GEOG 60 – Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

NOTE: The following is an archive of the class material I offered as a Professor at Hofstra University (1999-2024).

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to encode, store, analyze, and report spatial data. They link different information technologies such as mapping and database management systems. They also provide a repository for spatial data, which can be constructed, maintained, edited and analyzed.

The ability to use spatial information facilitates management and decisions in a wide array of fields, and GIS is increasingly being used for practical purposes. They include marketing, resource management, facility location, environmental impact assessment, urban planning, transportation, and tracking crime data, to name a few.

This multimedia course introduces GIS foundations, concepts, and application techniques. Specific objectives include:

• Providing basic GIS concepts.
• Acquiring basic GIS application skills.
• Understanding the fundamentals of GIS tasks such as digitizing, thematic mapping, database management, and spatial analysis.
• Familiarization with the ArcMap GIS software.

Topics

• Introduction to GIS
• GIS Concepts
• Latitude & Longitude, Cartographic Scale
• Projections
• Grid Coordinate Systems
• Global Positioning Systems
• Direction and Navigation
• GIS Data Models
• Symbology
• Elevation
• Remote Sensing
• Symbolization & Thematic Maps