Accelerated Master's Programs

The Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) in GIST is offered for exceptional students in the undergraduate GIST program to complete both their undergraduate (BS-GIST) and graduate (MS-GIST) degrees in as little as 5 years. Choose from one of two master’s emphases: Geospatial Analysis or Geospatial Data Science.

Requirements For Admission to the AMP:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of application; a minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of entry into the AMP. If the student’s GPA falls below 3.3 at the time they have completed 90 units, the student will not be admitted into the program. 

  2. Completion of at least 12 earned undergraduate credits in the BS-GIST at the University of Arizona. 

  3. Units still graded Incomplete, units graded Pass/Fail or units taken as audit will not count toward the requirement of the 12 undergraduate units in the major. 

  4. Completion or near completion of general education requirements.

  5. Submission of a graduate AMP application. 

Degree and Tuition Policies

  1. Students will be considered undergraduates until they complete their undergraduate requirements.

  2. During years 1-3 (or approximately 0-90 credits) students will be taking undergraduate coursework and charged at the undergraduate rate. 

  3. Once admitted to AMP, during the senior (or transition year), students may take up to 12 units of graduate coursework that may apply toward both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s degrees.  

  4. Students classified as seniors who have not yet completed a bachelor's degree may only enroll in 500-level courses following the Graduate Credit for Seniors Policy. 

  5. When the student nears completion of all Bachelors’ requirements, the student will submit an application for admission to the AMP program. The student should apply by the program application date. Once the student has graduate status, the student will be charged at the graduate rate. While an undergraduate, students are required to keep their graduate coursework cumulative GPA at 3.0 to be admitted to the Master’s program. 

  6. Should a student have completed 12 graduate credits, but not yet completed the undergraduate degree, they will be considered graduate for financial aid and tuition purposes and coded as ‘graduate’ in UAccess. They will no longer be eligible for undergraduate scholarships, nor will they be eligible for graduate assistantships. 

  7. At least 12 graduate credits must be taken while in graduate status, after completing all degree requirements for the Bachelor’s. 

Changes to the Original Degree Plans

AMP with Geospatial Analysis Emphasis and list of courses replacing undergraduate requirements:

  1. GIST 520: Advanced Geographic Information Systems; replaces GIST420 requirement
  2. GIST 583: Geographic Applications of Remote Sensing; replaces GIST483 requirement
  3. GIST 513: Programming I: replaces GIST413 requirement
  4. GIST 514: WebGIS; replaces GIST414 requirement

AMP with Geospatial Data Science Emphasis and list of courses replacing undergraduate requirements:

  1. GIST 513: Programming I; replaces GIST413 requirement
  2. GIST 514: WebGIS; replaces GIST414 requirement
  3. GIST 570: Geodatabase; replaces GIST470 requirement
  4. GIST 516E: Geovisualization; replaces GIST416E requirement