Masters in Geograpic Information Systems Science

The M.S. in GISc degree is offered to students who wish to become competent as researchers and as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysts and developers. The program focuses on advancing knowledge to acquire, store and manage, visualize, model, and analyze information about spatial features and phenomena, with strong emphasis on real-world geospatial applications. The M.S. in GISc is designed as an interdisciplinary study of the nature and function of spatial information systems and the application of these systems in research. Students wil be involved in the technical study of the design and evaluation of methods, tools, and techniques that will involve formulating hypotheses, collecting spatial information, and developing techniques for spatial analysis.

Applicants must hold a degree of Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in any discipline that allows research focus on geotechnologies including, but not limited to: Geosciences, Anthropology, Biology, Business, and Engineering. Students can focus on either (1) the development of new GIS tools and analytical procedures or (2) the application of established and new tools and procedures to scientific problems. Each student in this program will have a member of the current Geotechnology Faculty as his/her major advisor. Applicants will be requested to state an advisor preference at the time of application, otherwise a preliminary advisor will be assigned upon acceptance to the program.

NOTE: Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this program, applicants should initially contact a faculty member or the Graduate Program Director in the department in order to match their interests with those of potential faculty advisors.

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Requirements

A minimum of 30 credit hours is required for completion of the M.S. in Geographic Information Science, with a minimum of 15 credit hours (including six Thesis credits) completed in 600-level courses. The student's graduate advisory committee (major advisor and co-advisor) will establish specific research goals, thesis topic, and the course electives in the program of study.

A 600-level graduate seminar and eight credits taken as core courses are required of each student. Generally these will be taken during the first year of study. Prerequisites for core courses are designed to permit students entering the M.S. program from all disciplines. Students entering with some or all of the core courses taken at the undergraduate level may, with permission from the student's advisory committee, substitute other graduate-level courses in the program of study.

 

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Program requirements are summarized as follows:

Minimum of 30 credit hours (including 6 thesis and 9 other 600-level credits)

Course Nbr.	Course Title	Cr.
Prerequisites Courses
GEOL g403	Principles of GIS	3
Required Courses
GEOL g404	Advanced GIS	3
GEOL g407	GPS Applications in Research	3
GEOL g408	GeoTechnology Seminar	2
GEOL g409	Remote Sensing Applications	3
xxxx 6xx	Graduate seminar	1-3
GEOL 650	Thesis	6
Electives (minimum of 10 to 12 credits)
GEOL g480	Special Topics in GIS	1-3
GEOL g481	Geotechnology Internship	1-3
GEOL 606	Geostatistical Spatial Data Analysis	4
GEOL 648	Research Problems	1-3
BIOS g418	GIS Applications in Ecology Seminar	1
BIOS g481-g482	Biology Independent Problems	1-3
BIOS g418	EcoTopics: GIS Applications in Ecology	3
ANTH g482	Anthropology Independent Problems	3
GEOL g427	Information Technology for GIS	3
GEOL 607	Spatial Analysis	3
GEOL g428	Programming for GIS	2
GEOL 628	Advanced GIS Programming	3
CIS g480	Database Management Systems	3
GEOLg499	Watershed Analysis	3

 

Electives - may also include extra core courses taken as electives beyond the required minimum number of core credits. Certain graduate courses not shown in the list above may be acceptable with approval of the student's advisory committee. All courses in the program of study require approval by the student's advisory committee and final approval by the Graduate School . Students are expected to complete a thesis that will be original and encompass all stages of scientific work, including project design, implementation, and communication.

Graduate students may sign up for Thesis credits only after their thesis prospectus has been submitted and approved by the advisory committee. Additionally, all graduate students are required to present at least one colloquium dealing with their thesis topic prior to taking their oral examination.

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Meet the GeoTechnology Faculty

Note: Several GeoTechnology faculty members are available to supervise TBA courses in Independent Problems and Research Problems for 1-3 credits. Students must check with the instructor to arrange these courses and obtain permission to use them for elective credits in the GeoTechnology program. Also, some courses used in the Geo-Technology program are taught by faculty who are not listed below (see catalog for details).

Faculty	Contact Info	Research Interests	Classes
Keith T. Weber Director, GIS Training and Research Center	webekeit@isu.edu 208) 282-2757 Graveley Hall, Rm B-21A Stop 8130 Pocatello, ID 83209	Rangeland Research	Advanced GIS (GEOL g404) Geotechnology Internship (GEOL g481) Geology Independent Problems (GEOL 482) Information Technology for GIS (GEOL g427) Special Topics in GIS (GEOL g480) Programming for GIS (GEOL g428)
Scott S. Hughes Professor and Chair, Department of Geosciences	hughscot@isu.edu (208) 282-3565 Physical Sciences, Rm 235 Stop 8072 Pocatello, ID 83209	Volcanology, Environmental, & Geochemistry	Earth in Space and Time (GEOL 210) Geology Independent Problems (GEOL 482) Research Problems (GEOL 648) GPS Applications in Research (GEOL g407)
Daniel P. Ames Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences	amesdani@isu.edu (208) 282-7851 University Place, Rm 323 Stop 8072 Idaho Falls, ID 83	Hydrology, Water Resources, Watershed Analysis, Spatial Analysis & Modeling, & GIS Software Development	Principles of GIS (GEOL g403) Advanced GIS (GEOL g404) GPS Applications in Research (GEOL g407) Geology Independent Problems (GEOL 482) Watershed Analysis (GEOLg499)
Todd Gansauge Instructor, College of Engineering	ganstodd@isu.edu (208) 282-3637 LEL Engineering, Rm 15 Stop 8060 Pocatello, ID 83209	Fluid Dynamics & Surveying	GPS Applications in Research (GEOL g407)
Matthew J. Germino Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences	germmatt@isu.edu Homepage (208) 282-3285 Gale Life Sciences Building Stop 8007 Pocatello, ID 83209	Ecology, Plant Ecology & Rangeland Research	GIS Applications in Ecology Seminar (BIOS g418) Biology Independent Problems (BIOS g481-g482)
Nancy F. Glenn Associate Research Professor, Department of Geosciences	glennanc@isu.edu (208) 345-1994 ISU Boise Center 322 E. Front St. Ste. 240 Boise, ID 83702	Remote Sensing & Geological Engineering	Remote Sensing Applications (GEOL g409) Research Problems (GEOL 648) Geology Independent Problems (GEOL 482)
Herbert Maschner Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology	maschner@isu.edu (208) 282-2745 Graveley Hall, Rm 154 Stop 8005 Pocatello, ID 83209	Archaeology & Anthropology of War	Anthropology Independent Problems (ANTH g482)
Charles R. Peterson Professor, Department of Biological Sciences	petechar@isu.edu (208) 282-3922 Gale Life Sciences, Rm 304 Stop 8007 Pocatello, ID 83209	Conservation Ecology & Herpetology	EcoTopics: GIS Applications in Ecology (BIOS g418) Biology Independent Problems (BIOS g481-g482)
John A. Welhan Affiliate Faculty, Department of Geosciences	welhjohn@isu.edu (208) 282-4254 Physical Sciences, Rm 201b Stop 8072 Pocatello, ID 83209	Hydrology, Geochemistry, Spatial Analysis, & Modeling	Geostatistical Spatial Data Analysis (GEOL 606)