BA in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems

People often ask, “So you’re a cartographer Hasn’t everything already been mapped” No, cartographers are not explorers charting frontiers in an ancient time; we are artists, community organizers, data scientists, visual storytellers, and full-stack web developers. In an era of massive data sets and location-based apps, maps and geospatial data have never been more important, and the UW–Madison Cartography and GIS major covers the conceptual foundations and technical skills needed to harness maps and geospatial data to solve society’s most pressing problems. Courses range from graphic design and web mapping to big data analytics and mobile app development, with all courses having an important laboratory component to work with industry-standard cartography and GIS technology. So, yes, everywhere has been mapped in some form, but in a dynamic world driven by information and technology, cartographers and GIS scientists are needed more now than ever to help us understand our changing planet.

Applicant must have high school record should demonstrate both rigor and breadth in the types of course work you pursue. A competitive academic record should show some of the most challenging advanced-level work offered at or through your school in as many areas as possible, while maintaining a strong GPA. The following chart shows the number of years that most admitted students studied in each subject area: English 4 years, Math 4 years, Social Science 3 years, Natural Science 3 years. Applicants are expected to achieve a high level of performance in the course work they pursue and an increasingly strong academic record. Academic GPAs between a 3.8 and a 4.0, and a class rank in the 85–97 percentile.