Penn State unveils new online course for working professionals

Penn State unveils new online course for working professionals

Pennsylvania State University has announced it will offer an innovative online course in geographic information systems (GIS) geared towards professionals in the field who would like to enhance their qualifications.

GIS experts help coordinate responses of emergency personnel to events such as hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters, and the new Penn State program allows practitioners to advance their knowledge, skills and careers without putting their lives on hold.

In fact, The Sloan Consortium - an institutional and professional leadership organization dedicated to integrating online education into the main stream of higher education - recently recognized the course, which is delivered through the World Campus, as the 2009 Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program.

"Our online geographic information systems programs are designed to meet the education needs of working GIS professionals," says David DiBiase, faculty coordinator of the Department of
Geography's GIS postbaccalaureate certificates and masters degree programs.

"The award is a validation of our efforts to develop high-quality online education programs that enable these professionals to keep up with advances in this field," he adds.

Program leaders estimate there are about 500,000 professionals across the U.S. who use GIS as part of their jobs, and the profession is growing at nearly 15 percent a year.