IMAGIN 2002 GIS Education & Outreach Award Winner

GIS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AT FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY

The GIS Certificate program at Ferris State University was initiated by Dr. K. Thapa in the late 1990s. What distinguishes this program from other programs is its focus and method of delivery.  While the Internet was not new, web-based delivery of instruction was at its infancy when this program began.  The lessons that comprise the Certificate program have matured and will continue to grow.

The second major distinction of this Certificate program is its intended audience.  While the basic principles of GIS are important across all disciplines that utilize spatial data, this Certificate program attempts to emphasize the local aspects of this technology.  As such, real-world GIS development processes and applications are emphasized.  The goal of the program is to give the participants the opportunity to learn about the spatial technologies that are utilized in a GIS.

The certificate program is broken down into two courses.  In the first course, students become familiar with the fundamentals of a GIS, learn about the concepts of spatial measurements, coordinate systems, datums, data models, as well as GIS functions and applications.  In the second course, participants learn about concepts of digital mapping, boundary surveys, the Public Land Survey System, and become familiarized with GIS hardware, software, and applications of GIS within local government.

Every effort is made to keep the lecture material as current as possible.  With the lecture material and access to information on the Internet, participants can learn about how the new technologies are utilized within a GIS.  For example, topics like GPS, digital orthophotography, LIDAR, and mobile mapping have been developed and presented to the students.  These, and other topics covered within the program, give students the background necessary to see if and how a new technology can be applied to their particular application.