Master of Geospatial Information Systems

Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally hold an approved degree or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution. The articulated graduate program in GISc is not available to graduates of the Bachelor of Applied Geographical Information Systems or of equivalent undergraduate courses from other tertiary institutions.

English language requirements

IELTS (Academic): 6.0 Overall with 6.0 Speaking, 6.0 Writing; TOEFL (Internet): 72 Overall with 18 Speaking, 18 Writing; Pearson PTE Academic: 50 Overall with 50 Speaking, 50 Writing; Cambridge English Advanced (CAE): B2

Course Details

The Master of Geospatial Information Science (MGISc) is a 72-unit program offered by the School of the Environment, within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

The MGISc provides students with advanced knowledge of the theory and application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing and is intended for students with an undergraduate degree that is not related to studies in GIS.

The program provides a theoretical and practical framework for graduates from a range of backgrounds, as well as those from the public sector and non-government organisations wishing to extend their choice of career path by acquiring knowledge and skills in the capture, analysis and communication of spatially-referenced information.

Masters students will develop and implement geospatial information science (GISc) skills and knowledge applicable to a range of areas, such as environmental management, urban and transport planning, environmental health, land-use dynamics, natural resources management, ecosystem services, biological sciences and archaeology, through a focused and in-depth research project accompanied by a written thesis.

Students completing the MGISc will be able to carry out research and analysis using spatially-referenced data and prepare research reports applicable to various fields of GISc application.

Learning outcomes

Students completing the Master of Geospatial Information Science will be expected to be able to:

• practice higher order skills in geospatial information science analysis applicable to a range of areas;
• demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of geospatial information science theory and methodologies;
• demonstrate an in-depth understanding of vector and raster GIS structures, relational and geo-databases, data input and data editing;
• demonstrate specialist skills in various remotely-sensed image types, their calibration, interpretation and information extraction practices through a range of transformations and classification methodologies;
• review, interpret and critically analyse literature;
• undertake self-directed research using spatially-referenced data and prepare research reports applicable to various fields of GISc application.

Your career

The use of geospatial information science technologies is rapidly increasing. GIS technologies are now commonly used in industries such as agriculture, forestry, mining, environmental management, biodiversity conservation, archaeology, health and the social sciences. Consequently, employers in these areas are now requiring their staff to have more skills in GIS.

Potential occupations include:

• geographic analyst
• GISc data coordinator
• GISc technician
• geospatial specialist
• mapping technology officer
• natural resource information officer
• remote sensing officer
• research officer
• spatial ecologist
• spatial scientist.

Potential employers include:

• government departments
• regional development centres
• agriculture and horticultural centres
• not-for-profit agencies
• private companies that supply or collect spatial information.

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