GDAV Certificate | MSU onGEO
Overview
The Online Geography (onGEO) group at Michigan State University offers professional-development courses, which can be taken to earn a Professional Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate.
Professional Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate Overview
The Online Geography (onGEO) group at Michigan State University offers several (7-week) professional-development courses, which can be taken individually or in combination to earn a Professional Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate.
Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate Coursework
The online Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate aims to advance the geospatial tools & technology skill-set of professionals currently working in fields that use geospatial technologies. It is also an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to revamp their current career, earn continuing-education or teaching credits, or simply learn new and marketable skills.
The online Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate consists of four (core) fully online courses that are each delivered in 7-week sessions. This means that a professional certificate can easily be earned in two semesters (if courses are taken one at a time) or faster (if courses are taken concurrently).
- Cartography (CART)
- Geovisualization: Temporal and Interactive Mapping (GTIM),
- Python and ArcPy Geoprocessing (PAPG), and
- Spatial Statistics (SPST).
These core courses cover topics ranging from map design, interactive and temporal mapping, geovisualization, spatial data analytics, spatial statistics, geoprocessing, geospatial analysis, and much more. In addition to content-based modules, each course features a series of online labs designed to give students hands-on experience using geospatial technologies and improve technical competency.
Who are our courses for?
These courses are ideal for: (1) professionals currently working in fields that use geospatial technologies and pursuing training opportunities, (2) professionals and recent graduates looking to advance or revamp their current career path, (3) graduate students looking to enhance their research and develop marketable skills, (4) teachers pursuing continuing education hours, (5) international students seeking an educational experience and certification from an American university, and (6) anyone looking to expand their knowledge in this field. You do not need to be an MSU student or alumnus to take our professional courses. In fact, our professional students are located around the world.
Want to learn more about the Certificate and elective courses?
Check out the course descriptions. In addition to the four core courses you can take to earn the Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate, we also have elective courses which can be taken individually or in addition to your Certificate course-load. We currently offer these elective courses:
- Criminal Justice Applications in GIS (CJ)
- Digital Image Processing (DIP)
- Drones in the Field (DITF)
- FAA Part 107 Drone Test Prep & Beyond (FAA)
- Geoprocessing Using Python & Open-source Tools, Part 1, Vector Data (GPO1) - coming soon
What are our students saying?
The video below provides some testimonals of our Professional students.
Want to talk to someone about the courses or Certificates?
Email us at onGEO@msu.edu. We can talk to you via email or give you a call. Alternatively, you can text or call us at (517.258.7991). We are happy to help you plan your entire certificate course sequence, choose the best class for you to start with, or answer any other questions.
When are the courses offered?
There are convenient entry points for our certificate courses (or program), with sessions beginning six times a year. The session start dates are:
- 21 October to 13 December 2024
(624—sixth session) IGT, GIS, CART, PAPG; and CJ are offered.- 13 January to 28 February 2025
(125—first session of 2024) IGT, GIS, RS, GTIM, SPST; DIP, DITF, and FAA are offered.- 10 March to 25 April 2025
(225—second session) IGT, GIS, CART, PAPG; CJ, DITF, and FAA are offered.- 5 May to 20 June 2025
(325—third session) IGT, GIS, RS, GTIM, SPST; DIP, DITF, and FAA are offered.- 30 June to 15 August 2025
(425—fourth session) IGT, GIS, CART, PAPG; CJ, DITF, and FAA are offered.- 25 August to 10 October 2025
(525—fifth session) IGT, GIS, RS, GTIM, SPST; and DIP are offered.- 20 October to 12 December 2025
(625—sixth session) IGT, GIS, CART, PAPG; and CJ are offered.
Want to register for the courses?
Getting registered for our professional-certificate courses is as easy as 1-2-3. Classes begin every seven weeks throughout the year, so:
- pick a start date from those listed above,
- select a course that is being offered with that start date*,
- follow these instructions (provided as an MSU GoogleDoc).
The secure registration process using the MSU Payment system takes only a few minutes.
*If you would like to register for a session that is not currently listed, please email us (onGEO@msu.edu) and we will create the listing for you. ** While you do not need to be a MSU student or alumnus to register and you do not need an MSU Net ID to register, you will need to create an MSU Guest Account (formerly Community ID) prior to beginning the registration process. Please read the instructions linked in step 3 to accomplish this.
What is the cost?
Each core course costs $1,000. Core courses are the four, seven-week courses required for the Professional Geospatial Data Analytics & Visualization Certificate.
7-week elective courses costs $500. 14-week elective courses cost $1,000.
Are discounts available?
Yes! All discounts must be requested prior to the first day of class -- no discounts will be retroactively given.
1. Refer-a-friend Discount -- Refer-a-friend and earn $100 on each qualifying referral! There is no limit on the number of students you can refer. Save money on your next course by referring your friends to take an onGEO course. The student you refer is considered eligible if they have never previously taken an onGEO course.
How does Refer-a-friend Work?
a) Find a friend, family member, or co-worker who would like to take one of our courses
b) Email ongeo@msu.edu with your name and provide the name(s), email(s), and phone number(s) of the student(s) you are referring
c) Once the referred student enrolls, send us an email and we will make sure you receive the discount
2. Multiple-person Discount -- If you are interested in taking courses or earning a Certificate as a group (four or more students), please contact us to discuss our group discount options.
3. Current Military or Veteran Discount -- If you are a current member of the military or a veteran, please contact us to discuss your discount options.
4. MSU GEO Alum -- If you are an alum of the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University, please contact us to discuss your discount options.
GISP (GIS Professional) Certification
If you are pursuing GISP certification, or looking to renew your certification, our certificate courses are eligible for continuing education credits. Courses require about 10 to 20 hours per week (to read the online lessons and complete the associated lab assignments). At that time commitment, by completing a seven-week course you could earn 1.75 education points for a new GISP certification, and 11.7 points for a renewing certification. You should verify the point allocation with the GIS Certification Institute as part of your certification application or renewal process.
Want to earn academic credit?
No problem. All four online GDAV Certificate (non-credit) courses are also offered as GEO courses (GEO326v, GEO426, GEO429, GEO886) at various times during the University's academic year. Let us know if you would like to take these courses for credit—we will help you figure out when the course is offered and guide you through the process of enrolling in MSU's Lifelong Education program.
Do you have AmeriCorps education award funding to use?
Log into your "myAmeriCorps" account and use your education award to pay for onGEO certificate courses. The Michigan State University Department of Geography is a vendor in the AmeriCorps system (#46404). Make arrangements with the instructor to register for a course, then order a payment in the AmeriCorps system. Let us know when you have done that, and we will take it from there.
What are our policies about payments, drops, refunds, transfers, retakes, and discounts?
All policies are outlined in this Google document.