Graduate Program
Graduate Studies in Geography
Introductory, advanced, and seminar courses are offered in four major areas of study: Geographic Information Science --Computer Mapping and Cartographic Visualization, Geographic Information Systems, Environmental Remote Sensing, Advanced Cartographic Methods, Quantitative Analysis; Physical-Environmental Geography --Conservation of Natural Resources, Biogeography, Geomorphology, Climatology, Field Methods; Urban-Regional Planning --Urban Geography, Land Use, Metropolitan Planning, Urban Community, Internship in Regional Planning; Human Geography --Political Geography, Economic Geography, Cultural Geography, Feminist Geography. Students generally specialize in one area, but are encouraged to take courses in all four.
The Graduate Program in Geography provides training in geographic skills and opportunities for graduate work in a spectrum of systematic and scientific fields. Students seeking the Master of Arts degree can choose one of two options: Option I, Thesis option (30 credit hours)with 24 hours of approved graduate work and 6 semester hours of thesis; and Option II, Non-Thesis with 36 credit hours of approved graduate courses. Individual programs of study are designed for incoming graduate students on the basis of previous course work and personal interviews. The History and Philosophy of Geography and Research Methods courses are required of all graduate students.
Departmental Strengths and Research Directions
The Graduate Program in Geography is enriched by special programs and faculty research in cartography, remote sensing and geographic information science applied to urban landscapes, vegetation, soils, surface water resources, plains and mountain environments; ground water quality and environmental contamination; gender and work in the United States; geographic education; development and resources in East Africa; geoarchaeology in the Middle East; political economy of post-communist transformations in Central and Eastern Europe, foreign direct investment, car industry restructuring and regional development in Central and Eastern Europe.
Computer Facilities
The Department of Geography / Geology houses three state-of-the-art computer laboratories. The Cartography & GIS Laboratory consists of two separate computer labs. The Cartography Laboratory supports instruction in cartographic design with 8 Macintosh computers and Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The Omaha Urban and Regional Geographic Information System Laboratory (OURgis), a joint facility with the Department of Criminal Justice, consists of 16 PC computers. Software includes ESRI ArcView, ArcGIS, MapObjects, MapINFO, ERDAS, SAS, SPSS, SpaceStat, Visual Basic. The laboratory has been recognized as an ESRI certified training facility.
The Remote Sensing and GIS Applications Laboratory (RSAL) is a sophisticated computational facility which facilitates instruction and research. Faculty, staff, and students from physics, engineering, computer science, biology, and geography and geology are involved with multi-disciplinary basic and applied research projects involving remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) technology, environmental modeling, terrestrial monitoring, artificial intelligence, software and algorithm development, virtual reality simulations, and scientific visualization. Research grants and contracts have been funded by a variety of sources including Army Corp of Engineers, National Geographic Society, U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. Agency for International Development, University of Nebraska, and the University of Nebraska Foundation. RSAL computational hardware includes a Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) Onyx2 server, several SGI O2 workstations, and SUN Ultra workstations. Abundant system memory, disk space, and multiple processors on various machines enable the processing of large volumes of data. Similarly, these hardware resources enable advanced computation analysis to be used to study environmental issues and problems. All computers and input and output devices are networked on a high-speed local area network.
GIScience Certificate
A total of 17 graduate credits are required to receive a graduate GIScience certificate at UNOmaha. The curriculum stresses spatial theory, oral and written communication, computer experience, problem-solving skills, and GIS industry experience.Prerequisites:
The student must demonstrate a background in geography, statistics, and computer science. Prerequisites could include courses such as the following:
GEOG 1020: Human Geography
GEOG 1070: Physical Geography: Soils and Landforms
MATH 1530: Introduction to Applied Probability and Statistics
CIST 1400: Introduction to Computer Programming
Required courses:
GEOG 8535: Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (2 cr)
GEOG 8545: Cartography and Geographic Information Systems Lab (2 cr)
GEOG 8056: GIS I (3 cr)
GEOG 8666: GIS II (4 cr)
Two of the following courses:
GEOG 8016: Conservation of Natural Resources (3 cr)
GEOG 8036: Computer Mapping and Cartographic Visualization (3 cr)
GEOG 8636: Environmental Remote Sensing (4 cr)
GEOG 8650: Land Use (3 cr)
GEOG 8670: Advanced Cartographic Methods
GEOG 8800: Internship in Environmental/Regional Planning (3 cr) - highly recommended for practical experience
An approved graduate course in statistics.
Students may substitute advanced courses in GIScience for required courses already taken. Students will be allowed a maximum of two substitutions for these required courses. Substitutions must be approved by the department GIScience advisor.
For more information about the graduate certificate program in GIS, please call (402) 554-2662.
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