Minor in Geographic Information Sciences
Geographic Information Sciences (GISciences) is an integrative, skills-based discipline that facilitates observation and analysis at global scales, employing a spatial perspective that is useful to many disciplines. The minor in GISciences provides students with basic professional skills for conducting spatial analysis, combining conceptual frameworks with technical proficiencies in tools such as geographic information systems, remote sensing, global positioning systems, cartography, and spatial statistics.
The minor works well with a variety of majors from the College of Business and Economics, the College of Health Professions, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Science and Mathematics. GISciences is a growing field and Towson University is recognized as a GISciences leader in Maryland. Students graduating with GISciences skills are in demand by employers, due to the large number of academic, private, government, and nonprofit organizations that are creating or expanding their GIS capabilities.
The minor is awarded upon completion of a minimum of 25 units of required and elective courses. A maximum of 6 units from other departments may be counted toward the minor, with the approval of the program director. Students are strongly encouraged to complete a GIS internship with a government agency or business.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| GEOG 221 | INTRODUCTION TO GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| GEOG 232 | INTRO TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE | 4 |
| GEOG 321 | INTRODUCTION TO REMOTE SENSING AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY | 3 |
| GEOG 323 | CARTOGRAPHY AND GRAPHICS I | 3 |
| GEOG 375 | QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| APPLICATION OF GIS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT | ||
| GIS APPLICATIONS | ||
| ADVANCED REMOTE SENSING: DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS | ||
| GIS DATABASE DESIGN | ||
| PYTHON SCRIPTING FOR ARCGIS | ||
| ADVANCED TECHNIQUES IN GIS | ||
| GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGIES SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| GEOGRAPHY/ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING INTERNSHIP 2 | ||
| DIRECTED READNGS IN GEOGRAPHY (GIS topics) | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN GEOGRAPHY (GIS topics) | ||
| Total Units | 25 | |
- 1
Other lower- and upper-division computer science courses, as well as GIS applications courses offered by other departments may be considered as electives, with the approval of the department chair.
- 2
Maximum 3 units of GEOG 491 may be applied toward the minor.