Bachelor’s to Master’s in GIScience Pathway

Undergraduate students interested in a graduate degree in Geographic Information Science (GIScience) may be eligible to apply for the Bachelors/Master’s Pathways Program. The GIScience Pathway will help you build strong skills in geographic information technologies (GIS, spatial analysis and modeling, remote sensing, geovisualization, etc.) which can help expand your professional opportunities. The combined MS GIS pathways program allows you to share or double count, up to 12 graduate credit hours between your undergraduate degree AND the master’s degree in GIScience, both must be earned at FSU.

Please read over the entire Pathways Program guide below. For advising and/or questions on the MS GIS Pathways program, please reach out to Camden Reynolds (csr22@fsu.edu).

Overview of Requirements and Policies

1. Complete the following requirements:
   • Complete (4) GIS4043/L – Intro to GIS & Lab with a grade of C- or higher.
   • Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
   • Junior or Senior status to begin graduate level courses.
2. Apply to be added to the GIS Pathway program as an Undergraduate student.
3. Register for Graduate level courses.
4. Submit a Graduate Application for the term you plan to begin the Graduate program.
   • Fall 2024 Deadline: July 1st
   • Spring 2025 Deadline: October 1st
   • $30 application fee.
   • ALL other requirements are waived for students on the MS GIS Pathway (Statement of Purpose, 3 Letters of Recommendation, Resume/CV, transcripts)

Time to Start Graduate Program
Students in the Bachelor/MSGIS Pathways Program are expected to start the Graduate Program the term (Spring or Fall) after completing their Undergraduate Studies. Applications submitted in the immediate semester after graduating are guaranteed admissions (3.0 GPA or higher is required) and the above application documents will be waived. Otherwise, any students applying more than one semester after completing their undergraduate studies will not be guaranteed admission and their application documents will not be waived. 

Once a MSGIS Pathways student is admitted into the graduate program, they can request one semester off with the approval from the Graduate Director. Leave of absence or 2 or more consecutive semesters off (e.g. due to medical or personal hardship) requires a formal process of approvals. Students who take 2 or more consecutive semesters off without approval will be discontinued from the program and will need to reapply.

Grad level courses approved to double count in Undergraduate and Graduate studies will be transferred to count in both degrees’ regardless of when a student starts the graduate program.

Important policies for taking Graduate level courses as an Undergraduate student at FSU:

• Graduate level courses must be completed with a B- or higher to count in the Graduate Degree.
• Students can double count up to 12 credit hours, ONLY 6 hours per semester.
• Students who choose to pursue a degree at another institution are not guaranteed the ability to transfer graduate coursework earned as part of a combined pathways program at FSU to count in that other institution’s program(s).

How to Apply

Step 2: Applying to the GIS Combined Pathways

Currently enrolled undergraduate students at FSU may qualify for the Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway where up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework will count towards requirements for both degree programs (BA/BS and MS). The Combined Pathway only accepts applications for the spring and fall semesters.

The Combined Pathway Application

For Combined Pathway coursework beginning in a specified semester	Application deadline
Fall	July 1
Spring	November 1

Once you have satisfied the above requirements, you will contact Academic Program Specialist, Camden Reynolds (csr22@fsu.edu) to be added to the Combined Pathways Program. Once you are added you will be eligible to take graduate level courses and begin your graduate application.