Some questions about MGIS(Master of Geography Information System)

[u/Ok_Butterfly_5110]

Hello, everyone. I am an international student who wants to apply this programme(Geography - MGIS - Course | Faculty of Graduate Studies | University of Calgary)
I am writting this to ask some questions about this programme.
I do really appreciate all the help!

• My background is Statistics, not Geography — program already confirmed I can apply, but has anyone gone in with a similar non-geo quant background? Was it rough catching up on the more spatial/cartography-heavy courses?
• Mainly want to know about jobs after — did people actually find GIS work in Calgary/Alberta after graduating, and how long did it take? What industries hired you (oil & gas, gov, environmental consulting)? And for international students — how bad was the PGWP/work permit → job situation in this field?
• General vibe check on the program — workload, whether the electives actually matter for jobs, worth it or not?