■ Geography and Geoinformation Science

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Phone: 703-993-1210 or 703-993-1212
Web: ggs.gmu.edu

Faculty

Professors: Agouris (dean), Di, Falconer, Haack, Qu, Stefanidis (acting chair), Taylor, Waters, Wong

Associate professors: Curtin, Houser, Leslie, Pfoser, C. Yang, R. Yang

Assistant professors: Croitoru, Medina, Rice

Research or contract professors: Kwiatkowski, Parnell, Sommers, Xu

Term instructors: Boudinot, Hallden

Adjunct faculty: Dillon, Grymes, Komwa, McGlone, Owen, Resmini, Self, Sonwalkar, Tryfona, Ward

Course Work

This department offers all courses designated GGS in the Courses section of this catalog.

Undergraduate Programs

The GGS department offers a bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of science (BS) in geography. Majors in both programs complete coursework in systematic and regional geography. Students in the BA choose a minor or second major to complete their degree while BS students take additional courses to increase their technical and quantitative proficiency.

In addition to these degree, the GGS department jointly with the department of Environmental Science and Policy offers a BS in Global and Environmental Change. This unique interdisciplinary undergraduate program distinguishes itself from other degrees in the natural sciences by examining the local, regional and global scales of the dynamics of the Earth’s systems and their interactions: the geosphere, the atmosphere, the ecosphere and the sociosphere. It emphasizes the dynamic and changing Earth systems and the use of Earth observing and remote sensing and related geoinformation technologies to monitor these systems and detect changes in them.

Minors

For students pursuing any major in the university, the department offers a minor in geography (fully available online) as well as a minor in geographic information systems (GIS).

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated as “writing intensive” in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in geography fulfill this requirement by successfully completing GGS 415 . Students majoring in global and environmental change fulfill this requirement by successfully completing GGS 304 .

Graduate Degrees

Graduate programs are distinguished by an emphasis on cutting-edge research and its application to solving practical problems in human and environmental realms. Degree options include three master’s degrees and one doctoral program. The master’s in earth systems science offers a global systems approach to the study of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. The degree emphasis is on the observation and quantitative analysis of earth systems. The master’s in geographic and cartographic sciences focuses on techniques to compile, display and analyze spatial data. The master’s in geoinformatics and geospatial intelligence focuses primarily on computational approaches that support the synthesis and analysis of diverse data types in order to identify and monitor complex events and phenomena that manifest themselves over space and time.

The doctoral program in earth systems and geoinformation sciences combines and extends the three scientific avenues mapped by our master’s programs to provide a thorough and interdisciplinary approach to doctoral studies.

Graduate Certificates

For students wishing to pursue graduate-level specialization and skill advancement in specific, focused application areas the department offers graduate level certificates in geographic information sciences, geospatial intelligence and remote sensing. Students may take these as stand-alone certificates or under certain circumstances, pursue them concurrently with another graduate degree program. Certificate coursework may be applicable towards other graduate degree requirements. In order to follow a graduate certificate program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and must apply for and be admitted into the corresponding program.

Non-Degree Status

Applicants who have not been admitted to a specific graduate degree or certificate program and still wish to attend courses may apply for non-degree status admission. This status is intended for students who do not seek a specific degree. These students must apply for non-degree status and be admitted through a process comparable to the one followed by degree-seeking students.

While it may be possible to transfer the credits earned in non-degree status later on to a degree program, such transfers are not automatic. If approved, a maximum of 9 credits earned in non-degree status may be applied to a degree program. Non-degree students who intend to transfer their credits to a degree programs should discuss this in a timely manner with the appropriate department coordinator.

Teacher Licensure

Students who wish to become teachers should consult the College of Education and Human Development section and attend an information session early in their undergraduate career. For more information, call 703-993-2892, e-mail gseadmit@gmu.edu, or go to gse.gmu.edu.

Distance Education

While all courses and programs listed are offered in traditional face-to-face on campus teaching, the department offers select programs through fully online modules. These online programs include an online version of our minor in geoography and an online version of the graduate certificate in geospatial intelligence. Individual courses which are currently available online (in addition to their traditional delivery modes) are: GGS 101 , 102 , 103 , 121 , 311 , 312 , 320 , 380 , 553 , 680 , and 692 .

Programs

Undergraduate Degree(s)

Undergraduate Minor(s)

Master’s Degree(s)

Master’s Level Certificate(s)

Doctoral Degree(s)

Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences, PhD