Geospatial Science & Engineering

Program Description

The study of land surface and its modifications over time is a major component of global change research. Land cover dynamics impacts climate, biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem function, and the state of human welfare. To study large area land cover dynamics, satellite-based earth observations are required. Both the Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence (GIScCE) and the Image Processing Laboratory in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science collaborate closely with the US Geological Survey Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (USGS/EROS) with a focus on the science of earth observation and monitoring. EROS is the world’s largest repository of remotely sensed data sets of the land surface and renowned center of applied earth science studies. As an interdisciplinary center for basic and applied research, the GIScCE utilizes engineering principles to process efficiently and accurately earth observation data, geographic principles to create meaningful depictions of land condition, and specific applications that focus on the effects of change and variability on the planetary surface. Through the combined resources of multiple disciplines, the GIScCE investigates important questions regarding earth system dynamics, including the role of human activity in shaping the environment.

The Geospatial Science and Engineering PhD is a novel interdisciplinary program that integrates advanced coursework in the sciences, and engineering with and cutting-edge research to advance the emerging field of Geographic Information Services (GISc). The focus of GISc is understanding geospatial data and through its acquisition, processing, characterization, analysis, and modeling to transform the data into relevant information. Core faculty of the GSE doctoral program consists of the senior scientists at the Geographic Information Science Center of Excellence (see http://globalmonitoring.sdstate.edu), and members of the departments of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Geography, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Biology & Microbiology, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, and Physics.

There are three degree plan options. The student may declare either one of two specializations: (1) Remote Sensing Geography or (2) Remote Sensing Engineering. Alternatively, the student may elect to pursue a degree without a declared specialization. This latter option can provide a significant range of flexibility to customize an interdisciplinary course of study.