Geographic Information System (GIS) Program

at the University of Maine at Presque Isle

A member of Maine GIS Consortium

GIS I course website       GIS II course website      Students' GIS lab websites      2007 GIS Day at UMPI      SSM      UMPI

ABOUT US

 

GIS program at UMPI is aimed to bring modern GPS and GIS technologies to students of all the majors and to local communities. A two-semester GIS sequence is offered, ENV386-Introduction to GIS (GIS I) in the spring, and ENV486-GIS Applications and Advanced Spatial Analyses (GIS II) in the fall.

 

Students in GIS II work on real GIS projects to earn hands-on experience. For example, they collect municipal infrastructural data with Trimble GPS and build GIS geodatabases for the local cities/towns. Some of them work as paid interns in the summer. GPS/GIS technologies help students meet higher academic standards and to achieve successes in their job hunting and their professional careers.

 

UMPI makes every effort to build a stronger GIS program in northern Maine. It works with local municipalities to build partnerships and establish a state-of-art GPS/GIS Application/Service Center.

 

WHAT IS GIS?

 

GIS (Geographic Information System) is a computing system designed to capture, store, retrieve, analyze, and display geographic information/spatial data. GIS is a powerful tool in dealing with geographic information and in decision making. It is a technological application, which can be used across various disciplines. With improvements in the capabilities of GIS technology and the power of GIS map displays, the number and types of GIS uses have expanded exponentially from purely infrastructure, engineering, and environmental applications to program planning applications pertaining to social and public policy issues.

        

                                                            PERSONNEL

Dr. Chunzeng Wang

Earth and Environmental Sciences; GPS/GIS

Office: South Hall 306

Phone: (207)769-9412

Email: chunzeng.wang@umpi.edu

 

 

Mr. Mark Matson

GIS Specialist

Office: South Hall 307

Email: mmatson@ainop.com

FACILITIES

q

Computer Laboratory

with more than 60 state-of-art computers installed with GIS software

  1 HP Designjet 1050c

  Plus wide format printer

  (print top-quality

  standard maps and

  posters)

  1 Xerox Phaser color

  laser printer

2 Trimble GeoXH GPS

(Top mapping-quality

GPS units with real-time sub-meter and post-processing sub-foot accuracy)

6 Garmin GPSmap 76CSx

(top navigation-quality    Garmin GPS units)

COURSES OFFERED

 

ENV386 - Fundamentals of GIS (GIS I):

 

The course introduces students to basic concepts and techniques of digital mapping. Topics include location referencing methods, data collection techniques, spatial data models and structure, geodatabase creation and manipulation, basic spatial queries and problem solving with GIS.  4 credits. Prerequisite: Math and science general education core course.

 

The course is divided into: lectures, which introduce basic theories and concepts of mapping science, geographic information science, and GIS technology, and lab exercises, which address hands-on exercises with ArcGIS, covering the whole GIS production process from data modeling and acquisition to data editing, spatial queries, basic spatial analysis, and cartographic design.

 

The goal is to provide students with experience in the geographic data acquisition, manipulation, query, spatial analysis, and visualization. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: (1) understand basic concepts used in GIS; (2) demonstrate a working knowledge of ArcGIS, and (3) meet the prerequisite skill requirement for advanced GIS course, GIS II.

 

Offered in the spring with 4 credits and 5 contact hours. Prerequisite: basic Windows skills and a science/math core course.

 

ENV486 - GIS Applications and Advanced Spatial Analyses (GIS II):

 

GIS II focuses on advanced spatial and 3D analysis methods and GIS techniques and skills, including geocoding, georeferencing, CAD data conversion, raster- and TIN-based spatial and 3D analysis such as digital terrain modeling and visualization, and surface analysis. The major purpose of this course is to extend fundamental theories and concepts in GIS students have learned from introductory GIS course (GIS I) so that they are better knowledgeable in advanced GIS applications.

 

The course will be divided into: lectures, which address basic theories and methods of advanced spatial and 3D analysis and GIS techniques and skills, and applications of GIS skills in fields of students’ interests, and lab exercises, which focus on hands-on experiences in the advanced and critical GIS techniques and skills.  

 

The course is also project-focused: each student is required to pick up a project and to work it through the semester. The project will use real GIS data and solve a real problem. The project could be integrated into one’s senior thesis project. Students will present the finished projects to the class near the end of the semester. Students are also encouraged to present their GIS projects to other audience such as department seminars, University Day seminars, and professional meetings.

 

GIS II is aimed to enhance ArcGIS skills for students who have taken GIS I. Upon completion of GIS II, students are expected to be able to independently work on general projects with ArcGIS, and to be able to move further and to be able to explore higher levels of ArcGIS with self study.

 

Offered in the fall with 4 credits and 5 contact hours.  Prerequisite: GIS I

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