The City University Masters in Geographic Information (MGI) team announce TWO full-fee scholarships for first year part-time distance study.

London,UK-- The MGI course is a face-to-face and globally-delivered distance-learning course focussed on GI as a business, professional and scientific resource for GIS. It is aimed at those who want to build their practical and theoretical knowledge of GI/GIS and has an emphasis on next generation GI issues such as interoperability, intellectual property law, g-business, information visualisation and location-based services for mobile commerce. The course is taught by a team of internationally acknowledged experts in GI/GIS including Joseph Wood, Jason Dykes, David Rhind and Jonathan Raper. Between them the team have authored a number of a number of recent GIS books including, Spatial Programming with Java (2002), Geographic Information Systems and Science (2001) and Multidimensional GIS (2000), and they have produced a number of widely-used GI software tools including Landserf and panoraMap.

The course is now entering its third successful year of operation with a student cohort of 50+. In addition to the full-time face-to-face mode in London, the course can be studied either full-time or part-time in distance mode via the web. The course offers access to a wide range of online learning resources through a dedicated Web-based virtual learning environment (VLE) and online literature portal. Students can purchase major GIS software at highly discounted rates as part of their study programme.

You can access our VLE now by checking the procedure at http://www.soi.city.ac.uk/mgi. Registering your interest will give you immediate access to mgiCentral where you can view some of the teaching materials, see the course FAQ, communicate with the staff, read our student profiles and access Open Day information. Our next Open Day will be this WEDNESDAY 31ST JULY. If you wish to join us at 2pm in London, please contact me, otherwise join us online for a web chat at 0900 or 1700 British Summer Time in mgiCentral on Wednesday. Further open days will be held later in the summer.

We are accepting applications for 2002-3 until 20th September 2002 from those with undergraduate degrees or from those with relevant experience in employment. Two scholarships are available for the first year fees of part-time distance students. These will be allocated to the most deserving applicants on a competitive basis whose full applications (including references) are received before the application deadline.

Prof. Jonathan Raper (Course Director)

Endorsements of the MGI from the UK Government university inspection agency

The Subject Review report by the Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency http://www.qaa.ac.uk/:

* "The reviewers were extremely impressed by the thoroughness with which every aspect of the design of the new MGI had been considered, and its innovative use of the opportunities presented by imaginative use of IT" (QAAHE, 2001, p.5)

* "Well planned and innovative use of IT and the Internet enrich the experience of students, particularly those studying by distance learning." (QAAHE, 2001, p.10).

* "The interest and expertise generated in e-learning and techniques for supporting remote students is to be applauded" (QAAHE, 2001, p.6).