Intro to GIS

Course Description: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are tools for managing, describing, analyzing, and presenting information about the relationships between geographically referenced information. This course provides a strong foundation and overview of many of the underlying concepts in GIS as well as a practical skill set utilizing GIS software and data. Additionally, the course focuses on map design to maximize the message and impact of map output. Finally, students are introduced to spatial metadata standards and best practices for long term preservation.

Course Goals: The goals of this course are to

• Develop familiarity with core spatial theories and how they impact maps and analysis

• Introduce students to mapping software

• Examine various datasets to understand data utility and representativeness

• Explore basic methods for analyzing spatial data

• Explore concepts of visual design and cartography

Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will be able to

• Understand core concepts of mapping, spatial representation and geographic data

• Identify and assess publicly available data sets, as well as create their own spatial data

• Use common GIS software

• Apply visual concepts to make reasonable map design choices

Coursework:

• In-class/Homework Assignments (11)

• Final Project and Presentation

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