Geography & Earth Science

What is GIS?

Members of the Carthage Geography Club painted the Kissing Rock on campus to celebrate National GIS Day. The club also held special events for the Carthage community.

Geographic Information Science is the academic theory behind the development, use, and application of geographic information systems. The U.S. Department of Labor has recently identified geospatial analysis as one of the three leading areas of employment in the coming years.

Carthage offers students the opportunity to minor in Geographic Information Science. Students focus on the techniques and practice of spatial data analysis, and its practice within the larger field of information science. This particular emphasis will be of value to students who intend to pursue a career in data analysis or pursue graduate degrees in the natural or social sciences.

In the GIS minor, the core material highlights the theory and application of Geographic Information Science. The remaining courses offer background in programming, statistics and other areas of information and computer science. Students completing the minor will be awarded a certificate in Geographic Information Science.

Courses in GIS

At Carthage, GIS courses include:

Mapping Your World: An Introduction to Geographic Information Science. Students are introduced to making data maps, exploring computer mapping techniques, cartographic design, data selection and other topics.

Advanced Geographic Information Science and Analytical Cartography. Students explore scientific visualization of problems, layer overlays, data management, creation and analysis statistical surfaces, geographic pattern analysis, and more.

Satellite Image and Air Photo Analysis. Students use, analyze and interpret aerial photographs and imagery from satellites to evaluate the environment (vegetation, climate, hydrology, etc.) and land-use analysis (urbanization, agriculture, forestry, etc.).

Population Geography and Statistical Analysis. Students examine population change, fertility, mortality, sustainability, migration, immigration, food, health, and environmental concerns, generating and testing hypotheses about population data at different spatial scales.

Applied Projects in Geographic Information Science. Students create a significant GIS application using available data to address an actual geographic problem.

Careers in GIS

GIS careers exist in many different fields. GIS students have gone on to jobs in urban planning, marketing, commercial business ventures, environmental science and more. Possible career paths include:

Analyst
Applications developer
Business real estate
Cartographer
Consultant
Developer
Forester
Hydrologist
Information services administrator
Resource manager
Sales and marketing
Survey engineer
Teacher
Transportation planner
Technical writer
Urban planner

GIS Faculty

GIS courses at Carthage are taught by Julio Rivera, associate professor of geography, and Wenjie Sun, assistant professor of geography and computer science.

Professor Julio Rivera's research focuses on the development of suburban communities and how a community's design enhances or impedes community life. During a sabbatical in the 2004-05 academic year, he worked with the Center for Environmental Studies examining trends in the development of the urban fringe in the Phoenix metropolitan area. He also taught geography and worked as a GIS specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He serves on the executive board of the Council on Undergraduate Research.

Professor Wenjie Sun conducts research projects using GIS and Remote Sensing techniques to examine land use and land cover change from the perspective of human-environment interaction. She is also interested in applying GIS to a wider range of economic, social and environmental studies. She is exploring collaborative research and teaching opportunities on regional differences in China and East Asia. In addition to teaching GIS courses, she teaches courses in computer science and leads J-Term trips to China.

The GIS Minor

Click here to find information about minor requirements for the GIS minor at Carthage.

Academic Resources

Prospective Students

Research Opportunities

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience lets students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor.

Student Achievement

Posters on the Hill. Geography student presents research in Washington D.C.

Faculty Spotlight

Carthage students and recent graduates joined geography professor Joy Mast on a field study in an Arizona forest. Read more.