The first three terms include a Geographic Information Science course on
a major geographic information science theme, paired with an intensive, hands-on
Geographic Information Technology course. Science courses are also offered
in terms 4 and 5. Science courses not only complement the technology courses and
ensure that students have the critical foundations for the relevant technology,
but also explore broader issues related to effective and appropriate applications.
Technology courses are usually preceded by an Esri instructor-led course. These
skills are then put into practice through class work on short-term supervised projects,
helping students integrate and assimilate the training material.
Each student is required to undertake a Major Individual Project that applies
geographic information technology and/or science to a problem of their choice. Each
term includes a course directed towards building the student’s skills in project
design and implementation. Opportunities for projects will be explored with GIS
practitioners in public and private organizations in the region. When approved,
students also may work on a project relevant to their home country or institution.
Students make a formal presentation of results of their project at a professional
conference or symposium, such as the Esri User Conference.
The Professional Practice series is composed of a set of year-long courses.
The weekly GIS Colloquium gives students exposure to some of the cutting edge research
and developments in GIS and the opportunity to hear from the many leading GIS scholars
and managers who visit Redlands. Our GIS Workshop series provide short intense learning
opportunities in a range of topics, such as GIS Law, Projections and Coordinate
Systems, LIDAR Imagery, Hyperspectral Image Processing, Cartographic Data Modeling.
Finally, students must choose at least four credit hours of electives to complete
the 42 credits required for graduation.
Course unit value shown in ().
GIS 611 – Fundamentals of Geographic Information. (2) Modeling
geographic reality in information systems, determining and representing location,
basic spatial concepts, solving spatial problems, and geographic data sources.
GIS 612 – Information Systems Foundations for GIS. (2) Provides
fundamental theoretical knowledge about information systems in general and the unique
demands created by geographic information. Includes data modeling and knowledge
representation for spatial data, database schemas and models, consistency constraints
and architectural principles for geographic information systems.
GIS 615 – Communicating Geographic Information. (2) Begins
with basic theory of graphic design at it applies to GIS and the fundamentals of
cartography, then explores statistical mapping, visualization and statistical methods
for exploratory data analysis, animation, scientific visualization, interactive
maps, 3D and virtual reality.
GIS 616 – Statistics & Spatial Analysis. (3) Combines
a survey of statistical foundations needed by GIS practitioners with a detailed
understanding of the range of spatial analytical techniques and the skills necessary
for expert application of these techniques to specific problems. Includes fundamental
concepts needed to understand advanced rule-based, statistical, process-based and
deterministic methods of spatial analysis.
GIS 617 – Programming for GIS. (1) This is an advanced course
for students who wish to develop their skills as GIS programmers. Topics include
designing program code to handle various coordinate systems, projections, topologic
data structures, spatial indexing methods, n-dimensional trees, and cartographic
simplification.
GIS 621 – Introduction to GI Technology. (2) Provides necessary
foundation of skills in geographic information technology used throughout the program.
Group and individual work on supervised class projects supplementing taught theory
and technology concepts.
GIS 622 – Creating and Managing Geodatabases. (2) Focuses
on the important database component of GI Technology. Following brief review of
fundamental database skills, students complete an intensive one-week training course
to acquire geodatabase design skills. Group and individual work on supervised class
projects supplementing taught theory and technology concepts follows the training
segment.
GIS 623 – Working with GIS. (2) Provides mastery of the complex
suite of spatial analysis functionality available in GISystems. Following brief
review of simple spatial functions in ArcGIS, students complete an intensive one-week
training course to acquire advanced spatial analysis skills including the use of
geostatistical tools. Group and individual work on supervised class projects supplementing
taught theory and technology concepts follows the training segment.
GIS 625 – Introduction to Image Data. (1) This course will
cover the fundamentals of remotely sensed image data – physics, spectral signature,
and basics of visual interpretation. Students will be required to acquire image
data and perform extended interpretation of their study area.
GIS 630 – MS GIS Colloquium (2) Provides students exposure
to advanced research and innovative developments in GI Systems and Science and the
opportunity to hear presentations from GIS researchers, analysts, developers, and
managers who live in or visit the Redlands region. Active participation in each
term's colloquia is required for graduation.
GIS 640 – GIS Software Training (3) A series of intensive
2 to 5-day hands-on training courses in the use of the ArcGIS suite of software
products; approximately 25 days of training is required during the program.
GIS 650 – GIS Workshops (2) Topic-oriented workshops in various
GIS applications will be offered for the students to choose “cafeteria style”;
approximately 10 workshops will be offered per calendar year and students are required
to attend a minimum of 4 workshops during the term of their program.
GIS 661 – Topics courses (1-2 cr each) Designed to reflect
technology and curriculum trends and issues.
GIS 663 – Fundamentals of Remote Sensing. (1) Remote sensing
is the process of collecting data about objects or landscapes without coming in
direct physical contact with them. This course will provide a comprehensive overview
of remote sensing systems and related techniques, including the methods involved
in rectifying, interpreting and classifying remote sensing data such as satellite
images.
GIS 664 – Customizing GIS for the Web. (2) Provides students
with the basic skills needed to create WebGIS applications. Following a brief review
of programming skills, students complete an intensive one-week training course to
acquire the skills necessary to put GIS on the web. Extensive group work on related
class projects follows the training segment.
GIS 671/2/3 – Individualized Study (1-2 cr each) This course
is used to build courses for independent study or to provide for individualized
graduate level work in existing undergraduate courses or individualized study.
GIS 691 – Project Concept & Scope. (2) The objective
of this course is to initiate the concept and scope of the student’s Major
Individual Project (MIP). Students will identify their project client and topic,
conduct some preliminary research on the topic and write a background paper outlining
previous research and studies on their topic.
GIS 692 – Project Initiation & Planning. (1) Students
will conduct a feasibility analysis of their MIP concept and develop a plan that
establishes the strategic goals, schedule, and budget for solving the problem with
a technical solution. The final assignment for this course is a formal Project Plan
with the project scope, goals, timeline and budget fully specified.
GIS 693 – Project Analysis & Design. (1) Students will
investigate the basic principles of systems analysis and design through a user’s
needs assessment and a requirements analysis. The final assignment for this course
will be a Project Design Specification defining the system architecture, technical
features, and data components.
GIS 694 – Project Execution. (1) This course covers the basic
procedures for executing a GIS project following the systems analysis and design
phases, and techniques for successfully executing and managing a GIS project through
construction and deployment.
GIS 695 – Project Implementation. (2) During the fifth term,
students turn their focus to final implementation of their products including the
digital interfaces to their GIS (whether stand alone GIS interfaces, ArcIMS implementations,
or something else).
GIS 696A – Project Completion. (6) In the final term, students
complete all work on their project, prepare an extended report, defend it before
their advisory committee and make a public presentation of their work. Successful
completion of this project will be determined by each student's advisory committee
based on these final submissions.
GIS 696B – Project Closure. (1) In this final project course,
students close their projects by finalizing all data and related digital materials
for permanent archiving or handing off to the client, and perform client training,
if necessary.