NEW DEGREE, MAJOR, OR SUBMAJOR
|
Degree/Program
Title:
|
Geographic
Information Systems Certificate
|
|
Sponsor(s):
|
Howard
Botts and Thomas Jeffery
|
|
Department(s):
|
Geography
and Geology
|
|
College(s):
|
Letters
and Sciences
|
|
Effective
Term:
|
Fall
2002
|
Check
if:
|
|
New
Degree: Intent to Plan
|
|
|
|
New
Degree: Final Proposal
|
|
|
|
New
Major: Intent to Plan
|
|
|
|
New
Major: Final Proposal
|
|
|
|
New
Submajor: Minor
|
|
|
|
|
New
Submajor: Emphasis/Track
|
|
|
|
New
Submajor: Certificate Program
|
|
|
|
Module:
Intent to Plan
|
|
|
|
Module:
Final Proposal
|
|
|
|
Other___________________
|
Submit
the Proposal (see
Procedures)
Student learning objectives of the program (what a student should know/be able to do upon completing the program.
Upon completion of
the certificate requirements, students will be able to:
Course list for the
GIS Certificate Program:
Geography 270 Introduction
to Mapping
Introduces the concepts
and applications of quantitative and qualitative mapping techniques applicable
to the physical and social sciences.
Geography 340 Economic
Geography
Entails the study of
the spatial organization of economic activities, including patterns of
production, exchange and consumption.
Geography 370 Geographic
Information Systems
Introduces the concept
of spatial analysis through the use of multiple data layers and relational
databases.
Geography 377 Remote
Sensing and Spatial Analysis
Involves the use of
aerial photography and satellite imagery in the analysis of land use and
land cover along with the identification of environmental changes.
Geography 440 Applied
GIS: Applications for Business and Industry
This course will provide
the background necessary to apply Geographic Information Systems software
to solve applied business problems.
*Geography 470 Applied
Environmental and Natural Resource GIS
This course will provide
the knowledge and skills necessary to utilize GIS for solving applied environmental
and resource analysis problems.
|
Economic emphasis
|
Environmental emphasis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A sample schedule for
a GIS certificate with an economic emphasis may be as follows:
Fall semester 1 – 270
and 340
Spring semester 1 –
370
Fall semester 2 – 440
Environmental emphasis
example:
Fall semester 1 – 270
Spring semester 1 –
370
Fall semester 2 – 377
and 470
It may be possible
for a student to complete the program in two semesters by taking upper
level courses concurrently or by offering the required 370 course more
frequently.
Student Need/Demand for the Program (include information on market demand for graduates).
There is a
demand for the certificate program, as evidenced by requests from former
students and individuals currently working in government agencies within
the region.There are also a number
of current UWW students who are not Geography majors or minors who have
indicated interest in a GIS certificate program.
A recent search
on the website, Jobs in GIS, revealed more than 200 positions currently
listed.In reviewing the listings,
approximately 40 percent were introductory level GIS technician jobs, requiring
education in Geographic Information Systems, but little or no experience.In
addition, approximately 20 percent of the jobs posted were based in a country
other than the US.
Potential enrollees
in the GIS certificate program include:
1 – People without
a degree in Geography whose job requires GIS skills.
2 – People with a degree
in Geography, but
a)are
not familiar with the most current versions of GIS software.
b)earned
their degree prior to GIS (approximately 10 years ago)
3 – People who would
like to pursue a position as an entry level GIS technician
Relation of the program to other programs on campus,
in the UW System, and in the region.
There are no other certificate programs on
the UW-Whitewater campus similar to the proposed GIS Certificate.There
are 2 other schools within the University of Wisconsin system, UW-Madison
and UW-Milwaukee that currently offer GIS certificate programs.The
UW-Milwaukee GIS certificate is offered through the School of Architecture
and Urban Planning, and is only open to students who have been admitted
to the graduate program.It is awarded
simultaneously with the Master’s degree.The
UW-Madison Certificate, also contingent upon acceptance into the graduate
program, requires a minimum of 20 credits, and differs in 3 distinct ways
from the proposed certificate.The
Madison program 1) requires the student to complete an independent project/internship;
2) it does not address the growing field of Business GIS; and 3) it does
not offer a specialized emphasis in Environmental GIS.
The proposed GIS certificate offers a program
of study that is not duplicated within the UW system.By
offering a certificate with two separate emphases, this program is filling
a role that has not been addressed by any University in the region.
An explanation of the relation of the proposed program
to the institutional mission, strategic plan, goals and objectives.
As more businesses and agencies, both public and private, realize the value of incorporating a Geographic Information System into their work environment, it becomes imperative that the University provides trained and knowledgeable candidates for these highly technical positions.
In reference to the University’s Strategic Plan priority 2, the University will “deliver state of the art programs and services”; the GIS certificate program is truly building on technology that is state of the art.Advancement in spatial analysis, made possible through GIS, is one of the primary reasons that it has become a fixture in businesses and agencies not only in the US, but around the world.Which leads to Strategic Plan priority 1.3, which encourages disciplines to prepare students to “flourish in a global environment”.A recent review of postings on one of the many internet sites listing GIS jobs revealed a significant number of employment opportunities outside the US, signifying that the growth of this technology is not limited to only the United States.
In reference to Strategic Plan priority 5.2,
which indicates the importance of “a contribution to the economic development
of the region and the quality of life of its citizens”.It
is important to realize that a significant number of students attending
UW-Whitewater are from this region, and that a substantial proportion of
the anticipated target group for the certificate program are likely to
enroll in order to increase their employment opportunities within this
region.Finally, relative to priority
6.4, indicating the importance of “public awareness of the University’s
accomplishments”, it is important to understand that the students successfully
completing the certificate program and becoming employed in a related field
will, through the inherently visual and often public nature of their work,
be promoting the University.
An assessment plan for the program (to be submitted
after program approval to the University Assessment Committee for review;
not required if program assessment will be integrated into an existing
departmental assessment plan)
Assessment Plan: Assessment for this program will
be integrated into the Geography and Geology Department’s existing assessment
procedures.
Resources needed to support the program (staffing,
equipment, library materials, etc.)
The Geography and Geology department currently
has the requisite lab equipment, library materials, classroom space and
supplies to implement the certificate program.All
of the courses, except Geography 470 (currently proposed), are existing
courses and are offered on a regular basis.Initially,
the department can provide faculty for all of the courses that make up
the program.