This semester, UNCW received accreditation from the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) and began offering undergraduate and graduate certificates in geospatial intelligence (GEOINT).

UNCW is now one of only 17 USGIF-accredited institutions in the country and the first with an ocean and coastal GEOINT focus.

The accreditation acknowledges the expertise of UNCW’s faculty in this area, and it increases employment opportunities for our students, ensuring their post-graduate success. A GEOINT certificate will prepare graduates for careers in geospatial technologies, a rapidly growing field with strong earnings potential.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) noted an annual growth rate of approximately 35 percent for the industry.

The field is expected to add 3,600 cartography and photogrammetry jobs between 2014 to 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS).

Entry-level positions in cartography and photogrammetry offer a median salary of over $60,000 for college graduates with
GEOINT training, and the BLS predicts these occupations to be among the fastest growing in the country.

“The opportunity to offer our students a world-class GEOINT certification is unique and will make UNCW graduates stand out in the GEOINT job market,” said Narcisa Pricope, program director and associate professor in the UNCW Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences. “It also means that as we work to continuously align our program with the rigorous GEOINT standards and requirements, UNCW will provide substantive, useful and cutting-edge preparation to our students. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing that we are serving our students at the highest possible level and helping them achieve their career and life goals.” 

UNCW’s certificate program is designed to connect students with federal agencies, as well as industry and other stakeholders working in GEOINT. Students who aspire to careers in geospatial intelligence – especially at one of the federal intelligence agencies, such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency – as well as students who aspire to careers in geospatial science, will be well-served by the program.

For more information, visit the program’s website or contact Narcisa Pricope.

Aswani Volety, Ph.D., is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington,  Executive Director of the UNCW Center for Marine Science, and a professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Biology. Volety earned a Ph.D. in marine science from the College of William & Mary, and a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Andhra University. The College of Arts and Sciences is UNCW’s largest academic unit, employing over 450 full-time and 150 part-time faculty members and awarding approximately three quarters of the university’s academic credits. Volety serves as the chief academic, fiscal and administrative officer of the college, which is responsible for educating students across the arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences. Volety is also past president of the Southern Association of Marine Labs.To learn more about the UNCW College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.uncw.edu/cas. Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected].