New Professional master’s program in Environmental Observation and Informatics

The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed a new professional master’s program in Environmental Observation and Informatics (EOI).

The program focuses on the use, analysis, and interpretation of environmental data to address pressing environmental issues. The EOI degree is a professional MS program, consisting of 32 credits in 15 months with a final project at an organization to deliver a product that meets their needs and the students learning goals. Technical training is combined with professional skills development to ensure graduates are competitive in the job market.

Applications are now open for a program start date of June 2018. Any inquiries or questions can be directed to me, Sarah Graves at sjgraves@wisc.edu, or by filling out the 'Contact us' form on the website.

Why this program?
We have unprecedented amounts of earth observation data.  We have access to world class geospatial tools and cloud computing resources across a myriad of platforms.  And we have some of the most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges that remain unsolved and unanswered. We need a core group of people to tie all this together -- leaders who can harness big satellite data in creative new ways to answer questions ranging from crop yield potential to real-time refugee monitoring. We need to train a group of professionals who know how to bring together the right data and methods with the right questions to get the job done.

Who is this program for?
The EOI professional master's program is designed for early- to mid-career professionals worldwide who wish to advance to positions of project or program manager, senior analyst, or similar rank. Ideal candidates for our program will have approximately two to five years of professional work and/or field experience in GIS, geospatial technologies, and remote sensing. Candidates with diverse professional and academic backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.
 
For more information about the program, including the curriculum and how to apply, visit our website at: www.nelson.wisc.edu/observation.

​Featured article and faculty perspective: http://news.wisc.edu/degree-program-uses-satellite-drone-technologies-to-solve-environmental-problems/