Through supervised field study and concurrent class meetings to discuss GIS experiences, professional issues, and integrated learning, students become familiar with GIS work through practice, practical settings, policies, populations served, and common issues of the geospatial profession. This course allows the student to assess their suitability for the related profession, and may also be repeated with professor’s permission for a total credit limit of six credit hours.
Putting your knowledge into practice is mission critical. Many of the problems and solutions in the day-to-day work of GIS require first-hand experience: Knowing where to look and how to acquire data, how to use GIS software, and how to choose an analytical tool. In this field study, students will get their feet wet and see if they are a good fit for a geospatial role.
Because this course places the student in the field, it gives students a chance to use geospatial software, employ their powerful capabilities, and understand if they are a good fit for the profession. In order to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, students must know how to make good decisions and manage scarce resources, which requires applying knowledge on the ground making decisions based on experience.
As God gave man dominion over the Earth and all living things in the book of Genesis, this course conforms to that Biblical affirmation.
Learning by doing is essential to the logistical aspects of missional work, including project management, decision making, and resource allocation.
Students use GIS software, collect data on the ground, and apply their skills and knowledge in roles much like they will in the context of missional work.
Students are placed in international contexts, either physically or virtually, in which they observe how culture and public policy influence physical geography.
Students leave the course with real experience and a basic understanding of the practical and logistical roles of GIS professionals.
With an understanding of GIS software and the contexts in which it is employed, students come away with real experience preparing them for their missional roles.
