Geographic information science | Geospatial aspects of sustainable planning

The M.S. in geographic information science with the geospatial aspects of sustainable planning application area is a 30-credit program combining advanced geospatial science with coursework in sustainability, environmental systems and planning. You’ll build technical expertise in GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis, modeling and geovisualization, then apply those skills to real-world challenges involving climate, water, land use and sustainable development.

View the online geographic information science graduate handbook

Explore program courses in the University Catalog 

Build advanced geospatial expertise

Your core coursework develops a strong technical foundation in:

• Intermediate geographic information systems
• Foundations of GIS
• Remote sensing/GIS image analysis
• Spatial analysis and modeling
• Cartographic design and geovisualization
• Graduate research and seminar work 

Apply GIS to sustainability and planning

In the geospatial aspects of sustainable planning application area, you can explore topics such as:

• Climate: climate change mitigation
• Water: water quality in the pacific northwest; drinking water and human health
• Sustainability: principles of sustainability
• Planning: introduction to bioregional planning; planning sustainable places; planning theory and process
• People and place: socioeconomic applications of GIS
• Environmental data: data wizardry in environmental sciences
• Resilience: critical infrastructure security and resilience fundamentals; emergency management and planning 

Choose how you complete your degree

The program offers thesis and non-thesis options. Thesis students complete six credits of master's research and thesis, while non-thesis students complete two credits of research. The program can be completed through distance education, including 100% online completion. 

Hands-on learning

Many of your courses will include a lab, and you’ll also have opportunities to contribute to faculty research projects, including:  

• Polar meteorology and remote sensing in arctic environments  
• Regional climate change in the western United States
• Forest disturbances and environmental change  
• Human adaptation to climate change in high latitudes  
• Natural resource applications of GIS in quantifying carbon fluxes  

Related clubs and organizations

• Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA)
• Geo Club
• Super Group

Beginning Fall 2026, M.S. students appointed as Teaching Assistants will receive an annual support package that includes:

• Base stipend: $18,985.20 for the 9-month academic year
• In-state tuition: fully covered by the program
• Out-of-state tuition: waived for non-resident students
• Health insurance: fully covered
• Summer support: additional scholarship up to $8,000, depending on funding availability 

University of Idaho is committed to making graduate education accessible and helping students navigate the cost of earning an advanced degree. In addition to financial aid and scholarship opportunities, many graduate students receive funding through assistantships, research opportunities and other forms of academic support.

Here are a few key resources to help you understand graduate tuition, funding opportunities and available financial support:

• Submit your FAFSA: Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step to accessing federal, state and institutional financial aid.
• Estimate your cost of attendance: Visit U of I’s cost of attendance page to explore estimated tuition, fees and living expenses associated with your graduate program.  
• View a breakdown of tuition and fees: Visit the Student Accounts page to explore current tuition rates, fees and detailed cost information based on your program, residency status and enrollment level.
• Explore scholarships and graduate funding opportunities: Graduate students may qualify for scholarships, fellowships and other funding opportunities based on academic achievement, area of study and professional experience.  
• Learn about assistantships: Many graduate programs offer Research Assistantships (RAs), Teaching Assistantships (TAs) or Graduate Assistantships (GAs), which may provide tuition support, stipends and valuable professional experience. Assistantship availability and funding levels vary by program and department, as well as program modality as these experiences may only be available for on-campus students.  Reach out to the program contact or graduate admissions to learn about opportunities that are available for online students.  
• Connect with your program: Some graduate funding opportunities are coordinated directly through academic departments or faculty research projects. Prospective students are encouraged to review department funding information and speak with program representatives about available opportunities. 

If you have questions about financial aid, scholarships or graduate funding, U of I’s experienced financial aid counselors and graduate program staff can help you explore options and make informed financial decisions throughout the admissions process.  

View financial aid resources

Recognized STEM Program

This program is recognized as a STEM program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and may be eligible for the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension for international students.

Learn more about STEM approved CIP/degree codes

Have questions about the program, research opportunities or the graduate student experience? Connect with our program team for personalized guidance about curriculum, faculty mentorship, application requirements and graduate funding opportunities. 

Earth and Spatial Sciences department contact:
Alistair Smith
alistair@uidaho.edu

For questions related to admissions, application materials, transcripts or enrollment steps, contact Graduate Admissions: 

Graduate Admissions contact:
graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu
208-885-4001

Interested in research areas or finding a faculty mentor? Explore faculty expertise, research interests and advising opportunities on the department’s faculty page. 

Find Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences faculty advisor contacts.

Applicants for the M.S. in GIS, geospatial aspects of sustainable planning option program must meet the following degree-specific admission requirements: 

Program availability: 

• Concentration: thesis and non-thesis  
• Semester intake: Summer, Fall and Spring  
  • Eligible for 4+1 admission for U of I undergraduates
  • Eligible for expedited admission for U of I undergraduates
  • Open to international applicants
• Deadlines: general application deadlines
• Start dates: View the academic calendar to see start and end dates 

University requirements: 

• Education level: Bachelor's degree in a similar or related field from an accredited or recognized institution (earned or expected before the start of the graduate program)
  • Transcripts for all post-secondary education will be required. Unofficial transcripts may be used for initial admission review. Official transcripts sent by the issuing institution(s) will be required if admitted. View more information on the Graduate Admissions page. 
• GPA: 3.0 (Applicants with a lower undergraduate GPA who have relevant professional experience in the field, have already earned a graduate degree, or have completed graduate-level credits may still be considered for admission with approval from the academic program.)
• GRE: Not required
• Letters of recommendation: Three
• Statement of purpose
• Valid picture ID (required to verify students’ identity and will be kept confidential)
• English proficiency (for applicants whose education was completed in countries where English is not an official language).
  • Accepted tests: TOEFL: 4.5, IELTS: 6.5, Duolingo: 115, PTE-A: 58. (TOEFL 5.0 or equivalent required for teaching assistantship) Learn what qualifies as proof of English proficiency.  
• Application Fee: $50 

Application and admission process:

Applications are submitted online and are specific to the program and term selected. Applicants seeking admission to multiple programs must submit a separate application for each program.

Before submitting an application, applicants must provide personal and academic information from all post-secondary institutions attended, recommender information, required program-specific materials and their intended program and start term.

Applicants seeking admission to the thesis concentration are encouraged to identify and contact a potential faculty advisor or major professor during the application process. Early identification of an advisor can help ensure that a faculty member in the applicant’s area of interest has capacity to supervise the student and appropriate research opportunities are available. Applicants should consult the College of Science website to identify faculty whose research aligns with their academic and research interests.

Applications are reviewed for admission by the academic program. Only complete applications, including required letters of recommendation and payment of the application fee, will be forwarded for evaluation and admission decision. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their applications early to allow sufficient time for a thorough review.

International students seeking F-1 or J-1 visas must provide financial documentation demonstrating their ability to cover the cost of attendance. This documentation is required only after admission.

Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application. 

Alistair Smith, Department Chair and Professor

• Mortality of plants from fires
• The degree to which post-fire recovery is reduced
• Increased community and home resilience to wildfires
• Quantity of embers generated from garden plants

Timothy Bartholomaus, Associate Professor

• Glaciology  
• Geophysics  
• Surface processes

Elizabeth Cassel, Associate Professor

• Orogenesis and the interactions of tectonics
• Basin analysis
• Stable isotope geochemistry
• Sedimentology and stratigraphy
• Geochronology and thermochronology

Jerry P. Fairley, Professor

• Multiphase flow and transport
• Faults and fluid flow
• Geothermal systems
• Geologic carbon sequestration
• Nuclear waste disposal site characterization

Grant Harley, Associate Professor and Associate Dean

• Dendrochronology – analyzing tree rings to understand past environmental and climatic variability
• Paleoclimatology – reconstructing Earth’s past climate to place modern changes in long-term context
• Climate change – examining ecological and hydrological impacts of ongoing and projected climate shifts
• Wildfire – investigating historical fire regimes and their relationships to climate and vegetation
• Drought – reconstructing and analyzing long-term drought variability and drivers across regions

Jeffrey Hicke, Professor

• Climate change
• Global environmental change
• Forest disturbances

Karen Humes, Professor

• Water/energy nexus
• Food systems
• Remote sensing and GIS

Jeff Langman, Associate Chair and Associate Professor

• Metal mobility in natural aqueous environments
• Sulfide mineral weathering
• Hydrogeology and environmental geochemistry of mine sites
• Isotope geochemistry and the tracing of metal solutes

Felix Liao, Associate Professor

• Economic geography
• Urban geography and planning
• Environmental planning
• GIS
• Spatial analysis and modeling

Eric Mittelstaedt, Professor

• Tectonic and magmatic evolution of mid-ocean ridges
• Mantle plume-ridge interactions
• Hydrothermal vents
• Analog and numerical simulation of Earth systems

Erika Rader, Associate Professor

• Experimental volcanology
• Igneous petrology
• High temperature geochemistry

Jessica Stanley, Assistant Professor

• Continental tectonics
• Thermochronology
• Links between mantle dynamics and surface processes
• Landscape evolution modeling
• Surface history of cratons and continental interiors

Thomas Williams, Clinical Professor

• Igneous and metamorphic petrology
• Forensic mineralogy and geology
• Electron microscopy

Meng Zhao, Assistant Professor

• Hydrology and ecology
• Policy making
• Remote sensing (especially GRACE/GRACE-FO and microwave)
• GIS
• Earth system modeling