Stephen F. Austin State University

Forestry

Faculty

Accreditation

The forestry undergraduate degree programs offered by the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture are accredited by the Society of American Foresters.

Advising and Student Services

All students in the forestry and spatial science degree programs with 60 hours or less must consult an academic adviser prior to each registration period. Students in this category will automatically have an advising hold that can only be cleared by the adviser following an advising session. Students with 61 hours or more must meet with an academic adviser at least once per academic year; however, it is recommended that every student, regardless of completed semester hours, consult with an adviser prior to each registration period to ensure satisfactory progress on his or her degree program.

Scholarships

The ATCOFA annually awards numerous scholarships to forestry, spatial science and environmental science students totaling more than $90,000. These are available to undergraduate (including incoming freshmen) and graduate students and are awarded based on academic excellence and/or financial need. Scholarship applications are due by Feb. 1 and are available online on the Financial Aid Office website. Information about other sources of financial aid, including work-study, and loans, is available from the Financial Aid Office.

Student Organizations

Professional and special interest student organizations sponsored by the ATCOFA provide opportunities for students to participate in college programs, develop leadership skills, compete in national contests and network with practicing professionals. Official student organizations include the Society of American Foresters (SAF), The Wildlife Society (TWS), Xi Sigma Pi National Forestry Honor Society, Student Society of Arboriculture (SSA), Sylvans Professional Forestry Students Club, Park and Recreation Club (PARC), Graduate Student Association, Ducks Unlimited, Texas Trophy Hunters Association and the Student Chapter of the Association of Fire Ecology (SAFE).

Areas of Study & Undergraduate Degree Programs

Bachelor of Science in Forestry (BSF) with majors in: (130 - 133 hours)

Forest management, forest recreation management, forest wildlife management, general forestry. (Individually tailored programs under this broad category include: urban forestry, fire management, agroforestry, and forest business management).

Bachelor of Science in forestry (BSF) degree requires 130-133 semester credit hours of course work, depending upon the major. Specifically, it requires completion of:

  1. A General Education core designed to provide broad education in the arts, mathematics, and social and natural sciences: (47-49 hours)
    1. Six hours from: ENG 131, ENG 132
    2. Six to eight hours from: Communications*
    3. Four hours from: BIO 131 (Lab required)
    4. Four hours from: CHE 133 (Lab required)
    5. Three hours from: MTH 138 or MTH 143
    6. Three hours from: MTH 144 or MTH 220
    7. Twelve hours from: HIS 133 & 134, PSC 141 & 142
    8. Three hours from: Humanities ART, MUS, THR or DAN*
    9. Three hours from: Humanities*
    10. Three hours from: FOR 435 - Resource Economics
      * See University Core Curriculum Requirements
  2. A forestry **core designed to provide broad exposure to all fields of forest resource management: (44 hours)
    1. Fifteen hours from: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219 (Labs required)
    2. Two hours from: FOR 240 (Lab required)
    3. Six hours from: FOR 251 and 313 (Labs required)
    4. Two hours from: FOR 337
    5. Three hours from: FOR 347 (Lab required)
    6. Three hours from: FOR 348
    7. Six hours from: FOR 349 and 409 (Labs required)
    8. Four hours from: FOR 458 (Lab required)
    9. Three hours from: GIS 224 (Lab required)
      ** A minimum grade of "C" is required for each course in the forestry core.
  3. Forestry Field Station (6 hours)
     All students pursuing the BSF degree are required to attend forestry field station that is held at the Piney Woods Conservation Center. Students participate with faculty in an integrated sequence of six courses for a total of six semester credit hours. Students attend field station for six weeks during the summer between their junior and senior years. The following courses are prerequisites for field station: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219, 240, 251, 347, 349; and GIS 224. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the fall semester prior to attending field station. Six hours from: FOR 310, 323, 325, 329, 335, 336.
  4. A major designed to provide added expertise in a specialized field of forestry.
    1. Forest Management major (FRMG): (31-33 hours)
      The emphasis is on production of wood fiber and other forest resources.
      1. Three hours from: FOR 223 (Lab required)
      2. Nine hours from: FOR 317, 411, 427
      3. Three hours from: FOR 428 (Lab required)
      4. Six hours from: FOR 460 or 463 or FOR 470
      5. Three hours from: GIS 390 (Lab required)
      6. Six hours from: Business courses
      7. One to three hours of **approved electives.
    2. Forest Wildlife Management major (FRWM): (33-34 hours)
      For students especially interested in management of wildlife resources as part of the forest:
      1. Eight hours from: BIO 133 and 341 (Labs required)
        1. or three hours from: BIO 370
        2. or three hours from: BIO 407
      2. Eight hours from: BIO 433 and 436 (Labs required)
      3. Twelve hours from: FOR 255, 305, 450, and 475 (Labs required)
      4. Six hours from the following: FOR 406, 454 (Lab required), 455, 466
    3. Forest Recreation Management major (FRCM): (31-33 hours)
      For students interested in park management and utilizing forest ecosystems for educational purposes.
      1. Three hours from: HMS 202
      2. Three hours from: FOR 252
      3. Three hours from: FOR 255 (Lab required)
      4. Three hours from: FOR 351
      5. Three hours from: FOR 451 (Lab required)
      6. Three hours from: FOR 457
      7. Three hours from: FOR 460 or 463
      8. Three hours from: GIS 390 (Lab required)
      9. Seven to nine hours of **approved electives.
    4. General Forestry - Students in the tailored program complete the general education core and the forestry core (including field station) plus sufficient additional courses to total 130 credit hours of acceptable credit. Individually tailored programs are available in urban forestry, fire management, forest business management and agroforestry. These tailored programs are available for qualified students with specific career objectives and are subject to approval by the associate dean.

**Courses selected with approval of adviser

Second Major/Minor in Forestry
  1. A non-forestry student wishing to earn a second major in forestry must complete the forestry core and field station requirements.
  2. A non-forestry student may earn a minor in any of the specialized fields of forestry by completing a minimum of 20 semester hours. At least nine semester hours must be at the advanced (300 - 400) level. Advising for second majors or minors will be in the office of the associate dean or the student services coordinator of the college.
Bachelor of Science in Spatial Science (BSSC) with emphasis fields in Natural Resources & Surveying: (120 hours)

The BSSC degree program is designed to educate students in spatial science theory and application in order to meet the increasing job market demands. It includes the major fields of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), and Surveying and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Students will start with the fundamentals of geospatial sciences both in theory and application and complete the degree with an emphasis in Natural Resources or Land Surveying. Students who complete the surveying emphasis track will satisfy the academic background requirement to become a Registered Surveyor in the state of Texas; actual licensing requires work experience in addition to the educational background.

In order to receive the BSSC, a student must complete the listed General Education Core, the Common core of the spatial science major, and one of the two emphasis tracks for a total of 120 semester credit hours of course work. Specifically, it requires completion of:

  1. A general education core designed to provide broad education in the arts, mathematics, and social and natural sciences: (44-45 hours)
    1. Six hours from: ENG 131, ENG 132
    2. Three hours from: ENG 273 or BLW 247
    3. Three to four hours from: Communications*
    4. Four hours from: ENV 110 (Lab Required)
    5. Four hours from: AST 105, BIO 131, PHY 101 or GOL 131 (Lab required)
    6. Three hours from: MTH 143 or 138
    7. Three hours from: MTH 220
    8. Six hours from: HIS 133 & 134
    9. Six hours from: PSC 141 & 142
    10. Three hours from Humanities: ART, MUS, THR, or DAN
    11. Three hours from: PHI 223
      *See University Core Curriculum Requirements
  2. A spatial science **core designed to provide broad exposure to all fields of spatial science: (41 hours)
    1. Five hours from: MTH 140
    2. Twenty-one hours from: GIS 201, 224, 301, 390, 395, 400, 405 (Labs required)
    3. Three hours from: GIS 410
    4. Six hours from: GIS 415 and 420 (Labs required)
    5. Three hours from: FOR 223 (Lab required)
    6. Three hours from: FOR 443
      ** A minimum grade of "C" is required for each course in the Spatial Science Core.
  3. Complete one of the following two tracks:
    1. Natural Resources Track: (34-35 hours)
      1. Twenty-four semester hours of FOR, ENV, GIS, GOL, HRT, AGR, AGN or BIO, including at least nine semester hours of 300 - 400 advanced-level courses. Ten to eleven semester hours of approved electives.
    2. Surveying Track: (34-35 hours)
      1. Three hours from: MTH 133
      2. Six hours from: FOR 219 and 423 (Labs required)
      3. Three hours from: FIN 265
      4. Six hours from: BLW 366 and 468
      5. Six hours from: HRT 325 and 326
      6. Three hours from: GEO 315
      7. Seven to eight hours of approved electives
Second Major/Minor in Spatial Science
  1. A student wishing to earn a second major in spatial science must complete the Spatial Science core requirements.
  2. A student may earn a minor in spatial science by completing a minimum of 20 semester hours. At least nine semester hours must be at the advanced (300 - 400) level. Advising for second majors or minors will be in the office the student services coordinator of the college.

Certified Forester

Students who receive a BSF from SFA fulfill the academic requirements for the Certified Forester (CF) credential from the Society of American Foresters. Certification status is not available until the applicant has a minimum of five years of qualifying professional forestry-related experience and has passed the certification examination.

Certified Wildlife Biologist

Credentialing as a professional certified Wildlife Biologist by The Wildlife Society is a voluntary program for students in forest wildlife management. It is the responsibility of the student, working closely with his/her adviser, to take the appropriate courses required by The Wildlife Society. Certification status is not available until the applicant has the required course work and a minimum of five years of work experience in wildlife management.

Graduate Degree Programs

The college offers Master of Science (MS) degree programs in forestry, spatial science, environmental science and agriculture. MS degrees with a major in resource interpretation are available as fully online degree programs. The college also offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. Students interested in pursuing graduate studies should refer to the SFA Graduate Bulletin for details on all graduate programs.

Probation - Suspension Policy

A student receiving a probation or suspension notice must see the student services coordinator for advising.

Degree Plan and Final Graduation Plan

Prior to the end of the sophomore year, all students in the college must select a degree program and prepare a degree plan. To have a degree plan prepared, the student must see the student services coordinator of the college.

A final graduation plan must be filed prior to pre-registration for the semester in which the student plans to graduate. The student should see the student services coordinator for review and for filing of the final graduation plan.

Courses in Forestry (FOR)

Unless otherwise indicated, courses are 3 semester hours credit, 3 hours lecture per week.

All courses are offered both fall and spring semesters unless a specific semester is indicated.  A course not regularly scheduled may be offered on demand. Except for courses numbered 460 and 463, all undergraduate courses must have a minimum of 10 students to be offered. Courses with required field trips or extensive use of GIS will have an additional fee.

111.

Introduction to Forestry (FORE 1301) - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Introduction to the multiple use concepts of forestry and basic techniques of forest resource management. Required field trips. Course fee required.

152.

Introduction to Wildlife Management - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Historical perspectives of wildlife management and an introduction to basic wildlife management concepts. Course fee required.

205.

Forest Biometrics I - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Individual tree measurements, forest sampling methods, applied statistics and computer applications for data analysis. Required field trips. Prerequisite: MTH 138 or 143. Course fee required.

209.

Forest Ecology (FORE 2309) - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Climatic, edaphic and biotic factors and their relation to woody plant growth and development. Required field trips. Prerequisite: BIO 131. Course fee required.

219.

Dendrology (FORE 1314) - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Identification, distribution and silvical characteristics of angiosperms and gymnosperms. Required field trips. Prerequisite: BIO 131. Course fee required.

223.

Surveying and Mapping - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Introduction to principles and methods of land surveying and associated map production techniques. Prerequisite: MTH 138 or 143. Course fee required. Spring only.

240.

Wood Science - Two semester hours, one hour lecture and three hours lab per week. Physical and chemical properties of wood as related to its anatomy and economic use. Prerequisites: MTH 138 or 143, BIO 131, CHE 133. Spring only.

241.

Wood Properties - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Non-mechanical and mechanical properties of wood and their relation to timber grading, processing and manufacture of forest products and their end use. Prerequisite: FOR 240. Course fee required.

251.

Introduction to Recreation and Human Dimensions - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Survey of the interaction between humans and natural resources with emphasis placed upon management of the human/natural resource interface and outdoor recreation experiences.

252.

Environmental Interpretation Methods - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Development of effective techniques for interpreting natural and cultural resources, and in planning and managing interpretive programs. Required field trips. Course fee required. Spring only.

255.

Forest Wildlife Management - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Principles and techniques of wildlife management. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 152. Course fee required.

304.

Arboriculture - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Establishment and care of individual trees in a non-forest context. Fall only odd years.

305.

Wildlife Techniques - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Instruction and practice in a variety of field methods used to conduct and evaluate resource management and research. Assumptions, biases and problems associated with various techniques, as well as analysis of data, interpretations and application of results. Prerequisites: FOR 152 and 255. Course fee required.

310.

Field Silviculture - One semester hour. Study of regeneration techniques, thinning and intermediate cultural operations. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219, 240, 251, 347, 349, and GIS 224. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the fall semester prior to attending field station. Course fee required. Summer only at forestry field station.

313.

Forest Insects and Diseases - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Examination of the effects of forest pests on forest products, forest-stand structure and function, and both economic and non-economic losses. Prerequisite: FOR 209. Course fee required.

317.

Forest Biometrics II - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Quantifying forest timber stand structure with respect to basic stand parameters. Prerequisite: FOR 205. Fall only.

323.

Land Measurement - One semester hour. Study of boundary surveying of forestland. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219, 240, 251, 347, 349, and GIS 224. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the fall semester prior to attending field station. Course fee required. Summer only at forestry field station.

325.

Timber Cruising - One semester hour. Study of timber stand estimation. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219, 240, 251, 347, 349, and GIS 224. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the fall semester prior to attending field station. Course fee required. Summer only at forestry field station.

329.

Harvesting and Processing - One semester hour. Study of methods of harvesting materials from the forest and procedures used in the manufacture of wood products. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219, 240, 251, 347, 349, and GIS 224. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the fall semester prior to attending field station. Course fee required. Summer only at forestry field station.

335.

Non-timber Resources Management - One semester hour. Study of inventory and management principles for non-timber uses of forestland. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219, 240, 251, 347, 349, and GIS 224. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the fall semester prior to attending field station. Course fee required. Summer only at forestry field station.

336.

Field Wildlife Techniques - One semester hour. Field study focusing upon a range of forest wildlife management topics, including detailed investigation of wildlife communities (including birds, mammals and reptiles) present in a variety of forested habitats, trapping and survey techniques, study specimen preparation, and other topics. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 111, 152, 205, 209, 219, 240, 251, 347, 349, and GIS 224. Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.0 at the end of the fall semester prior to attending field station. Course fee required. Summer only at forestry field station.

337.

Introduction to Fire Management - Two semester hours, two hours lecture per week. Explore fire history in the U.S., fire occurrence, effects and behavior, detection, and control. Study the integration of fire in land management planning and policy. Prerequisite: FOR 209 or permission of instructor. Course fee required.

344.

Forest Entomology - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Study of insects that attack forest trees and products. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 209 or eight hours of BIO. Course fee required.

347.

Silviculture - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Study of silvicultural systems, regeneration and intermediate management from ecologic and economic viewpoints. Required field trips. Prerequisites: FOR 205, 209. Course fee required.

348.

Natural Resource Policy - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Forest history and natural resource policy in the United States including effects of the environmental movement. Spring only.

349.

Principles of Forest Soils - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Physical, chemical and biological properties of forest soils. Management and classification of soils. Required field trips. Prerequisite: CHE 133. Course fee required.

351.

Introduction to Wildland Recreation Administration - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Structure, staffing and financing of parks, wildernesses and other forest recreation areas. Spring only.

402.

Field Ecology - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Principles of synecology and population ecology as they affect vegetative and animal communities. Ecological impacts of management and quantitative analysis of communities. Prerequisites: FOR 209 or BIO 313. Course fee required. Fall only.

404.

Urban Forestry - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Planning, establishment, protection, and management of individual trees and forest systems within an urban environment. Required field trips. Prerequisites: FOR 209, 349. Course fee required. Fall only - even years.

405.

Environmental Communication and Interpretation - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Overview of the field of natural resource communication and interpretation. Of particular interest to those whose careers require public interaction. Fall only.

406.

Wildlife Population Ecology - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Overview of the field of natural resource communication and interpretation. Of particular interest to those whose careers require public interaction. Fall only.

409.

Forest Hydrology - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Study of the effects of forests and forest activities on water quantity and quality, soil erosion and stream sedimentation. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 349. Course fee required.

411.

Timber Management - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Concepts of stand-level and forest-level timber harvesting schedules. Prerequisite: FOR 317.

423.

Advanced Surveying - Three semester hours; two hours lecture and three hours of lab per week. Mathematics, data collection and analysis, boundary law and boundary analysis used in the everyday practice of the land surveyor. Spring only.

427.

Regional Silviculture - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Multiple use management of the major forest types of the U. S. Prerequisite: FOR 310. Fall only.

428.

Intensive Silviculture - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Study of tree improvement in silviculture context. Fundamental concepts of tree breeding, vegetation management and forest fertilization. Prerequisite: FOR 310. Course fee required. Spring only.

435.

Forest Economics - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Economic analysis for decision making in forestry. Prerequisites: FOR 310. Summer II and fall.

438.

Fire Use in Land Management - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Study of fire in land management. Preparation of burning plans and field applications of prescribed burns. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 337 or permission of instructor. Course fee required. Spring only.

443.

Weather and Climate - Three semester hours; three hours of lecture per week. Introduction to the basic ideas of the atmosphere, weather, climate and weather forecasting, climate and climate change. Develop competencies to access weather information via geospatial software and the Internet.

446.

Fire Ecology - Three semester hours; three hours lecture per week. An investigation of fire ecology in the United States. Emphasis will be on how fire ecology influences natural resource management.

448.

Range Management - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Principles of range management. Characteristics of rangelands and range plants, and management of grazing animals and vegetation. Emphasis on interactions with recreation, wildlife and forests. Spring only.

450.

Forest Wildlife Habitat Management - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Theory and practice of evaluating and managing a forest habitat for wildlife. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 305. Course fee required. Fall only.

451.

Management of Outdoor Recreation Areas - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Planning, development and maintenance of parks and forest recreation areas. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 351. Course fee required. Fall only.

454.

Non-game Wildlife Ecology - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Ecology of non-game animals in forest ecosystems. Topics include population ecology and the relationships of animals to forest ecosystems. Some bird and small mammal sample techniques included, as is management of some endangered species. Required field trips. Prerequisite: FOR 255 or permission of instructor. Course fee required. Spring only.

455.

Wetland Wildlife Management - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Principles of wetland management to maximize wildlife suitability, use, biological diversity and ecological integrity. Wetland management techniques, practices and concepts with an emphasis on wetland management for migratory birds including waterfowl, shorebirds and other non-game birds. Prerequisite: FOR 255 or permission of instructor. Spring only, odd years. Course fee required.

457.

Environmental Attitudes and Issues - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Overview of the global historical origins and current influences on attitudes toward the outdoor environment. Examination and discussion of environmental policy, ethics and issues. Spring only.

458.

Forest Resource Management - Four semester hours, three hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Formulation, calculation, writing, and implementation of multiple-use resource management plans and environmental impact statements and assessments. Prerequisites: forestry field station. FOR 435 and GIS 390 or FOR 475. Course fee required.

460.

Forestry Internship - Three semester hours. Studies of resource management in an operational setting under the supervision of an approved organization. Must be arranged in advance and approved by the dean’s office. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of six credit hours.

463.

Special Problems - One, two, or three semester hours. Individual study in an area of the student’s choice. Must be arranged in advance and approved by the dean’s office. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of nine credit hours.

464.

Contemporary Problems in Forestry - Three semester hours. Classes conducted on current topics in forestry. Must be arranged in advance and approved by the dean’s office. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of nine credit hours.

465.

Range Development and Evaluation - Three semester hours, three hours of lecture per week. Principles of the development, improvement and evaluation of rangeland resources. Required field trips. Course fee required. Spring only, odd years.

466.

Urban Wildlife Management - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Techniques of managing wildlife population in urban/suburban landscapes. Includes nuisance wildlife and habitat restoration. Spring only, odd years.

470.

Forest Consulting - Three semester hours, three hours lecture per week. An overview of the forestry consulting business. Focus will be on consulting as a career and provide skills/applications essential for becoming a successful consultant. Prerequisite: junior, senior or graduate standing.

475.

GIS Applications in Wildlife Management - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Applications of GIS to common tasks and analyses used in wildlife ecology, conservation, and management. Prerequisite: GIS 224 and FOR 305.

486.

Mammology - Four semester hours, three hours lecture, three hours lab per week. Classification, evolution, natural history and distribution of mammals. Emphasis on natural history and identification of regional species in lab. Field trips required. Requires outside readings and/or research projects. Course fee required. Requires concurrent enrollment in lab. Prerequisite: BIO 133 or permission of the instructor. Cross-listed as BIO 436.

Courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Unless otherwise indicated, courses are 3 semester hours credit, 3 hours lecture per week.

201.

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Overview of computer-based GIS concepts and components. Topics include spatial (location) and attributes (description of features), base maps, spatial data manipulation and analysis. Course designed for non-forestry/environmental science majors who want a broad overview of GIS. Course fee required. Fall only.

224.

Introduction to Spatial Science - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. An introduction to the spatial disciplines of aerial photography, satellite remote sensing, global positioning systems and geographic information systems as applied to mapping, monitoring and managing natural resources. Prerequisite: MTH 138, 143 or 233. Course fee required.

301.

GIS Applications - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Advanced overview of GIS applications. Develop GIS topics such as geodata-base construction, thematic map analysis, spatial modeling, data classification and verification, and GIS application design. Prerequisite: GIS 201. Course fee required. Spring only.

390.

Geographic Information Systems - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours lab per week. Specific approaches to applications of geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and remote sensing to problems in natural resource analysis. Prerequisite: GIS 224. Course fee required.

395.

GIS Database Management - Three semester hours, two hours of lecture and three hours lab per week. Instruction will cover geospatial database design, functions, applications and management. Prerequisites: GIS 390 and MTH 140

400.

GIS Programming - Three semester hours, two hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Introduction to GIS programming language fundamentals such as data types, control structures and functions. Program design and spatial problem solving with a high level programming language will be included. Prerequisites: GIS 390, 395.

405.

Remote Sensing Applications - Three semester hours, two hours of lecture and three hours lab per week. Application of analog and digital remote sensing technologies for natural and cultural resource assessment. Specific topics include: stereoscopy, scale, map coordinates, map reading, area and distance estimation, acquiring photos, photo geometry, parallax measurements, electromagnetic spectrum, atmospheric and surface interactions, spectral signatures, film and filters, aerial photo interpretation, digital image acquisition, image resolution, image sensors, radiometric correction, geometric correction, image classification and accuracy assessment. Prerequisites: GIS 201 or GIS 224 and 301 or GIS 390 and MTH 140.

410.

Landscape Modeling - Application of geographic information systems to solving management of spatial applications for natural and cultural resources. Formulation, calculation, writing and implementation of multiple use spatial management for natural resource and cultural resources. Prerequisites: GIS 201, GIS 224 and 301, or GIS 390.

411.

Emergency Management GIS - Three semester hours, two hours of lecture and three hours lab per week. Instruction in incident response protocols, evaluation and transformation of critical infrastructure datasets and post event mitigation using geospatial techniques. Prerequisites: GIS 201 or 224.

415.

Spatial Analysis - Three semester hours, two hours of lecture and three hours lab per week. The understanding of spatial process is a fundamental step toward the conservation and management of natural resources. This course is intended to acquaint students with a range of common spatial analysis techniques used to identify and describe spatial patterns and processes operating in natural systems. Prerequisites: GIS 201 or GIS 224 and GIS 301 or GIS 390 and MTH 140 and MTH 220.

420.

Ecological Planning - Three semester hours, two hours lecture and three hours of lab per week. Application of geographic information systems to solving management of spatial applications for natural and cultural resources. Formulation, writing and implementation of multiple-use spatial management and planning. Prerequisites: GIS 201 or 224; GIS 301 or 390; GIS 405; and GIS 410.

425.

Mobile and Field GIS - Three semester hours. GIS data management with focus on building geodatabase and field mapping and inventory using mobile GPS/GIS devices. Students will be working on projects related to GIS data collection and processing using GIS/GPS. Course fee required.

460.

GIS Internship - Three semester hours. Studies in applications of geographic Informational Systems and/or global positioning systems in an operational setting under the supervision of an approved company/organization. Must be arranged in advance and approved by the dean’s office. May be repeated for a maximum of six credit hours. Course fee required.

463.

Special Problems - One, two, or three semester hours. Individual study in the area of GIS, GPS or other areas of spatial science. Must be arranged in advance and approved by the dean’s office. May be repeated for a maximum of six credit hours. Course fee required.

464.

Contemporary Topics in Geospatial Science - Three semester hours. Classes conducted on current topics in spatial science. May be repeated for a maximum of nine credit hours. Course fee required.