Skip to main content
MASTER OF
Professional Studies in Homeland Security
Intelligence and Geospatial Analysis Option

Employ geospatial analysis to transform information into intelligence, support situational awareness, and help save lives.

DEGREE TYPE
Master of Professional Studies
MODE OF STUDY
Online
ADMISSION
Year Round
REQUIREMENTS
33 Credits
COMPLETION TIME
2-3 Years
TUITION
$1017 per credit hour

Program Overview

The Intelligence and Geospatial Analysis Option within the intercollege Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Homeland Security is designed to increase your analytical skills and knowledge in order to produce accurate intelligence to help save lives, improve government, and assist businesses. Through a combination of courses at the intersection of geospatial analysis and homeland security, and a mentored capstone learning experience, graduates of this program will be able to apply advanced spatial techniques and tools to inform a myriad of intelligence applications.

Image
GEOINT
GEOINT

Combine intelligence analysis with geospatial science and technology to provide situational awareness essential for preventing and responding to homeland security threats. 

Image
diagram of interacting data
Spatial Analysis

Everything happens somewhere. Analyze spatial data to produce geospatial intelligence for applications in national security, international relief work, and disaster management.

Image
relationships
Problem Solving

Gain hands-on experience using GIS to produce proactive and anticipatory geospatial intelligence to inform complex, time-sensitive problems.

Image
Analysis
Results Analysis

Leverage advanced spatial analytic methods to produce accurate and ethical geospatial intelligence reports and tools.

Prepared for the Future


Graduates of this program will be able to apply strategic space-time thinking to produce geospatial intelligence that informs complex real-world problems in disciplines such as public safety, law enforcement, emergency management, and national defense.

Curriculum

The Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security, Intelligence and Geospatial Analysis Option is a 33-credit degree program. Courses taken in this option can also be counted toward a certificate in Geospatial Intelligence Analytics. The degree program consists of a combination of required and prescribed courses (21 credits), elective courses (9 credits), and a capstone project (3 credits). Students with little or no experience in Geography or Geographic Information Systems may need to use elective credits to prepare for more advanced courses. Students must complete a minimum of 6 credits of 500-level courses.

The typical student course load is expected to be three to five courses per year. It is recommended that students take only one course at a time. At the rate of four three-credit courses each year, most students will complete the degree in about three years of part-time study.

COURSE NUMBERTITLENEXT OFFERINGTECHNOLOGY
GEOG 479 Spatial Data Science for Cyber and Human Social Networks Spring 2, 2025 NodeXL
GEOG 483 Problem Solving with GIS Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Story Maps
GEOG 882 Geographic Foundations of Geospatial Intelligence Spring 1, 2025
GEOG 885 Analytical Methods and GEOAI in Geospatial Intelligence Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Story Maps

The following required courses are not offered by the Geography department but are offered every spring, summer, and fall semester by the School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg. Exact dates can be found in LionPATH. To learn more about these courses, see the course list for the Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security.

COURSE NUMBERTITLENEXT OFFERINGTECHNOLOGY
GEOG 481 Topographic Mapping with Lidar Spring 2, 2025 ArcGIS Pro, GeoCue LP360
GEOG 482 Making Maps that Matter with GIS Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Story Maps, Python
GEOG 484 GIS Database Development Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, ModelBuilder
GEOG 485 GIS Programming and Software Development Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, Python
GEOG 486 Cartography and Visualization Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Pro, Mapbox, Mapbox Studio, Tableau
GEOG 487 GEOG 487: Environmental Challenges in Spatial Data Science Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Story Maps, OpenStreetMap, Prezi
GEOG 489 Advanced Python Programming for GIS Spring 2, 2025 Anaconda, ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, GDAL, Github, Jupyter, OGR, OpenStreetMap, Python, QGIS, R
GEOG 571 Intelligence Analysis, Cultural Geography, and Homeland Security Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Story Maps, Google MyMaps, Portal for ArcGIS
GEOG 581 Spatial Data Science Ethics Summer 2025
GEOG 583 Geospatial System Analysis and Design Spring 1, 2025 Varies
GEOG 585 Open Web Mapping Spring 2, 2025 CSS, GDAL, GeoServer, HTML, Javascript, Leaflet, OGR, OpenLayers, OpenStreetMap, QGIS, TileMill
GEOG 586 Geographic Information Analysis Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS Pro, GeoDa, R
GEOG 589 Emerging Trends in Remote Sensing Spring 2, 2025 ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, Google Earth Engine, Javascript, Python
GEOG 591 GIS for Analysis of Health N/A ArcGIS, GeoDa, R
GEOG 596I Independent Study in Geospatial Intelligence N/A Varies
GEOG 850 Location Intelligence for Business N/A ArcGIS Online, Claritas PRIZM, Esri Business Analyst Online (BAO), US Census Bureau
GEOG 858 Spatial Data Science for Emergency Management N/A ArcGIS Pro
GEOG 861 The Earth is Round and Maps are Flat: Spatial Reference Systems in GIS N/A ArcGIS Pro, Geocart
GEOG 863 Web Application Development for the Geospatial Professional Spring 1, 2025 ArcGIS API for Javascript, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Web AppBuilder, CodePen, CSS, HTML, Javascript, Portal for ArcGIS
GEOG 865 Cloud and Server GIS Summer 2025 Amazon Web Services, ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Server, CARTO, HTML, Javascript, Mapbox, Portal for ArcGIS
GEOG 868 Spatial Database Management Spring 2, 2025 Amazon Web Services, ArcGIS Pro, ArcSDE/Multiuser Geodatabases, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, QGIS, SQL
GEOG 871 Geospatial Technology Project Management Spring 1, 2025 Microsoft Project, Project Libre
GEOG 883 Remote Sensing Image Analysis and Applications Spring 1, 2025 Amazon Web Services, ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, eCognition Developer
GEOG 884 Spatial Data Science and Intelligence Analysis Spring 2, 2025 ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, CARTO, GeoDa, QGIS
GEOG 892 Unmanned Aerial Systems Spring 1, 2025 Pix4D

The following courses are not offered by the Geography Department but may be used as electives. See the Graduate Bulletin for details.

  • AGBIO 520: Agricultural Biosecurity: Protecting a Key Infrastructure
  • CAS 553: Disaster Communication
  • GEOSC 402Y: Natural Disasters
  • IST 564: Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management
  • IST 815: Foundations of Information Security and Assurance
  • IST 885: Introduction to Multisensor Data Infusion
  • PHP 527: Public Health Evaluation of Disasters and Bioterrorism
  • PLSC 439: The Politics of Terrorism

With mentorship from a faculty advisor, students complete a hands-on project using GIS and/or remote sensing tools and techniques to demonstrate analytic skills, high-level writing competency, and the ability to identify and investigate a real-world problem from a geospatial intelligence perspective.

COURSE NUMBERTITLENEXT OFFERINGTECHNOLOGY
GEOG 594A (3 credits offered during a 16-week semester)* Culminating Experiences in Geospatial Intelligence Spring 1, 2025 Varies

*GEOG 594A is a 3-credit course offered over a 16-week semester. Please check the Course Calendar for specific registration and semester start and end dates.

MPS in Homeland Security

Leverage intelligence analysis and geospatial science and technology to help save lives, improve government, and assist businesses.

Ready to advance your skills in Homeland Security?