Geospatial Science 410

GEOG 410: Advanced GIS: Data Management, Modeling, Programming and Web Application Development (T)

Prerequisites: GEOS 125, 250, and 315, or permission of the instructor

Credit Hours: (4)
Three hours lecture and two hours lab (in-person, online asynchronous or synchronous, or combination of delivery methods)

Course is designed to provide students with in-depth technical knowledge and skills to author, serve, analyze and use geospatial data in creative and innovative ways. GIS visualization techniques, animation, web map creation, Python scripting and JavaScript will be explored at an advanced level. Theory and practice of geographic information system (GIS), spatial data capture, manipulation of data sets, GIS modeling, geodatabase considerations, manipulation of spatial data, and other advanced GIS operations and topics may be covered.


Detailed Description and Content of Course

 
This course covers advanced aspects of the theory and practice of a modern GIS, concept development for applied GIS, geographic data storage, data retrieval, data manipulation, geo-referencing, GIS modeling, geodatabase development and maipulation, and web GIS. They will experience the development of a Geographic Information System, its capabilities, its limitations, data mining for GIS applications, and its current and potential applications. The format of the class balance lectures on the core principles of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with learning modules and labs that reinforce learning objectives and competencies.

Students will learn about:
    1) The history of programming and application development for GIS
    2) Data models and geodatabase design
    3) GIS model development and automation
    4) Enterprise and cloud computing frameworks for web GIS services (ArcGIS Server, ArcGIS Portal, ArcGIS Online, and various APIs)
    5) GIS application design and programming (Python and JavaScript)
    6) Spatial data mining and knowledge discovery
    7) Data structure and algorithms
    8) Visual analytics and 3-D representation

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

This course will include hands on exercises in advanced GIS. The course can be taught through class room lectures with accompanying labs, as an asynchronous online class, or through synchronous class room lectures and labs online or on-campus. The class will primarily involve hands-on experiences in the form of exercises that involve data management, modeling, programming and web application development.

Goals and Objectives of the Course
 
Having successfully completed this course students will be able to discuss/explain the theoretical foundations and practical applications of advanced GIS analyses and visualizations.

They will be able to:
    1) Identify and develop tools, data and instruments to satisfy customer needs
    2) Automate GIS processes through model building, algorithm development and application development
    3) Process data and extract information to create products, drive conclusions, and inform decision-making reports
    4) Render data and information into visual geospatial representations on the web and in print formats

Assessment Measures
 
Assessment will include projects and exercises. Exams/quizzes may be conducted.

Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval
 
September 2005, reviewed and updated: Bernd H. Kuennecke
February 2010, reviewed and updated: Bernd H. Kuennecke
April 27, 2017