Geographic Information Systems: Applications in Geographical Research

4 credits · Graduate

This course introduces graduate students to a range of applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in geographical research, and theoretical considerations of the meaning, strengths, and limitations of the methods. We first review, in general, how geographic variables can be represented in a database. This leads to an extended discussion of the application of GIS methods to a variety of problems in physical and human geography, using topographic data, census data, and other sources, manipulated by widely used GIS software. Students build skills and understanding through work on example problems. Finally, the broad question of how GIS represents geographic variables, and the strengths and limitations of the technique, are re-visited using perspective gained from examples. Students will be expected to elaborate these issues in the context of their own research programs.