Alaska has 2 schools with verified geography or geographic information systems (GIS) credentials, both campuses of the public University of Alaska system. The University of Alaska Anchorage offers a B.S. in Geomatics with a GIS concentration, an A.A.S. in Geomatics, and an 18-credit GIS certificate. The University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a geospatial sciences concentration in its Geoscience B.S., a 12-credit graduate certificate in geospatial science, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Earth System Science with a Geospatial Science concentration. No Alaska school currently offers a degree named for geography. UAA lists its Geomatics B.S. as available online, with synchronous classes and some lab caveats explained below.
Alaska Geography and GIS Programs at a Glance
Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates
| School | Credentials | Format | Credits | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Anchorage | Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Geomatics, GIS concentration Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Geomatics Occupational Endorsement Certificate (OEC) in Geographic Information Systems | B.S.: online or Anchorage campus A.A.S.: Anchorage campus OEC: not stated | B.S.: 120 A.A.S.: 60 OEC: 18 | B.S. accredited by the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission of ABET; only program in Alaska that meets the state’s education requirement for land surveyor licensure |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | B.S. in Geoscience, Geospatial Sciences concentration | Campus (Fairbanks) | 120 (concentration 68–70) | Geology core plus GIS, remote sensing, and a summer field geology course |
Credentials were verified against 2026–27 catalogs. Minors are not listed.
Graduate Degrees and Certificates
| School | Credentials | Format | Credits | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Geospatial Science Graduate Certificate Master of Science (M.S.) in Earth System Science, Geospatial Science concentration Ph.D. in Earth System Science, Geospatial Science concentration | Campus (Fairbanks); online delivery not stated | Certificate: 12 M.S.: 30 Ph.D.: 26–41 | Only graduate GIS credentials in Alaska; radar (SAR and InSAR) remote sensing; M.S. with thesis or project; GRE not required for the Ph.D. |
Community Colleges
Alaska has no separate community college system. Its community campuses (such as Kenai Peninsula College, Matanuska-Susitna College, and UAF’s Community and Technical College) belong to the University of Alaska universities, and none lists its own GIS credential beyond those above. Ilisagvik College, a tribal college in Utqiaġvik, lists no GIS or geography program among its 16 program areas.
Online Geography and GIS Programs in Alaska
An online course is not the same as an online degree. The program below has an official statement that it is available online. The next list covers programs with online courses or no stated online route.
Verified online option
- University of Alaska Anchorage B.S. in Geomatics: UAA lists the degree’s availability as “Online, Anchorage campus.” The Geomatics Department teaches its courses synchronously, so online students attend live class sessions with on-campus students. The department says four geomatics courses have a face-to-face lab component or an alternate lab arrangement that the department chair must approve. None of the four is required in the GIS concentration, but the degree’s natural science requirement includes at least one lab course.
Online coursework, but not a verified fully online program
- University of Alaska Anchorage GIS certificate (OEC): several of its GIS courses are on the department’s list of online courses, but UAA does not say the whole certificate can be completed online.
- University of Alaska Anchorage A.A.S. in Geomatics: UAA lists availability as Anchorage campus only, although many geomatics courses are also offered online.
- University of Alaska Fairbanks geospatial programs: the catalog and department pages describe campus programs in Fairbanks and do not state an online option.
For programs based in other states, see online geography schools.
Alaska School Summaries
University of Alaska Anchorage
UAA’s Geomatics Department, in the College of Engineering, combines land surveying, mapping, remote sensing, and GIS. The B.S. in Geomatics requires 120 credits, 39 of them upper-division. Every student takes a core that includes geomatics computations, Introduction to GIS, Intermediate GIS, Remote Sensing, business law, professional ethics, statistics, calculus, and a geomatics capstone project, then chooses a surveying or a GIS concentration. The GIS concentration (42 credits) adds Web GIS, Spatial Data Management, Spatial Analysis, Image Analysis, and Introduction to Computer Science, plus electives. Students must also belong to a geomatics professional society for at least a year, document eight weeks of related work experience, or pass a profession-related exam or certification.
The B.S. is accredited by the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission of ABET, and UAA says it is the only program in Alaska that provides the education the state requires for a professional land surveyor license. The 60-credit A.A.S. in Geomatics prepares land survey and mapping technicians, includes two GIS courses, and transfers into the B.S. The 18-credit Occupational Endorsement Certificate in GIS covers Introduction to Computer Science, Introduction and Intermediate GIS, Remote Sensing, Spatial Data Management, and Image Analysis. UAA recommends that certificate students place at trigonometry level or higher.
Sources: B.S. in Geomatics catalog; A.A.S. in Geomatics catalog; GIS OEC catalog; B.S. program page; online geomatics courses.
University of Alaska Fairbanks
UAF’s Department of Geosciences offers a B.S. in Geoscience (120 credits) with four concentrations, one of which is Geospatial Sciences. All students take The Dynamic Earth, The History of Earth and Life, and Tectonics. The geospatial concentration (68–70 credits) adds a 200-level GIS course, Introduction to GIS, Geoscience Applications of Remote Sensing, mineralogy, geomorphology, structural geology, sedimentology, physics, statistics, and a 6-credit summer field geology course. Students then choose 16–18 credits of electives such as GIS Analysis, GIS Programming, Big Geospatial Data, programming for geoscientists, machine learning, and undergraduate research.
At the graduate level, the 12-credit Geospatial Science Graduate Certificate requires either GIS Analysis or Big Geospatial Data, plus electives in digital image processing, geodetic imaging, microwave and infrared remote sensing, GIS programming, and remote sensing of the environment. Applicants need a bachelor’s degree and prior courses in statistics, calculus, and introductory GIS. The interdisciplinary M.S. in Earth System Science (30 credits) and Ph.D. in Earth System Science (26–41 credits, including 18 thesis credits) both offer a Geospatial Science concentration covering visible, infrared, and radar (SAR and InSAR) remote sensing and GIS. The M.S. can be completed with a thesis or with a project. UAF does not currently list a degree named for geography.
Sources: Geoscience B.S. catalog; Geospatial Science Graduate Certificate catalog; Earth System Science M.S. catalog; Earth System Science Ph.D. catalog; Geospatial Science concentration; Geosciences degree programs.
Schools not included
- University of Alaska Southeast: its former geography degrees are now the B.A. in Environmental Studies and the B.S. in Environmental Resources. The B.S. requires an introductory GIS course, but neither degree is a geography or GIS credential, and UAS lists no GIS certificate.
- Alaska Pacific University: offers GIS and remote sensing courses within its environmental science programs, but no geography or GIS degree or certificate in the 2026–27 catalog.
- Ilisagvik College: none of its 16 program areas is a GIS or geography credential.
- Related programs that are not geography or GIS credentials: UAA’s 9-credit Remote Pilot Operations OEC (drones) mentions GIS careers, and UAF’s Earth System Science M.S. and Ph.D. have other concentrations, such as cryosphere and hydrology, that are not counted here.
- Minor only: UAA’s GIS minor and UAF’s Geospatial Sciences minor.
- No geography or GIS credential found: AVTEC (Alaska’s Institute of Technology), Alaska Bible College, Alaska Christian College, Alaska Career College, and Charter College.
Tuition Comparison
Estimated tuition is our arithmetic from each published rate and the stated basis. Each figure is labeled “per year” or “total.” None includes fees, housing, books, or other costs.
Undergraduate tuition
| School and credential | Published rate | Calculation basis | Estimated tuition | Required fees (not included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Anchorage B.S. in Geomatics or A.A.S. in Geomatics | $251 per credit lower-division, $302 upper-division (resident) $875 lower-division, $926 upper-division (nonresident) | 24 credits per year, shown at each rate | $6,024 to $7,248 resident per year $21,000 to $22,224 nonresident per year | $71.25 per credit (consolidated student fee $46.25, infrastructure fee $25), or $1,710 per year at 24 credits |
| University of Alaska Anchorage GIS Occupational Endorsement Certificate | Same as above | 9 lower-division and 9 upper-division credits | $4,977 resident total $16,209 nonresident total | $1,282.50 total ($71.25 per credit) |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks B.S. in Geoscience, Geospatial Sciences | $310 per credit (resident) $934 per credit (nonresident) | 24 credits per year (12 per semester, UAF’s own estimate basis) | $7,440 resident per year $22,416 nonresident per year | $81 per credit (consolidated fee $56, infrastructure fee $25), or $1,944 per year; optional $21.50 per credit bookstore bundle |
Graduate tuition
| School and credential | Published rate | Calculation basis | Estimated tuition | Required fees (not included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Fairbanks Geospatial Science Graduate Certificate | $577 per credit (resident) $1,201 per credit (nonresident) | 12 credits | $6,924 resident total $14,412 nonresident total | $81 per credit, or $972 total |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks M.S. in Earth System Science, Geospatial Science | Same as above | 30 credits | $17,310 resident total $36,030 nonresident total | $81 per credit, or $2,430 total |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks Ph.D. in Earth System Science, Geospatial Science | Same as above | 18 credits per year (9 per semester, UAF’s graduate estimate basis) | $10,386 resident per year $21,618 nonresident per year | $81 per credit, or $1,458 per year |
All rates are for 2026–27.
Why some rates do not compare directly
- UAA charges a lower rate for lower-division (100- and 200-level) courses than for upper-division courses, so a student’s actual cost depends on the course mix. UAA’s Geomatics B.S. requires at least 39 upper-division credits.
- UAA adds a 20% surcharge on resident tuition for engineering and computer science courses. The GIS certificate and the B.S. GIS concentration include Introduction to Computer Science. UAA does not say whether the surcharge also applies to its GIS and geomatics courses, so it is not included above.
- UAA waives nonresident tuition for fully online UAA courses, and UAF says online students pay resident rates wherever they live. Both universities take part in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), which caps eligible nonresident tuition at 150% of the resident rate; check eligibility for a specific program with the school.
- UAF’s Community and Technical College charges $251 per credit, but no geospatial program on this page is offered through it.
How to Choose a Geography or GIS Program in Alaska
Surveying and mapping or earth science
UAA’s geomatics programs come out of engineering and surveying, with business law, ethics, and a licensure path for land surveyors. UAF’s geospatial programs sit inside geoscience and Earth System Science, with heavy remote sensing and geology content. Neither university offers a human geography degree. Read more about GIScience degrees and geospatial technology.
Certificate, bachelor’s, or graduate degree
For a short credential, UAA’s 18-credit GIS certificate is open at the undergraduate level, while UAF’s 12-credit graduate certificate expects a bachelor’s degree and prior GIS, statistics, and calculus. Compare bachelor’s programs and master’s programs nationally. UAF’s M.S. and Ph.D. are research degrees guided by a faculty advisory committee.
Online or campus
UAA’s B.S. in Geomatics is the only Alaska program listed as available online, and it uses live, scheduled class sessions rather than self-paced courses. Students outside Alaska can also compare online geography schools.
Alaska has no neighboring states. Students willing to study elsewhere can compare programs in Washington or browse all state guides.
Sources and Review Date
Reviewed October 14, 2026. Program details come from each school’s 2026–27 catalog or program pages unless noted above. Tuition comes from each school’s 2026–27 tuition schedule.
- University of Alaska Anchorage: 2026–27 tuition, fees
- University of Alaska Fairbanks: tuition and fees, catalog tuition schedule
Program-level source links appear at the end of each school summary. Programs, rates, and requirements change, so confirm them with each school before applying.