Jose State University - Certificate in GIS (graduate or undergraduate program 18 credits) Southwest Texas University - Certificate in GIS (no degree required 16 credits) University of Utah - Certificate Program in GIS (no degree and undergraduate and graduate programs 23 credits) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND EVALUATION The post-baccalaureate certificate in Geographic Information Systems is designed for those individuals seeking careers as GIS specialists, providing geographic data management, spatial analysis, and GIS system management support to professionals in a broad range of disciplines, including criminal justice, health services, city and regional planning, civil and environmental engineering, transportation, and marketing. The program includes core courses (12 credits) covering the structure of geographic data, components for managing geographic information systems, spatial analysis, and delivery of geographic information through maps and displays. An additional 6 credits of electives may be taken related to geographic data obtained through remote sensing, map-making, data management systems, and internship. The program is both a disciplinary concentration and a multidisciplinary area of study. A number of universities have launched disciplinary degrees in GIS (see, for example, Clark University - MA in Geographic Information Sciences for Development and Environment Program; University of Colorado at Denver - MEng in GISystems; University of Denver - MS in GIScience; University of Minnesota - Professional Masters in GIS; University of Redlands - MS in GIS; St. Cloud State University - MS in Geographic Information Science; St. Mary's University of Minnesota - Certificate and MS in Resource Analysis; Salem State College, Massachussetts - MS in Geo-Information Science; University of Texas, Dallas Master of Science in Geographic Information Sciences.) While a number of educational institutions offer Associate Degrees in GIS, the above universities offer the GIS degree only at the masters level. The relative lack of undergraduate degrees in GIS suggests that the field is considered too technical and specialized for an undergraduate degree program, leading institutions to opt for offering the associate degree (if that is their mission) or a post-baccalaureate certificate or masters degree. At the same time the certificate program is fundamentally multi-disciplinary, drawing upon computer science, geography, information science, and other fields. All of these disciplines are brought together to enhance student s skills in the particular area of geographic information systems. Level of program Post-Baccalaureate for students who have completed a bachelor s degree, are enrolled for graduate credit, but are not enrolled simultaneously in a graduate degree program.

6 Graduate Faculty Council Doc. No. 914 p. 6 Approved March 24, 2003 Learning objectives and competencies, and professional or certification/licensure standards The proposed certification program for GIS professionals that is expected to be adopted by late 2003 or early 2004, will provide certification points for a GIS Certificate that requires 400 student activity hours or more. This program requires 810 student activity hours. Competencies included in certification points include eleven knowledge areas designated by the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) Model Curriculum Committee (in process): 1. Conceptualizing space with regards to scale, pattern, location, and region. 2. Measuring, referencing, and locating spatial conceptualizations using map projections, coordinate systems, spatial relationships, topology, diffusion, and network flows. 3. Data structures and data modeling. 4. System design, database design, and other design techniques. 5. Data acquisition, sources, and standards. 6. Data manipulation and transformation such as vector-to-raster conversion, line generalization, attribute aggregation, projection transformation, and transaction management. 7. Visualization and communication of data. 8. Data analysis, spatial analysis, data mining, and other data-driven analyses. 9. Spatial statistics, spatial sampling, classification, network analysis, map algebra, and attribute queries. 10. Organizational and institutional aspects of implementing and using GIS technology. 11. Professional, social, and legal aspects of GIS and the use of spatial data. The proposed program is designed to address most of these knowledge areas. Alternative instructional models A few universities have designed GIS educational programs for delivery over the Internet and the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science is testing different distance education techniques for GIS courses, so it is possible that this program could be expanded in the future by incorporating distance education courses. IV. Effects on Resources No additional resources are needed to implement these changes. V. Proposed Graduate School Bulletin Copy Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems The Certificate in Geographic Information Systems is designed for those individuals seeking careers as GIS specialists, providing geographic data management, spatial analysis, and GIS system management support to professionals in a broad range of disciplines, such as criminal

7 Graduate Faculty Council Doc. No. 914 p. 7 Approved March 24, 2003 justice, health services, city and regional planning, civil and environmental engineering, transportation, and marketing. Certificate holders will seek employment in positions such as GIS Specialist, GIS Analyst, or GIS Coordinator. The program includes 12 credits of core courses on the structure of geographic data, components for managing geographic information systems, spatial analysis, and delivery of geographic information through maps and displays. An additional 6 credits of electives are taken in coursework to remote sensing, map-making, data management systems, or internship. Upon completion of the certificate courses, a student is awarded the certificate which qualifies for 5 credential points in the GIS Certification Institute s standards for professional certification in GIS. Application and Admission Students interested in the UGIS Certificate should contact the Department of Urban Planning. Those who are not already admitted to a UWM graduate degree program must submit a graduate non-degree application form and an official undergraduate transcript to the Graduate School. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or a graduate degree to be accepted into the certificate program. For international applicants, whose first language is not English, a score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of at least 600 (250 on the computer-based version) or an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.0 must also be submitted. Credits and Courses Required Courses (12 credits) UrbPlan 791, Introduction to Urban Geographic Information Systems for Planning (3 crs.) UrbPlan 792, Using Urban Geographic Information Systems for Planning (3 crs.) UrbPlan 793, Applied Projects in Urban Geographic Information Systems (3 crs.) UrbPlan 794, Internet Geographic Information Systems (3 crs.) Elective Courses (6 credits) Geog 403, Remote Sensing: Environmental and Land Use Analysis (4 crs.) Geog 405, Introductory Cartography (4 crs.) Geog 525, Geographic Information Science (4 crs) Bus Adm 749, Data Management Systems (3 crs.) UrbPlan 991, Legislative/Administrative Agency Internship (3 crs.) UrbPlan 999, Independent Study (1-3 crs.)

8 Graduate Faculty Council Doc. No. 914 p. 8 Approved March 24, 2003 Grade Point Average Requirement To continue in the program, a student must maintain a minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM. Transfer Credits Up to 3 credits of graduate coursework in GIS and related courses may be considered for transfer to the certificate program. To be eligible for transfer, the course must have been completed within the last 2 years, the student must have received a grade of B or better, and the GIS Certificate Coordinator must approve the course for transfer. Time Limit Students must complete all courses for the certificate within 3 years from the date of initial enrollment in the certificate program. VI. Recommendations for Action 1) The changes to the Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems are approved as outlined above. 2) The changes will become effective for the fall semester. Students already enrolled in the certificate program will have the option of following either the old or new requirements.