GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Certificate of Achievement Geographic Information Systems · Rio Hondo College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Description
This Certificate of Achievement in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is intended for students interested in becoming a GIS technician. A GIS technician utilizes standard GIS tools and utilities to enter and correct data in GIS databases, including locating addresses and georeferencing scanned maps, as well as digitizing, collecting, and processing data from the field. Most duties assigned to GIS technicians are routine, with a heavy amount of database entry and management, culminating in the eventual generation of maps from data. A GIS technician performs no data interpretation after data has been stored unless under the guidance of the analyst. Many students enrolled in GIS courses at Rio Hondo College have degrees in a variety of disciplines; after completing the GIS courses, these students can be regarded as a GIS analyst within their area of discipline (e.g., crime analyst, environmental planner, etc.).
To acquire the Geographic Information Systems Certificate of Achievement, students must complete the following courses:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 20 | |
| GIS 120 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis | 4 |
| GIS 220 | GIS Applications | 4 |
| GIS 221 | Cartography Design and Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GIS 130 | Field Data Applications for GIS | 4 |
| GIS 280 | Geospatial Programming and Web Services | 4 |
| Complete a minimum of 3 units from the courses below: | 3-5.5 | |
| CIV 142 | Introduction to Land Surveying and GPS | 4 |
| GIS 150 | Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Procedures and Regulations | 1.5 |
| GIS 222 | GIS for Civil Engineering and Public Works | 4 |
| GIS 230 | Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Environmental Technology | 3 |
| GIS 281 | Crime Mapping and Analysis | 4 |
| ENGT 150 | AutoCAD for Basic CADD Applications | 4 |
| orENGT 170 | MicroStation for Basic CADD Applications | 4 |
| Total | 23-25.5 | |