Major in Geographic Information Science

GEOG 101PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY3
GEOG 221INTRODUCTION TO GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY3
GEOG 321INTRODUCTION TO REMOTE SENSING AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY3
GEOG 322INTRO TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE4
GEOG 323CARTOGRAPHY AND GRAPHICS I3
GEOG 414GIS APPLICATIONS3
or GEOG 465 ADVANCED TECHNIQUES IN GIS
GEOG 416ADVANCED REMOTE SENSING: DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS3
COSC 236INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I4
CIS 211FUNDAMENTALS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGY3
CIS 328INTRODUCTION TO DATA ANALYTICS3
MATH 231BASIC STATISTICS3
MATH 211CALCULUS FOR APPLICATIONS3
or MATH 273 CALCULUS I
Electives
Select three from the following:9
GEOMORPHOLOGY
SOILS AND VEGETATION
QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY
QUALITATIVE METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY
METEOROLOGY
NATURAL RESOURCES AND SOCIETY: A GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE
APPLICATION OF GIS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
GIS DATABASE DESIGN
PYTHON SCRIPTING FOR ARCGIS
GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES SPECIAL TOPICS
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN GEOGRAPHY GIS topic approved by program director
Selective two from the following:6
COMPUTING HARDWARE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
FUNDAMENTALS OF WEB TECHNOLOGIES
SELECTED TOPICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
SCRIPTING LANGUAGES
ADVANCED DATA MANAGEMENT & ANALYSIS
DATA ORGANIZATION
ORGANIZATIONAL DATABASE MANAGEMENT
APPLIED DATA SCIENCE & MACHINE LEARNING
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE II
DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHM ANALYSIS
ETHICAL AND SOCIETAL CONCERNS OF COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
DISCRETE MATHEMATICS
ELEMENTARY LINEAR ALGEBRA
CALCULUS II
INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS
PROBABILITY
MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS
APPLIED REGRESSION AND TIME SERIES PREDICTIVE MODELING
INTRODUCTION TO MACHINE LEARNING
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
EXPERIMENTAL MATHEMATICS
Total Units53

Sample Four-Year Plan

The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.

First Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
GEOG 101 (Core 8)3GEOG 2213
Core 1 (or Core 2)3MATH 231 (Core 3)3
Core 43Core 2 (or Core 1)3
Elective (COSC 111 recommended)3Core 63
Elective3Core 74
 15 16
Second Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
GEOG 3224GEOG 3213
MATH 2734COSC 2364
Elective3GEOG Elective (1)3
Core 53Core 113
Core 103Core 133
 17 16
Third Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
CIS 2113CIS 3283
GEOG Elective (2)3COSC / CIS Elective (1)3
MATH Elective (1)3COSC / CIS Elective3
Core 123GEOG 3233
Core 143Core 93
 15 15
Fourth Year
Term 1UnitsTerm 2Units
GEOG 414 or 4653GEOG Elective (3)3
GEOG 4163Elective3
Elective3Elective3
Elective3Internship or Elective3
Elective2 
 14 12
Total Units 120

The overarching educational objective of the program is to create technically competent GIS technicians possessing the skills necessary for advanced GIS analysis and for supporting applications of GIS in a wide variety of private and public sector settings. The program learning outcomes (PLOs) are as follows (with the alignment to TU’s institutional student learning outcomes [ISLOs] indicated):

  1. Spatial Data Analysis (Critical Analysis and Reasoning): Students will be able to perform comprehensive analyses of geospatial data using professional geospatial software, spatial analysis techniques, and statistical methods.
  2. Data Mining and Management (Information Literacy and Technological Competency): Students will apply information systems and data science techniques, such as programming, data mining, big data processing, database management, algorithm development, workflow automation, and web development, to effectively manage, analyze, and visualize geospatial data and to address complex geospatial challenges in diverse industries.
  3. Data Visualization (Effective Communication): Students will be able to visualize and communicate geospatial data and results using various formats, such as maps, web mapping applications, story maps, charts, and professional presentations.
  4. Problem-Solving Skills (Working in Multifaceted Work Environments): Students will be able to integrate geospatial data with other types of data to address socio-economic, environmental, planning, and other real-world challenges, supporting decision-making processes.