|
|
| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
| |
| Mailing List Archives |
| Subject: | Re: [gislist] masters vs. certificate |
| Date: |
06/16/2005 03:55:01 PM |
| From: |
Tom Carlson |
|
|
Colleagues,
I agree with Anthony, we don't need any sales pitches here.
I've also been following the excellent discussion on the topic of
certificate or masters degree and thought I'd pitch in. I'm typing quickly
here so forgive any typos and my poor grammar!
I teach GIS courses that currently fulfill requirements for an academic
certificate. It takes 9 months to complete. I get students with a variety of
backgrounds and educational levels. Most know at least what GIS does before
they start and have realized the potential of using such a suite of tools.
Throughout our certificate program they are encouraged to work in the field,
either in the form of an internships or jobs. I have good local connections
to help them do this. To me, to effectively learn GIS and then to apply it
an individual should have a background in theory and applications and they
need to have experience doing it/using GIS outside of a classroom. They need
to be able to link the knowledge of the tools with topical knowledge, as
neither works very well without the other.
Many of my students have used the certificate as a springboard into graduate
school, while others have used it to get the job they wanted. Certificates
provide a good foundation for most people who want to either continue with
an education or get a job. It gives you time to discover GIS, and decide if
you want more of it without the time and commitment of a graduate program.
Having undgrad and grad degrees in geography, with some GIS, cartography,
and remote sensing courses behind me I was able to effectively utilize the
tools in conjunction with my topical specialties in geography. One of the
things I realize that helped me immensely, was internship/jobs in GIS shops
under the guidance of GIS pros. My learning curve was through the roof!
Walking into those experiences I knew how GIS worked and how I might apply
it, but when you sit and do it every day in the proximity of people who have
done it full-time for years, you're going to learn a lot very quickly.
I guess what I'm getting to is I don't think a curriculum in just GIS as a
graduate degree would be of as much use to someone as something like a
masters in conservation biology with a good amount of coursework in GIS and
some practical experience.
Thanks to all for the lively discussion!
Cheers,
Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Carlson, Ph.D.
Geography and Geographic Information Systems
Urban Studies Program
University of Washington
Tacoma WA 98402-3100
VM: 253-692-4679
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anthony Quartararo" <ajq3@spatialnetworks.com>
To: "'Demir Devecigil - Sales'" <info@microimages.com>:
<gislist@lists.thinkburst.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 1:11 PM
Subject: Re: [gislist] masters vs. certificate
> Demir
>
> It is inappropriate to use this forum, much less this inquiry for a
> blatant
> sales/marketing attempt. It is a disservice to Anne and the entire list
> community.
>
> Anthony
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com
> [mailto:gislist-bounces@lists.geocomm.com] On Behalf Of Demir Devecigil -
> Sales
> Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 4:01 PM
> To: gislist@lists.thinkburst.com
> Subject: Re: [gislist] masters vs. certificate
>
> Anne,
>
> The best thing to start with is FREE TNTlite from MicroImages. TNTlite is
> designed for starters, students and small-scale projects. You can use
> TNTlite to learn all about spatial data analysis, GIS, image processing,
> CAD, and desktop cartography. MicroImages also provides around 80 Tutorial
> Booklets and sample data to learn geospatial concepts. They are very easy
> to
> follow, since step by step illustrated lessons are included for self
> study.
> You can take a look at TNTlite from the website:
> http://www.microimages.com/tntlite/
>
> - Demir Devecigil
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Anne" <anne@language-works.com>
> To: <gislist@lists.thinkburst.com>
> Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 1:38 PM
> Subject: Re: [gislist] masters vs. certificate
>
>
>>I have a question related to Dean's, but one step earlier in the process
>>of
>> career change. I joined the GIS list because I wanted to learn more
>> about
>> what GIS consists of and whether it would be an interesting next step for
>> me. I've been a web developer since the hey day started, but have
>> started
>> to get (1) bored and (2) dispirited at all the commercialism. I've
>> always
>> been crazy about maps, and am trained as a ling
|
|
Sponsored by:
For information
regarding
advertising rates
Click Here!
|
