Education · 1 of 5
The path
Short and affordable. A diploma or degree, then a portfolio of real maps and analysis.
- 1
High school diploma
Grade 12
Geography, math and any computer course. Start making maps at home with software that costs nothing.
- 2
Diploma or degree
2 to 4 years
A two-year college diploma in GIS (geographic information systems) or geomatics, or a four-year degree in geography, environmental science or computer science.
- 3
Short applied program, optional
Up to 1 year
A focused mapping program taken after a diploma or degree, such as the nine-month GIS (geographic information systems) advanced diploma at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
- 4
Co-op or first contract
4 to 18 months
Almost everyone starts on a term contract with a city, consultant or utility, then converts to permanent.
- 5
Build a portfolio
Ongoing
Three or four public projects using real open data beat a transcript at interview.