GIS Practicum
NR 243


The GIS Practicum is an applied course in geospatial technology. The core subject areas of the course are: spatial database development and management, metadata, editing, image preprocessing, automated geoprocessing, and web-based GIS. The course is designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students who are presently working on a thesis or project with a GIS focus and/or who envision using GIS in their professional careers. The course expands upon the knowledge students’ gained in previous geospatial technology courses, serves to hone their GIS skills, and advance their understanding of geospatial technology. Software packages used in the course include ArcGIS, ERDAS IMAGINE, and Google Earth.

This course is part of the GST Minor.

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GIS overlays

Q:  When will this course be offered next?
A:  The couse is offered every fall.
Q:  Why do I need instructor permission to register?
A:  The course is challenging and there is limited space.  This allows me to confirm that you have the necessary preparation and are genuinely motivated.  
Q:  What are the prerequisites?
A:  At a minimum you should have taken an introductory GIS course such as NR 143 or GEOG 184.
Q:  I have taken an introductory GIS course, but don't have experience with ArcGIS or "it's been a while," can I still enroll?
A:  Although the purpose of this course is not to teach ArcGIS, we rely on it heavily.  I would recommend completing some on-line training in ArcGIS first.  Please contact me for the online training options.
Q: I notice we use ERDAS IMAGINE in this course, can the GIS Practicum be considered a replacement for a remote sensing course?
A: This course is not designed to replace a course in remote sensing.  While we do make use of ERDAS IMAGINE the topics covered in this class do not overlap those covered in the remote sensing courses.  If you have taken a remote sensing course prior to enrolling this course you will find it easier to grasp some of the subject matter.