When you think of GIS, the first thing that may come to mind is a surveyor using digital measuring equipment to determine property lines. Would it surprise you to know that modern GIS professionals are also working in fields like healthcare or insurance? Some of the same technology behind the tools used to identify property lines, create maps, and collect topographic data is now being harnessed in a variety of disparate industries. Let’s look at six industries using GIS systems and then explore a certificate program that will help you elevate your expertise and expand your career potential in these fields and beyond. 

Broader Applications for GIS Systems 

Here are some industries and career sectors that are working smarter thanks to data derived through GIS systems: 

Education 

Teachers in many disciplines can use maps and location analytics to illustrate patterns and connections to their students, strengthening their ability to make data-based conclusions about human-made and natural systems. 

Financial Institutions 

Banks and other financial institutions can use spatial analysis to identify customers likely to help their business grow. They can then identify common characteristics in these individuals and seek out new customers with corresponding characteristics in other geographic areas. 

Healthcare 

GIS technology applications for healthcare really came into their own during the COVID-19 pandemic, when geospatial analytics enabled governments to track COVID-19 case rates and ascertain statistics on mortality, survival, hospitalization, and more. GIS can be used to pinpoint hotspots and high-risk areas for virtually any kind of disease, enabling government and healthcare officials to direct prevention and treatment efforts to those locations. 

Insurance 

Is your home likely to be hit by a hurricane? Is your car likely to be stolen? (Or damaged by a hurricane, for that matter?) Are there high rates of certain diseases in your area of the country? Insurance companies of all types can look at data collected through GIS-driven analytical tools to decide if you are insurable and if so, what your premiums are going to be. 

Retail 

Retail businesses from high-end clothing stores to fast food restaurants can use GIS to determine where to open new brick-and-mortar locations. The technology can be used to identify helpful information such as proximity of potential customers and local saturation of competing businesses. Potential business owners can also use these tools to find out what consumers in these areas want to wear, eat, etc. to ensure that they meet the demand through proper inventory management. 

Telecommunications 

Telecommunications companies can use GIS to locate and gauge the extent of service outages and plan ahead for the expansion of services necessitated by population growth and new construction. 

Update Your GIS/Geospatial Experience and Credentials in Less Than a Year  

Drawing from the decades-long relationship between The University of Texas Permian Basin and the GIS and geospatial industries, our online graduate GIS and Geospatial Certificate program will enable you to keep your skills current in GIS systems that are increasingly important in a number of industries. Arrange your studies around your professional and personal commitments and add a new credential and practical expertise to your resume at the end of your program.  

Here are a few more reasons to consider earning our GIS and Geospatial Certificate: 

  • 12 credits to completion 
  • Four 8-week courses you can take in any order 
  • 100% online, asynchronous format 
  • Worldwide program access 
  • Renowned UTPB geosciences faculty 

Considering or currently completing an MBA with us? Add this graduate certificate for extra credentials on your resume and broader knowledge that will benefit you in an array of rewarding careers. 

If you have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and are ready to expand your GIS/geospatial proficiency, we invite you to apply now! 

Sources: 
https://www.esri.com/en-us/industries/index
https://mgiss.co.uk/what-are-the-different-industries-that-use-gis/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8822139/