Undergraduate Curriculum
Curriculum
Faculty
GIS & Spatial Analysis Program
Undergraduates who are interested in the GIS and Spatial Analysis specialization will need to meet the following requirements and complete the required course work to earn a B.S. in Geography. Undergraduates also will be interested in the acquired skill sets as a part of this course work, the types of issues and topics that are addressed, and the career opportunities that are available within this field.
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Requirements
| Required Geography credit hours: | 42+ |
|---|---|
| Other Required course: | Statistics 245 |
Required courses
Below are the course requirements for students in the GIS and Spatial Analysis specialization. Please be aware that requirements are subject to change. The definitive version can be found in the Department of Geography Undergraduate Manual.
| Course | Credits | Prerequisites | Quarter(s) Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geog 580: Introduction to Cartography | 5 | None | ALL |
| Geog 607: Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems | 5 | None | Autumn |
| Geog 680: Numerical Cartography | 5 | Geog 580, Math 150 | Winter |
| Geog 683: Intro to Geog Analysis | 5 | Stat 145 or 245 | Autumn |
| CIS 201: Elementary Computer Programming | 4 | None | ALL |
| Any Human Geography Course (600 or Higher) | 5 | None | ALL |
| Geog 210: Physical Geography and Environmental Issues OR Geog 520: Climatology OR Geog 597.02: Integrated Earth Systems | 5 / 5 / 5 | None / None / None | ALL / Autumn, Winter / Winter |
| Geog 780: Analytical Cartography | 5 | Geog 680 or 795 & Math 152 | Not Offered |
| Geog 795B: Seminar in Geography (programming) | 5 | None | Not Offered |
| Geog 695: Undergraduate Seminar Applied Geography | 5 | 20 hr. in Geography | Spring |
| Geog 685: Intermediate GIS | 5 | Geog 607 | Winter |
| Geog 686: GIS in Social Science and Business Research OR Geog 687: Design & Implementation of GIS OR CIS 214: Data Structures for Information Systems OR CIS 230: Intro to C++ Programming | 5 / 5 / 4 / 4 | Geog 685 / Geog 685 / CIS 201 / CIS 201 | Spring / Autumn / Spring |
Issues and topics
The following is an example of the types of issues and topics students will study within the GIS and Spatial Analysis specialization.
Mapping patterns
- Population change
- Migration
- Development
- Ocean currents
Visual presentation
- Organization
- Symbolization
- Color usage
Issue analysis
- Air pollution
- Planning
- Unemployment
- Poverty
Statistical analysis
- Disease rates
- Elections
- Hazard incidence
Location optimization
- Facilities/site selection
- Mass transit routes
- New construction
Implementation
- GIS software
- Modeling
Acquired skill sets
Students can expect to acquire and perform the following skills sets within this specialization. Students also should have a solid background in mathematics and the physical sciences.
- Critical thinking
- Critical writing
- Research
- Strong organizational skills
Technical skills:
- Quantitative data analysis
- Graphic communication (including map reading and development)
- Graphics and statistical software packages
- Computer programming
Career opportunities
Geographers can find career opportunities in many fields both within and outside the field of geography. Below is a partial listing of careers that students within the GIS and Spatial Analysis specialization are well-suited and where previous graduates have found employment.
- Planner: transportation, urban, health services, land use, etc.
- Real estate appraiser/researcher
- Shipper/route delivery manager
- Drafts person
- GIS analyst/consultant
- Cartographer (U.S. Defense Mapping Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, etc.)
- Software developer
- Map archivist/librarian
- Computer systems manager
- Data processor
- Market researcher/analyst
- Location/site selection expert
- Graphic designer
