Program and Course Search

Geomatics in the Workplace - Advanced Certificate

Learn in a flexible format perfect for working professionals.

*Please note, this program is not accepting applications for fall 2026.

Program at a Glance

Length

8 months (program starts in October of the Fall term)

Credential

Advanced Certificate

Delivery Method

Online

Campus

Online

Intake Dates

Fall

Contacts

Rena Vandenbos

School Chair, Researcher, Instructor, Geographic Information Systems

Phone

1 (250) 365-7292

21279

Direct

1 (250) 365-1279

Contact by email

Allison Lutz

Student Coordinator, Instructor

Phone

1 (888) 953-1133

21276

Direct

1 (250) 365-1276

Contact by email

Overview

The School of Environment & Geomatics offers a Geomatics in the Workplace Advanced Certificate (GWAC), providing a basic level of GIS and geomatics certification for people currently employed in sectors like forestry, planning, engineering, business and more.

The program provides an accessible mix of online geomatics instruction for people who find it difficult to leave the workforce and study in a conventional full time or part time enrolment model.

This program will utilize the industry standard in GIS, GPS, satellite and LiDAR remote sensing software, and UAV drone mission planning technology to match the growing need of knowledge and experience requested by industry.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, learners will be able to:

Leverage basic GIS and Remote Sensing capabilities to apply to real-world scenarios.
Apply processes of spatial data creation, management and acquisition utilizing a range of GIS and remote sensing methods, including accurate use of GNSS and applications of UAVs.
Create visual representations of spatial data through maps and 3D models, to effectively communicate with target audiences and explore a variety of data sources.
Utilize LiDAR and other point cloud data sources to create a variety of 3D surfaces.
Apply problem-solving approaches to address technical issues and provide decision support.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the general admission requirements to Selkirk College, the applicant must meet the following program requirements to be considered fully-qualified:

Admission Requirements for Geomatics in the Workplace Advanced Certificate

successful completion of 60 credits from a diploma/associate degree or applied/academic degree from an accredited post-secondary institution with an average GPA of at least 2.33.

Additional Requirements

General

An applicant with reasonable potential for success on the basis of work experience or other criteria may be admitted, notwithstanding some deficiency in prior formal education. They should have demonstrated competency in the use of computer software and hardware technologies, including with spreadsheets, word processing, and computer graphics. Applicants with no accredited post-secondary credential may require academic upgrading prior to starting the program. They are urged to apply for the program at least one year in advance.

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Before an applicant's file is considered to be complete, the following must have been received by the Admissions office:

a) completed application form;

b) official transcripts of all relevant post-secondary education;

c) official transcripts of high school grades will be required for applicants entering without a credential from an accredited post-secondary institution;

2. Deadline for completing the application file is normally one month prior to the commencement of the program.

3. Late applications will be accepted if space is available.

4. Part time applications for the Advanced Certificate will be accepted.

Graduation and Promotion

PROMOTION

Students receiving a final grade of 59% or lower in the prerequisite course will be required to withdraw from the subsequent course requiring the prerequisite. Students receiving the 50% or lower grade must re- register in, and successfully complete the course with a 60% grade or better before going on to the subsequent course.

GRADUATION

All courses must have at least a 60% grade to be eligible for graduation.

Courses

Fall Term

GIS302 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

GIS 302 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems is an introduction to GIS theory and application. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how geospatial features are represented and captured as data and how these data can be managed, analyzed and presented using state-of-the-art GIS tools. Hands-on expertise will be developed with ESRI's ArcGIS for Pro software. This material is continued in GIS 303. This course or equivalent credit is required to continue in the ADGIS program.

Prerequisites

Admission into ADGIS/GWAC/BGIS program

Credits

3.00

GIS 302 online begins in mid-October

Winter Term

GIS305 - Introduction to Remote Sensing using QGIS

GIS 305 Introduction to Remote Sensing using QGIS will introduce the fundamentals of remote sensing and demonstrate the current applications of the technology. Students will become familiar with the basic image pre-processing techniques such as applying radiometric, geometric and atmospheric corrections. State-of-the-art digital image processing techniques - supervised and unsupervised classifications, object based image classification, change detection and biophysical modelling will be explored. The course is designed to introduce freely available remote sensing data sources (open data) and open source software (QGIS) for natural resources management applications.

Prerequisites

Entry into GWAC program

Credits

3.00

GIS323 - Introduction to Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

GIS 323 Introduction to Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles will first introduce the fundamental concepts of Global Navigation Satellite Systems with specific emphasis on Global Positioning System (GPS) and the applied technologies for GPS data collection and GIS integration. Through interactive instruction and hands-on course exercises, students will work with a variety of GPS tools and field collection techniques to learn how to create, edit, update and manage geographic information. Emphasis areas will include familiarity with GPS receivers, GPS processing software, data collection standards and cartography. The second part of the course will introduce Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) technology. More specifically, this includes introduction to photogrammetry, characteristics of images obtained from UAV, mission planning, acquiring images using UAV and digital image processing. Students will work on series of assignments to get the hands on experience on data acquisition and image processing.

Prerequisites

GIS 302 (if online version of GIS 323)

Corequisites

GIS 302

Credits

3.00

GIS 305 runs January to early March, GIS 323 runs March to end of April

Spring Term

GIS401 - Introduction to LiDAR Remote Sensing and Applications

GIS 401 Introduction to LiDAR Remote Sensing and Applications. The aim of this course is to combine vector and raster GIS data and new remotely sensed data source, LiDAR, with geospatial tools to make spatial decisions. Students will master basic skills of LiDAR needed to leverage the commercial LiDAR sources and information products in a broad range of applications, including vegetation characterization, 3D modeling of urban infrastructure, volumetric analysis for underground parking garage excavation and wetland boundary delineation. Further, students will be given a brief introduction to Open Source software for LiDAR data processing.

Prerequisites

GIS 302

Credits

3.00

Tuition & Fees

All amounts are estimates and are subject to change. Tuition amounts are based on a full-time course load. Please note that many programs have additional costs beyond those listed here. For more information, please visit Tuition & Fees.

Policy

Effective Term:

Fall

Effective Year:

20240801

Advanced Standing:

Advance or Transfer Credit and Prior Learning Assessment
1. A student may obtain credit for a maximum of 75% of program requirements by Transfer Credit, Advanced Placement, Prior Learning Assessment or combination thereof.
2. Application for advanced credit is to be made prior to entry into the program and students are advised to attend all classes for which they are seeking advanced credit until the credit is formally approved.

Re-Entry Instructions:

Students normally must complete the entire program within 24 calendar months of initial entry to qualify for a diploma. Re-entry applicants who cannot meet this deadline will be required to retake courses which have changed.
Re-entry is permitted only when space is available.
Students in good standing who must interrupt their program may apply to re-enter the program within one year of departure.
Students who fail to complete a course successfully may apply to re-enter the course the next time it is offered.
Priority for re-entry will be given as follows:
1. students who interrupted their program for illness or compassionate reasons; and
2. students who failed to meet program requirements for promotion.

Assessment:

Grading
1. Grades and the calculation of the grade point average will be based on the Standard Academic and Career Grading table. To view the grading tables see Policy 8612: Grading.

Grading Table:

Standard Academic and Career Programs

Types of Assessments:

Assessments will occur as specified in course outlines and will be four or more events per course.
Assessment events will normally include assignments, presentations, reports, examinations, tests and quizzes. These will be specified in the course outlines.
No single assessment can be worth more than 50% of the final grade of any course.
Examinations
1. The schedule for midterm and final examinations will be published in the course outlines.
2. Regulations for invigilated examinations at Selkirk College sites or other designated sites include the following:
  1. tests, quizzes, exams must be written at the scheduled appointment time when invigilation services are available
  2. students leaving the exam room before the conclusion of the exam without the permission of the invigilator may forfeit their right to return and complete the exam
  3. no books or other material may be brought into the examination room unless consent of the invigilator has been given
  4. no material relating to the examination may be removed from the examination room. Under no circumstances may materials upon which answers are written be removed
  5. making use of materials, books or notes without the approval of the invigilator, speaking or communicating in other ways with other students, or exposing written papers to the view of other students is not permitted
  6. students in violation of the above items will be required to leave the examination room immediately and will forfeit the right to have the examination evaluated
  7. any questions must be directed to the invigilator
  8. all completed tests must be returned to the instructor/invigilator and will be kept on file for the required time period
Regulations pertinent to online exams will be according to course outline details and as previously described.
Supplemental Assessment(s)
1. Supplemental final examinations/activities will only be considered upon written request by the student to the course instructor and will need to be approved by both the instructor and the school chair.
2. At no time will the mark on a supplemental examination/activity exceed the equivalent of a "C" grade for the evaluative event.
3. Normally, only one supplemental final examination/activity will be allowed in the program.

Attendance:

Absences from learning experiences may preclude the student from meeting the requirements for that course.
Students claiming illness, accidents or compassionate reasons for absence from learning experiences must contact the instructor concerned as soon as possible.
Students may be required to supply a medical professional certificate to substantiate claims of illness.
A student who must be absent from a practicum experience is responsible for notifying the agency and/or instructor at least one hour prior to the scheduled time for the experience to begin.

Professional Requirements:

Students enrolled in the Online Advanced Certificate will need to have access to their own personal computer. This computer will need to be capable of running the most recent version of ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro software. Students will receive minimum specifications required of this computer when they register, but typically it needs to be able to run on a recent windows operating system, with adequate graphic capabilities and ample RAM and hard drive space.
Assigned materials are to be read by students; such materials and textbooks are not necessarily reviewed in class by the instructor.
The student is responsible for researching and obtaining notes of missed sessions. Instructors are not expected to give personal reviews to students who miss a class.
Please see Policy 3400: Student Code of Conduct for more college level requirements.