Geographic Information System (GIS) minors develop an in-depth understanding of spatial analysis and the art of digital map-making that complements discipline-specific knowledge in many fields. GIS has become a key method for organizing and interpreting large amounts of data relative to a spatial framework. GIS is useful in an increasingly large number of applications, such as land-use planning, community development, environmental management, epidemiology, law enforcement and in the business fields of risk management and marketing. GIS relies on geospatial technologies and research that include internet mapping, in-vehicle navigation systems, digital cartography, imagery taken by airplanes and satellites, spatial analysis and modeling of social and natural processes, and visualization and data mining of complex information. This minor will improve students’ marketability and open up opportunities for intellectual and professional development in a wide variety of fields.
This minor will improve students' marketability and open up opportunities for intellectual and professional development in a wide variety of fields.
Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs)
By the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Apply computer programming and GIS software to solve problems, improve efficacy, enhance existing maps and/or develop original maps within various industries and contexts.
- Analyze information from internet mapping, in-vehicle navigation systems, digital cartography, satellite and/or drone imagery, spatial analysis and modeling, and data mining to gain an in-depth understanding of spatial relationships of a given area.
MINOR REQUIREMENTS
20 credit hours
CSCI 105 Introductory Programming (3)
GEOG 231 Geography of the Americas (3)
GEOG 232 World Geography (3)
NSCI 310 Geographic Information Systems (4)
NSCI 311 Geographic Information Systems II (4)
NSCI 380 Global Sustainability (3)
