Vermont has 4 schools with verified geography or geographic information systems (GIS) credentials: 2 public universities and 2 private colleges. The University of Vermont and Middlebury College offer geography majors, Vermont State University combines geography with anthropology and archaeology in one B.S., and Norwich University offers an undergraduate certificate in geospatial intelligence. No Vermont school lists a graduate degree or doctorate in geography or GIS. The only fully online option is the University of Vermont’s non-credit GIS certificate; no online geography degree was verified.
Vermont Geography and GIS Programs at a Glance
Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates
| School | Credentials | Format | Credits | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vermont | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Geography GIS and Data Communication Certificate (non-credit, professional) | B.A.: campus (Burlington) Certificate: fully online | B.A.: 120 (major 30) Certificate: 4 non-credit courses | Geographic methods course required; certificate designed to be finished in 12 months |
| Middlebury College | B.A. in Geography (major and joint major) | Campus (Middlebury) | Major: 10 courses Joint major: 7 courses | Human geography focus; two methods courses from GIS, cartography, and spatial data |
| Vermont State University | Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography | In person (Castleton) | Sample degree map: 121 | Combines three fields; internship or fieldwork plus a social science seminar |
| Norwich University | Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence (undergraduate) | Residential (Northfield) | 18–20 | Accredited by the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF); added to any Norwich major |
Credentials were verified against 2026–27 catalogs and program pages. Vermont State’s catalog could not be opened by our review tools, so its row uses the university’s program page and sample degree map. Minors are not listed.
Graduate Degrees and Certificates
No Vermont school lists a graduate degree or graduate certificate in geography or GIS in its 2026–27 catalog. The University of Vermont’s graduate programs closest to the field are an M.S. in Geosciences (geology-based) and an M.S. in Natural Resources, which offers graduate geospatial courses. Neither is a geography or GIS degree. See schools not included.
Community Colleges
Vermont’s only community college, the Community College of Vermont, lists no GIS or geography degree or certificate among its 57 programs, so it is not counted. Vermont State University’s catalog includes CCV-to-Vermont State transfer pathways.
Online Geography and GIS Programs in Vermont
An online course is not the same as an online degree. The program below has an official statement that the full credential can be completed online. The next list covers programs with no verified online route.
Verified fully online options
- University of Vermont GIS and Data Communication Certificate: UVM Professional and Continuing Education says the four-course certificate is fully online and asynchronous. It is a non-credit certificate of completion, not an academic degree or a for-credit certificate.
Online coursework, but not a verified fully online program
- Vermont State University B.S. in Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography: listed as an in-person program at Castleton, meaning most required courses are taught on campus.
- Norwich University Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence: listed as a residential program. Norwich’s online division offers no geography or GIS credential.
- University of Vermont and Middlebury geography majors: campus programs. Middlebury requires at least three major electives to be semester-long courses taken on its campus.
For programs based in other states, see online geography schools.
Vermont School Summaries
University of Vermont
UVM’s Department of Geography and Geosciences offers a B.A. in Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences. The major is 30 credits within a 120-credit degree. It starts with 12 credits of foundations: Weather, Climate and Landscapes; Global Environments and Cultures; Society, Place, and Power; and one geographic methods course. Students then take 9 intermediate credits, 6 advanced credits, and one open-level course. Internship, independent study, undergraduate research, and honors credits can count toward the major. The department also offers a 15-credit Geospatial Technologies minor with courses such as Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis.
Separately, UVM Professional and Continuing Education runs a fully online, non-credit GIS and Data Communication Certificate. Students choose four 8- to 9-week courses from options including Introduction to GIS, Advanced GIS, Remote Sensing Foundations, Geospatial Computation, Environmental Modeling, and an introduction to drones and geospatial applications. Courses use ArcGIS Pro, and the program is designed to be completed in about 12 months. No prior GIS or coding experience is required.
At the graduate level, the department’s only degree is an M.S. in Geosciences, a research degree in geology and earth surface processes. UVM has no graduate geography degree.
Sources: Geography B.A. catalog; Department of Geography and Geosciences; Geosciences M.S.; GIS certificate; department site.
Middlebury College
Middlebury’s Geography Department focuses on human geography. The geography major is 10 courses: an introductory course on place and society, The Global Environment or Environmental Geology, two methods courses, five electives, and a 400-level seminar or a senior independent project. The methods courses are chosen from Mapping Global Environmental Change, Human Geography with GIS, Cartography, and Place Based Data and Analysis. A 7-course joint major is also available.
Students can write a senior thesis with an approved proposal. Honors require a 3.5 GPA in the major, substantive independent work, and a public presentation. The department runs four labs for digital cartography, GIS, and remote sensing.
Sources: major requirements; Geography Department.
Vermont State University
Vermont State’s B.S. in Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography is taught in person at the Castleton campus. Students take core courses in all three fields, including Cultural Geography, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, and Introduction to Archaeology, then choose seven electives. The university says students can use those electives to take several GIS courses. The sample degree map includes geography and anthropology electives, upper-level program electives, Social Science Applied Research, a Social Science Seminar, and either an internship or anthropology fieldwork. Students also work with 3D scanning, drones, and ground-penetrating radar.
Vermont State’s program page links to the 2026–27 catalog entry, but the catalog site blocked our review tools, so total credits come from the sample degree map (121) rather than the catalog. Vermonters who qualify can attend tuition-free through the university’s Free Tuition Guarantee.
Sources: program page; 2026–27 catalog entry.
Norwich University
Norwich’s undergraduate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence is new in the 2026–27 catalog and is earned alongside any Norwich major. The core is four courses: Geospatial Intelligence, Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, and a capstone chosen from environmental science, civil engineering, or computer science. Students add two electives (6 to 8 credits) from criminology, geology, information warfare, civil engineering, and computer science courses, for 18 to 20 credits in total.
Norwich announced in September 2025 that the certificate had been accredited by the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF). It is run by faculty from criminal justice, the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the Peace and War Center. Norwich has no geography degree.
Sources: 2026–27 catalog; USGIF accreditation announcement.
Schools not included
- Community College of Vermont: none of its 57 listed programs is a GIS or geography credential.
- Saint Michael’s College: no geography or GIS major, minor, or certificate in the 2026–27 catalog.
- University of Vermont graduate programs: the M.S. in Geosciences is a geology degree, and the M.S. in Natural Resources offers geospatial courses but no geography or GIS concentration.
- Related programs that are not geography or GIS credentials: Vermont State’s Atmospheric Sciences B.S. (Climate Change concentration) includes a GIS applications course, and its Wildlife and Forest Conservation B.S. uses GIS.
- Minor only: UVM’s Geospatial Technologies and Urban, Rural, and Community Planning minors, and Vermont State’s Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography minor.
- No geography or GIS credential found: Champlain College, Bennington College, Sterling College, Landmark College, Vermont Law and Graduate School, and SIT Graduate Institute.
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. Vermont has no graduate geography or GIS programs, so there is no graduate tuition table.
Undergraduate tuition
| School and credential | Published rate | Calculation basis | Estimated tuition | Required fees (not included) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vermont B.A. in Geography | $8,469 per semester (resident, 12–19 credits) $23,327.50 per semester (out-of-state) | Two semesters | $16,938 resident per year $46,655 out-of-state per year | $1,529 per semester comprehensive fee |
| University of Vermont (online) GIS and Data Communication Certificate (non-credit) | $1,652 per course, any residency | 4 courses | $6,608 total | None listed |
| Middlebury College B.A. in Geography | $36,462 per semester, any residency | Two semesters | $72,924 per year | $271 per semester student activity fee |
| Vermont State University B.S. in Anthropology, Archaeology and Geography | $462 per credit (in-state) $923 per credit (out-of-state) | Published full-time annual rate (24 credits) | $11,088 in-state per year $22,152 out-of-state per year | $71 per credit institutional fee ($1,704 per year full-time) |
| Norwich University Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence (with a bachelor’s degree) | $24,365 per semester (12–19 credits), any residency | Two semesters | $48,730 per year | $1,490 per semester (activities $320, technology $725, health services $445); commuters add a $390 facilities fee |
All rates are for 2026–27.
Why some rates do not compare directly
- Middlebury and Norwich are private and charge one rate regardless of residency.
- Norwich’s certificate has no separate price. Students earn it while paying tuition for a Norwich bachelor’s degree.
- UVM’s GIS certificate is a non-credit professional program priced per course. UVM affiliates and UVM Medical Center employees receive a 20% discount.
- Vermont State says residents of designated “Good Neighbor” counties in nearby states can pay the in-state rate starting in fall 2026, and qualifying Vermonters can attend tuition-free through its Free Tuition Guarantee.
How to Choose a Geography or GIS Program in Vermont
Broad geography or technical GIS
UVM’s B.A. covers physical, human, and environmental geography with a required methods course. Middlebury’s major centers on human geography and requires two methods courses. Vermont State blends geography with anthropology and archaeology. For a technical focus, Norwich’s geospatial intelligence certificate and UVM’s online GIS certificate concentrate on GIS and remote sensing. Read more about GIScience degrees and geospatial technology.
Certificate or bachelor’s degree
All of Vermont’s geography credentials are at the undergraduate or professional level. Norwich’s 18- to 20-credit certificate is added to a degree, while UVM’s four-course certificate is open to working adults with no prior GIS experience. Compare bachelor’s programs nationally. Students who want a graduate degree will need to look outside Vermont; see master’s programs.
Online or campus
The only fully online option is UVM’s non-credit GIS certificate. Every degree on this page is campus-based.
Research experience
Middlebury offers a senior thesis and honors, UVM counts undergraduate research and honors credits toward the major, and Vermont State requires an applied research course and an internship or fieldwork. Norwich’s certificate ends with a capstone project.
Students open to nearby states can also compare programs in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, and Maine, 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 Vermont: undergraduate tuition and fees, GIS certificate cost
- Middlebury College: tuition and fees
- Vermont State University: tuition and fees
- Norwich University: campus tuition and fees
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.