Geographic Information Systems

The MS in Information Systems & Technology with a concentration in GIS Solutions Development uses industry-oriented, design-centric curriculum to teach you GIS applications being used to solve real-world issues around the world.

The concentration in GIS Solutions Development prepares you for a successful career creating transformative GIS solutions for a range of corporations, institutions, and organizations. Rather than simply using these applications, you will be taught the skills to design them: spatial analysis, geodatabase design, and the creation of intelligent map applications. You’ll undertake collaborative, hands-on research with distinguished faculty-scholars and active practitioners in the field, scholarship that will prepare you to become an innovator in the field of GIS technology.

Program Highlights

• Designated inaugural Esri Development Center (EDC)
• Located 30 miles from Esri Headquarters (Redlands, California) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (near Pasadena, California)
• Established Advanced GIS Lab, aimed at stimulating student initiated GIS analysis, research, and solutions through corporate partnerships
• Hands-on practicum projects in transdisciplinary labs, including:
  • Humanitarian Trends
  • SafeRoadMaps
• Annually hosts GIS Day to engage students across different disciplines in the various applications of geospatial data
• This program is STEM designated, allowing international students who hold F-1 visas to apply for OPT work authorizations for a total of 36 months (an initial 1-year period and a 24-month OPT STEM extension) of paid work experience in the U.S. after graduation.

Capstone Project

Your GIS capstone course enables you to apply the knowledge you have learned in the program in a hands-on, project-oriented environment—professional experience critical for entering the GIS field. Capstone projects are supported and encouraged by CISAT faculty members, who connect students with industry partners offering internship opportunities.

Partnerships

The Center for Information Systems and Technology (CISAT) at CGU participates in industry and academic partnerships designed to create internships, collaborations, practicum courses, and other opportunities. These include:

Esri
Claremont Graduate University’s comprehensive partnership with Esri, the world’s leading supplier of geographic information system (GIS) software, offers numerous benefits, including:

• Scholarships for Esri employees
• The Esri Development Center enables CGU students and faculty to teach and develop state-of-the-art applications in the university’s Advanced GIS Lab
• GIS training and student recognition through an Esri-sponsored annual achievement award

Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance
CISAT is also a Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance Member, which gives our students and researchers access to the latest technologies for use in classroom assignments and projects.

IBM Watson Analytics Academic Program
To ensure students work with leading data analytics technologies, CISAT is part of the Watson Analytics Academic Program (WAP), which provides no-cost use of IBM® Watson Analytics software for classroom teaching and research.