Geographic Information Systems (GIS) manage information, conduct analysis, and produce knowledge by connecting or synthesizing data together using location as a common index. The minor in Computer Science and Geographic Information Systems (CSGIS) allows students to complete a broad-based interdisciplinary course of study of computing concepts and methods with applications in geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial analysis. Students will learn the foundations of computational systems and apply that knowledge to efficiently visualize, manage, and analyze geographic data.

GIS, coupled with a background in Computer Science, is a powerful skill set valued in many professional fields, including government agencies, businesses, research, and non-profit organizations. The minor can be taken by students of any major, and is particularly suitable for majors in Computer Science or Geography.

The minor in CSGIS consists of the successful completion of a minimum of twenty semester hours.  It includes four required courses: CSC 014 - (MA, CS) Discrete Structures for Computer Science I  (3 s.h.), CSC 015 - (CS) Fundamentals of Computer Science I: Problem Solving and Program Design  (4 s.h.), GEOG 060 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Digital Maps  (3 s.h.), and GEOG 160 - Intermediate Geographic Information Systems  (3 s.h.). It also includes a minimum of four semester hours of selected electives in computer science and three semester hours of selected electives in geography. A completed minor in CSGIS will be listed on the student’s transcript.