The Future Is Yours!

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Bertram Blankenship
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1 The Future Is Yours! Choosing a Career in GIS Careers in GIS What is GIS? Employment and Salary Trends in GIS Employment and Salary Trends in GIS Sample Jobs Professional Certification CSUN Certificate Program Online Resources 1

2 What is GIS? GIS has two meanings, Geographic Information Science and Geographic Information Systems: Geographic Information Science explores the theoretical foundations of GeographicInformation Systems. Itis a multidisciplinary field that includes cartography, geodesy, cognitive psychology, representation, etc. A Geographic Information System (GIS) integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. Employment and Salary Trends U.S. Department of Labor lists geospatial technology as one of three emerging industries with the highest demand for works and potential growth over the next 10 years. Almost ALL industries use GIS these days so you can pursue a job path that falls within your interest. The State of California, Employment Development Department statistics show a growth rate of 66.7% in GIS employment over the past 10 years. This is growth rate is expected to continue. Job Category 25th%ile Median 75th%ile GIS Technician $ 30, $ 41,000 $ 44,500 GIS Analyst $ 60,000 $ 70,500 $ 95,000 GIS Developer $ 60,000 $ 81,000 $ 105,000 GIS Supervisor $ 75,106 $ 85,635 $ 110,000 Compiled from GISC, URISA, GISJobs.com, California Employment Development Dept. 2

Itis a multidisciplinary field that includes cartography, geodesy, cognitive psychology, representation, etc.

3 Sample Jobs and Careers Some Career Videos: GIS Technician GIS Data Analyst GIS Manager\Coordinator GIS Analyst\Specialist Director of Geographic Information Systems\Geographic Information Officer (GIO) GIS Programmer\Developer Educator Helicopter Pilot GIS Manager Professional Certification: Why? Professional recognition program for established GIS professionals. Means of identification that can be used by colleagues, employers, the public, and other licensed or certified professionals. Implementation of a professional code of ethics that identifies bad practices and upholds good practices Professional development yardstick through initial and renewal of certification requirements. 3

Professional recognition program for established GIS professionals.

4 Professional Certification: GISCI GIS Certificate Institute: Member organizations include University Consortium on GIS, National States Geographic Information Council, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, and Association of American Geographers. Professional Certification: Process\Qualifications GISCI Professional Certification created a system that adds objectivity (points) to the subjective (one s career) The URISA Certification Committee spent 4 years developing the points system The result of their effort is the GISCI Certification Program Educational Achievement (Bachelors degree unit courses in GIS) Professional Experience (4 years minimum) 10 pts per year for user (no training) 15 pts per year for technician 25 pts per year for analyst Contributions to the Profession Varies from publication to conference presentation Additional (Flex) Points in any of the three Categories: Total = 30 points 60 points 8 points 52 points 150 points 4

$Professional Certification: Process\Qualifications GISCI Professional Certification created a system that adds objectivity (points) to the subjective (one s career) The URISA Certification Committee$

5 Professional Certification: Benefits A 2006 GISP survey found the benefits to be: 7% salary increase Monetary bonuses, title change or promotion 30% feel it improved how they are perceived in their organization. The Salary found a $12,000 differential between the salaries of GISPs and non GISPs for comparable positions. Upon certification, GISCI sends a letter to your employer that highlights the achievement and explains how they can help with the renewal of certification of certification effort. CSUN Certificate Program Program Requirements: This certificate requires a total of 15 units and fulfills the educational requirements for professional certification by the GIS Certificate Institute. The following three listed in the recommended order will serve as the core of the curriculum. Geog 305/305L Maps and Graphics Geog 306/306L Intermediate GIS Geog 406/406L Advanced GIS (may be taken as 499C with permission of the GIS coordinator) Students must also select two courses listed below. Geog 304/304L Map Reading and Interpretation Geog 407/407L Remote Sensing Geog 408A/408AL Human/Cultural Applications in GIS and Lab Geog 408B/408BL Environmental/Physical Applications in GIS Geog 409/409L Computer Mapping Geog 460/460L Spatial Analysis Geog 494 Internship (Must be GIS/Cartography/Remote Sensing internship) Geog 497F Techniques (Must be GIS/Cartography/Remote Sensing topic) Geog 499C Independent Studies (Must be GIS/Cartography/Remote Sensing topic) Currently enrolled graduate students may also select one of the following courses: Geog 690D Graduate Seminar in Remote Sensing Geog 690F Graduate Seminar in Methods GIS Geog 690G Graduate Seminar in Applications in GIS Geog 699C Independent Studies (Must be GIS/Cartography/Remote Sensing topic) 5

Upon certification, GISCI sends a letter to your employer that highlights the achievement and explains how they can help with the renewal of certification of certification effort.

6 CSUN Certificate Program Why should I get a certificate from CSUN? Our certificate fulfills the educational requirements for professional certification. You won t get this type of training anywhere else, except ESRI which costs $1000 s of dollars for one class. We offer a lot of courses, so you won t get bored. We are constantly updating our program to address changes in geospatial technology. CSUN is well known in the GIS community, it will help you get a job. We guarantee a good time and you will meet a lot of future GIS professionals that will remain life long contacts. Check out our website! Dr. Yifei Sun Dr. Shawna Dark Dr. James Craine Dr. James Hayes Helpful Websites GIS Certificate Institute AAG URISA UCGIS GISJobs.Com Cartography and Geographic Information Society ica Center for Geographical Studies at CSUN 6

We are constantly updating our program to address changes in geospatial technology. CSUN is well known in the GIS community, it will help you get a job.

URISA Salary Survey for IT/GIS Professionals

URISA Salary Survey for IT/GIS Professionals November 2011 Published by: The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association 701 Lee Street, Suite 680 Des Plaines, IL 60016 Phone: 847/824-6300, Fax: