Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geoinformatics and Geospatial Analytics

About

Students in Saint Louis University's geoinformatics and geospatial analytics doctoral program study the science and technology dealing with the acquisition, storage, processing production, presentation and dissemination of geoinformation using the theory and practical implications of geodesy within information science infrastructure. The core of geoinformatics at SLU is geospatial analytics, a branch of data science that focuses on developing cutting-edge technologies supporting processes of acquiring, analyzing and visualizing geospatial Big Data. Advances in various location-aware technologies, (e.g., GPS, the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile sensors, remote sensing), and ever-increasing time-stamped, location-based data from sensors as diverse as satellites, drones and smartphones have created unprecedented demand and opportunities for code-savvy geospatial professionals with the ability to automate processing, visualizing and finding patterns in both structured and unstructured data. The geoinformatics and geospatial analytics Ph.D. program provides students with in-depth knowledge in geoinformatics and geospatial analytics required for solving today’s grand challenges, e.g., climate change, public health, refugees and migration, transportation safety, and food, water and human security from local to global scales. The graduates of the Ph.D. program will gain the multidisciplinary knowledge and quantitative skills necessary to handle big geospatial data and solve big problems. This 45-credit Ph.D. program focuses on educating next-generation talent with advanced and emerging technologies like machine learning/AI, satellite geodesy, image analysis, change detection, GIS modeling, photogrammetry and automation that are critical to developing research skills to address today’s grand societal challenges such as food security, healthcare delivery, national security and beyond with high impact research. 

Career Path  

Graduate career path includes Geoinformatics Research Scientist, Geospatial Analytics Researcher, Remote Sensing Scientist, Principal Investigator (Geoinformatics/Geospatial Science), Cartographic Scientist, GIS Scientist (Doctoral Level), Geospatial Systems Engineer, Natural Hazards & Disaster Risk Researcher,Land Use & Land Cover Change Analyst, Spatial Data Scientist, Environmental, Agricultural Geoinformatics Specialist, Coastal & Marine Geoinformatics Scientist, Hydrological Modeling Scientist, Climate Change Geospatial Analyst, Geoinformatics Specialist, Urban Geospatial Planner, Geospatial Database Architect, Planetary Geoinformatics Scientist, Space Exploration Geospatial Analyst, Geospatial Big Data Scientist, Smart Cities Geospatial Scientist, GeoAI Researcher (AI + Geospatial), Digital Twin Geospatial Engineer, Geospatial Cybersecurity Specialist, Geospatial Blockchain Specialist, Geospatial Policy & Governance Analyst.