The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) acknowledges that our five campuses reside on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Nations of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam).
Established in 1987, BCIT’s Geographic Information Systems program was one of the first dedicated comprehensive GIS programs in Canada. This has led to an impressive number of Alumni working in diverse business sectors around British Columbia, Canada and Internationally. BCIT’s small class sizes allow students to gain extensive hands-on experience under the guidance of Faculty with decades of real-world GIS experience the private and public sector.
As GIS technology, and Esri software, can be applied across limitless industries, we believe in a cross-departmental approach to GIS. Therefore, ESRI technology is taught and heavily utilized for projects in Geomatics, Mining, Forestry and Wildlife Management and Forensics, to name a few. The combination of the students’ diverse educational backgrounds, the instructors’ industry experience, and collaboration with other departments ensures GIS knowledge and applications span dozens of disciplines.
The GIS Department offers three possible credentials: The Advanced Diploma in GIS, Bachelor of Technology (GIS) and The Advanced Certificate in GIS. The curriculum combines both theory and practice and covers GIS principles, training in GIS software, technical issues, remote sensing, digital mapping, and data management. Students also complete an industry sponsored work experience or research project before graduation. The vast majority of students (90%) enter the Advanced Diploma credential after completing an undergraduate degree. The BCIT GIS Program is also guided by a well represented Program Advisory Committee comprised of key business areas who guide the program through the constantly changing technical field of GIS. From ArcGIS Pro to ArcGIS Enterprise, Esri technology is a key component of BCIT’s GIS program. The students’ strong foundation in scripting and web GIS will allow them to create thought provoking demonstrations of the power of Esri’s web technology during project collaboration and the ECCE App Challenge. As a result of the strong Alumni community, the BCIT GIS Department has industry sponsors who provide work placements and research opportunities, many of which utilize the Esri platform. Many BCIT graduates are also hired into Esri Canada’s Associate GIS Professional program.
BCIT Blog:
Read articles submitted by BCIT ECCE student associates about their experiences studying and participating in the ECCE.