Post-Graduate Diploma - GIS Applications Specialist

The GIS Applications Specialist is the “expert” who provides technical expertise to produce and analyze spatial information for effective planning and reporting activities in a broad range of disciplines. Specifically, a GIS Applications Specialist will help various agencies and government to effectively apply Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), internet mapping solutions and data visualization technologies to support informational needs, workflows or business processes. GIS Applications Specialists can work in various Sectors; the current market for GIS Applications Specialists in Newfoundland and Labrador includes: various provincial and federal departments, crown corporations, municipalities, research agencies, post-secondary institutions and private corporations.

This post-graduate, intensive, three-semester GIS program utilizes current high-end technology tools to collect, store, manipulate, analyze, interpret, and communicate geographic information within a variety of disciplines. The students will be versed in several spatial computing technologies used in the industry today and have access to the latest in appropriate computer hardware, software, and field technology. Students will have considerable opportunities to practice their skills in a work-life setting by putting theory into practice.

Objectives Upon successful completion of the GIS Applications Specialist (Post Diploma) program, graduates will be able to: • Develop and implement solutions to computational problems. Students will be exposed to problem analysis techniques and solution development using top-down development method, modular design approach, and object-oriented design concepts. To implement developed solutions, students will use Microsoft Visual Studio. • Develop and apply skills for the effective presentation of geographic information using software typically encountered in a GIS working environment. • Perform the techniques of gathering geographic related information from the field or existing maps or records and positioning them onto a framework of existing spatial data structures. • Apply fundamental principles of database processing with respect to GIS environments and develop skills in designing, implementing and managing databases. • Pursue subsequent studies in GIS applications in various program areas. As well, the techniques learned will allow students to apply the knowledge and skills to develop simple to elaborate good practice applications with some theory relating to Vector GIS technology. • Analyze geographic data using hypothesis testing, significance tests, descriptive and inferential statistics. • Design and implement a GIS application that addresses predefined objectives. During this process, the student will apply their knowledge and skills and rely on each other, with guidance from faculty, to acquire new skills to solve GIS problems. • Demonstrate GIS skills to include web-based GIS applications. The student will learn how to build web-based GIS applications to contribute to the world of Distributed Geographic Information. • Design efficient and user-friendly graphical interfaces and integrate Microsoft Windows-based software in the development of GIS applications. • Design GIS applications based on the integration of programming languages, database management systems and GIS software to achieve the most efficient data access, manipulation and presentation.