Instructor: Robert McMaster, Department of Geography Office: 585 Social Sciences, West Bank Phone: (612) 625-9883 Email: mcmaster@umn.edu Office hours: Monday 10:30 am -12:00 pm Teaching assistants: Ben Alden and Sami Eria Email: alde0041@umn.edu; eriax001@umn.edu Office: Social Sciences 360 Office hours: TBA Prerequisites: Admission to graduate program. Instructor consent otherwise. Course URL: www.geog.umn.edu/courses/5561 Credit: 4 units

Required text: Lo, C. P. and A. K. W. Yeung (2007). Concepts and Techniques of Geographic Information Systems. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. (Available at the Coffman Bookstore).

Class Moodle site: There is also a class Moodle site that can be accessed via https://moodle.umn.edu (look under "Course categories--Fall 2007--Twin Cities" and log in as you are directed).

Class meetings: Tuesday and Thursday, 6:00 - 7:15 pm (Anderson Hall 230, West Bank), Fall 2007

Lab section meetings: (Blegen Hall 455, West Bank)

• Lab 2: Tuesday, 7:45 - 9:45 pm
• Lab 3: Wednesday, 10:10 am - 12:05 pm
• Lab 4: Monday, 3:35 - 5:30 pm
• Lab 5: Thursday, 2:30 - 4:25 pm
  

Subject. A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system that is used to store, display, analyze, and spatial information such as maps. Geographic Information Science (GISc) is concerned with the theoretical aspects of GIS, such as their societal implications. GIS is used in the private sector and by governments to explore a broad array of topics, such as land availability, real estate prices, utility planning, population distribution, urban planning, global warming, traffic movement, natural resources, and environmental hazards.

Purpose. This is an introduction to the study of geographic information systems and geographic information science for geography and non-geography students. It is designed to introduce ways in which GIS can be used to explore the world around us. This course focuses on the basic principles of the discipline, including the acquisition, storage, analysis, and display of spatial data. The major emphasis in the lecture will be placed on the conceptual material of GI science, while the laboratory emphasizes spatial problem solving using several software packages. Although no previous knowledge of GIS is assumed, a solid background in math, cartography, and statistics is helpful. We will review some necessary basic principles throughout the semester, including coordinate systems and map projections, basic measurement scales, and principles of cartography.

The course couples lectures and text readings with practical experience in the lab using several GIS packages running under Windows. Lab work is designed to reinforce material presented in lectures and readings. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to formulate simple analytical models for GIS-based problem solving and implement these models in a GIS environment. As this is an introductory course, students should not expect to emerge as GIS experts, but be prepared to attempt more advanced coursework in GIS and related technologies.

Goals. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to understand issues surrounding GIS applications, data models and sources, analysis methods, and output techniques. Depending on student orientation, this course can be used to gain insight into using spatial databases for analysis, complement on-going research, or provide an applied focus for theoretical aspects of geographic information science. GIS also gives you a skill set that is used in jobs for those who like to work with computers and understand the importance of information retrieval and analysis.

Prerequisites. Students should be interested in working with computers and comfortable with basic mathematic concepts. Students should be juniors or seniors.

Structure. This is an four-credit course that requires 65% of student time in lectures and 35% in the lab doing hands-on exercises.