I’m looking for colleges with strong geospatial intelligence (more broadly, geography in general) programs and can’t seem to find a lot. I want to study both this and history. Any recommendations for me to start looking into?
Most colleges offer Geospatial Intelligence as a graduate certificate option.
While not the most authoritative rankings list around, this link should give you somewhere to start: http://www.justinholman.com/2014/01/05/2014-top-10-gis/
And a list of geography programs here: http://www.aag.org/galleries/publications-files/20132014_Guide_to_Geography_Programs_in_the_Americas_72414.pdf
As I posted in your last thread, geospatial intelligence is way too specialized a field of study for undergraduates, and from the looks of colleges with masters programs in the field, it’s essentially applied geographic information systems, or GIS. Far more universities offer GIS, so unless you already have unbelievably strong remote sensing skills, just look at colleges which offer courses in GIS and its applications.
The University of Utah [publishes](http://www.geog.utah.edu/certificates/19-geospatial-intelligence.html) its course plan for undergraduates who wish to become certified in geoint. try to find more than one or two courses which differ from what every other comprehensive GIS program offers. If you can, point it out to me because I sure can’t.
Another option is to look at small colleges with strong independent-study components. You could design your own major and curriculum at some of them. My son is actually taking a course in web-based geospatial applications as a freshman at New College of Florida. I imagine that a student who wanted to pursue the subject in greater depth there could do so in tutorials and independent study.
UW Madison has always had a top geog program. With about 80 UG majors it is a small dept with about 23 faculty members.
Since you seem to be from California (based on past posts), you need look no further than the UCs if you have the stats – UCLA, UCSB, and Berkeley all have fantastic geography programs.
The downside is that geography courses in general and GIS courses in particular are VERY in demand. The courses here at UCLA fill up nightmarishly fast.
(On a somewhat related note, the geography and history departments at UCLA are based in the same building and for good reason. You wouldn’t be the first to interact between the two fields. Jared Diamond wasn’t the first to do it here either, for all the influence he’s had.)
George Mason.
@warblersrule do the other UCs have the same problem as UCLA? I guys I’m mildly surprised since at my school almost fewer than 20 people major in geography.
Do you know if either of the Cal Polies would be a good portion for someone looking to study the human and political side of geography?
UCLA has about 150 geography majors a year (counting the joint program with environmental science), which is pretty respectable. The competition for classes increases considerably, however, when you consider all the non-majors also trying to get into relevant classes – bio majors, geology majors, anthro majors, urban planning grad students, archaeology grad students, etc.
I have to confess that I’m not at all familiar with most Cal State schools. Glancing over the websites, both seem to be decent options, but Cal Poly Pomona appears to have broader and deeper geography offerings.