The MS in GIS Administration degree program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours, including 12 credit hours of business courses and 24 credit hours of GIS coursework. It has only one track. 

Admission to the GIS Administration program does not require an undergraduate geography or related degree. However, foundation-level proficiency in GIS and experience with Esri ArcGIS Pro software is required to be successful in the program. These foundational proficiencies can be completed alongside core program courses or separately through our Graduate GIS Certificate program.  Many students enter with no previous GIS coursework. 

Admission Requirements

In addition to the University graduate admission requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the department bases decisions for regular admission on a holistic review of credentials in which the following criteria are used to assess the potential success of each applicant:

• GIS academic preparation*
• Submission of a letter of intent demonstrating graduate-level motivation and writing abilities
• Submission of a resume including appropriate employment at increasing levels of responsibility
• List two names of professional and/or academic references including title, email, and phone number

*Transcripts are reviewed to determine if GIS foundational proficiencies have been met. 

No more than 49% of program requirements for this degree may be in traditional business subjects.  

Degree Requirements

Candidates admitted to the GIS Administration program are required to complete all courses with a “C” grade or better and maintain an overall graduate and GIS GPA of 3.0 (B) or better. Core courses that are not compliant with UWF's six-year time to degree policy must be reviewed to determine proficiency. Enrollment in core GIS courses is generally limited to GIS candidates.

GIS Capstone is a culminating academic and intellectual experience to be completed at the end of the program. The capstone course must be taken 2 times over 2 full-term semesters totaling 6 credit hours where students complete the project in 2 parts:  Capstone Planning (3 credit hours) and Capstone Execution (3 credit hours). The capstone can be administrative, programmatic, or research-focused. The capstone course serves as documentation of the student's personal mastery of professional competencies. It is designed to be an integrative experience for Professional Science Master's students.

GIS Capstone Project - The capstone project includes a written paper and a public oral presentation of the project. Students will need to identify a client contact for their project and maintain communication with them all the way through the capstone project process. Also, students will need to link their GIS capstone to the client's organizational mission. The organization can range from a small non-profit to a large multinational corporation. The capstone project should affirm the student's ability to think critically and creatively, solve practical problems, make ethical decisions, communicate effectively, and draw on coursework where relevant.

 Geographic Information Science Administration

UWF’s online GIS degree includes a total of 36 credit hours. You’ll explore 12 credit hours of business management skills and 24 credit hours of advanced geographic information science topics.

If you do not have a GIS background, 15 credit hours of foundational proficiencies courses are required and can be taken alongside the business classes. Foundational proficiencies do not count towards the degree. Many students enter with no previous GIS course work.

Foundational Proficiencies (15 sh)

Management Core (12 sh) 

Geographic Information Science (GIS) (24 sh)

No more than 49% of program requirements for this degree may be in traditional business subjects. 

Graduate Certificate in GIS

Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences

Semester Hours: 12

The Graduate Geographic Information Science Certificate program is designed to teach students and working professionals both the highly in-demand technical skill of using industry-standard geospatial software as well as a strong conceptual foundation in Geographic Information Science. Graduate level courses focus on project development and management relating to various applications. Required courses and GIS internship have been carefully combined to reflect the real-world requirements needed for careers in the geospatial sciences.  Students completing this program can expect to be marketable as GIS Technicians, GIS Analysts, GIS Specialists, and GIS Managers within various industries. All courses are offered online.  

Admission to the Graduate GIS Certificate program does not require an undergraduate geography or related degree. However, foundation-level proficiency in GIS and experience with Esri ArcGIS Pro software is required to be successful in the program. These foundational proficiencies can be completed alongside core program courses.  Many students enter with no previous GIS coursework. 

All graduate-level foundational proficiency courses and core courses with exception to the GIS Internship can be applied to the MS in Geographic Information Science Administration program. 

Admission Requirements

• Admission to UWF as a degree or non-degree seeking graduate student
• Submission of GIS Certificate Program Application
• Provide proof of a Bachelor's degree from a post-secondary institution accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and course syllabi for any GIS coursework
• Submission of letter of intent demonstrating graduate-level motivation and writing abilities 

Inquiries should be addressed to gisonline@uwf.edu. The department's GIS staff will assist in all matters of application, admission, degree planning, and graduation. All students planning to enter the program must meet with an advisor to develop a degree plan.

Course Requirements

Foundational Proficiencies

Candidates are expected to have completed the equivalent of the following foundational proficiency courses. Courses that are not compliant with UWF's 6-year time-to-degree policy must be reviewed to determine proficiency. Foundation courses and core courses may be taken concurrently pending department approval.  

Core Courses

Students are required to complete the following core courses with a grade of "C" or better and maintain an overall 3.0 GPA to be awarded the Graduate Geographic Information Science Certificate.