Earth and Environmental Science-Geographic Information Science, B.S.

This program will produce essential GIS professionals to serve fast-growing urban communities through partnership and collaboration with local government, agencies, and organizations. The program aims to prepare students with recent information, technology, and a wide range of competencies, including but not limited to critical thinking, problem-solving and quantitative reasoning. Students will be able to understand the concepts and principles of GIS and its real-world applications. Students are expected to analyze and interpret scientific data and assess information integrity quantitatively.

GIS forms the “geospatial backbone” of a family of Spatial Literacy-related competencies (NRC, 2006; Goodchild, 2006) that constitute one of the “Top Ten” fastest-growing disciplines of the 21st century (U.S. Dept. of Labor 2017). GIS is highly inter-and multi-disciplinary, as evidenced by the fact that it is mentioned in IPEDS job designations in both Science and Sociology. Spatial literacy is on the same level as competencies, such as quantitative reasoning and communication.  

Major Core Curriculum30
EESC 252GIS I: Contemporary Applications of GIS3
CS 252Programming for All in Python and Computer Science Principles3
EESC 350GIS II: Contemp Analysis w/GIS3
CS 306Data Base Design3
EESC 455GIS III: Modeling with GIS3
EESC 325GIS for the Urban Community3
EESC 460GIS IV: Web-Based GIS3
EESC 465GIS V: Remote Sensing and Raster GIS3
EESC 470GIS VI: Advanced Applications of GIS3
EESC 451Guided Study3
Major Electives 12-18
ART 185Computer Graphics3
ART 286Plotting Global Climate Change: Information Graphics for Sciences3
CS 209Data Structures3
CS 302Programming Languages3
CS 365Advanced Java Programming3
CS 409Introduction to Data Science3
ECON 203Business Statistics3
or PSYC 230 Statistics for Social Sciences
EESC 235Global Climate Change3
EESC 250Plunder: The Race for Natural Resources3
HIST 245Cities in History3
HIST 313Urban America: The City in American History3
POLI 1403
SECU 210Introduction to Intelligence3
SECU 350Intelligence Analysis3
SOCI 230Cities of Industry: Sociological Perspectives3
Required Geography Foundation Courses9
HIST 131Metropolitan New York3
EESC 121Mapping the City3
EESC 226Earth 360:Integrated Geography3
Plan of Study Grid
Freshman
Semester 1Credits
ENGL 101 English Composition I 4
MATH 112 Intermediate Algebra 3
CS 120 Computers and Information Technology 3
EESC 121 Mapping the City 3
 Credits13
Semester 2
ENGL 102 English Composition II 4
HIST 131 Metropolitan New York 3
CS 252 Programming for All in Python and Computer Science Principles 3
General Education Tier l Course 3
General Education Tier l Course 3
 Credits16
Sophomore
Semester 1
MATH 140 Statistics I 3
EESC 252 GIS I: Contemporary Applications of GIS 3
EESC 226 Earth 360:Integrated Geography 3
CS 306 Data Base Design 3
General Education Tier ll Course 3
 Credits15
Semester 2
MATH 175 Enhanced Precalculus 4
EESC 350 GIS II: Contemp Analysis w/GIS 3
General Education Tier ll Course 3
General Education Tier ll Course 3
General Education Tier ll Course 3
 Credits16
Junior
Semester 1
EESC 325 GIS for the Urban Community 3
EESC 455 GIS III: Modeling with GIS 3
GIS Elective 3
GIS Elective 3
GIS Elective 3
 Credits15
Semester 2
MATH 192 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I 4
EESC 460 GIS IV: Web-Based GIS 3
GIS Elective 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
 Credits16
Senior
Semester 1
EESC 465 GIS V: Remote Sensing and Raster GIS 3
EESC 451 Guided Study 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
 Credits15
Semester 2
EESC 470 GIS VI: Advanced Applications of GIS 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
GIS Elective (or Minor) 3
Elective 2
 Credits14
 Total Credits120