The Foundation adds NCCU, UMD, and UNCW to its growing Collegiate Accreditation Program

Herndon, Virginia (August 14, 2018)—The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) has accredited three new university geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) programs as part of its Collegiate Accreditation Program. These schools include North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the University of Maryland (UMD) College Park, and the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), bringing the total of USGIF-accredited colleges and universities to 17.

“The USGIF accreditation process is rigorous, including an in-depth internal and external review of an institution’s curricula, faculty expertise, student selection, facilities, administrative support, and engagement with the geospatial community,” said USGIF Director of Academic Programs Dr. Camelia Kantor. “These three universities began the process nearly a year ago and succeeded through the hard work of the program directors and their teams. Despite these high standards, we see increased interest in USGIF collegiate accreditation, with three more schools close to finalizing their applications and several others in the pipeline. USGIF applauds this commitment and welcomes NCCU, UMD, and UNCW to our growing community of GEOINT-focused academic institutions.”

NCCU offers both undergraduate and graduate GEOINT certificates. It is the second Historically Black College or University (HBCU) USGIF has accredited, and three NCCU faculty members have earned USGIF Professional GEOINT Certification.

UMD provides its graduate GEOINT certificate on-campus and online. Additionally, the university is located near Washington, D.C., offering courses related to defense and intelligence and being in close proximity to federal internship opportunities.

UNCW’s GEOINT certificate is offered through an undergraduate minor in geospatial technologies as well as a graduate certificate in geographic sciences with a focus on coastal sciences and sustainability. The university is the first USGIF-accredited institution with an ocean and coastal GEOINT focus.

“It’s particularly meaningful to add these three diverse accredited GEOINT Certificate programs, each with unique strengths, at this point in the evolution of USGIF,” said Foundation CEO Keith J. Masback. “As we approach our 15th anniversary as an organization, we’re focused on our strategic vision, and the complementary nature of these strong programs aligns perfectly with that vision.”

These three schools join 14 other USGIF-accredited institutions: Fayetteville State University, George Mason University, James Madison University, Northeastern University, Pennsylvania State University, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, the University of Missouri at Columbia, the University of Redlands, the University of South Carolina, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Utah, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy.

For more information on USGIF’s Collegiate Accreditation Program, please visit usgif.org/education/accreditation.

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 geospatial intelligence to address national security challenges. USGIF achieves its mission via its strategic pillars: Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate Innovation.

CONTACT:

Lindsay Mitchell
Lead Educational Manager
United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation

Phone: 571-392-7217
Email: lindsay.mitchell@usgif.org