Northwest Missouri's online program would be nation's first

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- Northwest Missouri State University plans to offer the nation's first online master's degree in geographic information systems if the program receives state approval.

The program, which must be approved by Missouri's Coordinating Board for Higher Education, also would become the university's first online graduate degree and the geology/geography department's first master's of science courses.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Gregory Haddock, department chairman. "We're on the forefront of something big here."

In 1999, the department began offering a minor in geographic information systems in conjunction with the computer science department.

Through a yearlong feasibility study, Haddock found that while other colleges offer advanced degrees in the field, none can be completed online. While people can obtain a geographic information systems certificate online, there are no full degree programs available through the Internet.

The 32-credit-hour program is designed so a full-time professional can complete it in two to three years -- a little more than the two years it typically takes to earn a master's degree through a residential program.

An introductory course in geographic information systems will be used to orient students without previous education or experience with the mapping system.

Haddock expects that many in the first class likely will be recent graduates of Northwest Missouri's geology/geography department. More than 50 of them contacted him after hearing about the program, and he hopes to enroll 15 to 20 students in the first two courses in the fall.