Program Reflection

The Master of Geospatial Information Science and Technology program at North Carolina State University has provided me with a mastery of geospatial concepts and technologies. I started my graduate work in 2011 while working as a geospatial technician in the planning department for the City of Charleston. As a full-time employee, I wanted to find a program that would allow me to futher my education while being directly applicable to projects in my career. At the time of applying for admission, there were several MGIST programs in the country but I chose NCSU because of its' reputation and faculty.

My education at NCSU was they first program I'd attempted as a distance education student. Although there are inherent advantages and disadvantages to learning remotely, I found the technology and available resources to be extremely helpful. Class discussion boards, online lectures, and conferencing technologies allowed me to feel as if I were physically on campus. The best thing about being able to work on my masters degree while working full time is that they both complemented each other. I was able to apply my real world experience to my coursework and use new concepts from my classes to improve projects at work.

I have found the MGIST program to be extremely beneficial towards many aspects of my professional career and future prospects. The courses I took not only focused on GIS, but also the fundamentals of statistics, computer science, business, and other core competencies imperative to the modern science professional. I will continue to be a lifelong learner, science professional, and proponent for geospatial solutions.