Geographic Information Systems Undergraduate Certificate
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University offers a certificate program in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS interfaces, like ESRI ArcGIS, are focused on integration, management, and interpretation of remote and ground-based datasets and are important tools for a variety of fields, including physical and environmental sciences, life sciences, urban planning and management, political science, civil engineering, anthropology, economy/business, education administration, real estate, public health, and health care.
The primary goal of this certificate program is to ensure that students become grounded in GIS concepts and theory, including organization, management, and visualization of geospatial data, as well as in the acquisition and interpretation of remote datasets.
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Curriculum Requirements
A minimum of 13 credits distributed over two required courses and two electives is necessary to complete the GIS certificate, typically completed over two years. Required coursework includes Intro to GIS and Advanced GIS, plus two electives chosen from options like Remote Sensing, Remote Sensing for Environmental Analysis, Geospatial and Numerical Methods, or an Independent Study in GIS and Remote Sensing.
FAQs
GIS interfaces are important tools across a wide range of fields, including physical and environmental sciences, life sciences, urban planning, political science, civil engineering, anthropology, business, education administration, real estate, and public health. The certificate grounds students in core GIS concepts and theory — including organizing, managing, and visualizing geospatial data, and interpreting remote datasets — skills that translate directly into any of those fields.
Applicants must be Tulane undergraduate students*. No prior knowledge of GIS is required.
*Loyola undergraduates completing coursework at Tulane through a consortium agreement are not eligible to receive the certificate.
Students intending to complete the certificate should declare their enrollment in the GIS Certificate program by completing the 'Major/Minor Declaration' form to the Newcomb-Tulane College Academic Advising Center. Students should list 'GIS Certificate' as a minor and request the necessary signatures, including from the GIS Certificate Program Director.
Students should complete the Declaration of Intent form when they decide to pursue the GIS Certificate. This allows the faculty to coordinate the number and frequency of certificate course offerings.
In their final semester, students should complete the GIS Certificate Completion form to the program director (see below) for certification of course requirements pending in-progress courses.
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