Graduate Programs

The Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (MSGIS) degree program at CSULB is a one-year, 30-unit, cohort-based program designed to provide students with advanced analytic and technical training in geospatial technologies and professional skill-building, in order to prepare graduates for the geospatial workforce. Courses are scheduled to meet the needs of working professionals.

Review of applications for fall admission begins April 1st for priority consideration and will continue until the University’s June 1st deadline. The International student applicant deadline is March 15th. Applications for spring admission to the MA and Post-Baccalaureate Certificates are accepted until November 1st. Spring admission to the MSGISci is only available to students who complete the fall curriculum with the current Cohort. Please contact the MSGISci Director. 

For the full information on the MSGISci program check out the College of Professional and Continuing Education page. 

Want to see what our alumni are up to? Visit their LinkedIn pages! 

Advisor and Program Director: Dr. Suzanne Perlitsh (Wechsler)
Phone: 562-985-2356
Email: Suzanne.Wechsler@csulb.edu 

Review of applications for fall admission begins April 1st for priority consideration and will continue until the University’s June 1st deadline. The International student applicant deadline is March 15th. Applications for spring admission to the MA are accepted until November 1st. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 in Geography or a related discipline is recommended. Please contact our MA Graduate Advisor, Dr. Gary Hytrek at CLA-Geo-Grad-Advisor@csulb.edu .

Admission Requirements:
- Satisfy the university requirements for graduate admission.
- Have a GPA of 3.0 or above from your baccalaureate degree, or alternative evidence of ability to succeed at the graduate level.  
- A bachelor’s degree in Geography or a related discipline.  
- Submit CalStateApply application and Supporting Documents by Deadline: June 1 for fall admission, November 1 for spring admission.  See also: Apply to CSULB
- International applicants should also consult with the Center for International Education  

Required Documents:
- Personal Statement (approx. 2 pages), in which you address: your research interests in Geography; your professional or personal goals in seeking a graduate     degree; how your research interests relate to our core strengths and faculty expertise; and any special skills you have which you hope to build on in graduate     studies.  
- Writing sample: please submit a paper, report, or project that you feel best showcases your research and writing abilities and potential. Links to other material,    if any, may be embedded in your document.  
- 2 letters of recommendation.

MA Graduate Advising

Advisor: Dr. Gary Hytrek
Email:  Gary.Hytrek@csulb.edu

Education in Geography at the graduate level at CSULB provides an opportunity to broaden one’s intellectual life and to acquire or upgrade knowledge and skills for many careers. The degree is particularly suitable for those graduates with one of the following professional goals:

• Advanced graduate work at the doctoral level
• Public sector work (e.g., urban planning, environmental management, geospatial analyst)
• Private sector work (e.g., market area analysis, environmental and geospatial consulting)
• Non-governmental work (e.g., international agencies, local community organizing)
• Housing and labor research
• Community college and K-12 teaching

• Alana Salas-Yoshi, MA 2023
  • Alana’s thesis studies the environmental justice concerns of a marginalized community in Huntington Beach, California. Through her work, she hopes to amplify the community’s voice and contribute to environmental justice research in Southern California. In Spring 2022, Alana was awarded the Frank Gossette Scholarship to aid in her thesis work. Alana currently works for the Municipal Water District of Orange Count
• Dylan Charon, MA 2023
  • “My name is Dylan Charnon, I am a second-year Geography graduate student from Girdwood, Alaska. My thesis involves working with a species and habitat management. I have been working with the U.S. Forest Service to analyze data on one of their species of interest, the dusky Canada goose, and plan to continue working with the agency after graduation.”
• Scott Winslow, MA 2014
  • “CSULB Geography boasts a faculty that actively coordinates to make sure that each graduate student is put in a position to succeed. This can’t be stressed enough, especially considering that geography is inherently broad and finding a faculty member who shares similar interests is imperative to the thesis process.”

Recent Best MA Thesis Winners: 

2025: Schultheis, Brendan Scott, (2024) Estimating Oak Tree Biomass Using Canopy-Based Estimates of Trunk Diameter Derived From High-Resolution sUAS Imagery. Thesis Committee - Dr. Paul Laris (Chair), Mr. Scott Winslow, Dr. Mystyn Mills. 

2024: Venegas, Maria, Vulnerabilities and Resilience to Weather Events: Woodford Saint Andrew, Jamaica

2023: Mayer, Cameron New West Tension and Threatened Species Protection: The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Debate in the Morongo Basin, California 

2022: Dowell, Julia, Taking the Temperature of Climate Change in Long Beach: Concerns and Responses of Long Beach Residents Regarding Extreme Heat and Health Impacts

2021: Siwabessy, Andrew, Geologic mapping of Terra Cimmeria, Mars, and resultant implications for the Martian plate tectonics hypotheses

2018: Jacobs, Rebecca, Determinants of Fire Intensity in a Mesic West Africa Savanna: A Statistical Analysis of Fire Characteristics 

Want to see more? Visit our graduate student page.