BMCC is the only community college at CUNY to offer a degree in Geographic Information Science (GIS). Our program will teach you about how GIS technology is used to capture, manage, analyze and display spatial data and connect it with other crucial information.
GIS is used in many applications including natural resource management, crime mapping, vehicle route monitoring, managing grid networks, real estate properties, business customers analyses, precision agriculture, public health, environmental risk and resilience, emergency preparedness and response.
GIS in Action
GIS connects data to a map to help us analyze and understand situations. Some examples of how GIS is used are:
- Public Health: The field of public health uses GIS to map locations of disease outbreaks and juxtapose them with locations of healthcare facilitates, using this information to plan vaccination and treatment distribution.
- Rescue Operations: After a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, GIS was used to assist rescue operations by identifying and assessing damaged areas and and determining how food and water could be distributed.
- Conservation: GIS is used to assess and monitor forest areas that are vulnerable to forest fires, locating and planning roads or paths needed for fire fighters and rescuers. Wildlife communities are tracked by GIS and help conservationists plan wildlife corridors to create more sustainable communities of various species.
GIS Career Paths
This in-demand skill is used in a variety of fields such as law enforcement, urban planning, health, conservation and many more. There are endless career paths for GIS majors or students in another program who have some GIS background. You can major in GIS or take it as an elective while majoring in another field. such as Criminal Justice, Business, Social and Environmental Justice or Allied Health to name a few.
See Careers in GIS: BMCC Alumni
Learn more about GIS and careers that can include GIS. for instance:
- Health and Human Services
- Manufacturing
- Sustainability
- Transportation
- Government
- Real Estate
- Emergency and Public Safety
- Natural Resource Management
- Business Intelligence Using Location Analytics
- Crime Mapping and Hot Spot Analysis
Transfer Options
The curriculum also facilitates transfer to a senior college, such as Hunter College, with 60 credits towards the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Geography with a concentration in GIS, or a similar program at Lehman College.
Geographic Information Science (GIS) Internships
Our students have interned at a variety of city and federal agencies as well as other organizations. These include:
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- NYC Economic Development Corporation
- NYC Department of Transportation
- NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
- U.S. Coast Guard
- National Intelligence University
- Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)
Research Opportunities
GIS students are able assist faculty with research. Some recent projects include:
- Analyzing bike accidents in NYC to understand the distribution and density of accidents
- Improving assistive technology for the visually impaired, to improve their independent travel experiences
- Assessing water quality in the NYC area
- Green infrastructure mapping in NYC to protect neighborhoods against storm water flooding
Students make use of specialized software and printers in our Social Science Lab, to work on GIS projects and make high quality printouts for display at conferences and other events
Resources
- https://www.opengeography.org/online-resources.html
- https://americangeo.org/
- https://www.gismonyc.org/
- https://urisa.org/
Explore Careers
BMCC is committed to students’ long-term success and will help you explore professional opportunities. Undecided? No problem. The college offers Career Coach for salary and employment information, job postings and a self-discovery assessment to help students find their academic and career paths. Visit Career Express to make an appointment with a career advisor, search for jobs or sign-up for professional development activities with the Center for Career Development. Students can also visit the Office of Internships and Experiential Learning to gain real world experience in preparation for a four-year degree and beyond. These opportunities are available to help BMCC students build a foundation for future success.
Contact
Professor Hao Tang
Program Coordinator
Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department
htang@bmcc.cuny.edu
Related Communities
BMCC is the only CUNY community college with a GIS degree program.
Cane could help blind and visually impaired users conduct facility orientation and mobility training remotely.
Using social science, biochemistry and GIS analysis, students correlate perceptions and realities of NYC water quality.
Requirements
Geographic Information Science Academic Program Maps
Required Common Core
| English Composition | 6 |
| Mathematical and Quantitative Reasoning1 | 3 |
| Life and Physical Sciences2 | 3 |
| TOTAL REQUIRED COMMON CORE | 12 |
Flexible Core3
| Creative Expression | 6 |
| Individual and Society | 3 |
| Scientific World4 | 3 |
| U.S. Experience in Its Diversity | 3 |
| World Cultures and Global Issues | 3 |
| TOTAL FLEXIBLE COMMON CORE | 18 |
| TOTAL COMMON CORE | 30 |
Program Curriculum
- This course introduces the design, implementation, testing, and manipulation of database management systems. The design techniques include conceptual data modeling, entity relational modeling and normalization techniques. The databases are then implemented using structured query languages. Testing strategies verify data integrity, security, and privacy. Manipulation activities include insert, update, and delete operations.
Prerequisite: CSC 110 or CSC 111 or department approval.
Course Syllabus - This course introduces students to environmental studies with a focus on policy and management of resources. The course will examine issues pertaining to sustaining our resource base (biodiversity, food, soil, water, and energy) and how humans have impacted these key elements of the natural system. The goals of the course are to introduce students to the trends in human impact and management of the natural environment and provide a background to debates on sustainability and conservation. Prerequisite: GEO 100
- This course introduces the means by which geographers analyze the world to better understand geography and geographical processes. It teaches the students various methods for interpreting and analyzing spatial data including cartography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, spatial statistics and survey research.
- This course focuses on the basic principles and operation of geographic information systems (GIS). Students will study how to use computerized systems for the capture, storage, management, analysis and display of geographically referenced data and their attributes. Professional GIS software packages will be used in lab exercises to provide students with hands-on experience. Prerequisite: GIS 201 or departmental approval
- This is an advanced course on Geographic Information Science that builds upon the concepts covered in GIS 261. It starts with review of the principles and operation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Then, it discusses the topics including geoprocessing, 3-D GIS, geostatistics, map design, map label, and map annotation. Laboratory exercises provide hands-on experience with professional GIS software. The basic programming concepts and skills in GIS application are covered. Students implement a major GIS project for a real world geography issue, which includes processes of system requirement, design, architecture, implementation, and installation.
Prerequisite: [GIS 261 and CIS 395 and (CSC 110 or CSC 111)] or departmental approval - This course covers statistical concepts and techniques with applications. Topics include probability, random variables, the binomial distribution, the hyper-geometric distribution, measures of central tendency, the normal distribution, precision and confidence intervals, sample design and computer projects.
Prerequisite: MAT 206 or MAT 206.5
Course Syllabus - This course analyzes the relationships between economic and social factors, and the delivery of health care services in urban communities. Attention is given to community needs related to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, mortality rates, prevention, and education. Guest lecturers and workshops are presented. Prerequisite: SOC 100 or ANT 100
Footnotes
- Students are required to take MAT 206.
- Students are required to take GLY 210.
- No more than two courses in any discipline or interdisciplinary field can be used to satisfy Flexible Core requirements.
- Students are required to take CSC 110.
- Choose from [CED 201 and CIS 325] or GEO 241.
- These credits can be satisfied by taking STEM variants in the Common Core.
