2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Geographic Information Sciences Major


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Program Coordinator/Contact Information
George White, Head
Department of Geography
109 Wecota Hall
605-688-4511
e-mail: george.white@sdstate.edu
Click here for additional information. 

Program Description
The major in Geographic Information Sciences allows students to gain hands-on experience with computerized Geographic Information System (GIS) that integrate hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. GIS allows researchers to work with data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts. With GIS’s capability to enhance geo-spatial data analysis, there is a demand for GIS trained college graduates by many local, state, and federal governmental agencies, including the US Geologic Survey. 

Qualified students may also enhance their academic experience and career qualifications with participation in the GIScCE Center of Excellence Scholars Program. The program is both an academic and a professional curriculum designed to enable SDSU students to achieve educational and research experiences that uniquely qualify them for a career in GISc/Remote Sensing.

Academic Requirements
Students must earn at least a “C” in each course used to meet the major requirements.

Course Delivery Format
The Geographic Information Sciences program includes lecture, discussion, laboratory research, fieldwork, and travel, with limited online coursework.

Requirements for Geographic Information Sciences Major: 120 Credits


Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements*: 30


Institutional Graduation Requirements**: 5


College of Arts & Sciences Bachelor of Science Requirements: 34


Bachelor of Science 

SGRs, IGRs, and/or Major coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements. Consult program advisor for details. See the College of Arts and Sciences  for additional information about Bachelor of Arts Specifications  and Bachelor of Science Specifications .

Total Required Credits: 120


Curriculum Notes


* The 30 credit Board of Regents System General Education Requirements (SGRs) must be completed as part of a student’s first 64 credits.

** South Dakota State University has a 5 credit Institutional Graduation Requirement (IGRs).

(G) Globalization Requirement.

(AW) Advanced Writing Requirement.

Students must take the proficiency examination after completing 48 credits. English 101, and a course in each of the General Education areas of social science, mathematics, natural science, and humanities and arts must be taken prior to taking this exam.

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