Aquinas College

Bachelor in Geospatial Technologies

Aquinas College is offering a new concentration in the Geography major of Geospatial Technologies. This new concentration will be serving students who have a strong interest in current technologies.

With this concentration in Geospatial Technologies Aquinas will offer students a strong pathway into the S.T.E.M. careers of computer cartography, geographic information systems, and remote sensing. Also, the addition of a new lower level course (Geospatial Analysis) will provide students the opportunity to explore a number of topics within geospatial analysis early in their time at Aquinas. No other college or university in the region offers such a course.

The Geospatial Technologies Concentration includes a unique set of courses designed to provide students with an education that includes technical skills demanded by industry and government agencies at the local, state, and national levels. Job opportunities include positions as cartographers, GIS technicians, or geospatial analysts, all of which are projected to continue to expand in growth over this next decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2015 data for Cartographers and Photogrammetrists reveal that job growth prospects are at 29% nationwide and 18% locally in Michigan.

According to 2016 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, In Michigan, the expected salary range for Cartographer/Photogrammetrists is approximately $42,000-$94,000. The salary range for Computer Occupations is approximately $38,000-$122,000. Additionally, the O*NET Resource Center identifies Cartographers and Photogrammetrists as a career with a “Bright Outlook”, and the Geospatial Technologies as a “Bright Outlook: New and Emerging Occupation”.

Students who complete this new concentration will:

• Have a theoretical and applied understanding of geospatial technologies
• Be prepared for entry-level positions in GIS, cartography, and remote sensing
• Be equipped to continue studies in geospatial technologies at the graduate level