Prerequisite: Proficiency in general computer skills, including file management in MS Windows XP,  word processing (e.g., MS Word) and spreadsheet skills (e.g.,  MS Excel).

The Master’s degree in Geographic Information Sciences for Development and Environment requires 12 graduate course units. These consist of six required core courses and six electives. At least one elective must be a skills course and at least one elective must be a policy course. The six elective courses allow students flexibility to take courses that will best help them meet their objectives and strengthen areas that they would like to focus on. We encourage students to take advantage of the diversity of courses offered throughout Clark University, and consider enrolling in courses offered in the other programs in the Department of International Development, Community, and Environment, and in other departments (particularly geography, economics and biology) as approved by the student’s faculty advisor. The final requirement for a GISDE degree is the successful completion of a final MA project. This design allows full-time students to complete the program in either three or four semesters.

Required Core Courses

IDCE 388 Vector GIS - explores concepts and applications of vector GIS in local government, environmental justice, urban design, public health, and environmental conservation & planning by analyzing census and spatial data with ArcGIS software. (Experienced students may waive this course based on performance in the one-week workshop in mid-August)

IDCE 310 Raster GIS - explores concepts and applications of raster GIS  analysis in environmental science and natural resource management using Idrisi software.

IDCE 371 Digital Image Processing - introduces basic concepts and analytical methods of satellite remote sensing as applied to environmental systems.

IDCE 396 Advanced Topics in GIS - considers newest theories and applications in GIS including change & time series analysis, geostatistics, 3D data visualization, uncertainty, spatial statistics and multi-criteria evaluation.

IDCE 391 GISDE Seminar - requires students to complete research proposals or internship applications in the spring semester.

IDCE 393 or IDCE 394 GISDE Final MA Project - involves collaboration with internship or research advisor to complete a final MA project.

Skill Electives (such as)

IDCE 376 Spatial Database Development

IDCE 30220 Advanced Remote Sensing

IDCE 30212 Introduction to Quantitative Methods

IDCE 30261 Computer Programming for GIS

IDCE 30262 Internet and Open Source GIS

IDCE 324 Intermediate Quantitative Methods

IDCE 349 Advanced Topics in Spatial Analysis

IDCE 314 Research Design and Methods

Policy Electives (such as)

IDCE 367 Quantitative Modeling

IDCE 363 Decision Methods for Environmental Management

IDCE 382 Management of Environmental Pollutants

IDCE 343 Seminar in Human Dimensions of Global Change

IDCE 30226 Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change

IDCE 30241 Environmental Toxicology

IDCE 30202 Land Use Seminar

IDCE 30214 Landscape Ecology

IDCE 30205 Climate Change, Energy and Development

IDCE 30218 Community-Development Decision Making and Negotiation

IDCE 30217 Economic Fundamentals for International Development

IDCE 30231 Humanitarian Assistances in Complex Emergencies

IDCE 30277 Sustainable Consumption and Production

Final MA Project

Each GISDE student must complete a final MA project for which the student earns credit in either IDCE 393 or IDCE 394. If the final project is based on internship experience, the student will register for IDCE293. If it is based on research, the student will register for IDCE294. All three final project options require an oral presentation and a written paper.

Option 1. Final MA Research Project

Option 2. Final MA Practitioner Project

Option 3. Final MA Thesis

 All MA final projects (research and practitioner projects and theses) should:

• Contain a correctly and consistently formatted bibliography of relevant sources.
• Reflect professional or graduate-level standards in terms of writing quality, style and content of the final project.
• Avoid plagiarism.

Please check with your academic advisor, as MA paper requirements may change from year to year.