Program Modification Form
I Summary of Proposed Changes
Geography & College of Forestry and Conservation
Department/program
GIS Sciences and Technologies Undergraduate Certificate Program
Summary
II Endorsements and Approvals
Please obtain the Program Chair/Director’s approval and Dean’s approval.
Please type / print name Signature
Requestor:
Phone:
Program Chair/Director:
Date
Woodam Chung on
behalf of the GIS
Certificate Executive
Committee (Paul
Wilson, Mike Sweet,
Woodam Chung, Anna
Klene)
243-6606
Don Potts
Sarah J. Halvorson
Department Dean
James Burchfield
Christopher Comer
Other affected Programs:
(Use additional sheet if
needed)
III Type of Program Modification
(e.g. adding a writing course required of all majors.) Please X check the appropriate box.
Major
Minor
Option
Teaching major/minor
Other
Please
x
- Changes in required courses
describe
- Changes in the list of accepted elective
-
courses
Prefix for all GEOG courses changed to
GPHY
IV Catalog Language
If you are proposing a change to an existing program or
major, please cut and paste the requirements as they
appear in the current catalog below.
www.umt.edu/catalog 
Please provide the proposed copy as you wish
it to appear in the catalog. 
Attached
Attached
Please explain/justify the new proposal or change. 
Required Courses


FOR303, the previously required course for this program, no longer exists. It will be
replaced by two new GIS courses (FOR250 and FOR350) that are currently offered in
the College of Forestry and Conservation.
GEOG 387 Principles of Digital Cartography and its lab 389 have new course numbers
(GPHY 381 and382, respectively).
Elective Courses







GPHY 491 Digital Mapping and Design is a new course that needs to be added to the
elective course list.
GEOS 495 GIS in Geology is an experimental course. We will continue to accept 495s
from other departments (e.g. ANTH495, GEOS 495 as appropriate) as electives, but
cannot list them officially. Therefore, it needs to be removed from the list.
GPHY 467 Planning Decision Support Systems (formerly GEOG 495).
GPHY 486 Transport, Planning, and GIS (formerly GEOG 483).
FOR 503 Predictive Distribution Modeling (formerly FOR 503 GIS: methods and
Applications I)
FOR 504 GIS: Methods and Applications II no longer exists. Therefore, it needs to be
removed from the list.
FOR 562 Wildlife Habitat Modeling is a new course that needs to be added to the
elective course list.
What other programs are affected by your proposal?
Obtain signatures as requested above.
V Copies and Electronic Submission
Once approved, the original, a paper copy and an electronic file are submitted to the Faculty Senate
Office, UH 221 (camie.foos@mso.umt.edu).
VI Department Summary Required if several proposals are submitted. In a separate document
list program title and proposed change of all proposals.
Current Catalog
Certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies
The Certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies, jointly offered by the departments of
Geography, and Forest Management, is aimed at present or future professionals or
scientists who require skills in GIS technologies. The purpose of this program is to
provide undergraduate students or individuals possessing an undergraduate degree with
the training, knowledge, and understanding necessary to acquire, process, analyze, and
properly display geographial data.
Requirements for the Certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies
To earn a certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies, students must either complete or
have completed an undergraduate degree and complete a minimum of 20 semester credit
hours of course work, including 10 to 12 required credits and 8 to 10 elective credits as
described below. Students must achieve at least an overall grade point average of 3.0 for
courses within the program in order to earn a certificate. The certificate will be awarded
upon the successful completion of all of the requirements of the certificate and the
undergraduate degree.
It is recommended that students complete the University’s symbolic systems
requirements before beginning this program, as these courses promote basic qualitative
reasoning (MATH 117, MATH 241, FOR 201, SOC 202). CS 101, Introduction to
Programming, is also strongly recommended.
Required Courses (10–12 cr):
FOR 303 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, or
GEOG 387 Principles of Digital Cartography and GEOG 389 Digital Cartography
Lab
FOR 351 Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing or GEOG 487 Remote Sensing and
Raster GIS and GEOG 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
GEOG 488 Thematic Cartography and GIS and GEOG 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
Elective Courses (8–10 cr):
Raster GIS, Remote Sensing, and Image Analysis
GEOG 587 Digital Image Analysis and Modeling and GEOG 589 Cartography/GIS
Lab FOR 551 Digital Image Processing
Vector GIS and Networks
GEOG 483 Transport Planning and GIS and GEOG 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
GEOG 580 Seminar in GIS and Cartography
GEOG 588 VECTOR GIS and GEOG 589 Cartography/GIS Lab
Data Management and Collection
GEOG 468 Community and Regional Analysis and GEOG 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
FOR 505 Sampling Methods
GIS Applications
GEOG 385 Field Techniques
GEOS 495 GIS in Geology
GEOG 495 Planning Decision Support Systems
GEOG 564 Planning Design
FOR 503 GIS: methods and Applications I
FOR 504 GIS: Methods and Applications II
(Although elective courses are organized by topical specialty, no specialization is
necessary)
Proposed Copy for Catalog
Certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies
The Certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies, jointly offered by the departments of
Geography, and Forest Management, is aimed at present or future professionals or
scientists who require skills in GIS technologies. The purpose of this program is to
provide undergraduate students or individuals possessing an undergraduate degree with
the training, knowledge, and understanding necessary to acquire, process, analyze, and
properly display geographic data.
Requirements for the Certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies
To earn a certificate in GIS Sciences and Technologies, students must either complete or
have completed an undergraduate degree and complete a minimum of 20 semester credit
hours of course work, including 11 to 13 required credits and 7 to 9 elective credits as
described below. Students must achieve at least an overall grade point average of 3.0 for
courses within the program in order to earn a certificate. The certificate will be awarded
upon the successful completion of all of the requirements of the certificate and the
undergraduate degree.
It is recommended that students complete the University’s symbolic systems
requirements before beginning this program, as these courses promote basic qualitative
reasoning (MATH 117, MATH 241, FOR 201, SOC 202). CS 101, Introduction to
Programming, is also strongly recommended.
Required Courses (11–13 cr):
FOR 250 Geographic Information Systems Practicum and FOR 350 Geographic
Information Systems and Applications, or
GPHY 381 Principles of Digital Cartography and GPHY 382 Digital Cartography
Lab
FOR 351 Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing or GPHY 487 Remote Sensing and
Raster GIS and GPHY 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
GPHY 488 Thematic Cartography and GIS and GPHY 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
Elective Courses (7–9 cr):
Raster GIS, Remote Sensing, and Image Analysis
GPHY 587 Digital Image Analysis and Modeling and GPHY 589 Cartography/GIS
Lab
FOR 551 Digital Image Processing
Vector GIS and Networks
GPHY 486 Transport Planning and GIS and GPHY 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
GPHY 580 Seminar in GIS and Cartography
GPHY 588 VECTOR GIS and GPHY 589 Cartography/GIS Lab
Data Management and Collection
GPHY 468 Community and Regional Analysis and GPHY 489 Cartography/GIS Lab
FOR 505 Sampling Methods
GIS Applications
GPHY 385 Field Techniques
GPHY 467 Planning Decision Support Systems
GPHY 491 Digital Mapping and Design
GPHY 564 Planning Design
FOR 503 Predictive Distribution Modeling
FOR 562 Wildlife Habitat Modeling
(Although elective courses are organized by topical specialty, no specialization is
necessary)