Geographic Information Science, MS

IDCE 391 M.S. GIS Professional Seminar

Students in the research track are also required to take:

GEOG 399 Directed Study or IDCE 399 Directed Study / MS Directed Research (1 credit - Fall Semester of Year 2)

IDCE 30213 Master’s Final Research Paper (1 credit - Spring Semester of Year 2)

Students in the internship track also have the following non-course requirements that must be fulfilled before graduation clearance will be given:

Submission of an approved MSGIS Internship Proposal before the beginning of your internship
Submission of your MSGIS Internship Report in your third semester
Submission of a completed and signed MSGIS Internship Supervisor Evaluation in your third semester
Public presentation using PowerPoint about your internship during GIS Week in your third semester

Prerequisites:

The following is a list of prerequisites for required courses. Students who can demonstrate that they have taken comparable courses at other institutions can be exempted from these prerequisites upon the approval of the program Coordinator. However, this does not reduce the requirement for a total of 12 credits for completion of the degree.

IDCE 310 Intro to Geographic Information Systems

GEOG 311 Introduction to Quantitative Methods

Highly Recommended Electives:

IDCE 302 Python Programming (0.5 credit)

IDCE 30274 Computer Programming for GIS (0.5 credit)

IDCE 30306 GIS for International Development in Practice (0.5 credit)

IDCE 30229 Program Monitoring and Evaluation

Other Electives:

IDCE 30393 Seminar in Social Applications of GIS (0.5 credit)

IDCE 361 Development Program and Project Management

IDCE 30330 Approaches to Community Health

IDCE 30109 Introduction to Epidemiology and Biostastistics

IDCE 30360 Spatial Analysis for Health

IDCE 332 Sustainable Development Assessment and Planning

IDCE 30231 Humanitarian Assistances in Complex Emergencies/Disasters

IDCE 30103 Networks and Analytics of Development

GEOG 389 Conservation GIS

GEOG 336 Wildlife Conservation GIS Research Seminar

GEOG 323 Forest Ecology and Management Seminar

GEOG 386 Special Topics Habitat Modeling (0.5)

GEOG 304 Cartography and Map Design (0.5 credit) Not regularly offered.

GEOG 347 Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Geography

GEOG 363 The Climate System and Global Environmental Change

GEOG 378 Emerging Issues in Climate Change Science

IDCE 376 Spatial Database Development (0.5 credit). Not regularly offered.

GEOG 392 Remote Sensing of Global Environmental Change

Students may also take courses offered by the Graduate School of Geography or the other four graduate programs in IDCE (International Development and Social Change, Community Development and Planning, Community and Global Health, and Environmental Science and Policy) or in other departments, as approved by their academic advisor. Please view Clark’s official Academic Catalog www.clarku.edu/academiccatalog for a complete listing of course offerings.

[1] Students on the internship track can optionally register for a 0.5 or 1.0 credit internship either during the summer when they take the internship, or in the fall semester immediately following. Note that international students taking their internship as CPT must register for the internship course (0.5 or 1.0 credit).

Concentration in Conservation Applications

Conservation GIS is concerned with the application of Geographic Information Systems and related geospatial technologies to the needs of Conservation Biology, Landscape Ecology, Wildlife Management and Conservation Planning. The MSGIS in Conservation Applications builds upon the history of close partnerships between Clark University and Clark Labs with organizations such as Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Through these relationships, for example, Clark Labs has developed a distinctive set of geospatial software tools for Conservation such as the Land Change Modeler, the Habitat and Biodiversity Modeler, the Climate Change Adaptation Modeler, the Ecosystem Services Modeler and the Earth Trends Modeler. Clark is also in the process of becoming the home of the New England chapter of the Society for Conservation GIS.

The objectives of the Master of Science in Conservation Applications are to gain spatial analysis skills required in ecological and conservation applications including: vector and raster spatial data analysis, analysis of image time series, remote sensing applied to environmental monitoring, GIS programming skills, spatial conservation planning, spatial modeling of species distributions, and effective map communication.

Curriculum

Candidates for the MS in Geographic Information Science specializing in Conservation Applications are required to complete 12 graduate course units, normally including 6-8 required courses.

Required Courses:

IDCE 391 M.S. GIS Professional Seminar

GEOG 389 Conservation GIS

GEOG 386 Special Topics Habitat Modeling (0.5 credit)

Students in the research track are also required to take:

GEOG 399 or IDCE 399 MS Directed Research (1 credit - Fall Semester of Year 2)

IDCE 30213 MS Research Final Requirement (1 credit - Spring Semester of Year 2)

Students in the internship track also have the following non-course requirements that must be fulfilled before graduation clearance will be given:

Submission of an approved MSGIS Internship Proposal before the beginning of your internship
Submission of your MSGIS Internship Report in your third semester
Submission of a completed and signed MSGIS Internship Supervisor Evaluation in your third semester
Public presentation using PowerPoint about your internship during GIS Week in your third semester

Prerequisites:

IDCE 310 Intro to Geographic Information Systems

GEOG 311 Introduction to Quantitative Methods

Highly Recommended Electives:

IDCE 302 Python Programming (0.5 credit)

IDCE 30274 Computer Programming for GIS (0.5 credit)

GEOG 323 Forest Ecology and Management Seminar

GEOG 336 Wildlife Conservation GIS Research Seminar GEOG 336 Wildlife Conservation GIS Research Seminar

Other Electives:

GEOG 304 Cartography and Map Design (0.5 credit) (0.5 credit). Not regularly offered.

GEOG 363 The Climate System and Global Environmental Change

GEOG 378 Emerging Issues in Climate Change Science

IDCE 376 Spatial Database Development (0.5 credit). Not regularly offered.

GEOG 392 Remote Sensing of Global Environmental Change

BIOL 306 Advanced Biostatistics Not offered regularly

BIOL 316 Ecology

BIOL 358 Small Scale Land Conservation in Massachusetts

Concentration in Environmental Remote Sensing

Remote Sensing is the scientific discipline concerned with the acquisition of environmental data at a distance (typically from imaging sensors on satellites and aircraft) and their subsequent analysis to yield information, typically in map form. Clark’s program in Remote Sensing focuses on the analysis of image data for environmental applications, particularly related to earth system science, natural resource inventory and ecological/conservation applications. Faculty, students and staff are involved not only in the application of remote sensing to crucial environmental concerns, but also, in some cases, in the development of new image processing procedures and software implementations.

Clark’s program in Remote Sensing places a strong emphasis on acquiring the quantitative analysis and problem solving skills necessary to function as a professional analyst. The products of remote sensing image analysis are almost universally in map form. Thus the program also puts emphasis on acquiring the Geographic Information System (GIS) skills necessary for the development of end products. It is also the philosophy of the Clark faculty that analytical skill also depends on experience. Thus most of the courses have an applied project component as an integral element.

Clark continues to have strong partnerships with many organizations that have remote sensing image analysis needs, including the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the GIMMS laboratory at NASA, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International, Digital Globe and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Clark is also closely connected to the NASA DEVELOP program.

Curriculum

Candidates for the MS in Geographic Information Science specializing Remote Sensing of the Environment are required to complete 12 graduate course units, normally including 4-6 required courses.

Required Courses:

IDCE 391 M.S. GIS Professional Seminar (0.5 credit)

1. IDCE 310 Intro to Geographic Information Systems

Students in the research track are also required to take:

GEOG 399 or IDCE 399 MS Directed Research (1 credit - Fall Semester of Year 2)

IDCE 30213 MS Final Requirement: Research Track (1 credit - Spring Semester of Year 2)

Students in the internship track also have the following non-course requirements that must be fulfilled before graduation clearance will be given:

Submission of an approved MSGIS Internship Proposal before the beginning of your internship
Submission of your MSGIS Internship Report in your third semester
Submission of a completed and signed MSGIS Internship Supervisor Evaluation in your third semester
Public presentation using PowerPoint about your internship during GIS Week in your third semester

Prerequisites:

2. GEOG 311 Introduction to Quantitative Methods

3. GEOG 383 Introduction to Remote Sensing

Highly Recommended Electives:

IDCE 30274 Computer Programming for GIS

IDCE 302 Python Programming (0.5 credit)

GEOG 392 Remote Sensing of Global Environmental Change

Other Electives:

Students may select from any relevant graduate-credit courses in Geography or IDCE to fill out their requirement of 12 credits for the degree. However, the following is a list of elective courses with a strong focus on Remote Sensing or GIS.

GEOG 345 Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere

GEOG 330 Introduction to Species Distribution Modeling

GEOG 336 Wildlife Conservation GIS Research Seminar

GEOG 398 Internship (Requires permission)

GEOG 399 Directed Study (Requires permission)

Students may also take courses offered by the Graduate School of Geography or the other four graduate programs in IDCE (International Development and Social Change, Community Development and Planning, Global and Community Health, and Environmental Science and Policy) or in other departments, as approved by their academic advisor. Please view Clark’s official Academic Catalog www.clarku.edu/academiccatalog for a complete listing of course offerings.

Concentration in Community and Global Health Applications

The concentration in GIScience for Community and Global Health Applications is intended for students interested in applications of geospatial technologies in areas of community and global health. The program is aimed at individuals who plan to work as GIS Analysts/Specialists in international health organizations (such as WHO, International Red Cross), federal, state and local government agencies (CDC, FEMA, state and municipal health departments), NGOs (Partners in Health, Planned Parenthood, etc.) or research organizations and Universities (Schools of Public Health, Health GIS Research Labs).

Putting information into a spatial context allows exploring the spatial relationships among health and behavior indicators, health outcomes, environmental risk factors, and demographic and cultural characteristics at a particular location. GIS and remote sensing allow visualizing and analyzing spatial patterns of disease distribution, accounting for spatial dependencies in the data, and investigating how health outcomes and processes that drive them differ from place to place. GIS maps may indicate connections and trends that would be otherwise not readily apparent, if the data were not integrated together via spatial overlays. In addition to a set of core GIScience courses, students in this concentration will take a capstone course titled Spatial Analysis for Health and complete a research project as part of that course. Graduates with this concentration will have a solid understanding of health issues facing communities (both domestic and global), and of the policy environments affecting global and domestic health. They will also develop competency in a wide range of GIS analytical methods, with particular emphasis on techniques applicable to community and global health issues.

Faculty who teach in this concentration have developed strong partnerships with many local and global organizations that have spatial analysis needs, including the City Worcester (Department of Public Health), Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc., Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School/UMass Memorial Health Care, Partners in Health, and others. Several MS students have done summer internships in some of these organizations or worked as research assistants with faculty on health-related GIS projects, and co-published academic papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Curriculum

Candidates for the MS in Geographic Information Science for Community and Global Health are required to complete 12 graduate course units, normally including 5-7 required courses.

Required Courses:

IDCE 30360 Spatial Analysis for Health

IDCE 391 M.S. GIS Professional Seminar (0.5 credit)

Students must also take at least one of the following courses:

IDCE 30330 Approaches to Community Health

IDCE 30264 Environmental and Social Epidemiology

Students in the research track are also required to take:

GEOG 399 or IDCE 399 MS Directed Research (1 credit - Fall Semester of Year 2)

IDCE30213 MS Final Research Requirement (1 credit - Spring Semester of Year 2)

Students in the internship track also have the following non-course requirements that must be fulfilled before graduation clearance will be given:

Submission of an approved MSGIS Internship Proposal before the beginning of your internship
Submission of your MSGIS Internship Report in your third semester
Submission of a completed and signed MSGIS Internship Supervisor Evaluation in your third semester
Public presentation using PowerPoint about your internship during GIS Week in your third semester

Prerequisites:

IDCE 310 Intro to Geographic Information Systems

GEOG 311 Introduction to Quantitative Methods

Highly Recommended Electives:

IDCE 302 Python Programming (0.5 credit)

IDCE 30274 Computer Programming for GIS (0.5 credit)

IDCE 30229 Program Monitoring and Evaluation

IDCE 30393 Seminar in Social Applications of GIS (0.5 credit)

Other Electives:

IDCE 361 Development Program and Project Management

IDCE 30330 Approaches to Community Health

IDCE 308 Health (in)equity: social determinants and policy solutions

GEOG 345 Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere

GEOG 330 Introduction to Species Distribution Modeling

GEOG 336 Wildlife Conservation GIS Research Seminar

IDCE 376 Spatial Database Development (0.5 credit). Not regularly offered.

Concentration in Geography-ADP (Accelerated Degree Program only)

Clark’s accelerated degree program offers a BA/MS option in GIS, which is simply the MSGIS degree Geography-APD concentration. This program in Geographic Information Science is intended exclusively for ADP students, focusing on applications of geospatial technologies to address a range of circumstances, as articulated through the final year of the Bachelor’s degree and during the Master’s program year.

The MS-GIS Geography-ADP concentration builds upon the broad strengths of the Graduate School of Geography, Clark Labs, and the Department of International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE). Accordingly, it allows considerable flexibility in tailoring an individual program, crafted with the assistance of a faculty advisor.

Curriculum

Candidates for the MS in Geographic Information Science are required to complete 12 graduate level units, as well as associated prerequisites.

Prerequisites I (not counted towards the 12 required units)

GEOG 297 Honors (or other subject) (Students must complete an honor’s thesis with two semesters of honor’s units)

GEOG 190 Introduction to Geographic Information Science

Prerequisites II (counted toward the Master’s program 12-unit total):

Two 300-level Geography GIS-related courses (two units total; from below list of electives)

Post-BA Graduation Coursework:

Summer after BA Graduation:

GEOG 398 Internship ((Summer Internship)

Fifth Year Coursework

Students in the research track are required to take:

GEOG 399 Directed Study -MS Thesis Directed Research (2 units - one each semester)

At least four additional courses from the list of electives, below (minimum 2 courses/units per semester)

Summer of Fifth Year:

GEOG 399 Directed Study - Thesis Directed Research (1 unit)

Students in the internship track are required to take:

GEOG 398 Internship (2 units - one each Semester)

At least five additional courses from the list of electives, below (minimum 2 courses/units per semester)

Internship Reports

At the end of each semester of the internship track, students must complete an Internship Report evaluating their experience with the organization they interned for during that semester. The students must also send their internship supervisor a Supervisor Evaluation Form in order for the supervisor to evaluate the student and their performance/contribution throughout the prior semester.

Highly Recommended Electives:

IDCE 302 Python Programming (0.5 unit)

IDCE 30274 Computer Programming for GIS (0.5 unit)

IDCE 30306 GIS for International Development in Practice (0.5 unit)

IDCE 30393 Seminar in Social Applications of GIS

Other Electives:

IDCE 30229 Program Monitoring and Evaluation

IDCE 361 Development Program and Project Management

IDCE 376 Spatial Database Development Not regularly offered.

IDCE 30330 Approaches to Community Health Approaches to Community Health

IDCE 30264 Environmental and Social Epidemiology

IDCE 30360 Spatial Analysis for Health

IDCE 332 Sustainable Development Assessment and Planning

IDCE 30231 Humanitarian Assistances in Complex Emergencies/Disasters

IDCE 30103 Networks and Analytics of Development

GEOG 389 Conservation GIS

GEOG 336 Wildlife Conservation GIS Research Seminar

GEOG 323 Forest Ecology and Management Seminar

GEOG 386 Special Topics Habitat Modeling (0.5 unit)

GEOG 304 Cartography and Map Design (0.5 credit) Not regularly offered.

GEOG 347 Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Geography

GEOG 363 The Climate System and Global Environmental Change

GEOG 378 Emerging Issues in Climate Change Science