THE RIGHT COORDINATES |
The Official Newsletter of the
Master of Science & Graduate Certificate Program
Fall 2026 |
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Welcome to the Fall 2026 MS Program newsletter! We are so excited to share the latest happenings, news and events occurring in our program. Please reach out if you would like to learn more details about what our program can do for you! |
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UPCOMING EVENTS, DEADLINES & ITEMS OF INTEREST |
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CGIS Director's Welcome |
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Welcome to our new and returning students! As I begin my role as director of the Center for Geospatial Information Science, I am excited to interact with you all and contribute to the community that makes our programs special.
You are studying geospatial information science at an important inflection point. Generative AI, foundation models, autonomous agents, and more are opening new possibilities for how we collect, analyze, and share information about the world, and this includes geospatial information. At the same time, geography is central to these developments. These new technologies depend on infrastructure and resources located in particular places, draw on data that reflect different environments and communities, and increasingly help people and other systems navigate and make decisions about the physical world. This creates interesting opportunities for understanding spatial relationships, evaluating evidence, and communicating findings. Through your training in geospatial technologies, tools, and methods, you are gaining the expertise to contribute to this exciting landscape and help shape where it goes next. As your instructors incorporate some of these emerging developments into the curriculum, we would love to hear what you are curious about and what skills you hope to develop.
Our connections with the broader geospatial community are another valuable part of this experience. Some of you have already had the opportunity to participate in a recent group visit to Esri’s office in Vienna. There will be additional opportunities to experience these connections, such as the Esri FedGIS Conference in D.C. this winter. Please also keep an eye out for social events and activities, including seminars and GIS Day, where we can get to know one another and share our interests.
Thank you for being part of CGIS. I wish you a rewarding fall term and look forward to the conversations and ideas ahead!
With warm regards,
Taylor M. Oshan
Director, Center for Geospatial Information Science
Associate Professor, Department of Geographical Sciences |
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Introducing Our Fall 2026 Cohorts |
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We are excited to welcome our new Fall 2026 cohorts to the Master of Science and Graduate Certificate programs in GIS and GEOINT. Our programs recently had our Fall 2026 orientations. GEOG Chair, Professor Tatiana Loboda, as well as
Associate Professor Taylor Oshan, the new director of the Center for Geospatial Information Science joined our GIS event. This cohort is comprised of students from diverse backgrounds and experiences that will greatly enrich our program. They will be joining us both in person and online. |
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The Esri office in Tyson's Corner recently hosted GEOG students for an inspiring half-day look inside the world's leading geospatial technology company. The attendees explored different Esri teams, from software development to business solutions to professional services. They also were shown emerging trends shaping the geospatial industry and explored exciting pathways for undergraduate and graduate students to launch meaningful GIS careers at Esri. |
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Spring 2026 Capstone |
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As the final course of their program, every student undertakes a project as a demonstration of their competence in geospatial science and technologies. In Spring 2026, we had both an in-person symposium and a virtual 5-minute lightning talk about the students' research. We are continually amazed at the insightful and enlightening research that is done by our MS students. Great job! |
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Outstanding Award Winners |
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Congratulations to our 2026 winners at the Departmental Awards ceremony! |
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Outstanding MS GIS Student: Alexander Perigon |
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Outstanding MS GEOINT Student: Theodore Hirsch
READ MORE |
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In 2026, you could find the MS program at a variety of conferences spreading the word about our amazing students, our curriculum and course offerings. We participated in the Esri Federal User conference, GEOINT Symposium, Esri User conference and the TuGIS event. |
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Congratulations to our Summer 2025, Fall 2025 & Spring 2026 graduates! The BSOS College commencement ceremony was held on May 22, 2026. The campus-wide main ceremony was on May 21, 2026, at SECU Stadium. |
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2026 Esri Scholarship Winner |
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Congratulations go out to Esri employee Katie Weintraub, for being selected as the 2026 GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES MS GIS/GEOINT QUALIFIED TUITION SCHOLARSHIP winner! This scholarship was created as part of the collaboration between Esri and our Master of Science program. It is awarded to one qualified Esri employee each year who has been admitted to the MS program. |
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MS Spotlight: Joseph Massaro |
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The MS GEOINT program is proud to feature current MSGEOINT student Joseph Massaro as our Fall 2026 MS Spotlight student. His inspiring story highlights his ability to navigate a lymphoma battle while balancing work and graduate school. READ MORE |
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One big benefit of our program is getting the opportunity to acquire GIS skills beyond the classroom. Many of our current students and alumni work within our department. Whether working as a Research Assistant, a Faculty Specialist, or a Teaching Assistant, these employees contribute their wealth of knowledge, talent, and expertise to the Department of Geographical Sciences. We are lucky to have them! Follow us on social media as we will periodically feature these individuals.
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The University of Maryland Department of Geographical Sciences offers a Master of Science in GIS or GEOINT and Graduate Certificates in GIS, GEOINT, or Remote Sensing. Programs feature: |
- Flexibility—all courses are scheduled in the evenings and are conducted in a hybrid delivery format (both online & in-person) OR exclusively online.
- Esri—We are designated as an Esri Innovation Program (EIP) institution
- Term System—12-week terms, year round (Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer)
- Ideal Location—Close proximity to federal government agencies and non-profit organizations
- No GRE required
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Applications are now being accepted for
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The Master of Science/Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Information Sciences is dedicated to providing the most up-to-date training on geospatial technologies, theory, and application. Curriculum includes training in spatial analysis, spatial statistics, scripting and programming, modeling, remote sensing, digital image processing, spatial database design and development, Internet GIS, big data analytics, Mobile GIS, GeoAI, and Open Source GIS. MS (30 credits) GC (12 credits)
Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing concentrates on teaching the science and technology necessary for collecting, processing, analyzing, and visualizing geospatial data through remote sensing platforms such as satellite images, aerial photos, and drone images. The curriculum provides both the concepts and technical skills to become a Remote Sensing specialist. GC (12 credits)
For more information, please visit: msgis.umd.edu |
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The Master of Science/Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence (MS GEOINT) provides workforce-focus training in the rapidly expanding geospatial intelligence industry, especially for Maryland and the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It gives graduates the skills and expertise to lead new initiatives in the landscape of GEOINT applications, data collection systems, analytic methods and mission support that characterize today's geospatial intelligence domain.
For more information, please visit geoint.umd.edu |
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