New geospatial graduate degree program designed for students in National Capital Region offered

Virginia Tech is offering students in the National Capital Region a new specialized geospatial graduate program designed in response to emerging capabilities which are revolutionizing how information is brought together to address problems and make decisions.

Students completing the geospatial program will earn a Master of Engineering in the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering.

“Substantial data are now directly identified by geographic location facilitating integration in new and more powerful ways,” said Kathleen Hancock, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and co-director, Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT). “This new geospatial master’s degree will educate students and professionals in the skill sets necessary to effectively and appropriately understand and combine these data into actionable knowledge.”

Applicants are required to have a science or math background or to exhibit the willingness to take the necessary prerequisites in math, statistics, and science. Up to 12 approved credits can be transferred from other accredited institutions.

Classes are scheduled to begin in fall 2009.

The program is built around four core courses to educate students in transforming geospatial data from information to knowledge into intelligence. In addition to the core geospatial courses, the 30-credit degree provides students with the flexibility to structure a graduate program that meets individual needs and goals. Students may choose electives from any of the courses available in the National Capital Region. The program culminates in a capstone project and a journal article.

Professionals can complete the geospatial graduate degree program in as few as two years of part time enrollment. Evening classes are taught at Virginia Tech facilities in West Falls Church and Old Town Alexandria, both easily accessible by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro).

Interested students also have the option of enrolling through Virginia Tech’s continuing education Commonwealth Campus Program before deciding to commit fully to the master’s degree program.

Additional information is available on the program’s Web page or by contacting Kathleen Hancock at (703) 518-2718.