Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems: Theory and Applications

In the first half of the course, students learn to build detailed geographic representations using data from various sources, including terrain, demographics, land use, built infrastructure, aerial and satellite imagery, and georeferenced historical maps. In the second half of the course students learn to combine these representations with GIS procedures to explore questions and defend arguments. Students learn the aspects of data documentation, cartography, and analytical evaluation that distinquish scholarly handling and understanding of geographic information. Lectures will examine the three major types of GIS, vector relational, raster, and image processing, in their historical, theoretical, institutional, and social contexts.