The BSc in GIScience is offered in the Faculty of Applied Sciences in partnership with the Department of Geography and the School of Computing Science. GIScience combines the theoretical, practical and intellectual issues surrounding the use of Geographic Information System technologies. GIScience is simply the theory that underlies GISystems.
The aim of the GIScience major is to provide a liberal education in computational analysis of geographical phenomena. Graduates will be exceptionally well qualified to contribute to a rapidly growing industry. Students will explore the merits of different methods for digital representation of spatial entities on the earth’s surface. They will learn how to model data effectively; how to visualize those models using computing graphics; and how to program in object environments.
Employment prospects are bright for students with training in GIScience. Private companies and public sector employers have growing needs for workers who can help them take advantage of their investments in spatial data infrastructure and management. Firms and agencies dealing with natural resources, energy production and distribution, transportation and waste management now require GIS training for many career paths. Students are encouraged to participate in Cooperative Education to experience these and other career opportunities.
The BA Major with an emphasis in Spatial Information Systems offers a broad education in geography concentrating on the theories and technologies of geographical data acquisition, processing and interpretation. The Major prepares students for many careers requiring extensive knowledge of the principles and applications of spatial science, including image processing, remote sensing, geographic information systems, and spatial modelling.
Many students find that knowledge of spatial information science opens doors to positions in corporations and government agencies, which depend increasingly on geographical information systems to store and analyze spatial data. Applications include data management and modelling in fields as diverse as demographics, resource and environmental management, health geography, and tourism.
Cartography, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and geographical information systems (GIS) are the four principal sub-disciplines of the stream.
http://www.sfu.ca/students/futurestudents/programs/a-z/g/geographic-infoscience.html