Geographic Information Science and Technology - BS, Computation, Design and Analysis Track
The BS degree in Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) requires coursework in either the Computation, Design, and Analysis (CDA) track, Earth Systems Analysis (ESA) track, or the Human Systems and Society (HSS) track.
The Computation, Design, and Analysis (CDA) track is intended for students interested in the computational, analysis, and software development aspects of GIST. This track emphasizes the computational and information technology that underpins GIST and focuses on technical issues, algorithm development and performance, and software tool development.
Students will receive a rigorous and modern-day education and training in GIST with application knowledge in physical and human geography. Employers require problem solvers, not button pushers, to address problems in various application domains. The B.S. in GIST is designed to:
- Provide modern-day exposure to the rapidly changing field of GIST
- Balance education and training with a focus on competency
- Provide application and problem-solving experiences
- Support student activities and research
- Provide students with professional experience
- Produce high-quality geographers with strong GIST knowledge and skills
Geospatial technology graduates are in extremely high demand and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, are one of the highest growth areas in the federal government, particularly in homeland security activities, as well as in energy, software and engineering firms, biomedical and biohazard research, among many others. A 35% annual rate of growth in geospatial technology-related degrees are projected by the U.S. Department of Labor. Students have employment opportunities with the following corporate and government entities:
- Government agencies (federal, state, county, and city): management and planning of urban infrastructure, inventory and assessment of natural resources including agriculture, forestry, and water resources.
- Energy industry: assessing biofuel production and identifying locations suitable for renewable energy resources and mineral exploration.
- Health science industry: determine hotspots of health events and explore causes.
- Military and intelligence community: numerous opportunities exist in military branches and agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and other intelligence organizations.
- Commercial industries: business analytics and marketing, as spatial information can be used to target marketing campaigns, and suitable site assessment to locate companies.
- Geospatial industries: software development, geotechnical engineering, and technology development.
Students select courses with the assistance of the academic advisor in an individualized advising system.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| GEOG 203 | Planet Earth | 3 |
| GEOG 213 | Planet Earth Lab | 1 |
| MATH 140 | Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
| Life and physical sciences 1 | 4 | |
Select one from the following: | ||
| Weather and Climate and Weather and Climate Laboratory | ||
| Botany | ||
| Introductory Biology I | ||
| Principles of Geology and Principles of Geology Laboratory | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry I | ||
| College Physics | ||
| Communication | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 201 | Introduction to Human Geography | 3 |
| MATH 142 | Business Calculus | 3 |
| POLS 206 | American National Government | 3 |
| Life and physical sciences 1 | 4 | |
| Selct one of the following: | ||
| Zoology | ||
| Introductory Biology II | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry II | ||
| Historical Geology | ||
| College Physics | ||
| Oceanography and Oceanography Laboratory | ||
| Communication | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOG 232 | Cartography and Visualization | 3 |
| POLS 207 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Programming I | ||
| Introduction to Computer Science Concepts and Programming | ||
| American history | 3 | |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 352/GEOL 352 | GNSS in the Geosciences | 3 |
| STAT 303 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| Physical Geography | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Global Climatic Regions | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Pattern and Process in Biogeography | ||
| American history | 3 | |
| Language, philosophy and culture | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GEOG 361 | Remote Sensing in Geosciences | 4 |
| GEOG 390 | Principles of Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GEOG 392 | GIS Programming | 4 |
| Creative arts | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESSM 459 or GEOG 391 | Programming for Spatial Data Applications or Geodatabases | 3 |
| GEOG 312 | Data Analysis in Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 475 | Advanced Topics in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) | 4 |
| Directed elective 2 | 4 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Human Geography | 3 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Economic Geography | ||
| Introduction to Urban Geography | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
Select from the following: | ||
| Introduction to Urban Geography | ||
| Geography of Energy | ||
| Resources and the Environment | ||
| Pattern and Process in Biogeography | ||
| Coastal Processes | ||
| Interpretation of Aerial Photographs | ||
| Spatial Thinking, Perception and Behavior | ||
| Field Geography | ||
| Digital Image Processing in the Geosciences | ||
| Dynamic Modeling of Earth and Environmental Systems | ||
| Terrain Analysis and Mapping | ||
| Principles of Geocomputation | ||
| Directed elective 2 | 6 | |
| Track elective 3 | 6 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOG 476 | GIS Practicum | 3 |
| GEOG 478 | WebGIS | 4 |
| Directed elective 2 | 8 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Department requires that you take two in the same discipline to meet this requirement. |
| 2 | Courses to be approved by Advisor. AGSM 301, BAEN 301, BAEN 302, CSCE 121, CSCE 221, CSCE 222/ECEN 222, CSCE 310, CSCE 314, CSCE 350/ECEN 350, CSCE 410, CSCE 411, CSCE 420, CSCE 431, CSCE 433, CSCE 435, CSCE 436 CSCE 441, CSCE 442, CSCE 464, CSCE 470, CVEN 302 CVEN 322, ECEN 447, ECEN 448, ESSM 308, ESSM 459, ESSM 464, GEOG 391, ISEN 320, ISEN 330, ISEN 355, ISEN 416, ISEN 425, ISTM 250, ISTM 310, ISTM 315, ISTM 320, ISTM 325, ISTM 410, ISTM 415, ISTM 420, MMET 307, SCMT 336, SCMT 340, SCMT 345, SCMT 361, SCMT 465, SCMT 468, STAT 211, STAT 212, URPN 325, URPN 326, URPN 471, VIST 170, VIST 270, VIST 271. |
| 3 | Track electives comprise 6 hours of focused coursework. The track and specific courses within the track are to be chosen in consultation with the advisor and/or faculty mentor. |
Two courses in the degree plan must be Writing Intensive courses designated by the department in the schedule of classes. Also, International and Cultural Diversity Elective (3 hours) and Cultural Discourse (3 hours) must be incorporated into the degree.