Geographic Information Sciences (B.S.)

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

Program Information
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.

Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates with a major in Geographic Information Sciences will:

acquire foundational and specialized knowledge in both the physical and human worlds and their interconnectedness at different scales;
acquire proficiency in the basic use and application of geographical technologies and techniques;
effectively communicate geographical ideas using common media from the discipline (submitted samples might include maps, oral presentations, text, photos, illustrations, flowcharts, tables, graphs, graphics);
engage in applied learning, laboratory, and/or field experiences;
demonstrate the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and synthesize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial-temporal context.

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 in Arts and Sciences

System General Education Requirements

Goal #1 Written Communication:
ENGL 101
and
ENGL 201
Credits: 6
Goal #2 Oral Communication:
SPCM 101
Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences/Diversity : Credits: 6
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities/Diversity : Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics : Credits: 3
Goal #6 Natural Sciences : Credits: 6

Institutional Graduation Requirements

Goal #1 First Year Seminar : Credits: 2
Goal #2 Cultural Awareness and Social and Environmental Responsibility : Credits: 3

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

Bachelor of Science Requirements: 10+

Natural Sciences Credits: 10+
- Any two lab sciences.
- Coursework must include 2 prefixes.
- MATH and STATS courses do not count toward the science requirement.
One declared minor outside of the major prefix OR a second major OR a teaching specialization. The minor may be a traditional minor within one department or it may be interdisciplinary involving more than one department. The minor can be in a different college. The minor must be declared no later than the student’s third semester of enrollment.
Capstone course in the major discipline
Upper division coursework Credits: 33

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.