Qualifying Review

The goals of the GIS Qualifying Review is to assess student’s progress in the program and their preparedness in taking the GIS practicum. During spring term of the first year in the program (or after 16 hours of graduate work in geography for part-time students), students will submit materials for their qualifying review. Outstanding Incomplete or In-Progress grades will not be a reason for postponing the review.

The Qualifying Review consists of:

• A GIS portfolio of all graduate work completed by the student. Students must present a complete portfolio of all papers and other substantive assignments done in the graduate program (original copies preferred) to the MSGIS Committee. Students should run a DARS report to include in the portfolio.

• A review essay outlining the student's interests in the field of GIS. The essay is designed to evaluate the student's ability to integrate material from graduate coursework in GIS with their professional interests and should provide a narrative that substantially synthesizes and critically reflects on the student's portfolio, pointing out main accomplishments and skills/competencies that warrant highlighting. The essay should include a self assessment of progress to date in the program, a set of professional objectives, and an explanation of how the student plans to work toward those objectives in the program. Please also provide a course plan for the next (second) year. In preparation for the GIS practicum, the essay should specifically speak to the nature and extent of the student's established and/or prospective connections with community partners (and pathways and timelines for establishing connections, where and when appropriate) that would make the student's practicum viable.

• A meeting with the MSGIS Committee. The meeting is for the committee and students to review the student's work in the program, research interests, and familiarity with general concepts in the primary fields of concentration. The review typically lasts 50 minutes.

• Committee’s recommendations to the student. The Committee recommends further coursework or other preparation at the conclusion of the review; a report of the review is added to the student’s file. If the committee identifies significant gaps in a student's preparation, the student will not receive department approval to enroll in 509 (Practicum) until deficiencies are addressed. Readings and Conference credit (505) may be restricted unless the committee specifically recommends a Readings and Conference class to address gaps in the student's program.

• Scheduling: For full-time students, portfolios and essays are due no later than Wednesday of Week 4 of spring term (regardless of when the review is scheduled). Reviews are scheduled for Weeks 5-10 of spring term. For reviews not held during spring term, portfolios and essays are due no later than one week before the review.

Qualifying Review Checklist

Please go through the checklist during the qualifying review.

• Present student’s ideas clearly and concisely

• Check DARS for progress in the program (on track to complete at least 27 credits toward the program for full-time students)

• Identify and articulate a career goal

• Have a plan to select a non-GIS topical course that aligns with the career goal(s)

• Identify a specialized geospatial data science focus area that aligns with the career goal(s)

• Articulate a plan to develop a feasible practicum proposal

GEOG 522 Research Design Expectations

MS in GIS students are expected to develop a proposal for their GIS practicum project. Please work with the course instructor and the MS in GIS Committee in the drafting of the proposal. See the GIS Practicum page for more information.

Potential literature review topics include but not limited to:

• GIS&T BOK

  1. DiBiase, D., DeMers, M., Johnson, A., Kemp, K., Luck, A. T., Plewe, B., & Wentz, E. (2006). Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge 1 (BoK1). UCGIS & AAG.

  2. University Consortium of Geographic Information Science. Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge 2 (BoK2). https://gistbok.ucgis.org/.

  3. DiBiase, D., DeMers, M., Johnson, A., Kemp, K., Luck, A. T., Plewe, B., & Wentz, E. (2007). Introducing the first edition of geographic information science and technology body of knowledge. Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 34(2), 113-120.

• Literature related to specific geo-spatial analysis techniques, methods, and/or methodologies in which the student is interested

• An area that would align with student-identified non-GIS topical area

• A real-world task that is being worked on by an organization with which the student is intended to partner for their GIS practicum