An accelerated master's program available to Michigan Tech students—complete the requirements with 24 credits beyond an undergraduate degree.
Earn your bachelor’s degree in forestry, applied ecology, wildlife ecology, or natural resource management—and take just one additional year to earn your master’s degree in geographic information science, a high-demand field that expands career and research options.
Planning urban growth. Precision farming. Forest management. Assessing groundwater contamination. Improving wildlife habitat. Preserving wetlands. Mapping natural hazards or disasters—or studying the causes and consequences of global climate change. Earning your MGIS expands the skill set you bring to your field of interest, and the job market.
This program is offered only as a coursework option—no thesis or report.
Program Strengths and Opportunities
- Your program includes advanced training in geospatial principles, and interdisciplinary studies in statistics, communications, environmental policy, and business.
- The US Department of Labor's Geospatial Technology Competency Model, which outlines skills and knowledge needed to perform as an effective GIS professional, was used as a guide to develop Michigan Tech's MGIS degree program.
- Save time and tuition dollars earning your graduate degree.
- Maintain continuity with facilities, faculty, and colleagues.
A data repository, additional teaching facility, and interdisciplinary hub, the Geospatial Research Core Facility housed in Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center brings together faculty and students across campus to collaborate on geospatial data and methods.
Funding Opportunities
- We work one-on-one to match students with funding that fits your needs, including assistantships and grants. Talk to us.
- Qualify to receive scholarships and financial aid while you have both undergraduate and graduate student status (based on eligibility).
- Michigan Tech Graduate School has scholarships and numerous other opportunities available.
How to Get Started
During your junior year, talk to the MGIS director and your academic advisor to ensure you’re on track for meeting graduate school prerequisites and degree requirements. Apply early to start taking classes and meeting your degree requirements during your senior year. All admissions standards for the Graduate School apply.
Accelerated MGIS Requirements
Credit Requirements
A minimum of 150 credits must be completed for the combined bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
- 30 credits are required for the master’s degree.
- 6 credits may be applied to both the bachelor’s and master’s degree. Prior to completing the master’s, students must indicate on their master’s degree schedule which undergraduate-level courses and credits (up to 6), should be applied to both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees. These classes will be 3000 or 4000 level classes required of the undergraduate forestry major.
- 4 of the remaining 24 credits can be completed as an undergraduate under senior rule, but the credits cannot be applied toward a bachelor’s degree.
Up to 12 credits of the 30-credit total may be at the 3000 or 4000 level. The 6 credits counted for both the bachelor’s and master’s degree count toward these 12 credits if they are at the 3000 or 4000 level.
For specific requirements of this graduate program please see the CFRES Graduate Handbook | Printable.
GPA Requirements
Only students in good academic standing, as defined by the Graduate School, are eligible to enter the accelerated MS program. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.