The MGIS program is designed to allow the students to achieve a thorough understanding of geographical information concepts and theory, and an exposure to research and application specialities.This program appeals to a variety of candidates, including those already in the GIS/ remote sensing industry, and those who want to acquire GIS knowledge and practical experience to complement their existing specialization. Students without a strong GIS or remote sensing background will build their spatial analysis skills and experience as part of their program.
While the MGIS degree courses are designed to be completed in a 16 - 20 month period, it often takes 20- 24 months to complete the course and project requirements. Many of our students choose to work full or part time, taking 2-3 years to complete their program. Students may choose to register on a full-time or part-time basis. The program is comprised of ten courses; five of which are mandatory, and five optional courses. Two of the mandatory courses are based on an individual research project. The optional courses may be taken within the Geography Department or in other Departments on campus, such as Engineering, Management, Biology or Geology.
The two research project courses will focus on a single topic of the student's choice, decided in consultation with their supervisor. The first course will be a critical literature review of the topic, and the second will consist of the actual research and implementation. The final papers from the two courses are combined into a cohesive manuscript that fully documents the project and results. The document will be basis for a comprehensive oral exam at the end of the student’s program, to be administered by an examining committee. The exam is comprehensive and, therefore, will also focus on material from core courses.
The Handbook for MGIS Students provides a description of the program requirements, attendance regulations, registration procedures and general administration policies. For details concerning the final oral comprehensive exam and project documentation read the Exit Requirements.
In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies’ requirements, the Department requires the following:
Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS)
Ten half-courses, eight at the 600 level or higher, must be completed while in the program. These will include:
a) Three core courses in Geographic Information Sciences in the areas of Remote Sensing, Spatial Analysis and Geographic Information Systems:
- Geography 633 Research and Applications in Remote Sensing
- Geography 639 Advanced Spatial Analysis and Modeling
- Geography 647 Advanced Research and Applications in Geographic Information Systems
Each course assumes that the student has two undergraduate courses in the areas of Remote Sensing, analytical methods in Geography (or inferential statistics) and Geographic Information Systems, respectively.
b) Two research-based courses related to the area of Geographic Information Science:
- Geography 681 GIS Project: Theoretical Issues
- Geography 683 GIS Project: Application
These courses will be on a topic mutually agreed upon between the student and the supervisor. The first course will be concerned with gathering information and literature on the research topic and will provide a critical assessment of this literature. This will be written up as a course paper that will equate to the literature review chapter of a traditional thesis. The second research course will be concerned with carrying out a program of analysis in the chosen research area using the Geographic Information Science tools discussed in the core courses. The final paper produced for this course will equate to the analysis and discussion chapters of a traditional thesis.
c) Five additional half-courses chosen by mutual agreement between the student and the supervisor. These courses will support the student’s chosen research project and understanding of the Geographic Information Sciences.
MGIS students are also required to participate in the annual graduate student Department conference (oral presentation or development of an academic poster of their project work for presentation/display).
The MGIS program may be completed on a full-time or a part-time basis.