PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Welcome to the University of Washington Tacoma’s Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies (MSGT) Program. You are among a select few students to have been admitted to this year’s cohort! As a graduate student in the UW Tacoma MSGT program you will explore the ways that emergent geospatial technologies are shaping our world. You will also have the opportunity to design and develop innovative real-world applications of geospatial technologies in both facilitated and independent research environments. Curriculum in the program is, therefore, designed to provide graduate students with 1) a foundational set of technical skills applicable to emergent geospatial technologies, and 2) a theoretical framework from within which appropriate and effective uses of geospatial technology can be designed. Additional information about the curriculum will be available as course syllabi released by your faculty throughout the year.
PROGRAM LENGTH
The UW Tacoma MSGT is designed to be completed in a 12-month year (four academic quarters). The program begins in the autumn quarter and runs through the following winter, spring and summer quarters. Only in exceptional circumstances will graduate students be permitted to delay the completion of their program beyond the 12-month period.
COHORT STRUCTURE
The UW Tacoma MSGT employs a cohort-based curriculum. This means that students may begin the program only in the autumn quarter as a part of a new cohort and are expected to complete the program alongside other members of their cohort. The curriculum in this program is entirely prescribed by the graduate faculty and does not include any elective or optional units.
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
There are forty required credits (eight courses) in the UW Tacoma MSGT program. Courses are offered in the autumn, winter, spring and summer quarters. There are no elective or optional courses offered in this program. In general, all courses are designed to alternately provide 1) training in the use of emergent geospatial technologies, and 2) critical theoretical foundations in the appropriate applications of such technologies.
Students in the UW Tacoma MSGT are also expected to complete a capstone project that demonstrates the ability to work effectively with a selection of geospatial technologies in an applied or research-oriented context. The capstone project includes a technical as well as a written component that are overseen by a committee of at least two faculty readers. Please see the following section for additional capstone details.
The forty credit program is one year (4 consecutive quarters - Aut/Win/Spr/Sum) and consists of the following courses:
CAPSTONE PROJECT
Capstone Project Topic are expected to be driven by either a research question or hypothesis. The question or hypothesis will be generated by the student in concert with a graduate faculty member and the student’s capstone committee. The topic of the capstone project is open for the student to determine in coordination with the graduate faculty in the MSGT program. Students will be encouraged to begin identifying topical areas early in the autumn quarter.
The Capstone Technical Component of the capstone project must demonstrate the student’s ability to engage a selection of geospatial technologies in a research-oriented context. The particular technologies that are utilized in a capstone project will reflect the student’s project topic and proposed outcomes. Although there are not specifications in regards to the technologies that must be utilized in a capstone project, a student will not commence work on the capstone project until her/his project proposal has been approved by her/his capstone committee and at least one of the graduate faculty of the MSGT program.
The Capstone Written Component of the capstone project must demonstrate the student’s ability to synthesize and apply relevant theoretical and scholarly work to the research problem or question that the student has identified in her/his proposal. The capstone paper must range from 6,000 to 12,000 words in length (not including references) and adequate diagrams and/or images to support the claims that are made in the text.
Equipment the UW Tacoma MSGT program provides a full range of computing hardware for students to utilize while participating in the program. Equipment currently available to graduate students in the program includes: Dell laptops, MacBook Pro laptops, 10” Nexus tablets, 7” Nexus tablets, Nexus phones, iPad Airs, iPad Minis, iPhones, and a Phantom Drone. For more information regarding equipment loans, please see our equipment and lab policies(missing link).
The plotter (wide format printer) is for use only by faculty. If your project requires the use of the plotter, you may request assistance from one of the GIS/Geospatial Tech faculty members Gregory Lund, Lab Manager, PNK 219, gwlgis@uw.edu.
While it is not required that graduate students have access to a personal computer in order to complete this program, it is strongly recommended for students who are unable to spend time outside of regular class hours in the computing lab. Please consult appendix 4 for our currently recommended specifications.
Grading System
Grades shall be entered as numbers, the possible values being 4.0, 3.9,. . . and decreasing by one-tenth until 1.7 is reached. Grades below 1.7 will be recorded as 0.0 by the Registrar and no credit is earned. A minimum of 2.7 is required in each course that is to be counted toward a graduate degree. A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. See Memo 19 for more information. Fulbright grantees (with the exception of military personnel with deployment orders, these students will be required to pay the fee for each quarter of leave requested).
Incomplete Grades
Grades may be given only when the student has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work to within two weeks of the end of the quarter and has furnished proof satisfactory to the instructor that the work cannot be completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student's control. To obtain credit for the course, a student must successfully complete the work and the instructor must submit a grade. In no case may an Incomplete be converted into a passing grade after a lapse of two years or more. An incomplete received by the graduate student does not automatically convert to a grade of 0.0 but the "I" will remain as a permanent part of the student’s record.
Low Scholarship Status
Students in the Master’s program are graduate students at the University of Washington, and as such must abide by general\graduate-school regulations regarding progress through the program. Grades earned in prerequisite courses are considered when evaluating low scholarship status. Students should be aware of the following regulations detailed in Memo 16.
1. A minimum grade of 2.7 is required for a course to be counted toward the graduate degree.
2. A minimum grade of 2.7 is required for a course to be counted toward the graduate degree.
Maintenance of Student Status
It is expected that graduate students will enroll in all required courses during their cohort year. At the discretion of the graduate program coordinator and director of the Urban Studies Program, students who fail to enroll in (and complete) any one of the required eight courses will be withdrawn from the program.
Satisfactory Performance and Grade Expectations
In order to remain active in the MSGT graduate program students must maintain a quarterly and cumulative minimum 3.0 GPA and earn at least 2.7 GPA in each of the eight required courses. If at the mid-point of any quarter a student’s work should fall below this performance threshold, the student will be notified by the graduate program coordinator that she/he will be placed on academic probation should the course(s) not be satisfactorily completed. After the completion of a quarter if a student has not satisfactorily completed any of the eight courses, then, at the discretion of the graduate program coordinator and director of the Urban Studies Program, the student may be withdrawn from the program. Please see your Graduate Program Advisor or Graduate Program Coordinator for more information on performance expectations.
Important Dates
Please be aware of all important dates: Registration dates and Graduate School deadlines
Tuition-Exempt Status
Eligible University and State of Washington employees may enroll in up to six credits each quarter using a tuition exemption, provided they enroll on a space-available basis. Eligible students are allowed to enroll for more than six credits and will be charged tuition accordingly for the additional credits. Tuition- exempt students may register beginning the third day of the quarter (UW staff and faculty) or the fourth day of the quarter (all others). Any credits in excess of six are subject to the same "space available" registration dates. More information about tuition exemption policies can be found online
Filing for Graduation – Request a Master’s Degree
Students will apply for graduation online.
Below is a timeline in which students may submit their Master’s Degree Request. If students miss the deadline to file their request, they must register for credits in the following quarter. Please check the Graduate School’s timeline often during your last quarter.
The annual graduation and hooding ceremonies only occur once a year. Participation requires online or in-person registration. Please watch your email during spring quarter and contact the graduate advisor for information. The MSGT program concludes in summer quarter, thus all students may participate in commencement ceremony in the spring prior to completing.
International Students
Students on F-1 visas will pay non-resident tuition. F-1 students are eligible to apply for research assistantship positions and may work on campus for up to 20 hours per week. Students on H-4 visas can qualify for in-state tuition if they have lived in Washington for 12 consecutive months. H-14 students are not eligible for any paid positions but may convert to an F-1 visa after three full-time quarters.
Students must contact the UW Tacoma Office of the Registrar for residency petitions and all related information.
Students should contact the International Student Services office for advising prior to making any visa changes. In addition, the ISS coordinates the CPT and OPT approval process. Students should contact ISS first, then follow up with the graduate advisor. Please note that new students are not eligible for CPT.
INDEX OF GRADUATE SCHOOL MEMORANDA
The Index of Graduate School Memoranda includes graduate program policies maintained by the Graduate School. Content is reviewed and modified as needed. Final decisions regarding implementation or continuation of policies receive the advice of the Graduate School Council. Below are a few memorandums that Urban Studies would like to make sure you are aware. All of the memorandums are available online.
Continuous Enrollment and On Leave Status
Graduate students are required to maintain graduate status during their program of study. Failure to maintain this status requires reinstatement to the University of Washington. Students who desire to take a quarter or quarters off without going through the reinstatement process must apply for on-leave status for each quarter they do not register. For complete details regarding the on-leave policy, refer to Memo 9.
Students on-leave are entitled to:
- Return as a graduate student to the graduate program
- Use University libraries
- Maintain access to the UW email account
- Use Hall Health Primary Care Center on a pay-for-service basis
- use the IMA with additional fee• faculty and staff counsel/resources (very limited counsel/resources are permitted)
Student on leave are not entitled to:
- faculty and staff counsel/resources (very limited counsel/resources are permitted)
- examinations of any type (except for language competency)
- university housing
- student insurance
- financial assistance
Procedure for Requesting Leave
Beginning September 28, 2011, students requesting on-leave status must submit an online Request for On- Leave Status via MyGrad Program. For a given quarter, students can submit the request as early as two weeks prior to the first day of instruction and must submit payment of the non-refundable fee no later than 11:59:59 p.m. PST on the last day of instruction. Leave is granted on a quarterly basis, though the following students may request up to four consecutive quarters of leave at one time: PCMI students, military personnel with deployment orders, and some UW Fulbright grantees (with the exception of military personnel with deployment orders, these students will be required to pay the fee for each quarter of leave requested).
Reinstatement to the Graduate School
Students previously registered in the Graduate School who have failed to maintain graduate student status (on-leave status was not secured and registration was not maintained) but wish to resume studies within the same degree program must file a request for reinstatement to the Graduate School. Requests will first be reviewed and approved by the department. Once the department has approved the request and the Graduate School has confirmed students’ eligibility for reinstatement, students will be notified to pay a non-refundable reinstatement fee before registering for the requested quarter of reinstatement.
Time to Degree and Limits for On-Leave Status
The Graduate School normally allows six years from the quarter of admission to complete requirements for a master's degree. Periods spent On-Leave or out of status are included in these limits. Before approving a Petition for On-Leave Status for a student whose leave period will take them in excess of these limits, the department must first file a Petition to the Dean of the Graduate School (via MyGrad) explaining why this action is being requested. This Petition to the Dean must be approved by the Graduate School before the Petition for On-Leave Status is filed.
The Graduate Program Coordinator, Graduate Program Advisor and the Urban Studies’ graduate faculty are expected to review the status of each student who violates the above polices and to transmit to the Dean of the Graduate School a specific recommendation: no action, warn, probation, final probation, or drop.
WARN
Warn is an early status for a student who has failed to meet expectations for performance or progress. Warnings are optional in the probation process and are managed internally by the program with a goal of resolving problems before escalating to probation. The program may issue multiple warning letters to the student and the Graduate School is not notified. The Graduate School recommends that programs use the warning status prior to a probation status.
PROBATION
Probation status is used for a student who has failed to resolve problems with their performance or progress that the program has previously documented and communicated to the student. Programs send a probation recommendation to the student with a copy to the Graduate School no later than the 10th business day of the probation quarter. All probation letters must cite:
a. The reason for the probation,
b. Steps the student must take to remove the probation, and
c. The consequences the student will face if steps were not taken to remove the probation.
The Graduate School will review the probation letter drafted by the program and, if accepted, place a probation notice on the student’s record. At least one quarter of probation must be issued by the Graduate School at the request of the program prior to final probation. Two additional quarters of probation may be issued at the program’s discretion and the Graduate School must receive documents supporting a probation recommendation each quarter.
FINAL PROBATION
Final Probation status is used for a student who has failed to resolve the documented problems in their probation status as submitted to the Graduate School. Programs send a final probation recommendation to the student with a copy to the Graduate School no later than the 10th business day of the final probation quarter. All final probation letters must cite:
- The reason for the final probation,
- Steps the student must take to remove the final probation, and
- The consequences the student will face if steps were not taken to remove the final probation.
The Graduate School will review the final probation letter and, if accepted, place a final probation notice on the student’s record. The Graduate School will send a letter to the student informing them of their status. The graduate program must issue one quarter of final probation prior to a drop from the program, except in clearly documented situations as discussed below. A program may request an additional quarter of final probation in extenuating circumstances. The Graduate School must receive documents supporting this recommendation and will send letters to the students informing them of their status.
A graduate program may recommend a student be placed on probation status while the student is on leave. The program may not change a student’s probationary status while the student remains on leave. The student must apply for leave status each quarter which is then approved by the department (see Graduate School Memo 9).
DROP
Drop is an official action that terminates a student’s enrollment from a graduate program because either the student has failed to resolve documented problems in their final probation status, or the student has one of the performance issues as outlined above. Graduate programs should submit drop recommendations to the Graduate School prior to the start of the quarter but no later than the fifth business day of the drop quarter. The Graduate School approves the drop, and drop status will appear on the student’s official transcript. When dropped, a student is not eligible to complete the program or return later to complete the degree. A student dropped from one graduate program may apply to and enroll in a different graduate program if accepted.
APPEALS
Appeals must follow the process outlined in Graduate School Memorandum No. 33, Academic Grievance Procedure.
REPEATING A COURSE
Repeating a Course Graduate students may repeat any course. Both the first and second grades will be included in the cumulative GPA. Subsequent grades will not be calculated, but will appear on the permanent record. The number of credits earned in the course will apply toward degree requirements only once.