Geospatial and Environmental Informatics
The Bachelor of Science in Geospatial and Environmental Informatics (GSEI) provides students rigorous training in fundamental theories, concepts, quantitative tools, analytical technologies and research skills that are used to acquire spatially referenced information and analyze spatial processes. Geospatial technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS), the global positioning system (GPS), satellite-based remote sensing, and computer simulations have penetrated every aspect of our lives. As a result, professionals with skills in GSEI related areas will be in high demand for collecting, collating, modeling, analyzing, visualizing, and communicating geospatial information. They range from digital maps in vehicles to the management tools of natural landscapes and city infrastructure. The area of Geospatial and Environmental Informatics brings information technology, spatial science, data analysis, natural resources and ecological modeling together and enables us to apply them for sustainable management of natural resources. Students successfully completing this degree will: 1) Understand the various types of geospatial and environmental data and their spatial and temporal dynamics, 2) Learn various technologies involved in data collection, storage, and data distribution to the end users including data models and structures to store and organize geospatial and environmental information, and 3) Manipulate data into information for a given environmental problem or related issues for policy-making decisions.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ENGL 1100 English Composition I | 3 | ENGL 1120 English Composition II | 3 |
| BIOL 1020 Principles of Biology | 3 | MATH 1610 Calculus I | 4 |
| BIOL 1021 Principles of Biology Laboratory | 1 | BIOL 1030 Organismal Biology | 3 |
| GEOG 1010 Global Geography | 3 | BIOL 1031 Organismal Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| GSEI 1200 Digital Earth | 3 | Core History or Social Science1 | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| STAT 2510 Statistics for Biological and Health Sciences | 3 | GSEI 2070 Introduction to Environmental Informatics | 3 |
| ECON 2020 Principles of Microeconomics | 3 | NATR 2020 Natural Resources Field Methods | 3 |
| History Core | 3 | Core Literature or Humanities1 | 3 |
| Core Literature I | 3 | COMP 1210 Fundamentals of Computing I | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | GEOG 1030 Global Systems Land/Water | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FORY 5470 GIS Applications in Natural Resources | 2 | FORY 5480 GIS Database Design and Analysis | 2 |
| GEOG 5820 Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing | 4 | FORY 4230 Forest Ecology | 3 |
| ENGL 3040 Technical Writing | 3 | FOWS 5220 Landscape Ecology (Or Free Elective)2 | 3 |
| COMM 1000 Public Speaking | 3 | Core Fine Arts | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | GSEI 5150 Spatial Statistics for Natural Resources | 3 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GSEI 5360 Environmental Modeling | 3 | FOWS 5270 Natural Resource Policy | 3 |
| GSEI 5430 Applications in Environmental Informatics | 3 | NATR 4240 Watershed Management | 3 |
| NATR 5880 Ecological Economics | 3 | GEOG 5400 Geography of Natural Hazards2 | 3 |
| GEOG 5890 GIS Programming | 3 | FOWS 5220 Landscape Ecology (or Free Elective)2 | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours: 120 | |||
| 1 | Students must take a two-semester sequence in either literature or history |
| 2 | Students must take FOWS 5220 Landscape Ecology or GEOG 5400 Geography of Natural Hazards in spring of either their junior or senior year, as offered. |
Courses in bold are major courses and those taught within the School must be completed with a C or better.