Geographic Information Science for Development and Environment, MS

Required Core Courses (6)

The GISDE required courses include four core courses plus one required unit devoted to facilitating the completion of the final M.S. project. The core courses provide GISDE graduate students with a common academic foundation in GI Science.

In order to enroll in Advanced Raster GIS or Advanced Vector GIS, students must: 1) pass a proficiency exam that typically occurs at the end of the pre-semester GIS training in August, or 2) must pass Introduction to GIS course for graduate students in the first semester.

• IDCE 388 - Advanced Vector GIS

• This course builds upon the concepts of GIS introduced in Introduction to GIS, and focuses on the more advanced analytical vector GIS tools. Topics include exploratory spatial data analysis, spatial statistics, interpolation techniques, 3D data presentation and analysis, network analysis and multi-criteria decision making. Concepts in lectures are illustrated using the ArcGIS software. Final project is required.

• GEOG 383 - Introduction to Remote Sensing

• This course is designed to introduce the students to the principles and analytical methods of satellite remote sensing as applied to environmental systems (e.g., land-cover classification, vegetation monitoring, etc.).

• IDCE 391 - GISDE Professional Seminar

• This course requires students to complete research proposals or internship applications in the spring semester.

• GEOG 397 - Advanced Raster GIS

• This course builds on Introduction to GIS by delving deeper into raster GIS. Topics include time-series analysis, uncertainty assessment, multi-objective decision making, land-change modeling, and spatial statistics. Concepts in lectures are illustrated using the TerrSet software. Final project is required.

• IDCE 30213 - Master’s Final Research Paper

• This course involves collaboration with internship or research advisor to complete a final M.S. project. The grade designation for this credit will not be given until the student has completed and submitted their final M.S. project.

GISDE Elective Courses (7 required)

Elective courses provide students the flexibility of designing much of their coursework to suit their own needs and to provide depth in a chosen area of focus. Students may take courses offered by the other three graduate programs in IDCE (International Development and Social Change, Community Development and Planning, and Environmental Science and Policy) or in other departments, as approved by their academic advisor.

Note:

Directed Study and Internships: Students can take up to a total of two units of directed study or internship with a specific faculty member who agrees to guide the independent work. So, in addition to the Master’s Final Research Requirement, students may opt to have additional courses of directed study or internship as an elective.

Local Partnerships: Putting Theory into Action

The collaborative research projects of IDCE graduate students and faculty reflect their interdisciplinary approach to issues of environment and development. Many projects build upon partnerships between IDCE and community or governmental organizations around the United States and the globe, including in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Somalia, Ghana, India, and Senegal.

Locally, environmental and community groups often invite IDCE to undertake key community building projects, as well as data gathering and analysis. This allows IDCE faculty and students to put theory into practice right in the neighborhood. By helping to facilitate participatory sessions and building collaborations, students see Worcester neighbors taking action, setting priorities, and maximizing into their human capital and governmental resources. Students hone their analytical skills through GIS mapping of land parcels for development or preservation and through monitoring water quality.