Institute for Geographic Information Science

People in many different walks of life use geospatial technologies in a wide variety of social and environmental applications. To serve this diverse enterprise, San Francisco State University provides a variety of educational offerings, one of which is sure to meet your needs. More than 500 professionals from a variety of government and business backgrounds have participated in our GIS training courses.

SFSU Degree Programs
Aspiring geographic information science professionals can earn a BA or MA in Geography with a concentration in Geographic Techniques. The Department of Geography and Human Environmental Studies offers several GIScience courses that count toward a SFSU degree.

SFSU GIS Certificate Program
If your schedule doesn't permit you to attend full semester offerings at SFSU and/or you are looking for classes that provide continuing education credits, then the joint Department of Geography and College of Extended Learning's certificate of completion in Geographic Information Systems, e.g. Professional Development Certificate in GIS, is of considerable note.

ESRI Virtual Campus Subscription (online)
SFSU's Higher Education Site License for ESRI GIS software products includes a subscription that entitles SFSU faculty members, staff members, and students to free, unlimited access to select online courses offered through ESRI's Virtual Campus. For more information...

ESRI Instructor-lead training (faculty and staff only)
Under the CSU Site License Agreement with ESRI SFSU receives a limited number of training days per contract year. Please note that we receive training days not classes. ESRI classes are typically 2-, 3- or 5-day classes. Most people choose to take classes at Redlands. However, we may also use these training days for classes offered at other California locations.

Self-paced documentation library
There are several training and reference books available in the IGISc for SELF-PACED training. You can order this and similar books from ESRI at a reduced rate under the site license.

Workshops and symposia sessions
GIS symposia and workshops for faculty and academic support staff are occassionally offered. The symposia are generally targeted at all levels of GIS users (beginner to advanced). Workshops are targeted at intermediate users who wish to develop their own GIS modules or projects. The workshops assume that participants have a previous GIS background or training.

Geospatial Technology Contract Training
We can provide our standard GIS classes at your site or customize courses to meet your special needs. Classes can be taught one-on-one or for groups. For more information please contact the Training Coordinator.