GIST 601: Intro to Geographic Information Systems & Tech I

This course will introduce the fundamental concepts of geographic information systems technology (GIST).  It will emphasize equally GISystems and GIScience.  Geographic information systems are a powerful set of tools for storing and retrieving at will, transforming and displaying spatial data from the real world for a particular set of purposes.  In contrast, geographic information science is concerned with both the research on GIS and with GIS.    As Longley et.al., notes (2001, vii) ¿GIS is fundamentally an applications-led technology, yet science underpins successful applications.¿  This course will combine an overview of the general principles of GIScience and how this relates to the nature and analytical use of spatial information within GIS software and technology.  Students will apply the principles and science of GIST through a series of practical labs using ESRI¿s ArcGIS software.