GIS Certificate Course Work
Students are required to take seventeen (17) units of course work, consisting of eight (8) units of core curriculum and guided practicum and nine (9) units of elective credit, from the following list of courses. Substitutions must be approved by an advisor. All courses in the curriculum are taught at the University of Arizona; none are offered through distance learning. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Consult the online Schedule of Classes to verify course offerings.
CORE CURRICULUM
The core curriculum consists of 8-credit hour regular classroom instruction and guided practicum/internship experience in GIS. The core curriculum is designed to provide students with a solid background in GIS database structures and spatial analysis. The classes provide a foundation in the design and development of GIS databases and familiarity with spatial analysis techniques for a variety of applications. The practicum/internship is included in the core curriculum to ensure that each participant has the opportunity to apply the theories and methods presented in the core courses.
GEOG/RNR 516A: Computer Cartography (3 units) Fall/Spring
Introduces the principles of map design, production and analysis. Graduate-level requirements include an instructor approved 5-8 page paper on a related topic and analytical cartography demonstrating scholarly analysis in contemporary analytical cartography.
AND
RNR/GEOG 517: Geographic Information Systems for Natural Resources (3 units) Fall
Introduction to the application of GIS and related technologies for both the natural and social sciences. Conceptual issues in GIS database design and development, analysis, and display. Graduate-level requirements include a thorough bibliographic review and a scholarly paper on a current application of geographic information systems in the student's major field.
AND
RNR 594/GEOG 594: Practicum in Geographic Information Processing (2 units) Fall/Spring/Summer
Supervised instruction in the processing of geographic data for applications in natural resources. The student will be responsible for the supervised processing of research data sets. Emphasis will be placed on methodological practice and documentation of procedures. A practicum supervisor will be be selected by the student in consultation with the curriculum advisor.
ELECTIVES
Students must take 9 additional units from the following Electives. The electives represent coursework from which a student can customize a curriculum to meet their interests.
RNR 503: Applications of Geographic Information Systems (3 units) Spring/Fall
General survey of principles of geographic information systems (GIS); applications of GIS to issues such as land assessment and evaluation of wildlife habitat; problem-solving with GIS. Graduate-level requirements include completion of a project on the use of GIS in their discipline or an original GIS analysis (100 points) in coordination with the instructor.
GEOG 516C: Urban Geographic Information Systems (3 units) Spring
Introduces concepts and application skills for use of geographic information systems to investigate a range of urban spatial issues and decision-making processes. Emphasis on complete process of GIS-based problem solving, including project planning, spatial data sources/acquisition, preparation/coding, analysis, representation, and communication.
GEOG 516D: PAGIS: Participatory Approaches in Geographic Information Science (3 units) Spring
A project-based course focusing on applications and impacts of GIS
and other spatial analysis technologies in grassroots community development, participatory decision making, and community-engaged social science. Class format includes discussion seminar, GIS workshop, collaboration, and out-of-classroom community involvement.
GEOG 516E: Geovisualization (GIS) (3 units) Spring
Introduces principles and practices of Geovisualization (Geoviz) and softwares (Community Viz and ERDAS Image).
GEOG 524: Integrated Geographic Information Systems (3 units) Spring
Integration of airborne and spaceborne remote sensor image data with non-image geographic information system (GIS) data.
RNR 519: Cartographic Modeling for Natural Resources (3 units) Spring
Computer techniques for analyzing, modeling, and displaying geographic information. Development of spatially oriented problem design and the use of logic are applied to the use of GIS programs. Emphasis on applications in land resources management and planning. Graduate-level requirements include a research paper.
RNR 520: Advanced Geographic Information Systems (3 units) Spring
Examines various areas of advanced GIS applications such as dynamic segmentation, surface modeling, spatial statistics, and network modeling. The use of high performance workstations will be emphasized. Graduate-level requirements include the development of a GIS study plan.
RNR 522: Resource Mapping (3 units)
Use of computer technologies to map and inventory natural environments; integration of global positioning systems, remote sensing, and geographic information systems. Graduate-level requirements include a detailed report on the application of resource mapping to a specific problem in natural resource management.
RNR 527: Artificial Intelligence in Resource Management (3 units)
Use of artificial intelligence as it applies to natural resources, including knowledge representation, problem solving, expert systems, feature recognition, neural networks, and genetic algorithms. Examples will be derived from current applications using various techniques to address management problems.
RNR 573: Spatial Analysis and Modeling (3 units) Fall
Examination of spatial analysis and statistical techniques for investigating natural phenomena. Topics include point pattern analysis; spatial autocorrelation; point to surface transformation; geostatistical techniques; and landscape analysis and modeling.
GEOG 553: Locational Analysis (3 units) Spring
Advanced location theory, including such topics as spatial variation in costs and demand, consumer travel behavior, spatial competition and strategic marketing, geographjy of economic impacts, and the location of public and private facilities. This is a GIS-intensive course. Prerequisite: RNR/GEOG 517 or equivalent.
GEOG 583: Geographic Applications of Remote Sensing (3 units) Spring
Use of aircraft and satellite imagery for monitoring landforms, soils, vegetation and land use, with the focus on problems of land-use planning, resource management and related topics. Graduate-level requirements include the completion of a project report.
GEOG 584: Fire Mapping (3 units) Fall
Mapping fire-prone landscapes using aerial photographs and satellite images. Graduate-level requirements include a research project that reviews critically the fire mapping literature OR demonstrates a fire mapping application using actual data.
GEOG 657: Spatial Analysis (3 units) Spring
Formal analysis and modeling of spatial structures and processes; conceptual evaluation of point patterns, networks, surfaces and interaction.
REM 590: Remote Sensing for the Study of Planet Earth (3 units) Spring
A multidisciplinary course delineating the physical basis of electromagnetic remote sensing, the concepts of information extraction, and applications pertinent to earth systems science. Graduate-level requirements include an additional term paper.
SWES 553: Remote Sensing of the Environment (3 units) Fall
Remote sensing techniques and applications for improved natural resource utilization of soils, water, grasslands, and forest. Fundamental energy-matter interactions that influence the spectral characteristics of vegetation, soil, and water. Graduate-level requirements include an in-depth research paper on a single aspect of a current topic.
