Louisiana has 11 schools with verified geography or geographic information systems (GIS) credentials: 8 public universities, Tulane University, and 2 community colleges. Louisiana State University offers the state’s only geography master’s and Ph.D. programs, including a fully online M.S. Other universities offer GIS, geomatics, and geospatial degrees, and several offer geography as a concentration within a broader degree.
Quick picks for Louisiana
- Lowest resident bachelor’s tuition: McNeese State University, $9,330.74 per year (Humanities B.A. with a Geography concentration).
- GIS bachelor’s degree: Louisiana Tech University, B.S. in Geographic Information Science, $12,024 per year.
- Online master’s degree: Louisiana State University, M.S. in Geography, $22,475 total.
- Two-year GIS option: Nunez Community College, $4,255.04 per year.
- Only geography Ph.D. in the state: Louisiana State University.
Rates are resident tuition before fees. See the tuition comparison for nonresident rates and fees.
Louisiana Geography and GIS Programs at a Glance
Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates
| School | Credentials | Format | Credits | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University | Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Geography | Campus (Baton Rouge) | 120 (major 30, plus mapping science and physical geography) | Concentrations include GIScience, Climatology, and Disaster Science and Management |
| Louisiana Tech University | B.S. in Geographic Information Science GIScience Undergraduate Certificate | Not stated (Ruston) | B.S.: 120 Certificate: 19–20 | Ends in a GIS application project |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | B.S. in Environmental Science, Digital Geography concentration GIS Undergraduate Certificate | Not stated (Lafayette) | B.S.: 120 Certificate: 18 | Required internship and capstone seminar |
| Nicholls State University | B.S. in Geomatics | Not stated (Thibodaux) | 120 | Meets Louisiana’s education requirement for surveyor licensure |
| Southern University and A&M College | B.S. in Urban Forestry, Environment and Natural Resources, Geospatial Technologies concentration | Not stated (Baton Rouge) | 120–123 | Remote sensing, cartography, and advanced GIS courses |
| McNeese State University | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Humanities, Geography concentration | Standard format, under half online (Lake Charles) | 120 (27 geography credits) | Senior research project |
| Northwestern State University | Liberal Arts degree, Geography concentration | Not stated (Natchitoches) | 120 (24 geography credits) | GIS electives available |
| Tulane University | GIS Certificate (for Tulane undergraduates) | Campus (New Orleans) | 13 | Introductory and advanced GIS plus remote sensing |
Graduate Degrees and Certificates
| School | Credentials | Format | Credits | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University | Master of Science (M.S.) in Geography Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Geography GIScience Graduate Certificate Crime Mapping and Geospatial Intelligence Analytics Graduate Certificate | Campus; M.S. also 100% online | M.S.: 31 Ph.D.: 31 after a master’s Certificates: 12 and 15 | Thesis-based M.S.; GRE not required |
| LSU New Orleans | GIS Graduate Certificate | On site (New Orleans) | 12 | Offered through the Department of Planning and Urban Studies |
| Tulane University | GIS Certificate (graduate) | Campus (New Orleans) | 13 | Credits can count toward a Tulane graduate degree |
Credentials were verified against 2026–27 catalogs. Southern University’s current catalog covers 2026–28. Minors are not listed.
Community College Degrees and Certificates
| College | Credential | Units | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nunez Community College | Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Coastal Studies and GIS Technology Technical Diploma GIS Technology and GIS and Facilities Planning certificates | 60 about 46–47 19 each | Not stated (Chalmette) |
| South Louisiana Community College | A.A.S. and Technical Diploma in Civil, Surveying and Mapping Technology | 60 / 45 | Campus (Crowley) |
Louisiana’s transfer associate degrees have no geography concentration. Graduates of the Associate of Arts or Science Louisiana Transfer degree meet all lower-division general education requirements at a public university and enter with junior standing.
Related Urban Planning Programs
LSU New Orleans offers a 45-hour Master of Urban and Regional Planning that requires one GIS course. It is a planning degree, not a GIS degree. See our urban planning guide.
Online Geography and GIS Programs in Louisiana
An online course is not the same as an online degree. The programs below have an official statement that the full credential can be completed online. The next list covers programs that only offer some coursework online.
Verified fully online options
- LSU Online M.S. in Geography: a 31-credit, thesis-based degree. LSU Online says its programs are 100% online and require no on-campus appearance. Students take at least one of LSU’s two graduate certificates as electives.
Online coursework, but not a verified fully online program
- LSU graduate certificates: available online only as part of the online M.S.; we found no stand-alone online certificate page.
- LSU New Orleans GIS Graduate Certificate: the university says all courses are offered on site.
- McNeese State Humanities B.A.: listed in the standard format, meaning less than half of it is online.
For programs based in other states, see online geography schools.
Louisiana School Summaries
Louisiana State University
LSU’s Department of Geography and Anthropology offers a B.S. in Geography. It requires a 30-hour geography major plus mapping science and physical geography courses, including Geospatial Technology and Geographic Information Systems. Concentrations are Climatology, Disaster Science and Management, and Geographic Information Science, which adds Computer Cartography, Environmental Remote Sensing, and Methods of Spatial Analysis. No capstone is required. For its online programs, see our Louisiana State University Online M.S. in Geography profile.
The M.S. in Geography is 31 hours and requires a defended thesis. It is offered on campus and fully online. The Ph.D. requires 31 hours beyond the master’s degree, including a cognate and a dissertation. The GRE is not required, and applicants submit three letters. LSU says graduate assistantships pay $15,000 to $23,000 a year plus a tuition exemption, for up to two years for master’s students and four for doctoral students. Assistantships are not offered to fully online students.
- GIScience Graduate Certificate: 12 hours of method, theory, and applied courses, plus a portfolio piece.
- Crime Mapping and Geospatial Intelligence Analytics Graduate Certificate: 15 hours, including an ethics course.
Sources: Geography B.S.; Geography M.S.; Geography Ph.D.; GIScience certificate; crime mapping certificate; online M.S.; graduate programs.
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech offers a 120-hour B.S. in Geographic Information Science in its School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry. The GIS courses end in a four-credit GIS application project, and students also complete 40 hours of directed electives. A 19–20 hour GIScience Undergraduate Certificate uses seven of the same courses.
Sources: GIScience B.S.; GIScience certificate; program page.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
UL Lafayette’s School of Geosciences offers a Digital Geography concentration within its 120-hour B.S. in Environmental Science. It requires GIScience I and II, Remote Sensing in GIS, Advanced GIS Analysis, an internship, and a capstone seminar. The 18-hour GIS Undergraduate Certificate ends in a capstone, internship, or research project.
Sources: Digital Geography concentration; GIS certificate.
Nicholls State University
Nicholls offers a 120-hour B.S. in Geomatics. It includes GIS Theory and Applications, Advanced GIS, Photogrammetry, GPS, and Remote Sensing, along with a summer internship and a senior seminar. Students complete a service-learning course every semester. The catalog says the degree meets Louisiana’s educational requirements for licensure as a professional land surveyor.
Sources: Geomatics B.S..
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University’s B.S. in Urban Forestry, Environment and Natural Resources has a Geospatial Technologies concentration. Students take Introduction to GIS and a summer internship in the core, then Introduction to Remote Sensing, Cartographic Theory and Design, Advanced Remote Sensing, and Advanced GIS.
Sources: Urban Forestry B.S..
McNeese State University
McNeese offers geography as a concentration within its B.A. in Humanities. The concentration includes about 27 geography credits, among them GIS I: Spatial Analysis and a senior research project.
Sources: Humanities B.A., Geography concentration.
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State offers geography as a concentration within its Liberal Arts degree. Students take four introductory geography courses and 12 hours of electives, which can include Introduction to GIS and Advanced GIS.
Sources: 2026–27 catalog.
LSU New Orleans
The former University of New Orleans, now LSU New Orleans, has no geography degree. Its 12-credit GIS Graduate Certificate is four GIS courses, including GIS for the planning profession, offered on site with lab access. Applicants need a 2.5 undergraduate GPA.
Sources: GIS certificate catalog; program page.
Tulane University
Tulane’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences offers 13-credit GIS certificates at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Each requires Introduction to GIS and Advanced GIS, plus two electives in remote sensing, geospatial methods, or independent study. The undergraduate certificate is open only to Tulane undergraduates.
Sources: undergraduate certificate; graduate certificate; program page.
Community Colleges
Nunez Community College offers a stackable Coastal Studies and GIS Technology pathway. The 60-credit A.A.S. combines Louisiana wetlands ecology and coastal science with Fundamentals of Mapping and GIS, GIS Theories and Concepts, and two remote sensing courses. A technical diploma and two 19-credit GIS certificates use the same courses.
South Louisiana Community College offers an A.A.S. and technical diploma in Civil, Surveying and Mapping Technology at its Crowley campus. The surveying-focused program includes Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing.
Sources: Nunez A.A.S.; Nunez GIS certificate; South Louisiana surveying; transfer degree.
Schools not included
- University of Louisiana Monroe: GIS courses appear in an earth system sciences concentration, but there is no geography or GIS credential.
- Southeastern Louisiana University: geography and GIS minors only.
- Grambling State University: a department web page still shows a geography B.A., but the official majors list and catalog do not include it.
- LSU Shreveport and LSU Alexandria: no geography or GIS credential.
- Private colleges: Loyola New Orleans and Centenary College offer GIS courses only. Dillard University’s geoscience certificate includes one GIS course. Xavier and Louisiana Christian have no geography or GIS credential.
- Community colleges: other Louisiana community and technical colleges offer GIS courses or precision agriculture programs, but no GIS credential.
Tuition Comparison
Estimated tuition is our arithmetic from each published rate and the stated basis. Each figure is labeled “per year” or “total.” Most Louisiana public schools publish semester totals that include mandatory fees, so those rows include fees. No row includes housing, books, or other costs.
Undergraduate tuition
| School and credential | Published rate | Calculation basis | Estimated tuition | Required fees (not included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University Geography B.S. | $6,257.35 per semester at 12 hours (resident) $14,599.35 per semester (nonresident) | Two semesters | $12,514.70 resident per year $29,198.70 nonresident per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees; geography majors pay a $20 field service fee per semester |
| Louisiana Tech University GIScience B.S. | $4,008 per quarter at 12+ hours (resident) $7,691 per quarter (out-of-state) | Three quarters | $12,024 resident per year $23,073 out-of-state per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees, except a $10 per hour energy surcharge |
| UL Lafayette Environmental Science B.S., Digital Geography | $5,736 per semester at 12 hours (Louisiana resident) $12,600 per semester (nonresident) | Two semesters | $11,472 resident per year $25,200 nonresident per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees |
| Nicholls State Geomatics B.S. | $4,812.05 per semester at 12 hours (resident) $5,205.17 per semester (out-of-state) | Two semesters | $9,624.10 resident per year $10,410.34 out-of-state per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees |
| Southern University Urban Forestry B.S., Geospatial Technologies | $4,979 per semester at 12+ hours (resident) | Two semesters | $9,958 resident per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees. An out-of-state fee also applies. |
| McNeese State Humanities B.A., Geography concentration | $4,665.37 per semester at 12 hours (resident) $5,165.37 per semester (domestic nonresident) | Two semesters | $9,330.74 resident per year $10,330.74 nonresident per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees |
| Northwestern State Liberal Arts, Geography concentration | $4,925.05 per semester at 12 hours (resident) $10,319.05 per semester (out-of-state) | Two semesters | $9,850.10 resident per year $20,638.10 out-of-state per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees |
| Tulane University Undergraduate GIS certificate, taken within a degree | $35,311 per semester | Two semesters | $70,622 per year | $2,257 per semester |
| Nunez Community College Coastal Studies and GIS Technology | $2,127.52 per semester at 12 credits (all students) | Two semesters | $4,255.04 per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees |
| South Louisiana Community College Civil, Surveying and Mapping Technology | $2,202.02 per semester at 12 credits (all students pay the in-state rate) | Two semesters | $4,404.04 per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees |
Rates are 2026–27 unless the row notes otherwise.
Graduate tuition
| School and credential | Published rate | Calculation basis | Estimated tuition | Required fees (not included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University M.S. or Ph.D. in Geography (campus) | $6,530.75 per semester at 9 hours (resident) $14,991.75 per semester (nonresident) | Two semesters | $13,061.50 resident per year $29,983.50 nonresident per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees. Assistants receive a tuition exemption. |
| Louisiana State University Online M.S. in Geography | $725 per credit, any residency | 31 credits | $22,475 total | None; LSU lists $22,475 as the total with fees |
| LSU New Orleans GIS Graduate Certificate | $4,873.05 per semester at 9 hours (resident) $7,158.05 per semester (nonresident) | Two semesters | $9,746.10 resident per year $14,316.10 nonresident per year | None; the published total includes mandatory fees |
| Tulane University Graduate GIS certificate | $2,128 per credit | 13 credits | $27,664 total | Academic support fee of $44.50 per hour, up to $400 per semester, plus campus fees at 9 or more hours |
Rates are 2026–27 unless the row notes otherwise.
Why some rates do not compare directly
- Most Louisiana public universities publish semester totals that combine tuition and mandatory fees, and they charge by credit-hour bands rather than a flat per-credit rate.
- Louisiana Tech uses quarters instead of semesters.
- Several regional universities, including Nicholls and McNeese, charge a small nonresident fee, so out-of-state students pay only slightly more.
- LSU charges its online M.S. one per-credit rate regardless of residency, and online students are not eligible for assistantships.
- The two community colleges charge all students the in-state rate.
How to Choose a Geography or GIS Program in Louisiana
Broad geography or technical GIS
LSU’s Geography B.S. is the state’s only geography-named bachelor’s degree, with concentrations in GIScience, climate, and disasters. For a technical focus, compare Louisiana Tech’s GIScience B.S., Nicholls’ Geomatics B.S., and the geospatial concentrations at UL Lafayette and Southern. Read more about GIScience degrees and geospatial technology.
Certificate, associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degree
GIS certificates run from 12 to 20 credits at the universities and 19 credits at Nunez Community College. Nunez also offers a GIS-focused associate degree. For graduate study, LSU is the only school with geography master’s and Ph.D. programs. Compare bachelor’s and master’s programs nationally.
Online or campus
LSU’s online M.S. in Geography is the only fully online geography or GIS credential in the state. Undergraduate programs and certificates are campus-based.
Research or professional master’s
LSU’s M.S. requires a thesis, both on campus and online. Students considering a Ph.D. should check research preparation and admissions requirements. A thesis can help demonstrate research experience.
Funding
LSU publishes assistantship stipends of $15,000 to $23,000 a year with a tuition exemption for campus students, but not for fully online students. LSU New Orleans and Tulane do not advertise funding for their GIS certificates.
Students open to nearby states can also compare programs in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas, or browse all state guides.
Sources and Review Date
Reviewed October 3, 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 schedule.
- LSU: undergraduate tuition, graduate tuition
- Louisiana Tech: tuition and fees
- UL Lafayette: undergraduate tuition
- Nicholls: fees and expenses
- Southern University: fall 2026 fee schedule
- McNeese: tuition and fees
- Northwestern State: fall 2026 fees
- LSU New Orleans: graduate fees
- Tulane: undergraduate costs, graduate rates
- Community colleges: Nunez, South Louisiana
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.