CARIS, leading developer of marine GIS and hydrographic software, announced today the renewal of its Academic Partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) for the tenth consecutive year.

Through the Program, USM has access to multiple CARIS software products, quality technical support and training to maximize the learning experience of its students and has incorporated many CARIS Ping-to-Chart software products into its curriculum.

Using CARIS technology, USM students have the opportunity to gain experience in the various activities of a hydrographic office, including the collection, processing, visualization and management of multibeam and other forms of data and the production of paper, electronic navigational charts and other navigational charts.

"We are very proud of the long-term relationship we have enjoyed with USM," explains Paul Cooper, Vice President, CARIS USA. "Its unique cross-disciplinary approach to Marine Science education has been embraced by many of the most successful oceanographic institutions and through this partnership, their students gain valuable hands-on exposure to these industry production tools before entering the workforce."

The CARIS Academic Partnering Program is aimed to provide support to education institutions for adopting geospatial technology through applying and practicing with trusted marine and hydrographic production tools from the entire CARIS Ping-to-Chart workflow. Together with a membership of more than sixty Academic Partners in twenty countries, CARIS helps ensure that the next generation of geospatial engineers, GIS technicians, hydrographers and marine scientists, etc. are skilled in industry recognized software tools.

About the University of Southern Mississippi (USM)

The Hydrographic Science Graduate Program started as a joint venture with the Naval Oceanographic Office in 1999. It is a component of the Department of Marine Science and is located at Stennis Space Center, MS, a federal city located along the Pearl River in southern Mississippi. The program is one of only two in the USA that received the Category A certification, the highest level international recognition from the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), and the International Cartographic Association (ICA). Beginning in 2000, the program has awarded a total of 102 Master's degrees in Hydrographic Science to a diverse mixture of students from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Government, the private sector, and from 16 different foreign navies and hydrographic offices. Most students follow an accelerated one-year 36 credit hour track, which includes two semesters of theory and practical exercises and a summer field training project. Students may also choose to complete the program in two years and conduct research with the Hydrographic Science Research Center. The summer field training project is the culmination of a student learning process in which the students must demonstrate capabilities in all facets of hydrography required by the FIG, IHO, and ICA for the Category A certification. More information about the USM program is available at http://www.usm.edu/marine.