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Education & Curricula in Geographic Information Science at Oregon State

GIS | Cartography | Remote Sensing | Surveying/Field Methods | Quantitative Analysis

Oregon State offers basic-, intermediate-, AND advanced-level coursework in geographic information science (particularly GIS, cartography, remote sensing, and surveying). The basic courses have been structured so that students may enroll in each after fulfilling a minimum number of prerequisites. These basic courses in turn, are the major prerequisites for the intermediate- and advanced-level courses that follow. Most courses can be combined into an interdisciplinary undergraduate or graduate minor in Earth Information Science and Technology. The breadth of these courses and the cooperation among departments and colleges provide interested students with a unique opportunity for personal enrichment.

GIS Courses

Continuing Ed. Short Courses for Professional Students

Basic Level (undergrad and grad)

GEO 265. GIS Practicum (3). Offered every quarter by the Geosciences Department. This is hands-on course covers the basics of ArcView, and the Fall term offering also covers the basics of ArcInfo, with the caveat that thorough knowledge of Arc/Info requires at least 6 months to 1 year.

HORT 414/514. Information Systems in Agriculture (4). Offered by Tim Righetti in the Horticulture Department. Introduction to precision farming tools (GIS, image processing, GPS, and computer-linked agricultural equipment). Students enrolling in 4 credits also complete a class project, make an educational video, and present results in a computer presentation. Standard classroom, video, and distance versions of the course are available. Also offered in four 1-credit modules covering: a) Geographic Information System (GIS), b) Image Processing, c) Global Positioning System (GPS), and d) computer presentations.

RNG 450/550. Landscape Ecology and Analysis (3). Offered by Doug Johnson, N.R. Harris and G.M. Casady in Rangeland Resources, Spring term. Introduction to the principles and terminology of landscape ecology in a rangeland context. The course also includes a basic introduction to GIS and remote sensing using Idrisi, and opportunities to work with USGS digital elevation models (DEMs) and digital line graphs (DLGs), NOAA AVHRR data, Landsat TM and SPOT imagery, and aerial photographs. PREREQ: RNG 341 or equivalent.

Intermediate Level

GEO 465/565. Geographic Information Systems (3). Introduction to modern spatial data processing, development, implemntation, and functions of geographic information systems; data models and structures, and analytical procedures; applications of GIS to a variety of environmental issues. Offered every Winter quarter by the Geosciences Department. This course focuses on the basic mapping/ database/information science concepts fundamental to the working of any GIS package. Lab exercises give students a brief introduction to Idrisi and help them to become proficient in ArcView. This course is also offered distance ed. as part of OSU Statewide. PREREQ: GEO 360 for OSU undergrads and for OSU grads doing the EIST minor; prereq waived for all other grads and for distance ed. students.

FE 357. GIS and Forest Engineering Applications (2). An introduction to the appropriate use and potential applications of GIS (ArcView) in forest resource management. Participants will be instructed in the skills necessary to use a GIS for research purposes. Students will be presented with lectures and exercises that cover a wide range of GIS and GIS related issues.

FOR 499/599, GIS Applications in Forestry. The objective of this course is to illustrate some of the common GIS techniques field foresters and natural resource managers perform in support of day-to-day decisions and issues. It is designed for people who will work in field offices, who have decisions to make, and must develop spatial information quickly without the option of submitting a request to a centralized GIS Department. The emphasis of the course is on the types of spatial analyses that can be performed with a desk-top GISs (e.g., ArcView, MapInfo, GeoMedia).

Advanced Level

FOR 421/521. Advanced GIS Applications in Forestry (3). GIS literature review, seminars, and project work involving forest resources, wildlife habitat, and landscape ecology using remotely- sense data, digital elevation models, and other digitized data. PREREQ: GEO 465/565 and a course in forestry or instructor consent. Offered odd-numbered years.

GEO 580. Advanced GIS Applications in the Geosciences (3). Offered every Spring quarter by the Geosciences Department (graduate level only). This course broadens the base of GIS theory established in 465/565, while fostering an appreciation of GIS as an effective analytical tool for understanding complex processes. Includes student-led weekly discussions of the latest developments published in the GIS/geography literature, along with the student's choice of an 8-week long analytical project or a series of rigorous exercises in Unix Arc/Info. PREREQ: GEO 465/565 or equivalent introductory theory course in GIS.

More on GIS education and training

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Cartography Courses

Basic

GEO 301. Map and Image Interpretation (4). Reading, analysis, and interpretation of maps and images. Characteristics and historical evolution of topographic maps, satellite images, aerial photography, navigational charts, statistical maps, and other kinds geoscientific output.

GEO 360. Cartography (4). Basic cartographic principles. Design, compilation, and construction of maps.

Advanced

GEO 445/545. Computer-Assisted Cartography (3). Concepts and techniques underlying the production of maps by computer. Practical experience with a variety of computer mapping packages. PREREQ: GEO 360, MTH 112.

GEO 460/560. Map Design and Production (4). Perceptual principles of map design. Laboratory experience with photomechanical map production techniques. PREREQ: GEO 360.

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Remote Sensing Courses

Basic

FOR 220. Aerial Photo Interpretation and Forest Measurements (3). Emphasis on field applications of forest measurements, scaling, cruising, and photointerpretation, with a minimum of theory; successful completion of FOR 220 should help students compete for summer jobs requiring measurement skills. PREREQ: MTH 105, FOR 111.

HORT 414/514. Information Systems in Agriculture (4). Offered by Tim Righetti in the Horticulture Department. Introduction to precision farming tools (GIS, image processing, GPS, and computer-linked agricultural equipment). Students enrolling in 4 credits also complete a class project, make an educational video, and present results in a computer presentation. Standard classroom, video, and distance versions of the course are available. Also offered in four 1-credit modules covering: a) Geographic Information System (GIS), b) Image Processing, c) Global Positioning System (GPS), and d) computer presentations.

GEO 444/544. Remote Sensing (3). Physical principles; theory and operation of remote sensing systems; imagery interpretation and applications. Introduction to satellite remote sensing and digital image processing. Measurement and interpretation techniques with an emphasis on applications of aerial photography to mapping, resource evaluation and field research. Covers photographic theory, flight planning, basic photogrammetry, applications. PREREQ: MTH 112.

RNG 450/550. Landscape Ecology and Analysis (3). Offered by Doug Johnson, N.R. Harris and G.M. Casady in Rangeland Resources, Spring term. Introduction to the principles and terminology of landscape ecology in a rangeland context. The course also includes a basic introduction to GIS and remote sensing using Idrisi, and opportunities to work with USGS digital elevation models (DEMs) and digital line graphs (DLGs), NOAA AVHRR data, Landsat TM and SPOT imagery, and aerial photographs. PREREQ: RNG 341 or equivalent.

CE 466/566. Photo Interpretation (3). Air photo interpretation and application to engineering problems; factors responsible for the formation and developments of artificial features and geological land forms. PREREQ: CE 361 or CEM 263.

Intermediate

CE 461/561. Photogrammetry (3). Geometry of terrestrial and vertical photographs, flightline planning, stereoscopy and parallax, stereoscopic plotting instruments, analytical photogrammetry, orthophotography, introduction to photo interpretation, and aerial cameras. PREREQ: CE 361 or CEM 263.

GEO 466/566. Digital Image Processing (3). Digital analysis of remote sensing data. Image display enhancement, classification, and rectification principles. Practical experience with an image processing system. PREREQ: GEO 444/544. Offered alternate years.

Advanced

FOR 420/520. Advanced Aerial Photos and Remote Sensing (3). Image processing and aerial photography lectures and project work for forestry and natural resrouce applications using state-of-the-art techniques and equipment. PREREQ: a photo interpretation course; GEO 444/544 or equivalent; a course in forestry; or instructor consent. Offered even-numbered years.

OCN 678. Satellite Oceanography (3). Theory and applications of satellite remote sensing observations of the ocean with emphasis on strengths and limitations in the measurements. Topics include review of electircity and magnetism, absorption and scattering in the atmosphere (radiative transfer), satellite orbital mechanics, measurements of ocean color, infrared remote sensing, microwave radiometry, scatterometry, and satellite altimetry. PREREQ: MTH 252, PH 212 or equivalent. Offered even-numbered years.

FS 691-V. Use of Remote Sensing in Landscape Ecology (2). Use of remotely-sensed data to address landscape level questions in ecology.

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Surveying and Other Field Method Courses

Basic

FE 210. Introduction to Forest Surveying (3). Introductory forest surveying for beginning forestry students or students minoring in forestry. Basic concepts of plane surveying using forestry problems. Emphasis will be low-order surveying using the compass, abney, clinometer, and hand-level. Also includes introduction to the U.S. Public Land Survey System, topography, and mapping. PREREQ: Trigonometry.

CEM 263. Plane Surveying (3). Use and adjustment of surveying equipment; surveying methods applied to construction; geometry of highway location including circular and vertical curves; terrain analysis using aerial photographs; and earthwork quantities and distribution. PREREQ: sophomore standing in engineering.

Intermediate

FE 310. Forest Route Surveying (5). Route surveying and site surveying applied to forestry problems. Use of surveying equipment, traversing; computations; stadia; leveling; horizontal, vertical, compound, reverse, and spiral curves; earthwork; construction staking; and "as-built" surveys. PREREQ: FE 210.

FE 311. Advanced Forest Surveying (4). Advanced forest techniques for forest surveying. Directional instruments; electronic distance measurements; field astronomy; State Plane Coordinate Systems; horizontal control, specifications, triangulation and trilateration; U.S. Public Land Survey System; introduction to survey law. PREREQ: FE 310.

CE 361. Surveying Theory (4). Use of surveying equipment, Caussian error theory applied to measurements, calculations of position on spherical and plane surfaces, state plane coordinate systesm, introduction to global positioning systems.

CE 365. Highway Location and Design (3). Curve problems in highway design, including circular, vertical compound curves and spirals; earth distribution analysis; preliminary office studies; paper location procedures and field layout problems. PREREQ: CE 361 or CEM 263.

GEO 462/562. Geosciences Field Methods (4). Field data gathering techniques for geographers AND geologists; focus on field reconnaissance problems. Organization for field work from instrumentation to data collection and analysis to report writing. PREREQ: GEO 360.

Advanced

CE 463/563. Control Surveying (4). Control specifications, methods, and problem in obtaining large area precise measurement; precise leveling; triangulation and trilateration figure adjustments; introduction to least-square techniques. Global positioning systems. PREREQ: CE 361 or CEM 263.

CE 465/565. Oregon Land Survey Law (3). Oregon U.S. public land survey; state statutes, common law decisions, and administrative rules dealing with boundary law; case studies; unwritten land transfers; original and resurvey platting laws; guarantees of title; deed descriptions. PREREQ: CE 361 or CEM 263.

CE 469/569. Property Survey (3). U.S. public land survey, restoration of corners, subdivision of sections; maps, subdivision plats, and resurvey plats; subdivision design; introduction to LIS/GIS; field astronomy. PREREQ: CE 361 or CEM 263.

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Quantitative Analysis Courses

Advanced

GEO 441/541. Spatial Variation in Ecology and Earth Science (3). Objectives and techniques of spatial analysis in earth sciences and ecology. Moving windows, geostatistics, and related techniques. PREREQ.: ST 411/511. Offered alternate years.

FS 523. Natural Resource Data Analysis (4). Hands-on experience in applied statistical data analysis and research data management. Students are encouraged to use data sets from their own reearch for final projects. Widely-used, commercially-available statistical software packages, e.g., SAS, are used. Emphasis is placed on micro- and mini-computers in the practical application and actual implementation of statistical analysis techniques. PREREQ: ST 412/512, and concurrent registration in ST 415/515.

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Last updated on November 29, 2000.