The MSGIS Program provides students with the technical skills in geospatial management and analytics to enter the workforce. The program can be completed within one year (three semesters), with the flexibility to extend the timeline if needed.
With the GIS and spatial analytics market projected to reach $120 billion by 2027—and U.S. GIS-related job openings expected to grow over 9% in the next decade, with more than 30,000 annual openings according to the careeronestop sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor—mastering the ability to collect, integrate, and analyze geospatial data is essential for FSU students pursuing careers in environmental and natural resource management, urban and landscape planning, disaster mitigation, and health care.
The FSU Master’s Program in Geographic Information Science (MSGIS) empowers students with a robust foundation in geographic information systems, spatial analysis and modeling, remote sensing and digital image processing, and geovisualization. These skills open doors to impactful careers spanning a wide range of sectors, including environmental protection, urban planning, emergency management, public health, and beyond.
Degree Requirements
Digital Degree Checklist
The MSGIS degree requires a total of 30 graduate credit hours (5000 level or higher) which can be completed within 12 months (three semesters) for full-time students or a longer period for part-time students.
REQUIRED COURSES – Must be Completed with a B or higher
GIS5101/GIS5101L – Introductory GIS & Lab (3/1) (Fall/Spring)
GIS5034/GIS5034L – Introductory Remote Sensing & Lab (3/1) (Fall only)
GIS5106 – Advanced GIScience (3) (Spring only)
GIS5950 – GIScience Capstone (6) (Summer only)
Note that three of the four required courses are only offered during the semesters listed above due to faculty resource constraints. In particular, GIS5950 is a regularly scheduled course offered exclusively in the Summer semester, which differs significantly from a DIS (Directed Independent Study).
Substituting a required course(s): Students who have taken GIS4043/L Geographic Information Systems (or equivalent) and/or GIS4035/L Introduction to Remote Sensing (or equivalent) during their undergraduate studies may be approved to substitute these courses for graduate elective coursework as an alternative to retaking them. This requires approval from the Academic Program Specialist, Kristina Svec (k.svec@fsu.edu), and MSGIS Coordinator, Dr. Xiaojun Yang (xyang@fsu.edu).
FSU Policy states that coursework taken at the 3/4000 level cannot be applied toward a graduate degree. Students who have an exemption approval for GIS4043/L and/or GIS4035/L are required to substitute those hours in the form of GIS electives taken at the 5/6000 level.
ELECTIVE COURSES – Letter-graded courses must be Completed with a B- or higher.
*Elective courses are offered on a rotating basis, not all electives will be offered within a 1-year cycle.
Policy on taking courses outside of the department: Students are expected to enroll in elective courses offered by the department (refer to the approved list below). If you are interested in taking an elective course offered by another department that aligns with your MSGIS degree and your academic objectives OR if extenuating circumstances necessitate enrolling in an outside elective, you must contact both the MSGIS coordinator, Dr. Xiaojun Yang (xyang@fsu.edu) and the Academic Program Specialist, Kristina Svec (k.svec@fsu.edu), to request approval.
Please note that formal signature approval (contact the Academic Program Specialist for the form) is required for any non-departmental course to count toward degree requirements. Failure to obtain approval may result in a delay in graduation. Typically, only one course taken outside the department may be counted as a MSGIS elective.
Specific DIS Policies: One DIS hour is allowed for those who do NOT request exemption from GIS4043/L or GIS4035/L, and two DIS hours are allowed for those who request exemption from GIS4043/L OR GIS4035/L. No DIS hours can be counted for those who request exemption from GIS4043/L AND GIS4035/L. To enroll in DIS please contact the MSGIS Program Coordinator for permission to enroll in the course.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Policy: It is expected that all elective courses are taken for a letter grade with the exception of students taking approved DIS credit. Any courses taken S/U must receive prior approval from the MSGIS Coordinator, Dr. Xiaojun Yang (xyang@fsu.edu) or they will not count into the MSGIS degree program.
TECHNIQUES-ORIENTATED:
GEO5165C – Quantitative Geography (3)
GIS5038C – Advanced Remote Sensing (3)
GIS5103 – GIS Programming (3)
GIS5111 – Spatial Modeling in GIScience (3)
GIS5112 – GIS Databases (3)
GIS5122 – Applied Spatial Statistics (3)
GIS5131 – Geographic Visualization (3)
GIS5305 – GIS for Environmental Analysis & Modeling (3)
GIS5306 – Environmental Change Modeling (3)
GEO5934 – Special Topics: Local Statistical Modeling (3)
APPLICATIONS-ORIENTATED:
GEO5378 – Landscape Ecology (3)
GEO5934 – Special Topics: Urban Climate & GIS (3)
GIS5331 – Florida GIS Applications (3)
GIS5400 – GIS Applications in Social Sciences (3)
GIS5605 – GIS Local Government (3)
*Technical electives offered by other departments (e.g., machine learning, artificial intelligence, programming, statistics, field data collection through drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems, …) must be approved by MSGIS Program Coordinator, Dr. Xiaojun Yang (xyang@fsu.edu).
Electives Approved for the Pathways Program
Electives Approved to Double-Count for Students in the Undergraduate Pathways Program.
Approved Elective Courses – Must be completed with a B- or higher
(3) GEO5165C – Quantitative Geography
(3) GIS5013 – GIS Programming
(3) GIS5112 – GIS Databases
(3) GIS5131 – Geographic Visualization
(3) GIS5305 – GIS for Environmental Analysis and Modeling
(3) GIS5331 – Florida GIS Applications
(3) GIS5400 – GIS Applications in Social Sciences
(3) GIS5605 – GIS Local Government
➡️Learn more about the Combined Pathways Program.