Portland State University is on a quarter system. GIS classes are mainly offered fall, winter, and spring terms, and are 4 credits each. If you take 1-2 classes per term, the 20 credits could be completed in 3-5 terms.
Students have up to 3 years to complete the Certificate program. Only courses taken within 3 years of the program completion date can be used to fulfill the program requirements.
Students who do not enroll for 4 or more consecutive terms will be “deactivated” by the Office of Graduate Studies, and should submit a Graduate Re-Enrollment Form to be able to register.
Price per-credit varies, depending on resident or non-resident status. A tuition rates can be found here: https://www.pdx.edu/student-finance/tuition
There is a small lab fee for most of the GIS classes and an online fee for fully online courses.
You can apply to any term except summer. At this time, the GIS program is on a rolling enrollment schedule; however there are 3 application deadlines:
For admission to Fall term: Deadline is May 1
For admission to Winter term: Deadline is October 15
For admission to Spring term: Deadline is January 15
If you do not register for the term to which you are admitted, your admission will be canceled unless you notify the office of admissions and the geography department prior to the beginning of that term. You may defer up to 3 terms within the same academic year using the Graduate Admissions Change of Term Form.
If your undergraduate GPA was 2.75 or better, you may be admitted conditionally. More information can be found at: https://www.pdx.edu/geography/gis-to-apply
If you take 9 graduate credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or better, the graduate GPA can be used in lieu of your undergraduate GPA.
The geography department has removed the GEOG 380 prerequisite from the GIS certificate. Students no longer need to complete GEOG 380 to start the certificate program.
No, community college credits cannot be used to fulfill the certificate requirements because all certificate courses must be taken at the 500 level. Portland Community College (PCC) course GEO 170 (formerly GEO 264) can be used to waive the 380 prerequisite for the certificate.
No, only GEOG 588 (GIS I taken for graduate credit) can be used toward the Certificate program. GEOG 588 is a core requirement of the Certificate. Students who took GEOG 488 may request a waiver for GEOG 588. If the waiver is approved, they must take GEOG 575, 581, or 597 to make up the 20 graduate credits needed to complete the GIS Certificate program.
You will need to apply for the non-degree enrollment option (described below) or postbaccalaureate status in order to register for class. Then, if you still wish to apply to the Certificate program, you must apply before the deadline.
Note: Non-degree students are restricted to part-time, not-formally-admitted enrollment. Student services, student housing and course availability are more limited. Non-degree students are not entitled to financial aid.
For more information on non-degree enrollment or postbac status, please see the PSU Undergraduate Admissions page.
Yes, the GIS certificate credits can count toward a master’s degree. All 20 graduate certificate credits can be used directly toward PSU Geography Master's degree if the student has been conferred the certificate by PSU. In addition, students can take up to 1/3 of the masters program's total credits (e.g., 15 credits for a 45 credits program) before they are officially admitted. These pre-admission credits can be transfer credits from other institutions or PSU graduate credits that are not used toward the GIS certificate. The student's advisor or thesis committee may request additional coursework beyond the master program's required credits if the student has taken excessive graduate credits before they are officially admitted to the master's program. Please note, the application processes for the Certificate and the Master's Degree are entirely separate. Just because you are accepted into the GIS Certificate does not guarantee acceptance into the Master’s Program.
The 20 graduate GIS certificate credits can be used toward a master's or PhD degree, but not toward other PSU graduate certificate programs. Please check with your department if there is any departmental restriction on graduate degree requirements.
Take all required and elective courses for a letter grade (A-F) and achieve a cumulative PSU graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher and a cumulative program GPA of 3.0 or higher. Note that satisfactory completion of a graduate course is defined as a letter grade of B- or higher.
Apply for Graduation. Note: This must be done in the first week of the term in which you wish to graduate. Without completing this application, the Office of Graduate Studies does not know to process your program completion and award the Certificate. Your Certificate will be sent by mail, so make sure you put your current address on the form! The Graduate School will notify the Geography Department about your application to graduate. If you have met all of the requirements, the Geography Department will submit the final paperwork to the Graduate School.
We have many successful stories of our Certificate students. The GIS skills taught in our curricula are sufficient for many GIS positions. As you know, education is just one of the components of a successful career. The learning environment at PSU also offers many opportunities for students to prepare for a career in GIS. Here are some useful GIS career related links.