Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
What is a GIS?
A GIS is a system for capturing, handling, analysing, and displaying spatially referenced data. Typically the output from a GIS is some form of graphic display or map. The input is gathered from a variety of sources including, paper based maps, digital map products, satellite images and aerial photographs. The information, once obtained, is converted (if required) and stored in a digital format for ease of manipulation. The data is integrated to a common reference allowing a final product to be produced which combines required information from the individual source data types.
What is involved?
GIS's come in a variety of flavours from basic systems running on a standalone PC to large applications requiring a supercomputer to manipulate very large datasets. Hardcopy data types (paper maps etc) are converted to digital format using a scanner. Several software programs are used to "clean" the data and to merge the diverse formats. If hardcopy output is required a printer or plotter is used.
What are the advantages?
Because of its digital format, data used by a GIS for one project can be easily reused and reinterpreted. Changes can be incorporated easily.
The GES GIS Laboratory has been set up to provide our students with a solid grounding in all facets of GIS.
Follow this link for further information about the Centre for GIS and some of its past and present projects.
Undergraduate Units offered in GIS
- GES 3610 GIS for Geodemographic, Marketing and Local Government Applications
- GES 3810 GIS for Environmental Management
- GES3820 GIS for Environmental Management (offered via full flexible delivery)
Postgraduate Courses offered in GIS by School of GES
Postgraduate Units offered in GIS
- GYM4610 GIS for Social Science Applications
- GYM4920 GIS for Environmental Science Applications
- GYM4600 Global Positioning Systems (GPS): Applications in GIS
- GYM4620 Processing and deployment of image data in GIS
- GYM4630 Network Modelling in Transportation with GIS (offered from Semester 2 2005)
- GYM4640 Spatial Modelling and Decision Making with GIS (offered from Semester 2 2005)
- GYM4650 GIS applications: project formulation and data base assembly
- GYM4660 GIS applications: data integration and analysis