Geographic Information Science (GIS) (A.S.)

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Tablet with GIS data

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:


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)

BMCC belongs to the IC CAE Consortium and, as a result, the US Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence at Rutgers has provided us with internships specifically for students in BMCC, CCNY, NJCU and Rutgers.


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

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


The GIS program is co-coordinated by the Social Sciences, Criminal Justice and Human Services Department and the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department


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.

Explore career paths for Geographic Information Science (pdf)


Requirements

Required Common Core

Flexible Core3

Program Curriculum

Database Systems I
Statistics
3–4 CRS.
XXX xxx
Internship or GEO Elective5
2-3 CRS.
XXX xxx
General Elective6
30
Total Curriculum Requirements
60
Total Program Requirements

Footnotes

  1. Students are required to take MAT 206.
  2. Students are required to take GLY 210.
  3. No more than two courses in any discipline or interdisciplinary field can be used to satisfy Flexible Core requirements.
  4. Students are required to take CSC 110.
  5. Choose from [CED 201 and CIS 325] or GEO 241.
  6. These credits can be satisfied by taking STEM variants in the Common Core.

Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice Department

199 Chambers Street, Room N-651
New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 220-1210
socialscience@bmcc.cuny.edu

Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
9 a.m.-5 p.m

Computer Information Systems Dept.

Fiterman Hall, Room F-0930
New York, NY 10007
Phone: (212) 220-1476

Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
9 a.m.-5 p.m