I've used GIS in my job before, but now I'd like some formal training. This question is becoming increasingly popular these days, especially as the competitive job market demands greater skills and as people seek new career paths. More universities and colleges worldwide offer degrees in GIS than ever before, or they're adding GIS specialties to their traditional geography and cartography degrees. Also, the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis is working toward completing core curricula for academic and technical GIS programs. Colo.-based GIS World Inc.'s World Wide Web site maintains a searchable online directory of GIS programs worldwide.
Many educators provide class notes and tutorials on the Internet.
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and hosted by the University of Texas, Dallas, the project combines online course materials, tutorials and other resources for spatial sciences. Materials are sorted into working group categories such as cartography, physical geography, cultural geography, world regional geography and area studies. The site also maintains a list of geography departments and provides links to other GIS education metasites. Finally, in addition to classroom courses, vendors are developing online training. Many two-year schools have created programs to help fulfill the demand for technical GIS training.