Program Overview

The first step in knowing how to get to your destination is to know where you're at – and no other program can provide you with as detailed a picture of your location than Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In the GIS program you will learn more about geospatial technology (GIS, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Remote Sensing (RS), and WebGIS) and how it is currently being applied to the fields of natural resources, earth sciences, environmental systems, and more.

Geographic Information Systems and geospatial technology has gained worldwide notoriety due to its multi-faceted and versatile applications. Contributing to the recent increased popularity of GIS is the ability to analyze geospatial problems (political,social, health/medical, natural resource disaster, environmental, etc.) based on integrating mapping and computer databases. View your world from another perspective!

Career Training

Trained GIS technicians and analysts produce intelligent maps to help solve complex resource planning and management problems. Columbia College trains students in the practical application of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) software, importation of geospatial data, and the display, visualization, exploration, query, analysis, and production of maps and reports. With this training, careers in forestry, natural resources,watershed, wildland fire, earth science, business,archaeology, cartography, city planning, photogrammetry, conservation, mapping and surveying, transportation,sociology, political science and much more await you.

Student Networking

Business partnerships with public and private agencies allow GIS students to earn additional units while gaining firsthand, on-the-job experience. There are even some courses available at the high school level that can qualify as credit toward your certificate. The GIS program offers its students a rigorous curriculum that will provide excellent preparation and training to advance to GIS coursework at the four-year university level.

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