Course Description
An in-depth look at emergency and disaster management with an emphasis on the roles of geographic information and geographic information systems. By the end of the course, students will gain an understanding of geospatial perspectives and technologies as they relate to the theory and application of disaster management approaches, including emerging trends and career opportunities.
Athena Title
Geographic Information Systems
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
• Examine the role of geospatial perspectives in aiding theoretical and practical applications of disaster management. • Evaluate the effectiveness of cartographic methods in public-facing disaster maps. • Apply basic cartographic principles and geospatial methods to create a map using GIS. • Present community risk reduction strategies derived from mapping outcomes. • Evaluate the digital technologies available for each stage of the disaster management cycle, including current needs and opportunities for future integrations.
Topical Outline
1. History and fundamentals of geography, cartography, and GIS 2. Disaster management and the role of GIS 3. Case studies in GIS and disasters 4. ESRI ArcGIS Online products; Finding geographic data 5. Managing geographic information 6. Participatory and volunteered geographic information 7. Visualizing geographic information 8. Analyzing geographic information 9. Drones and satellite technologies 10. Augmented, mixed, and virtual realities; Imagery and photography 11. Special topic: global health 12. Special topic: climate change 13. Furthering your education, training, and career in GIS 14. The future roles of GIS in disaster management