Program at a Glance

Credits: 
16
Cost: 
$4784
Location: 
Online
Admission Cycle: 
New cohort begins each summer.

Online Geospatial Certificate Program

GIS, Remote Sensing & Cartography

Applications now being accepted for the 2024-25 cohort!

The Online Geospatial Certificate Program at Cal Poly Humboldt provides foundational concepts and methods in GIS, Remote Sensing, and Cartography that are transferable and relevant across disciplines and industries.

Advance your career

Whether you're considering a career change or looking to advance or augment your current career, the Online Geospatial Certificate Program will give you the tools to stay current in an exciting and expanding field. Find out more today!

100% Online Courses are flexible and interactive

The accelerated program has a flexible course sequence and is devised to meet your career interests. Courses are 100% online — ideal for working people who want to advance in their current career, break into a new field, gain points towards a license, or advance their organizations. Courses are offered in fast-paced 8-week compressed terms, designed to be completed in 11-14 months. The course sequence is flexible — most classes can be taken in any order. Need a break? Have a big work deadline coming up? Take off for a term, and pick it back up when you're ready.  (Note: changing sequence or skipping terms will extend time to completion. See the course schedule below.)

The courses consist of interactive online forums, instructional videos, readings from leading industry texts and websites, and weekly modules and assignments with fixed due dates to keep you on track. You can expect to spend 18-20 hours per week on coursework (per course). Courses are fully asynchronous (but not self-paced), meaning you can complete this coursework at any time of day — there is no requirement to be online at a specific time. You will interact with your professors and fellow students via online forums and email. Each course has dedicated teaching assistants to provide assignment and technical support. The certificate program can be completed remotely or on campus.

For the 2024-25 cohort, students will begin with GSP 101 in summer 2024, followed by GSP 270 and GSP 370 in fall 2024. They will conclude the certificate with GSP 216 and GSP 316 in spring 2025. Students can begin mid-year if they have already completed GSP 101 or equivalent.

Course Dates for 2024-25 Cohort 

  • GSP 101: May 28-July 19, 2024
  • GSP 270: Aug 26-Oct 18, 2024
  • GSP 370: Oct 21-Dec 20, 2024
  • GSP 216: Jan 21-March 14, 2025
  • GSP 316: March 24-May 16, 2025

Financial Aid 

Students admitted to the Online Geospatial Certificate are eligible to apply for financial aid. A minimum of 6 units of enrollment is required for federal student loans in fall and spring semesters. To obtain a loan, please submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), for the upcoming school year. You can learn more about federal loans at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Financial Aid website. 

Supportive Faculty

The faculty draws from their diverse work experience in public, private and nonprofit sectors to create career-relevant courses. With an excellent student-faculty ratio, you can expect to receive personalized support to achieve your goals.

Courses

Class Title Class # Credits Starts
Cartography
GSP 316, 4 units
4
May 30
Geospatial Concepts
GSP 101, 3 units
3
May 28
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
GSP 270, 3 units
3
Aug 26
Intermediate GIS
GSP 370, 3 units
3
Oct 21
Introduction to Remote Sensing
GSP 216, 3 units
3
Jan 21