HANCEVILLE – Wallace State Community College is unveiling a new geospatial technology degree during the Spring 2019 semester.
Prospective students interested in the degree can earn a geospatial technology associate in applied science degree or a short-term certificate in the field.
“This is a multi-discipline degree. There are business courses involved, and it’s heavy in statistical analysis and computer science components,” said Wallace State Computer Science instructor Terry Ayers. “This degree requires heavy database management skills where individuals pull data from existing sources. It’s taking different layers of data and putting it on top of each other to see what makes the most sense for a particular project.”
For instance, an individual might measure the best place to cultivate a specific farm based on geospatial data, analyzing soil samples, rainfall and other external factors.
Geospatial analysts are needed and employed in fields such as engineering, government relations, transportation and logistics, agriculture and surveying, among others.
Courses specific to the degree or certificate include:
- GEO 225 – Maps and Map Interpretation
- GIS 101 – Introduction to GIS Technology
- CIS 222 – Database Management Systems
- BUS 260 – Statistical Data Analysis
- GIS 201 – Introduction to GIS
- GIS 202 – Cartographic Design for GIS
- GIS 221 – Advanced Spatial Analysis
The geospatial associate degree can be completed in four semesters and is one of few to be offered within the state.
Online registration is underway for the 2019 spring semester. Spring classes begin Jan. 7.
For more information about the program, visit www.wallacestate.edu/programs/technical-division/gis or contact Ayers at 256-352-8104 or by email at terry.ayers@wallacestate.edu
Students can register for classes here: www.wallacestate.edu/register-now
For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.
