Graduate Certificate in Crime Mapping & Geospatial Intelligence Analytics

LSU awards the certificate at a regular graduation ceremony with an official LSU diploma and is recorded in the graduate transcript. Certificates can be earned by regularly enrolled, degree-seeking students, as well as non-traditional, certificate-only students. Graduate certificates provide a shortened, condensed, and focused course of study that often draws expertise from multiple academic units. Current graduate students expecting to complete the requirements for the certificate must file an application for graduation with the Graduate School by the normal Application for Degree deadline of each semester or summer term.

Students must complete one theory course (3hrs), one methods course (3hrs), one applied course (3hrs), and one ethics course (3hrs). The remaining 3 credit hours required for the certificate could be another methods or applied course (3hrs). The ethics course is cross-listed between G&A and the Department of Sociology. Students should select SOCL 7901/GEOG 7911, when registering in sociology and GEOG 7911/SOCL 7901 when registering in G&A. Each of the two cross-listed ethics course addresses ethical concerns related to the application of modern (geospatial) technology, geospatial privacy issues, etc. These topics are covered in discussions of selected readings and presentations of guest speakers. At least one-half of the minimum required coursework credit must be in courses at or above the 7000-level. Transfer work from other institutions is not counted towards meeting the 7000-level requirement.  

Once the required coursework is complete and the student is ready to apply for the certificate, the Graduate Certificate Audit form must be submitted to Dr. Michael Leitner to approve as the Graduate Program Advisor.

Graduate certificates must be completed within five years from entrance into a certificate program.  See the general catalog for more information on course time limits for graduate certificates.

Course Breakdown

The course breakdown is as follows (3 credit hours for each):

Theory (3 hours)

  • SOCL 4461: Criminology
  • SOCL 7591 SEM: Criminology
  • SOCL 7591 SEM: Ecology of Crime

Method (3-6 hours)

  • GEOG 4044: Computer Cartography
  • GEOG 4047: Geographic Information Systems
  • GEOG 4048: Methods of Spatial Analysis
  • SOCL 4466/GEOG 3043: Crime Mapping
  • GEOG 7973 SEM: Advanced Geographic Information Systems
  • GEOG 7975 SEM: Advanced Remote Sensing

Application (3-6 hours)

  • ANTH 4014: Forensic Anthropology
  • GEOG 4043/SOCL 4467: Crime GIS
  • GEOG 4046: Web GIS
  • GEOG 4049: Geospatial Applications of Small Unoccupied Aircraft Systems
  • SOCL 7213 SEM: Spatial Analysis
  • GEOG 7911 SEM: GIS/Remote Sensing
  • GEOG 7945 SEM: Socioeconomic Applications of GIS

Ethics (3 hours)

  • SOCL 7901/GEOG 7911: Independent Reading (“Ethics of Crime Analytics”)/ Selected Topics in Geography (“Ethics of Geospatial Crime Analytics”)
  • GEOG 7911/SOCL 7901: Selected Topics in Geography (“Ethics of Geospatial Crime Analytics”)/Independent Reading (“Ethics of Crime Analytics”)

Who should consider applying?

This graduate certificate program provides a range of knowledge, skills, and abilities that puts students and professionals in a competitive edge in the growing field of spatial crime intelligence analytics. This certificate program offers the necessary skills for visualizing, analyzing, and managing spatial data for students and professionals, government or non-profit, interested in or involved with the criminal justice system. Individuals that would be interested in this graduate certificate program include:

  • Graduate students already pursuing a graduate degree in another discipline, but are interested in developing specific spatial crime analytic and intelligence skills to complement their primary discipline.
  • Professionals whose responsibilities include spatial analysis, but have not received formal training in this area.
  • Professionals with expertise in geospatial technologies that would like to refine their skills towards criminal intelligence analytics.

Graduate Office

If you have any questions regarding coursework or particular aspects of the certificate program, please contact the Program Advisor, Dr. Michael Leitner. If you have questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate Coordinator at [email protected] or by phone at 225-578-6792.

 

LSU