The Importance of Undergraduate, Graduate, Technical, and Applied GIS and Remote Sensing Education

Abstract

Advances in hardware and software technologies have resulted from the acceptance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in academic and applied communities and in the diversity of applications that GIS can support. The Geography Department at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) curriculum has included computer mapping (now GIS and Remote Sensing) since the mid 1970s. Establishment of the Center for Geographic Information Systems at St. Cloud State University in 1991 supported the incorporation of these technological advances resulting in a wide range of curricular changes, workshops designed for specific clientele, and the addition of a graduate program and professional applied training. The process employed to establish this initiative was developed through the cooperative effort of federal, state, and local levels of governments. In addition to the wide spectrum of undergraduate and graduate classes, as well as tailored workshops, the SCSU initiative stresses the integration of academic research and graduate programs with applied topics in GIS and remote sensing. Lastly, recommendations for certification of remote sensing and GIS professionals are discussed.