M.EMGIS - Executive Master of Geographic Information Systems

The Executive Masters in Geographic Information Systems (EMGIS) is targeted to mid- to senior-level leaders and executives in organizations that are adopters of GIS. It is likely that students will have some prior GIS background, knowledge, and experience, or at least some working knowledge of GIS or a related area such as Information Technology, Urban Planning, Transportation, etc.

The program is designed to advance knowledge of contemporary GIS, geospatial analytics, and its applications in various sectors and industries such as government, not-for-profit, and commercial for-profit business. It emphasizes the development of skills among senior leaders and executives to strategically deploy GIS across the organization to maximize its value for the organization, society, and the environment. It is essential that senior leaders and executives are aware of the ethical, legal, and regulatory aspects of geospatial data, GIS technology, and their applications. Finally, it is critical that GIS leaders and executives in organizations excel in project management.

Accordingly, the curriculum is comprised of core courses that focus on GIS and geospatial analytics in contemporary organizations, GIS-based decision-making, project management, GIS strategy, and (geospatial) data ethics. Contemporary topics are introduced as special topic courses. Students must complete six core courses including a Capstone project and two special topic courses totaling 28 units for degree completion.

As discussed earlier, the program will be delivered online in a synchronous format, for the most part. Some weekend “residencies” are anticipated at this time, which will provide an opportunity for students to interact with their peers – leaders and executives from other organizations and sectors. This opens avenues for in-person peer-to-peer dialogue, interaction, and the robust exchange of ideas, within the context of a specific course. Each online course will also emphasize interactions between students and the instructor as well as interactions between students, as part of formal course assignments as well as in-class discussions during synchronous sessions.

Overall, the EMGIS curriculum is more applied and keyed to real-world problem-solving and decision-making using GIS, rather than geographic information theories. It focuses on the practical skills of modern GIS strategy development, managerial, and leadership skills. Seminal theories that underpin modern GIS, its management, and strategy will provide a grounding for some of the more practical aspects and elements of the program.