GEOG 5550 - Advanced GIS  

Fall 2006, Wed 6:00 PM - 8:50 PM, EESAT 125

   Prerequisites

   GEOG 4500/5500 "Introduction to GIS" and GEOG 4520/5520 "Intermediate GIS" (or consent of department).

   Objectives

This course is built on GEOG 4500/5500 "Introduction to GIS" and GEOG 4520/5520 "Intermediate GIS". Some advanced GIS topics are introduced through a combination of lectures, hands-on exercises, ESRI Virtual Campus Tutorials, and individual projects. The course objectives are the following:

(1) Learn about the general practices of GIS project design, and develop a GIS application project;

(2) Develop a deeper understanding of raster/vector data structure and manipulation;

(3)  Learn how to create, edit, and manage geodatabases; Use geodatabases for application development.

(4) Integrate geoprocessing models to solve application problems;                                                        

(5) Learn about Internet mapping and how to create Web-based GIS applications using ArcIMS; You are encouraged to publish your project data on the Internet using ArcIMS. Explore advanced methods in spatial analysis.

Lab and Homework

Each class has an instruction session followed by an in-class lab session. Lab handouts and data are available at R:\CSAM\class\4550\Labs. Three individual homework assignments (10% each) will be turned in and marked. Late homework will be marked down 10% for every day late. Homework handouts and data are available at R:\CSAM\class\4550\Homework.

Required Online Tutorials                                                                                                       

(Passcodes will be provided in the class)

(1) ESRI Virtual Campus Tutorial: "Creating, Editing, and Managing Geodatabases for ArcGIS 9".   (Online test results due December 13)                                                                                             

(2) ESRI Virtual Campus Tutorial: "Learning ArcIMS". (Online test results due December 13)

Schedule

* Each class includes a 50-minute instruction session, followed by a 2-hour lab session.

Project

Students are required to complete individual projects in an area of GIS applications. In this course, you will learn some new technologies in GIS (such as Internet mapping and Geodatabases). As a graduate student, you are required to explore project ideas and data for a specific problem in a geographic area, and use your GIS skills in your research. Your course project can be part of your thesis project. A project plan should be submitted on September 20 (3-5 pages, double-spaced). A student may need to modify his/her project plan based on feedback from the instructor. Project samples and a template for project report are available at R:\CSAM\class\4550\ProjectSamples. A final project report (15-40 pages, typed and double-spaced) should be submitted on or before December 13. Please note that the grade of your project depends on the quality of your research, not the number of pages in your report. Detailed requirements of the project will be distributed in class.   

Deliverables

(1)  Three homework assignments (refer to schedule for due dates);                                                    

(2)  One Project Plan (3-5 pages, typed and double-spaced. Due September 27);                               

(3)  Two ESRI online tutorial certificates (Geodatabase and ArcIMS. Due December 13);                 

(4)  One Final Project Report (15-40 pages, typed and double-spaced. Due December 13).  

Grading Structure

Reference Books

Digital versions of the following books are available in the folder R:\CSAM\class\4550\Readings. Please DO NOT print the books in the CSAM labs.

(1) Zeiler, M. 1999. Modeling Our World: The ESRI Guide to Geodatabase Design. ESRI. ISBN 1-879102-625.                                                                                                                               

(2) MacDonald, A. 2001. Building a Geodatabase. ESRI. ISBN 1-879102-99-4.

Statement on Cheating and Plagiarism

Students caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive a "0" for that particular assignment or exam.  Additionally, the incident will be reported to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for further penalty.  According to the UNT catalog, the term "cheating" includes, but is not limited to:

1. Use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations;
2. Dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments;
3. The acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a faculty or staff member of the university;
4. Dual submission of a paper or project, or resubmission of a paper or project to a different class without express permission from the instructor(s); or
5. Any other act designed to give a student an unfair advantage.

The term "plagiarism" includes, but is not limited to:

1. The knowing or negligent use by paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment; and
2. The knowing or negligent unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.

Accommodations

The Department of Geography, in cooperation with the Office of Disability Accommodation, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation request before the 12th class day.