The University of Maryland and Virginia Tech Earn USGIF Collegiate Accreditation

Herndon, Virginia (June 8, 2023)—The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) is pleased to announce both the Master of Science in GEOINT (MS GEOINT) at the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park, Maryland, and the undergraduate GEOINT certificate at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, have earned USGIF Collegiate Accreditation.

“Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland have produced many GEOINT community leaders,” said USGIF CEO Ronda Schrenk. “Through these accreditations, we will help foster the next generation of trailblazers.”

“We are thrilled that our master’s program has received the second accreditation from USGIF after the accreditation of our graduate certificate program in 2018,” said Dr. Ruibo Han, CGIS Director of Programs, Senior Lecturer, MPS GEOINT Program, UMD. “This recognition validates the quality of our program and opens new opportunities for our graduates in geospatial intelligence.”

UMD’s Master of Science in Geospatial Intelligence (MS GEOINT) program provides workforce-focused technical training that gives graduates the skills and expertise to lead new initiatives in the rapidly shifting landscape of GEOINT applications, data collection systems, analytic methods and mission support. The MS GEOINT program encompasses a 30-credit (10 units of 3-credit courses) structure consisting of five core courses and five elective courses that can be taken on a flexible schedule. The MS GEOINT degree can be completed in as little as 15 months for full-time registrants.

Virginia Tech’s undergraduate GEOINT certificate will launch this fall within the Department of Geography. Further details will be released prior to the start of the Fall 2023 Semester.

GEOINT programs from the University of Maryland and Virginia Tech were constructed and evaluated with the GEOINT Essential Body of Knowledge, which provides a blueprint for institutions to follow to ensure that students are well-equipped for the evolving GEOINT field.

To learn more about USGIF’s Collegiate Accreditation program, visit https://usgif.org/education/.

About USGIF

USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT community among government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals who develop and apply GEOINT to address global security challenges. USGIF achieves its mission via its strategic pillars: Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate Innovation.

For more information, please visit www.USGIF.org and follow USGIF on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About University of Maryland

Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland is the state’s flagship university. UMD has over 30,900 students enrolled from all 50 states and over 150 countries. UMD has been widely recognized as one of the preeminent public research institutions and is a global leader in entrepreneurship and innovation. UMD is well known for its Dept of Computer Science, with its numerous areas of research from quantum computing to language models. UMD boasts over 100 majors while maintaining a student-to-teacher ratio of 18:1.

About Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is a prestigious national public institution that draws over 29,000 students not only from across the United States but also 130 countries worldwide. The university boasts an extensive array of programs, from business management to veterinary medicine. Notably, Virginia Tech has gained acclaim for its exceptional engineering department, which encompasses a wide range of disciplines, such as Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and much more. In addition, Virginia Tech is well known for its robust athletics. From football to swimming, the Hokies have competed and won at the highest levels of college athletics.