Program Faculty and Contact Information
Program Description
The Graduate Minor in Geographic Information Sciences is offered by the department of Geography and compliments a variety of graduate programs. The program 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.
Course Delivery Format
The Geographic Information Sciences program includes lecture, discussion, laboratory research, fieldwork, and travel, with limited online coursework.
Facilities and Services
The department houses the Geographic Information Sciences Center of Excellence and produces its own annual Geography Convention, the longest running such event in the United States.
Student Engagement Opportunities
The department provides numerous opportunities for student engagement. For example, the Geography Club is a student organization centered on both academic and social functions. Membership is open to anyone interested. Additionally, the South Dakota State Geography Convention.
Students and faculty regularly travel including attendance at regional and national geography meetings, as well as travel to other parts of the world in pursuit of their individual scholarly interests. SDSU Geography also has a connection with a university in Romania. The exchanges that result from this relationship provide invaluable international experience for students, which is critical in the increasingly globalized world.
