Revolutionary changes are taking place in how we process, analyze and model geographic information. The Geographic Information Science program examines the nature of digital geographic information, the tools and methods for analyzing and modeling such information, and the value of geographic information for understanding economic, environmental and social transformations at the local, regional, national and global scales.
We emphasize methodological training in GIScience as the foundation for using geographic information to understand these changes and for developing innovative new tools to analyze and explore geographic information in the decades to come. Students also gain a critical awareness of the roles of geographic information and GIScience in society and the strengths and limitations of GIScience tools and technologies.
This program emphasizes how digital geographic information is created, analyzed, and used to examine economic, ecological, physical, and social phenomena at a variety of spatial scales. Students can specialize in:
- GIS theory and methods in areas such as: geographic information systems, dynamic modeling, remote sensing, inter-regional modeling and spatial analysis; or
- GIS applications and methods in health, urban, physical, or environmental geography.
Program Emphases
GIS methods and development
- space-time integration in GIScience
- satellite remote sensing
- CyberGIS
- parallel and distributed computing
- multi-scale and distributed GIS
Spatial Analysis
- geospatial big data analytics
- collection and analysis of GPS data
- spatiotemporal modeling and analysis
- agent-based modeling
- geostatistical modeling and landscape analysis
- spatial accessibility modeling
Environmental applications
- vegetation and climate change
- dynamics of watersheds and fluvial systems
- land cover disturbance and change
- health and health care
- urban travel and mobility
- GIS and society
GIS Facilities
Our faculty and students have access to state-of-the-art labs for GIS teaching and research. The teaching laboratory consists of 30 workstations equipped with a wide variety of software for GIS, image processing, air photo interpretation, and spatial/statistical analysis.
The CyberGIS Center for Advanced Digital and Spatial Studies, is internationally-renowned for research in GIScience. It's mission is to empower advanced digital and spatial studies through innovation of CyberGIS technologies and applications. Founded and run by Dr. Shaowen Wang, and housed in GGIS and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, the center addresses diverse GIScience challenges including: computationally intensive spatial analysis and modelling, cyberGIS, cyberinfrastructure-based geospatial problem solving environments, computing and data-intensive applications and sciences, and high performance and collaborative GIS.
Prerequisites
Applicants to the Geography program with a specialization in GIScience are expected to have completed: 1) a course in GIS or cartography; 2) an introductory statistics course.
Master of Science (MS) Degree Requirements
Doctoral Program Requirements
Students are encouraged to take GIS-related courses in fields such as computer science, agricultural economics, econometrics, and atmospheric sciences.
Core Courses
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GEOG 412: GIS and Society
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GEOG 439: Health Applications of GIS
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GEOG 440: Business Applications of GIS
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GEOG 460: Aerial Photo Analysis
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GEOG 467: Dynamic Simulation of Natural Resource Problems
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GEOG 468: Biological Modeling
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GEOG 473: Digital Cartography & Map Design
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GEOG 476: Applied GIS to Environmental Studies
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GEOG 477: Introduction to Remote Sensing
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GEOG 478: Techniques of Remote Sensing
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GEOG 479: Advanced GIS
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GEOG 480: Principles of Geographic Information Systems
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GEOG 481: Modeling Earth and Environmental Systems
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GEOG 489: Programming for GIS
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GEOG 570: Advanced Spatial Analysis