This course is for qualified students working on an individual basis with professors who have agreed to supervise such work. Graduate students doing independent work which cannot be classified as actual research will register for credit under course number 699.
MS students can take up to 3 units of GIST 699 only with advanced approval from a GIST advisor.
The GIST Capstone Workshop includes a formal report and presentation submitted in lieu of a Master’s Thesis and reflects what a student has learned from the MS-GIST program. This course focuses on addressing normative and/or scientific geographic problems, data capture, compilation and manipulation, and formulating methods and analysis to address the problem in a given timeline.
MS students take 3 units of GIST 698
P-GIST students can take 698 only with advanced approval from a GIST advisor
This course introduces students to the theory of geovisualization (GV) and presents a range of case study applications. GV is intended to support spatio-temporal decision making across a range of domains, from urban planning to environmental management and climate analysis. Students integrate their theoretical learning into the assigned Lab protocol to design, deliver and test a range of GV products. A range of softwares are used including the ArcGIS suite and Tableau Public.
This course introduces fundamentals of database design, development, and analysis for Geographic Information Systems. Emphasis is on geospatial data and suitable database designs, and on database administration for GIS Enterprise. Topics include requirements engineering for geo-databases, database design using the Entity-Relationship model, object-relational database implementation, database normalization, database optimization, data handling, security risk management, and IT auditing. Database technologies will be demonstrated with two Spatial Database Management Systems: PostgreSQL/PostGIS and ArcGIS Server/Enterprise. Database programming will make use of Python, SQL, and Procedural SQL in PostGIS. A business case is developed as part of coursework, to train the student in the database lifecycle that supports organizational operations, planning, and data management in GIS.
This course introduces Python programming fundamentals for Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) with an emphasis on geospatial problem-solving and modern AI-supported learning. Students develop core programming skills, including datatypes and variables, control structures, functions, data structures, file handling, error management, and object-oriented programming, while applying these concepts to geographic data analysis and workflow automation. AI is integrated throughout the course as a key learning accelerator and support tool, enhancing code comprehension, improving debugging efficiency, and strengthening conceptual understanding of programming principles. Students gain experience using AI-enabled resources to reinforce foundational skills and to develop effective, contemporary coding practices. The course also introduces essential Python libraries used in geospatial analytics and automation. Through coding demonstrations, structured reference materials, AI-supported exercises, and quizzes, students build proficiency and confidence in applying computational methods to geospatial applications.
Cartography is a fundamental tool of geography; it is also a science and art in its own right. Cartography uses principles of design, perception, statistics, and communication. This course introduces students to the design, production and interpretation of maps, a fundamental skill in GIST. Laboratory exercises give students additional experience with GIS-based skills, through the use of ArcGIS Pro software.
This course focuses on providing students with an introduction vector based spatial analysis and their application in GIS software. Students will learn about how to analyze distribution, direction, orientation, clustering, spatial relationships and processes, and how to render analytic outcomes into cartographic form. This course provides foundational knowledge of global positioning systems, data collection, geodatabase development, and georeferencing.
This course examines the principles and practices associated with raster data development and analysis, particularly the development of real world surfaces and statistical analysis based on these surfaces. The course is presented in a lecture/laboratory format. The lecture portion will deal with conceptual issues necessary for the use of raster approaches within a GIS framework. The laboratory portion will provide practical experience with rasters in an ArcGIS environment.
This course provides an introduction to the scientific principles and practices of remote sensing. Topics that will be covered in this course include issues of spatial resolutions, the electromagnetic spectrum, remotely sensed sensors, spectral characteristics, digital and digitalization issues, multispectral and LiDAR image processing and enhancement, and land-use and land-cover classifications (LULC) and change detection. The course also emphasizes integration issues and analysis techniques that arise when merging remotely sensed data with geographic information systems (GIS).
This course will introduce the fundamental concepts of geographic information systems technology (GIST). It will emphasize equally GISystems and GIScience. Geographic information systems are a powerful set of tools for storing, retrieving, transforming and displaying spatial data from the real world for a particular set of purposes. In contrast, geographic information science is concerned with both the research on GIS and with GIS. As Longley et al. (2001, vii) note, “GIS is fundamentally an applications-led technology, yet science underpins successful applications.” This course will combine an overview of the general principles of GIScience and how this relates to the nature and analytical use of spatial information within GIS software and technology. Students will apply the principles and science of GIST through a series of practical labs using ESRI’s ArcGIS software.
