CP6514 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Course Description

This course will serve as a basic introduction for those who want to use GIS to support their interest in another area and as a foundation course for those who intend to concentrate their studies in the GIS specialization. Students will be provided with a firm grounding in the principles and concepts of GIS technology, applications of this technology to problems and some important system implementation issues. These would be addressed in assigned readings, and discussed in lecture sessions. Laboratory sessions will give students "hands-on" exposure to ArcGIS 8.3, an ideal desktop GIS software for the novice. The use of this particular software package is intended to provide students with a thorough grounding in the generic underpinnings of GIS concepts and design, and the working knowledge of ArcGIS 8.3 that can be used both academically and professionally. By the end of the course, students are expected to understand the basic components of a geographic information system and to be familiar with the functions and limitations of different software implementations. Successful completion of the course will begin to prepare students to be effective in system design, hardware and software selection, problem solving and application development. Every attempt would be made to alternate between lecture and lab sessions, where the lab sessions deal directly with the concepts covered in the lecture session. 

The course has two broad educational missions: 

• to educate students in "conceptual level spatial reasoning" techniques

• to generate "GIS skills" in students and impact technical training

Grading

Students will be expected to attend all classes and labs, participate in class discussions, complete the required readings, execute all homeworks and projects and take the midterm exam. 

Texts

Demers, Michael N. 1999. Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems, 2nd Edition. New York:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Monmonier, Mark. 1996. How to Lie with Maps. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Topics Covered

• Introduction to GIS

• Basic Cartography and the Conceptualization of Space

• Integrating Spatial and Attribute Data

• Vector GIS Concepts and Operations

• Raster GIS Concepts and Operations

• Data Sources, Base Map Production and Network Applications