GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

This program utilizes the information technology tools to solve a variety of geographic problems in fields as varied as city government, environmental protection, business, marketing, scientific research, health, transportation, urban planning, emergency management, and public land management. The U.S. Department of Labor recently identified GIS as one of the top three careers poised for increasingly growth in the future.  In the GISc program, students learn not only a variety of technical skills currently in demand in the job market, but it also focuses on the fundamental principles of geography and geographic information that will prepare students more able to solve difficult problems, and continue their .

As we researched Geospatial careers in our local area, they are very diverse. Some focus on utilizing the GIS to manipulate/analyze the geospecial data and resolve the geographic problems; some focus on geospatial data management and standarlization; some apply programming tools to develop GIS Web-based or Windows-based applications; some focus geoprocess automation using Scriptthe script language  the so this emphasis provides a basic education (and options for advanced specialization) in five areas:

• geographic information science, the study of the nature and theory of geographic information

• geographic information systems, the management and analysis of digital geographic information

• remote sensing, the observation and analysis of geography from the air or space

• cartography, the visual communication of geographic information via maps

• application development, writing programs for specific  application or to automate geospatial tasks

Expected Learning Outcomes

• understand the fundamental principles and theories of human geography, and recognize their connections to geospatial data models and analytical procedures

• explain the fundamental theories of geographic information science and correlate them to the data models and procedures underlying geospatial technologies

• Acquire and process application-appropriate geospatial data from primary and secondary sources

• select the appropriate data format (e.g., raster, vector, coordinate system) for a given application, design application-specific data models, and transform existing data into appropriate forms

• analyze geospatial data for tasks in scientific research and/or decision support, using common and custom analysis procedures (GIS, RS, statistical)

• design quality thematic maps for visualization and communicate GIS application results

• create programs and scripts to automate geospatial tasks, implementing geographic algorithms, using visual development tools

• work with interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to complex tasks that integrate relevant geospatial concepts and technologies

• continue to learn and be involved in the industry and profession, including learning new and additional software, using new government initatives, and participating in professional networking opportunities