University of Texas at Arlington

School of Urban and Public Affairs

SUPA Offers New Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Certificate Program

Electronic Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have now become so powerful and their application so widespread, that the people with the skills to use them are in demand across a broad range of professions, both in government and in business.

The critical need for GIS-proficient professionals has prompted the UTA School of Urban and Public Affairs to establish a program leading to certification in the use of GIS. "The program is available to students and professionals in all fields, not just in urban affairs," said SUPA Dean Richard Cole.

GISs are sophisticated and versatile software programs, first developed in the late-1960s, that relate spatial and informational data visually by associating maps with databases. In recent years, improvements in technology have made GIS software easier to use, less expensive and widely accessible, so demand for it is spreading rapidly.

Professionals can use GISs for planning, management, research and analysis purposes. "City planners can use GISs to study parcels of land in relation to approved land uses," said Professor Joel Goldsteen. "Geologists can use them to analyze population concentrations in relation to soil types. Retailers can use them to examine market areas in relation to consumer product purchases. Civil engineers can use them to examine water- and sewer-line capacities in relation to time. Social workers can use them to look at low-income neighborhoods in relation to projected population shifts. Psychologists can use them to illustrate incidence of mental illness in relation to a region."      This broad potential for GIS application means that students and professionals in many fields will benefit from GIS competency. A GIS certificate should give them an edge in the job market, according to Assistant Professor Jianling Li, a GIS expert who will help teach the program in UTA's new state-of-the-art GIS computer laboratory. "If you look at job advertisements today, you will see that many require GIS skills," she said.

SUPA is well prepared to offer the GIS certification program. "Soon after GIS computer programs were introduced, it was clear that they would be of enormous benefit to our urban-affairs program because of its focus on the social and economic aspects of cities, as well as the physical," said Dr. Goldsteen. "Consequently, professors at SUPA have been using GIS to support their research in those areas for years."

SUPA professors also teach and supervise student use of GIS, often for community-service projects. "I have been using and teaching GIS in my classroom for two decades," said Professor Ardeshir Anjomani, who teaches in the city-and-regional-planning program. One of Dr. Anjomani's students even developed a unique GIS for updating the Dallas Central Business District Data Bank Book, a shelf reference that provides answers to common questions about the Dallas CBD.

The GIS certificate program requires 12 to 15 hours of graduate credit. For admission, an undergraduate degree is required and a minimum grade-point average. Certificate course hours may apply to the credit hours required for certain degree plans, as approved by the appropriate department or Graduate School.

For more information or to apply to the program, contact the program coordinator, Dr. Ardeshir Anjomani, at (817) 272-3310 or anjomani@uta.edu.