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Geographic Information Science (GIS)

Advance your knowledge of GIS technology and tools that are applicable to a broad range of research fields and professional areas. Courses are offered in the evenings, on the weekend, and online, making the program accessible to working professionals.

Dept. of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Website
Students work in Tufts' Data Lab
  • Degree Offerings
  • Application Requirements
  • Faculty
  • Curriculum

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Office of Graduate Admissions
Bendetson Hall
Medford, MA 02155
(617) 627-3395
gradadmissions@tufts.edu

GIS Certificate
GIS tools and data help researchers, policy-makers, and community members visualize, explore, and interpret information across space to understand spatial relationships, patterns, and trends. Demand for GIS skills is growing across many industries and disciplines.

Tufts Geographic Information Science certificate focuses on principals of GIS, spatial analysis, spatial data management, and cartographic design. The GIS certificate will help you prepare for a career in GIS technology in a variety of professional industries or research domains including environmental studies, urban studies, public health, and more.

The certificate can be completed in 3 to 4 semesters and courses are offered in a flexible format, including in the evenings, weekends, and online.

As a student in the program, you’ll also have access to Tufts’ Data Labs, full-service computing labs dedicated to geospatial technology, statistics, and data science which serve as a hub for GIS activities at Tufts and are designed to foster collaboration and innovation. 

Related Programs

Application Deadline

Spring: September 15 (international applicants) and December 15 (domestic applicants)

Fall: June 1 (international applicants) and August 1 (domestic applicants)

Application Requirements

> Application Fee
> Resume/CV
> Personal Statement
> Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test, if applicable
> Transcripts
> One Letter of Recommendation

For more information, email certificates@tufts.edu or contact Sumeeta Srinivasan.

Faculty

Portrait of Sumeeta Srinivasan.
Sumeeta Srinivasan
Senior Lecturer
PhD , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Intersection of sustainable development and spatial inequities of access
Shan Jiang
Shan Jiang
Eileen Fox Aptman, J90, and Lowell Aptman Assistant Professor
Ph.D. , Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Big data analytics; spatial data science; urban mobility; urban science
Magaly Koch - Lecturer
Magaly Koch
Lecturer
Ph.D. , Boston University
Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems
Rebecca Shakespeare, Lecturer, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
Rebecca Shakespeare
Lecturer
Ph.D. , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Geographic information system; urban geography; housing; critical GIS

Curriculum

The certificate requires twelve credits. Most courses are three credits.

Two required courses (6 credits)

  • Introduction to GIS or approved Intro to GIS course equivalent
  • Advanced Spatial Modeling

Two electives from the following

  • Intro to Remote Sensing
  • Spatial Statistics
  • Interactive Web Mapping
  • One graduate-level statistical or quantitative methods course
  • Thesis or capstone with core spatial methods pending approval of GIS certificate coordinator
  • Other courses may be approved by the coordinator if they have a core spatial component.