What can I do with GIS?

What you will gain from completing the SAIT BGIS Program is a valid and important question that prospective students should ask themselves.  It is our goal to provide students with the latest, industry relevant skills to secure meaningful, fulfilling GIS positions as quickly as possible.  These positions are in a variety of industries and with the constantly evolving technology it means that interesting and challenging opportunities await you.

The Geographic Information Systems discipline is rapidly evolving and the tools and information from this field are used in a wide variety of industries:

Private sector;

Local, regional or national governments; and

Non-profit organizations.

The fields that relate to these sectors where GIS is being applied include: archaeology, oil and gas, biology, environmental impact assessment, urban planning, forestry, marketing and land use/parks management.

Our program is designed so that the combination of our industry proven instructors, applied research and strong-industry ties in our curriculum will provide our graduates with the necessary links to transition into the workforce, especially in the strong Alberta economy.

Roles

As GIS technology and information is used in such a diversity of fields now the options for roles a graduate could find themselves in are numerous:

Rewards

Many factors lead to job satisfaction and this is no less true than in the case of our graduates who come from such diverse backgrounds.  What is fortunate about having GIS expertise is that you are enabled to work in so many different industries.  This gives our graduates the mobility to change industries as economic factors or personal preferences dictate.  More so, as GIS is used to support so many different disciplines such as biology, geology or planning students can use their skills as ‘bridges’ into other areas of opportunity.

But let’s be realistic here.  Salary potential is a primary consideration in choosing a career and is even more important after spending time in the classroom and away from full-time employment.  As GIS is considered a leading-edge technology the salary expectations are commensurate.  

For an overview of potential salaries within the province of Alberta you can refer to the Alberta Learning Information Services “Alberta Wage and Salary Survey”.  Review the Alberta Occupational Profile for “Mapping Technologist”.

When it comes to earning a salary the SAIT BGIS Program is so appealing to students because after completing eight months of in-class learning they can be earning a reasonable wage as part of their practicum position.  This aspect makes taking the program much more feasible for many students.

Finally the fact that our campus is located in one of the centers of the strong and growing Alberta economy means that our graduates have immediate access to a greater wealth of opportunities.