Assessing professional benefits of GIS certification

The certification of geographic information system (GIS) professionals remains a contentious topic. After more than 25 years, the GIS community remains divided over the need to formally recognize GIS professionals who maintain standards of professional competency and conduct. Unfortunately, few studies have examined individuals who have become certified or the professional benefits of certification. This study explores GIS certification through a survey of 1731 geospatial professionals who became geographic information systems professionals (GISPs) between 2003 and 2014. A web-based questionnaire asked GISPs about the certification process, its influence on their compensation and advancement, and other issues. Quantitative and qualitative findings suggest that perceptions about certification fall along a wide spectrum with GISPs employed in private industry seeing fewer benefits compared with those employed in government or not-for-profit organizations. While a large number of respondents conveyed pride in completing the certification process, others expressed frustration over the program’s lack of visibility, standards that have enabled less qualified peers to become certified, and the slow progress at which GIS certification has achieved respect compared with programs administered in other fields such as engineering and planning.