Online Master's of Geography and Geospatial Science Program FAQs

• BA or BS degree from an accredited college or university
• GPA of 3.0 or higher
• A resume or CV. 
• Recommended: Prior experience with GIS, geovisualization, and/or remote sensing is recommended.
• Personal statement that articulates how an E-campus degree will help you achieve your professional goals and how you will use the E-campus model to achieve this outcome.
• Two positive letters of recommendation, preferably one from an academic
  • Letters of reference should come from academics and professionals or other people who are capable of evaluating your preparation for the online MS. Letters should address your academic and professional experience, your initiative and leadership, your capacity to overcome challenges, and your contributions to society and to justice.
• If you have any questions about the admissions requirements and whether you qualify, please email me, Cecile.Valastro@oregonstate.edu. 

See the Office of Graduate Education, Graduate Admissions page.

• A minimum of a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required by the graduate school and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. See links below for more information: 
• See Graduate Admissions - Minimum Academic Requirements.

No, we do not require the GRE.

Application Requirements

See How to apply for the Online Master of Science in Geography and Geospatial Science.

• Start Code: Enter CEOAS-ETO-J2H9
• Online application: Make sure you choose "Ecampus Distance Education (Online Degrees)" as your Campus.
• Resume or CV: Don’t forget to upload this!
• Statement of Interest: also called Objectives Statement
• References: requests are made from within the application. They may be requested before completion and payment of fee. Please request these so they come in time to complete the application by the deadline. You may remind the referrers from within the application, but please be conservative with these reminders.
• Transcripts: you may upload copies of unofficial transcripts, but they must contain the school’s grading scale. If you are admitted to the Program, official transcripts will be requested for all schools that are mentioned in the application.
• Uploading a writing sample is appreciated but optional.
• Test Scores: We do not require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
• TOEFL Test Scores: Required for all international applicants. TOEFL scores should be sent directly to the OSU Graduate School, OSU code 4586. Please arrange to take the language proficiency test well in advance of the deadline as it may take some time to show within the application for reviewers. Additional information can be found at Graduate Admissions - International Applicants.

You do not need to have an advisor in place before applying but applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to prospective faculty advisors prior to submitting an application. If you have not already done so, read about the Geography and Geospatial Science program and our faculty.

Write to the faculty members who might share your interests, and may serve as your advisor, and explain why you are interested in applying to our program. 

To be accepted into our graduate program, a student must apply to the program, be reviewed by our faculty as a whole, and also be accepted by an individual advisor. Advising and admission decisions are made by faculty after review of application materials.

Yes.

For deadline dates see: How to apply for the Online Master of Science in Geography and Geospatial Science. 

Yes.

Our website says: Please request letters of recommendation in a timely fashion, so they arrive before the application deadline. You may remind your reference letter writers from within the application, but please be conservative with these reminders.

See How to apply for the Online Master of Science in Geography and Geospatial Science for notification datea for admission.

See Getting Started: Degree-seeking Graduate Students.

• You will receive a formal letter from the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences stating you have been accepted to the program.
• You will also receive a formal letter from the Graduate School
• You will receive a Welcome and Next Steps letter that will outline your Next Steps.

No, if you have not completed your Bachelor’s degree but have been accepted to the program please be aware that before you can register for classes your Bachelor’s degree must be conferred and you need to provide the Graduate School with your Transcripts showing the degree has been conferred.  They will put a hold on your account until your degree is conferred. See Office of Graduate Education - Contact Us.

There is no fee waiver at this time.

See Ecampus Tuition Information to calculate your tuition costs.

• Online Master of Science MG&GS students are eligible to apply for need-based financial aid in the form of grants and loans. 
• There is more information on the Ecampus website about Financial Aid and Scholarships. 
• CEOAS funding support is not available for the online degree program at this time.
• Many students in the MG&GS program are supported by their employers.

We don’t have a track record about this because the program is new.

Yes.

Online classes are asynchronous so you could keep a full-time job and take class as well. 

See the Ecampus page about How Classes Are Delivered, the section on Online classes.

The online MS Geography and Geospatial Science Program can be completed without entering the US and done all online.

TOEFL Test Scores are required for all international applicants. TOEFL scores should be sent directly to the OSU Graduate School, OSU code 4586. Please arrange to take the language proficiency test well in advance of the deadline as it may take some time to show within the application for reviewers. Additional information can be found at Office of Graduate Education - International Applicants.

Yes, we accept students into our program that have already completed an MS degree.

• Online MS Geography and Geospatial Science program students will need to pay tuition. 
• See Office of Graduate Education, Frequently Asked Questions, “Funding and Fees” section.
• Many students in the online MG&GS degree are supported by their employers.

• The online Master’s program gives you flexibility to learn when you want and plan your studies around your life.
• Ecampus courses are taught asynchronously, and you can access the course when it is convenient for you.
• Traditional on-campus education requires students to attend classes and activities at a given time.
• Tuition costs can be lower than on-campus costs.
• The online Master’s program is a capstone project- and coursework-based degree, whereas the on-campus Master’s program is a thesis- and coursework-based degree. A capstone project is a research project, but it is shorter than a thesis.

Yes.

Because online students can take a partial course load, they can be employed while pursuing the degree. This is encouraged.

No. The program is designed to be completed fully online.

Yes, you can complete all the work and requirements online.

• See Set yourself up for success from the Ecampus website.
• Make a schedule: Online classes are just as much of a time commitment as on-campus classes. Designate your own “class time” and protect it from the other demands on your time.
• See Ecampus Frequently asked questions.

• No, there is no hybrid version of the program.
• You are either an on-campus or online student.
• As an on-campus student, you may take online classes.
• As an online student, you may take on-campus classes, under certain circumstances. If you are interested in this, please email Cecile.Valastro@oregonstate.edu.

Yes, the program has a close relationship with Esri.

• No GEOG courses are offered online in summer.
• Other programs may offer online courses in the summer that could be used as electives toward the MG&GS degree.
• See Search Classes on the Schedule of Classes.

• We do not provide any type of equipment for online students.
• As an online student you would have access to online resources that are available from Ecampus and the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science
• Minimum technology requirements you will need as an online Ecampus student: Check your computer.

CEOAS hardware and software requirements

• Many courses in geospatial science, especially those that use ArcGIS Pro software, have special computer software requirements, described below.
• Graduate students enrolled in the online MS in Geography and Geospatial Science in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences have access to a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure that can provide virtual Windows desktops that are more than capable of running ArcGIS Pro. How to log on to a CEOAS Virtual Desktop Infrastructure session.
• Computer software requirements for courses that use ArcGIS Pro:
  • ArcGIS Pro is not compatible with Mac computers. If you would like to take
    this course using your own computer, it will be required that your computer
    meets the following:
    • Runs Windows 10 or 11 operating system.
    • Has at least 4 CPU cores and ideally 10 or more CPU cores available.
    • Minimum of 8 GB RAM (not recommended), 16 GB RAM is acceptable and 32+GB RAM is ideal.

• Yes.
• You can work toward a master's with a GIScience graduate certificate.
• Do you want to build your knowledge base, connect with prospective faculty advisors and strengthen your résumé before enrolling in the geography and geospatial science master’s program? You can do so by first earning a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science online with Oregon State

All 19 credits you earn in the certificate program can be applied directly to your master’s degree. This pathway makes it feasible to complete the master’s program in one year once you have earned the certificate. See Geography and Geospatial Science.
 

For Geographic Information Science Graduate Certificate students or other OSU Graduate Students wanting to change their Program to the online Master’s in Geography and Geospatial Science, you will need to submit the following materials to the Program by the application deadline to be reviewed for acceptance to the program.

• An updated statement of interests
• Two current reference letters (OSU students pleas request letters from OSU/CEOAS faculty)
• Current OSU transcripts (showing graduate coursework)
• Answers to all the holistic admission criteria: Geography & Geospatial Science Graduate Application additional questions
• An updated CV/Resume

Email your documents to  Cecile Valastro, Graduate program assistant. Please indicate in the subject line of your email Transfer to Online MS G&GS Program.

Also see the Office of Graduate Education Frequently Asked Questions about applying to Graduate Education.

Yes, possibly, if they are graduate courses. You will need to submit transcripts, and they will be evaluated by the Graduate School to determine whether they can be used for transfer credit.

• All the coursework completed for the GIScience certificate can be applied toward the MG&GS degree.
• The GIScience certificate is a transcript-visible certification of your capacities in geospatial science that can increase your qualifications for jobs.

There are several things you can do. (1) PhD admissions processes look for evidence of research experience, and an MS project provides that evidence. On your CV, you will list that you have an MS in G&GS from Oregon State University, and you will provide the title of the project. (2) PhD admissions processes evaluate students based on letters of reference from qualified academics. Your MS project will involve a committee of three faculty. If you apply for a PhD, these committee members can write letters of reference in support of your ability to conduct research at the PhD level. (3) PhD admissions processes also look for other evidence of research experience. You can list internships or other research work beyond your MS project. You can work with your advisor to identify an appropriate professional conference and submit a poster or oral presentation. Finally, you may work with your advisor to publish your MS project. Please note: most applicants for PhD programs do not have publications, so this is not a requirement.

• Courses at OSU are graded on a grading scale. Graduate students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better. See Master's Students for requirements and deadlines for completing your degree.
• Each course has a series of assignments and exams, which contribute to the
  overall grade (“continuous assessment”).
• The MS also requires a final written capstone project and a final examination (“defense”), all of which can be conducted using a remote modality (video conference). The capstone project will be graded.

About Online Courses

• When an Oregon State degree or certificate program is offered online, that means that all or nearly all of the program’s coursework is delivered online.
• Online courses are asynchronous, meaning there are no scheduled class meeting times, and you can access courses at your convenience.

• This would be purely instructor-dependent and how they want to administer their class.
• OSU’s Ecampus program is rated in the top ten in the United States, and courses typically have video and interactive content.

• Online courses typically have 40 to 60 students enrolled.
• Collaboration and group projects are instructor dependent.

The time it takes for students to complete the MS G&GS degree varies based on each student’s professional and personal situation, and you have the flexibility to work at your own pace. On average, MS G&GS students complete their degree within three years; however, the degree can be finished in under two years if students are enrolled as full-time students. MS G&GS students must complete the program within a seven-year period. MS G&GS students are still expected to check in quarterly, or once a term, with their major advisor, enroll in a minimum of three credits per term, and continue to work toward degree completion.

The OSU Academic Calendar will show important dates including start dates, last date to withdraw, Finals week and when the term ends etc. It will also show all session start dates and breaks for the term.

• We do not require internships currently.
• Ecampus does have a Career Hub that you can use for career help. It offers career advice, job postings, events, and curated resources to help ou make career connections through Oregon State University and beyond.
• There is also help through the OSU Career Development Center (CDC) on campus. As a "gateway to the future," CDC provides resources for students and alumni to achieve their professional goals through job fairs, the Beaver Recruiting Program, career counseling, workshops, internship opportunities, and job-hunting tools. CDC also posts student employment information for positions on and off campus.
  • career.services@oregonstate.edu
  • 541-737-4085
  • A110 Kerr Administration Building
• See also the Office of Graduate Education, OSU Student Resources page.

• What Can I Do with a Geography Degree or GIS Certificate?
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Geographers

See Master's Students for the requirements and deadlines for completing your master's degree.

Important Graduate Education Policies

Number of credits

• All master’s degree programs require a minimum of 45 graduate credits including thesis (6 to 12 credits), research-in-lieu-of-thesis (3 to 6 credits), or an integrative capstone experience (3 to 6 credits).
• All graduate student programs of study submitted to the Office of Graduate Education must consist of, at a minimum, 50 percent graduate stand-alone courses. The remaining credits may be the 500 component of 400/500 slash courses.
• No more than 9 credits of blanket-numbered courses, other than thesis (or research-in-lieu-of-thesis for nonthesis programs), may be applied toward the minimum 45-credit master's degree. Blanket courses have numbers with a zero in the middle of them, for example "503." Please refer to the OSU Catalog to learn more about blanket course types and the limits of their use on a program of study.

Time limit

All work toward a master’s degree, including transferred credits, coursework, thesis (if required), and all examinations, must be completed within seven years. Time in which the student is on a leave of absence is included in the seven-year limit.

Continuous enrollment

Minimum registration

• You must be registered for a minimum of three graduate credits, or on an approved leave of absence, until all degree requirements are completed. To avoid registering for the term following your defense, submit the final corrected and signed thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School before the first day of the term following the term in which you defend. For details on this policy see "Continuous Enrollment: 1. Minimum Registration" in the OSU Catalog.
• If you are not using university facilities or faculty time during the summer then you may not have to enroll for the summer session. Please refer to the Continuous Enrollment Policy in the OSU Catalog, and work with your program, to determine if this applies to you. During summer session, a minimum registration of 3 credits is required for graduate assistants.

Leave of absence

• A completed (with signatures) Leave of Absence Form must be received by the Office of Graduate Education at least 15 working days prior to the first day of the term involved. Unless on an approved leave of absence, all graduate students in degree and certificate programs must register continuously for a minimum of 3 graduate credits, excluding summer session, until their degree or certificate is granted or until their status as a credential-seeking graduate student is terminated. If a student is granted a leave of absence during a term, however, they must also withdraw from the term. See the OSU Catalog for more information on Registration Requirements.
• Approved leave of absence includes, but is not limited to, Family and Medical Leave, as defined by the Office of Graduate Education's Family and Medical Leave Policy for Graduate Students.
• Please review the Leave of Absence and Family Medical Leave eligibility comparison tool for questions about the differences between the standard leave of absence and FML.

GPA requirements

A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 is required for all courses taken at OSU as a graduate student and for courses included in the graduate program. Grades on transfer courses will be included in the calculation of the program GPA, but will not affect the GPA of courses taken at OSU. You must meet the minimum GPA requirement before scheduling the final oral exam.