INTRODUCTION TO GEOCOMPUTING

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: CIV ENGR/ENVIR ST/GEOG 377 or concurrent enrollment, or graduate/professional standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness + Lab Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Write shell commands to accomplish common (batch)geoprocessing tasks using popular open-source utility programs, and identify when these utilities are preferred over mainstream GIS software. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Develop basic skills in the Python programming language and programming concepts necessary for advanced GIS courses that require programming. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Use Python with open-source GIS libraries regardless of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Demonstrate how Python can extend the capabilities of ArcGIS to solve problems difficult or impossible to address otherwise. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe major geospatial vector and raster file formats and specifications for spatial reference coordinate systems. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Identify online resources that support geocomputing and programming in the GIS profession. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Utilize newly developed GIS computation tools/libraries and platforms Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Write shell commands to accomplish common (batch)geoprocessing tasks using popular open-source utility programs, and identify when these utilities are preferred over mainstream GIS software. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Develop basic skills in the Python programming language and programming concepts necessary for advanced GIS courses that require programming. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Use Python with open-source GIS libraries regardless of the Integrated Development Environment (IDE). Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Demonstrate how Python can extend the capabilities of ArcGIS to solve problems difficult or impossible to address otherwise. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe major geospatial vector and raster file formats and specifications for spatial reference coordinate systems. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Identify online resources that support geocomputing and programming in the GIS profession. Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Utilize newly developed GIS computation tools/libraries and platforms Audience: Graduate