Geospatial Science and Geographic Information Systems Master’s Degrees

Geospatial science is a field of infinite possibilities – but it helps to know the territory! Our Geospatial Science guide has a quick summary of industry applications, tools & technologies, and degree programs. It also includes a big long list of geospatial information resources (job sites, organizations, conferences, etc.).

Already have your eye on a degree? Skip ahead to our directory of geospatial programs across the US.

What is Geospatial Science?

Definition of Geospatial Science

Geospatial science is a field that uses spatial data (i.e. data with a geographic or locational component) and advanced computational techniques to study human activity, natural environments, ecosystems, space, and the Earth’s climate.

It’s an interdisciplinary subject that incorporates aspects of geography, surveying, geodesy, hydrography, cartography, statistics, engineering, and computer science.

Geospatial experts have a number of cool tools & technologies at their disposal – including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) – but they have the same goals as any data scientist:

1. Harvest relevant data sets.
2. Analyze them for insights.
3. Display insights effectively (e.g. maps, graphs, statistics, and cartograms).
4. Answer questions and resolve problems.

Geospatial Industries & Applications

Government

• Federal & Local Government: Policy makers often use geospatial research to decide where to funnel money and assets. This includes decisions on transportation routes, zoning & urban development, homeland security, sanitation, water supply, flood protection, and much more.
• Surveying & Planning: Geospatial scientists have always been involved in measuring and studying changes in land over time. Their findings on population patterns, past land usage, weather, climate, and resource allocation have a significant impact on zoning laws and permits.
• Defense & Intelligence: Surveillance footage from drones, vehicle positioning, radar intelligence – these are just a few of the geospatial sources that can be draw upon to monitor nuclear facilities, predict strikes by insurgents, and conduct military missions. Need a 3D rendering of a terrorist compound? Talk to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).
• Law Enforcement: Police are drawing on geospatial data to track crime waves, evaluate prevention measures, monitor convicted felons, and even predict the probability of where & when the next crime might occur.

Industry & Business

• Business: Wondering where to build your next store or restaurant? Trying to advertise your holiday sale to local customers? Looking for relevant products that would appeal to loyalty card owners in different ZIP codes? Geospatial analysis can help with all these decisions.
• Utilities & Communications: Companies are likely to try to improve their asset management. Geospatial strategies help them to respond more quickly to power outages, decide where to build a cellphone tower, predict equipment failures, and improve maintenance.
• Transportation & Logistics: Time is money in the transportation business, and GPS tracking can play an enormous role in maximizing efficiencies. For example, to determine the optimal delivery route, analysts might create models based on traffic delays, weather, driver behavior, and more.
• Finance & Insurance: Geospatial science is particularly relevant to risk analysis and claims management. If a house is located in a disaster-prone area where the probability of a large disaster claim is high, insurance companies may decide to adjust the premium. Location-based information is also a key tool in detecting fraud.
• Precision Agriculture: Arable land can have enormous variations in soil types, moisture, and nutrients, and it’s important to know where these variations occur to get the most bang for your buck. Accurate geographical data helps farmers determine where to plant crops, apply fertilizers and herbicides, and direct water resources.
• Mining: Any industry that deals with digging in the ground – oil, gas, coal, precious metals – has an intimate relationship with geospatial science and GIS technology. We’re talking about everything from exploration and geological analyses to long-term sustainability reports and compliance with environmental regulations.

Humans & Environment

• Crisis & Disaster Management: Geospatial tools and technologies have a critical role before, during, and after a disaster. With them, governments can track weather events, issue warnings, create evacuation routes, direct the efforts of inspectors and rescuers, locate refugee populations, and prevent major loss of life.
• Public Health: Physical environment factors – pollution, access to care and healthy food, tainted water supplies, neighborhood violence, housing quality – play an enormous role in a person’s life. That’s why geospatial analysts are now looking for trends and patterns, including disease clusters, in an effort to improve public health.
• Ecology & Environmental Protection: Environmental groups increasingly rely on geospatial experts to help them make important decisions. How can we preserve our water resources? Are the wetlands healthy? Should we use this site for waste disposal? These are kinds of questions geospatial experts answer.
• Human Rights: Human rights violations may occur in remote or dangerous locations. But geospatial tools allows human rights groups to report on conflicts and natural disasters, gather proof of crimes & massacres, track movements, and more.
• Climate Change: Climate scientists rely upon geospatial data sources to understand the effects of humans upon the Earth. This includes areas like temperature changes, loss of biodiversity, population growth and density, and landscape use. Many are involved in created long-term predictive models for weather, natural disasters, and human movements.

Geospatial Tools & Technologies

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a suite of specialized software & hardware tools used to store, manage, manipulate, analyze, and visualize geospatial data. One of the most well-known examples is ArcGIS® by Esri.

GIS is famous for its ability to gather a large range of geospatial data from various sources into multilayered maps, with each layer featuring different types of information. This dynamic, user-friendly display gives geospatial scientists the ability to analyze complex problems and themes.

GIS was once pretty simple. But as big data technologies and sources evolve, it is becoming increasingly sophisticated. The next generation is CyberGIS, a field that integrates advances in high performance computing, distributed computing, the Internet, and collaborative problem-solving.

Related Geospatial Tools & Technologies

• Remote Sensing: Remote sensing data can be captured from satellites, scanners, radar systems, sonar systems – pretty much any sophisticated sensor technology that doesn’t make contact with the object. These data can be converted into a digital form, processed, and analyzed using remote sensing applications and then integrated within a GIS.
• Photogrammetry: Photogrammetry is the science of recording, measuring, and analyzing photographic images to obtain reliable information about physical objects and the environment. It has multiple applications in areas like engineering, architecture, archeology, accident investigations, and manufacturing.
• Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS): GNSS is the standard term for global satellite navigation systems that supply humans with geospatial positioning. Examples include GPS, Global Navigation Satellite System, Galileo, and Beidou.
• Light Detection and Reading (LIDAR)/LiDAR: LIDAR is a popular remote sensing method that uses pulsed laser light to measure the distance to a target. LIDAR can establish the characteristics of objects on the ground or the concentration of chemicals in the atmosphere (e.g. pollution), and is often employed to make high-resolution maps. It’s extensively used in autonomous vehicles, and has plenty of relevance to fields such as astronomy, archeology, agriculture, smart cities, etc.
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Once confined to the military, UAVs are now being used for aerial imagery, surveying, agriculture, industrial applications – the list goes on.
• Internet/Web Mapping Technologies: The creation of the Internet has led to an explosion in open source cartography and free mapping software that allows users to design their own projects.
• Internet of Things (IoT) & Mobile Sensors: Many objects – including vehicles, buildings, consumer goods, factory machinery, and especially mobile phones – now generate huge quantities of location-based data. Geospatial scientists are finding all kinds of ways to combine this data with non-geographic information to make money, predict changes, and avoid disasters.
• Location-Based Social Media (LBSM) Monitoring Tools: LBSM tools take advantage of user-submitted location data and geolocation techniques to analyze social communities, connect with local audiences, and engage with influencers.

And we haven’t even touched on the possibilities of the Cloud, crowd-sourced data collection, Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3D models, high-performance computing, and the like! Thanks to advances in technology, geospatial scientists are now required to incorporate a huge range of big data sources (both geo-focused and non-geospatial) into their approach.

Studying Geospatial Science

Types of Geospatial Degree Programs

Geospatial science is an evolving field, and academics still haven’t made up their mind on terminology. Because there tends to be a blurry line between terms like Geoinformatics, Geospatial Science, and Geographic Information Science, it’s best to check the curriculum to see what’s actually covered.

• Geodesy: Geodesy tackles the measurement and representation of planets, particularly Earth. Geodesists study a planet’s size, shape, orientation, mass distribution, and gravitational field in time & space and explore various geodynamical phenomena (e.g. polar motion, tides, etc.).
• Geographic Information Science (GIScience): Confusingly, this field can also be referred to as GIS. However, it goes way beyond Geographic Information Systems to explore all kinds of concepts, applications, and technologies. For instance, in addition to courses on key geographic tools (e.g. ArcGIS® and MapInfo, remote sensing, etc.) and areas (e.g. geodesy, cartography, surveying, etc.), the curriculum usually includes statistics, computer science (e.g. spatial analysis, database management, programming, data mining, Artificial Intelligence, etc.), and diverse electives.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS): This type of degree often emphasizes GIS and CyberGIS, including courses in database management systems, programming, and software. Most students can also expect exposure to topics like remote sensing, geostatistics, cartography, and even GIS customization.
• Geoinformatics: Geoinformatics programs are concerned with all aspects of geodata – from collecting & processing it, to storing, analyzing, modeling, visualizing, and even building the databases & tools necessary for these tasks (i.e. Applied Geoinformatics). In fact, some programs are deliberately geared toward helping students develop new computational, visual, analytical, and statistical methods.
• Geomatics: Geomatics is sometimes used as an alternative term for the field of “geospatial science.” However, because geomatics evolved from surveying departments, geomatics programs often emphasize subjects such as land surveying, cartography, photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS.
• Geospatial Analytics: Just as the title suggest, these programs focus on areas like GIS-based spatial analysis, social and environmental modeling, and decision support.
• Geospatial Engineering: The curriculum tends to follow the model of a general geospatial science program, with work in GIS, surveying, cartography, and related technologies. However, because it bears the title of engineering, there may be an emphasis on practical applications such as military operations or civil engineering projects.
• Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT): GEOINT refers to intelligence that can be gathered about entities (e.g. humans) in a particular geo-location – on, below, or above the Earth. Think national security, defense and law enforcement. Data and information for this task can come from a variety of sources, including IMINT (Imagery Intelligence), SIGINT (Signals Intelligence), MASINT (Measurement and Signature Intelligence), Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), CYBINT (Cyber Intelligence), and HUMINT (Human Intelligence).
• Geospatial Technology: This degree will often provide a grounding in concepts and practical training in specific technologies, including GIS, remote sensing, GNSS, and the like.
• Spatial Informatics: This term refers to theories, methods, and applications of spatial information – including data handling and visualization – so you may find that programs aren’t that dissimilar to Geospatial Informatics or GIS programs.

But wait, there’s more! You’ll also find programs in specific technologies & tools and areas of interest . In addition, you may find similar coursework in Geography, Computer Science, Engineering, or Urban Planning degrees.

Online Geospatial Science Programs

Only you can decide whether you’re willing to tackle a specialist technology degree at a distance, but here are a few ways to assess quality:

• Strong University Reputation: Schools like Penn State, USC, and Johns Hopkins will give you brand recognition on graduation. You can also check U.S. News & World Report to see whether the on-campus graduate programs in Earth Sciences, Computer Science, and Statistics have solid rankings.
• Great Research & Teaching Faculty: Look for online programs that are taught by on-campus professors, especially instructors who are doing cool geospatial research or working part-time for high-profile companies.
• Rigorous Curriculum: You want tough courses that will school you in “must-have” data science skills, including programming and spatial analysis. You want a curriculum that is on the cutting-edge of CyberGIS and technology. You want electives that will help you land your dream job.
• Access to Tools & Technologies: Will you be able to work with the most common software programs (e.g. ArcGIS®)? Can you go beyond that to create your own applications?
• Career Help: Speaking of jobs, some online programs will set you up with internships or job placement services. If you’re enrolled in a school in a high-tech area (e.g. California, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., etc.), your professors may also be able to provide you with local career contacts.

If you can’t afford a degree, consider all the online courses out there. Esri offers a lot of training opportunities, including MOOCs. And online course providers like edX, Coursera, Khan Academy, and Udacity provide technical classes in all areas of computer science.

Geospatial Science Resources

Geospatial Certifications

• American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS): The Imaging and Geospatial Information Society: ASPRS is a well-known organization devoted to advancing the knowledge of mapping sciences, including applications of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and supporting technologies. It runs the ASPRS Certification Program, which includes various Geospatial Certifications.
• The Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) Technical Certification Program: Designed to test a GISP’s expertise in Esri’s desktop (beginner ArcGIS® skills), developer (ArcGIS® application development), or enterprise software (enterprise geodatabase management, enterprise system design, and enterprise administration), this certification qualifies individuals for best practices while using Esri software.
• GIS Certification Institute (GISCI): GISCI is a a non-profit organization that offers a complete certification program leading to a GISP® (Certified GIS Professional) recognition. GISP is based on work and volunteering experience, and is one of the most recognized certifications in the business.
• U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF): USGIF was designed to promote advances & tradecraft in geospatial intelligence and it’s responsible for the Universal GEOINT Certification Program.

Geospatial Organizations & Associations

• American Association of Geographers (AAG) Geographic Information Science and Systems (GISS): AAG’s specialty group promotes the exchange of ideas and information relating to GIS.
• Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS): An organization devoted to new developments and theories in cartography and GIS. See also: International Cartographic Association (ICA).
• Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO): COGO is a coalition of 13 national professional societies, trade associations, and membership organizations in the geospatial field.
• Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA): GITA is a nonprofit professional association composed of geospatial technology experts. It’s especially interested in issues surrounding worldwide infrastructure, which includes organizations such as utilities, telecommunication companies, and the public sector.
• Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association (GSDI): GSDI is composed of government agencies, commercial geomatics firms, national and regional GI associations, and individuals. It advocates for local, national, and international spatial data infrastructure (SDI) research and 21st century issues (e.g. sustainable development).
• IEEE Geoscience Remote Sensing Society (GRSS): GRSS deals with remote sensing in all its forms (theories, concepts, and techniques) and spheres of influence (Earth, oceans, atmosphere, and space).
• International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE): ISDE is a collaborative effort to monitor and forecast natural & human phenomena. Its global initiative, Digital Earth, is an attempt to construct a comprehensive virtual representation of the planet. It runs a Symposium and a Summit.
• International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS): ISPRS is a non-governmental, international organization committed to the advancement of photogrammetry and remote sensing and their applications.
• MAPPS: MAPPS an association of U.S. private sector firms involved in the fields of GIS, remote sensing, and surveying spatial data.
• North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS): NACIS is composed of specialists from private, academic, and government organizations who wish to advance the field of cartography.
• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC): OGC is an international non-profit involved in creating quality open standards for the global geospatial community.
• Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo): OSGeo supports and promotes the collaborative development of open source geospatial software.
• Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society (RSPSoc): RSPSoc is probably the most well-known society in the U.K. for remote sensing and photogrammetry and their various applications.
• Urban Regional Information Systems Association (URISA): URISA is a non-profit that’s specifically interested in using IT & geospatial science to solve problems in planning, public works, the environment, emergency services, utilities, and government.

Geospatial Government Agencies & Programs

• National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) GIS Program: NCAR’s GIS program is designed to support the use of GIS in atmospheric research, and address broader issues of spatial data management, interoperability, and geoinformatics within the geosciences. Many of its projects deal with climate change & weather.
• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA): NGA is a large agency that supplies geospatial intelligence to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. Headquartered at Ft. Belvoir in Virginia, it has two additional facilities in St. Louis, Missouri.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA): NOAA was created to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coast. It has a strong emphasis on conservation and management of coastal and marine ecosystems.
• U.S. Census Bureau: Geography: The U.S. Census is known as a leading provider of statistical and geospatial data, including information on population, economic activities, and geographic areas. The Geography section provides various maps & data.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): USGS is devoted to the science of natural hazards, natural resources, the health of ecosystems and environment, and the impacts of climate and land-use change.

Helpful Geospatial Groups

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Stack Exchange: Hosted by Stack Exchange, GIS is a question and answer website for cartographers, geographers, and GIS professionals.
• GeoNet: GeoNET is the web’s Esri Community, and it includes contributions from Esri customers, partners, staff, and others in the GIS and geospatial professions. It has a number of active communities & message boards.
• GIS Lounge: Run by Caitlin Dempsey Morais, an editor at Geo Lounge, GIS Lounge is an information portal & help site about the field of geographic information systems. It has a useful list of GIS User Groups and GIS Conferences.
• GIS Meetups: Meetup.com has an aggregated list of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) meetups worldwide.

Geospatial Job Sites

• GIScareers.com
• GISjobs.com
• GIS Jobs Clearinghouse
• GISGig.com

Geospatial Conferences & Events

Popular Geospatial Conferences

• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) SIGSPATIAL Conferences: Geared toward a technical audience, this geospatial research conference is the premier annual event of the ACM Special Interest Group on Spatial Information.
• Conference on Spatial Information Theory (COSIT): Held every two years, COSIT is an international conference series concerned with theoretical aspects of space and spatial information.
• Esri User Conference: Esri builds ArcGIS®, the popular mapping and spatial analytics software, and Esri UC may be the world’s largest event dedicated to geographic information system (GIS) technology. It is held annually in the U.S., usually for one week.
• Geospatial World Forum: Organized by Geospatial Media and Communications, this international conference deals with geospatial technologies across multiple sectors and industries.
• International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience): Billed as the flagship conference in the field of GIScience, this biennial event attracts attendees from around the world.
• International Conference on GeoComputation: This research-based conference aims to bring together leading academic scientists and scholars in the field of Geocomputation. It alternates every year with GIScience.
• International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling (SDH): Organized by the International Geographical Union, SDH is a long-running forum in geographical information science. It’s full of geographers, cartographers, computer scientists, and other experts in the field.
• URISA GIS-Pro 2017: Organized by URISA, GIS-Pro offers education, networking, and professional development for anyone in the GIS field. Speakers include experts from NASA, ESRI, and others.

Geography Conferences

• American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting: AAG is one of the largest geographic conferences in the world, and its sessions are stuffed with geographers, GIS specialists, environmental scientists, and other leaders in the field GIScience.
• American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting: The largest Earth and space science meeting in the world often has talks devoted to spatial analysis, statistics, remote sensing, cartographic methods, etc.
• International Cartographic Conference (ICC): Sponsored by the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS), ICC takes place every two years.
• International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Working Week: Aimed at the international community of surveying and spatial professionals, this week-long conference is a mix of talks, technical sessions and workshops, a trade exhibition, side events, and social functions.

International Geospatial Conferences

• Applied Geoinformatics (AGIT) Conference: AGIT is a German language conference devoted to Applied Geoinformatics, and includes info on the latest academic or commercial research programs, innovations in operating practices, and new applications & markets. It runs concurrently with GI_Forum in Austria.
• Association of Geographic Information Laboratories in Europe (AGILE) Annual Conference: This meeting is used to initiate and stimulate AGILE Initiatives on subjects of special interest within the GI community.
• Geo4Africa: Geo4Africa brings together experts and organizations across Africa (and beyond) who are working on new developments in GIS, geo tools, and geospatial science.
• GeoSmart Asia: This event is aimed at GIS, surveying, remote sensing, and UAV professionals in Asia Pacific. It often showcases the capabilities of geospatial technologies for national development and industries.
• GI_Forum: Organized by the University of Salzburg, GI_Forum highlights the latest trends and developments in geospatial concepts and methods. It runs concurrently with AGIT.
• International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Conference: ISPRS’s flagship conference is held every 4 years and welcomes participants from all over the world.

Specialized Geospatial Conferences

• Defense & Geospatial Intelligence Conference (DGI): DGI is the only large-scale meeting in Europe for military, civilian, and industry geospatial intelligence leaders.
• EnerGIS: Organized by the GITA Mid-Atlantic Chapter, EnerGIS brings together energy GIS professionals and spatial data managers to discuss the latest innovations and technological advancements.
• FOSS4G: Run by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo), FOSS4G claims to be the largest global gathering focused on open source geospatial software. It attracts developers, users, decision-makers, and observers from a broad swath of industries.
• GEOINT Symposium: Hosted by the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), GEOINT is a national gathering of industry, academic, and government experts in the field of defense, intelligence, and homeland security.
• GIS/CAMA Technologies Conference: Organized by URISA and IAAO, this conference focuses on property assessment, tax administration, mapping and information technology. The four day event will be held from March 19, 2018 – March 22, 2018.
• GIS for Transportation Symposium: Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), this symposium unites government and industry professionals who are interested in the use of GIS for transportation purposes.
• GIS in Transit Conference: This three day event is organized by URISA, the National Center for Transit Research, and the Transportation Research Board. All GIS professionals interested in the use of geographic and spatial analysis in transit planning are welcome to attend.
• Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association (GSDI) World Conference: GSDI’s conference is particularly focused on spatial data infrastructures, both in theory and in practice.
• American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS)Conferences: FThe ASPRS annual conferences provide access and insights about newer technologies and the future of geospatial studies..
• INTERGEO: INTERGEO is a global trade fair on geodesy, geoinformation and land management that appeals to experts in multiple industries.
• MAPPS Federal Program Conference: MAPPS is a place to network with U.S. geospatial firms engaged in surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, LiDAR, hydrography, satellite and airborne remote sensing, bathymetry, charting, mobile mapping, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services.
• Open Source Geospatial Research & Education Symposium (OGRS): OGRS is a neutral forum devoted to sharing knowledge and methods that are free of software license limits.
• Pecora: Run by ASPRS, Pecora was established by the USGS and NASA in the 1970s as a forum to foster the exchange of geospatial scientific information and results and discuss ideas, policies, and strategies concerning land remote sensing.

Geospatial Magazines & Blogs

• Directions Magazine: Directions Magazine is one of the oldest geospatial publications out there. It has news articles, interviews, reviews, advice, webinars, and more.
• Geo Awesomeness: Geoawesomeness is a blog about geospatial technologies – from GIS and maps, to location-based apps, geomarketing, drones, and remote sensing.
• Geo International: Published by GeoConnexion, Geo International features the latest news and stories, as well as reports from geotechnology industries worldwide.
• Geospatial Solutions: This magazine covers all kinds of GIS and geospatial news, including topics like Big Data, desktop and mobile GIS, Earth imaging, use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), policy news, and the state of the geospatial industry..
• Geospatial World: Geospatial World is a popular publication that provides insight into – and analysis of – technology trends, applications and business dynamics of GIS, remote sensing, GNSS, Surveying & Mapping, BIM, LIDAR and other upcoming technologies.
• GPS World: Despite the name, GPS World covers all kinds of GNSS services (e.g. Galileo), as well as related technologies (e.g. inertial sensors, LORAN-C, lasers, LIDAR, electronic compasses, cellular signal positioning, video signal positioning, odometers, wheel speed sensors, ultra wideband, RFID, Bluetooth, DSRC, etc.).
• Trajectory Magazine: Trajectory is the official publication of U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) and covers current issues & technology developments in defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities.

Geospatial Journals

Geographic Information Science Journals

• Annals of GIS: This is an international peer-reviewed journal with an interest in theory, methods, development, and applications in the field of Geographical Information Science.
• Computers & Geosciences: Computers & Geosciences aims to publish original research papers that use modern computer science paradigms, (computational or informatics-based) to address problems in the geosciences.
• Geocarto International: Geocarto is a professional academic journal serving the world-wide scientific and user community in the fields of remote sensing, GIS, geoscience, and environmental sciences.
• GeoJournal: GeoJournal is an international journal devoted to all branches of social sciences and humanities that have an explicit geographical/spatial component. Submissions on emerging new fields such as GeoEthics, Neogeography, Digital Humanities, and other emerging topics are also welcome.
• GeoInformatica: GeoInformatica publishes research on the application of computer science to geographic information systems. Topics cover spatial modeling and databases, human-computer interfaces for GIS, digital cartography, space imagery, spatio-temporal reasoning, and more.
• Geo-spatial Information Science: This journal is focused on the research, application, and development of surveying and mapping technology, including photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographical information systems, cartography, engineering surveying, GPS, geodesy, geomatics, geophysics, and other related fields.
• International Journal of Digital Earth (IJDE): IJDE focuses on the theories, technologies, applications, and societal implications of Digital Earth, and the concepts that will enable a modeled virtual world.
• International Journal of Geographical Information Science (GIS): GIS publishes research into fundamental and computational issues of geographic information, as well as issues related to the design, implementation, and use of geographical information for monitoring, prediction, and decision-making.
• ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (IJGI): IJGI is an international, open-access journal devoted to the science and technology of geographic information.
• Journal of Geographical Sciences: Co-sponsored by the Geographical Society of China and the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, this natural science journal aims to strengthen academic exchange on advanced geography research between China and other countries.
• Journal of Geographical Systems: JGS aims to provide an outlet for innovative research in regional science, urban and regional economics, spatial economics, geography, GIScience, and environmental sciences.
• Journal of Spatial Science (JSS): JSS publishes peer-reviewed Research and Review Papers on the theory and practice of the spatial sciences and Professional Papers on areas related to cartography, geodesy, geographic information science, hydrography, photogrammetry, remote sensing, and surveying.
• Transactions in GIS: This is a popular and international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research on the latest advances and best practices in the spatial sciences. You’ll often see it mentioned in message boards.

Remote Sensing & Photogrammetry Journals

• GIScience & Remote Sensing: This journal publishes peer-reviewed articles on GIS, remote sensing of the environment (including digital image processing), geocomputation, spatial data mining, and geographic environmental modelling. Papers reflecting both basic and applied research are accepted.
• IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing (J-STARS) : J-STARS is intended to address current issues and techniques in applied remote and in situ sensing, integration, and applied modeling and information creation for understanding the Earth.
• IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (TGRS): TRGS is a monthly publication that focuses on remote sensing theory, concepts, and techniques as applied to the land, oceans, atmosphere, and space. It also has a monthly publication called Letters for short papers that address new ideas and formative concepts in remote sensing.
• International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation: This journal publishes original papers that apply earth observation data to “inventarisation and management of natural resources and the environment”.
• International Journal of Remote Sensing (IJRS): As the official journal of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society, IJRS is concerned with the theory, science, and technology of remote sensing and novel applications. This includes remote sensing of the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, and the terrestrial earth, as well as human modifications to the earth system.
• ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing: ISPRS’s journal publishes the work of many professionals & academics in disciplines that employ photogrammetry, remote sensing, spatial information systems, computer vision, and related fields.
• Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing (PE&RS): PE&RS is a journal for imaging and geospatial information science and technology. It’s very well respected in the industry.
• Remote Sensing: Published monthly by MDPI, this is an online, open access journal about the science and application of remote sensing technology .
• Remote Sensing of Environment: This journal features results on the theory, science, applications, and technology of remote sensing as related to the Earth’s resources and environment.
• The Photogrammetric Record (TPR): TPR is an international journal containing original, refereed articles that reflect modern advancements in photogrammetry, 3D imaging, computer vision, and other related non-contact fields. It’s published on behalf of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society.

Cartography Journals

• Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization: Cartographica is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal that publishes work on the social, political, technological, and historical aspects of cartography, geovisualization, and GIScience
• Cartography and Geographic Information Science (CaGIS): CaGIS is the official publication of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS), which is a member organization of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM).
• The Cartographic Journal: This journal covers all aspects of cartography, including advances in GIScience.

Specialized/Multidisciplinary Journals

• Computers, Environment and Urban Systems: This interdisciplinary journal publishes computer-based research on urban systems, systems of cities, and built and natural environments. Research should privilege the geospatial perspective.
• International Journal of Health Geographics (IJHG): IJHG articles tackle all aspects of GIS and science applications in health and healthcare, including diverse areas like real-time GIS-enabled surveillance services, remote sensing applications, spatial epidemiology, spatio-temporal statistics, and cyberspace mapping.
• Journal of Land Use Science (JLUS): JLUS features research on theoretical and empirical aspects of land-use science at the interface of social and environmental systems.
• Landscape and Urban Planning (LUP): LUP is an international journal devoted to advancing conceptual, scientific, and applied understandings of landscape in order to create sustainable solutions for landscape change.
• Marine Geodesy: With its focus on research in the marine and coastal environment, this journal aims to stimulate progress in ocean surveys, mapping, and remote sensing.
• Spatial Cognition & Computation (SSC): SSI is a multidisciplinary journal that brings together research in fields like cognitive psychology, cognitive science, mathematics and computer science, geography and cartography, animal behavior, neuropsychology, artificial intelligence, philosophy, and planning and architecture.
• Survey Review (SR): SR deals with the theory and practice of positioning and measurement, engineering surveying, cadastre and land management, and spatial information management.

School Listings

We found 38 universities in our directory offering Geospatial Science programs.

If you represent a university and would like to contact us about editing any of our listings, or adding new programs, please send an email to info@mastersindatascience.org.

Last updated: May 2020

Alabama

Arizona

California

Colorado

Delaware

Florida

Idaho

Illinois

Iowa

Kansas

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Mississippi

Missouri

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Texas

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia