Program Overview

Computer Science + Geography (BS)

The Computer Science + Geography (BS) program is a multidisciplinary degree that combines the fields of Computer Science and Geography. This program reflects the wide use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies and the application of computational methods in geography and other social sciences.

Program Overview

The program provides students with a coherent and complete education in both Computer Science and Geography, preparing them to become software developers with expertise in GIS and social scientists who can leverage technology-based solutions to social science questions.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Model a computational problem, select appropriate algorithms and data structures for a solution, justify the correctness of the algorithm, and implement an application solving the problem.
• Analyze and select an algorithm based on system effects.
• Analyze the efficiency of a computational solution mathematically, and validate the analysis experimentally.
• Criticize a program on the basis of its maintainability and suggest improvements.
• Use key concepts, theories, and vocabulary to interpret how socio-cultural, political, economic, and/or environmental phenomena may construct a "space," a "place," a "landscape," a "location," or a "region" as a complex material or symbolic structure.
• Use qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies to analyze spatial phenomena, and collect, identify, and apply spatial data from either primary or secondary sources to interpret the spatial character of a physical, socio-cultural, or environment-society problem.
• Interpret spatial patterns of economic inequalities and social injustices and their relation to urban, built, and natural environments.
• Demonstrate competence in one or more of several geospatial technologies, (i.e., remote sensing, geographical information systems, global navigation satellite systems, etc.) and articulate effectively the results of that use in speech, text, image, or map.
• Describe and differentiate processes of globalization and their effects on cities, regions, physical systems, cultures, and political divisions.

Program Requirements

The program requires a total of 192 quarter hours, distributed as follows:

• Liberal Studies: 68 quarter hours
• Major Requirements: 96 quarter hours
• Open Electives: 28 quarter hours

Liberal Studies Requirements

The Liberal Studies requirements include:

• Arts and Literature (AL): 3 courses required
• Historical Inquiry (HI): 2 courses required
• Math and Computing (MC): not required
• Philosophical Inquiry (PI): 2 courses required
• Religious Dimensions (RD): 2 courses required
• Scientific Inquiry (SI): 1 course required (with 1 lab course)
• Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI): 1 course required

Major Requirements

The Major Requirements include:

• Computer Science Requirements:
  • CSC 241: Introduction to Computer Science I
  • CSC 242: Introduction to Computer Science II
  • CSC 300: Data Structures I
  • CSC 301: Data Structures II
  • CSC 321: Design and Analysis of Algorithms
  • CSC 373: Computer Systems I
  • CSC 374: Computer Systems II
  • MAT 140: Discrete Mathematics I
  • MAT 141: Discrete Mathematics II
  • One course from the following: CSC 347, CSC 376, SE 350
  • Eight credit hours from any 300-level courses labeled CSC, CSEC, DSC, or SE
• Geography Requirements:
  • GEO 101: Environmental Geography
  • GEO 103: Urbanization
  • GEO 241: Geographic Information Systems I: Digital Mapping
  • GEO 299: Knowledge, Place and Power
  • GEO 391: Statistical Data Analysis for GIS
  • Twenty-four credit hours, at least four of which must be 300-level, from GEO Major Electives
• Capstone: Choose one course from CSC 394 or GEO 300

GEO Major Electives

GEO Major Electives include:

• GEO 133: Urban Geography - Experiential Learning
• GEO 172: Cultural Geography: The Nature-Culture Interface
• GEO 200: Sustainable Urban Development
• GEO 201: Geopolitics
• GEO 204: Religious Geography
• GEO 205: Race, Justice, and the Urban Environment
• GEO 210: International Environmental Conservation
• GEO 211: Biogeography
• GEO 215: International Development and Regional Inequality
• GEO 219: Women and Science
• GEO 220: Oceanography
• GEO 225: Earth's Changing Climate
• GEO 231: Historical Geography of Chicago
• GEO 233: Comparative Urbanism
• GEO 242: Geographic Information Systems II: Community GIS
• GEO 243: Earth Observation
• GEO 260: Globalization and Resources
• GEO 266: World Economy: States, Markets and Labor
• GEO 269: Cultural and Political Ecology
• GEO 299: Knowledge, Place and Power
• GEO 310: Green Infrastructure
• GEO 316: The European Union
• GEO 330: Sustainable Urban Transportation
• GEO 333: Urban Planning
• GEO 334: Urban/City Design
• GEO 339: Topics in Architecture and Urbanism
• GEO 340: Places, Humanities and Geographic Information Systems
• GEO 343: Earth Observation II
• GEO 344: Spatial Analysis for Sustainability
• GEO 346: GIS Analysis of Environmental and Public Health
• GEO 347: Web GIS and Spatial Data Visualization on the Web
• GEO 348: Spatial Data Science
• GEO 350: World of Wine
• GEO 351: Geography, Food and Justice
• GEO 395: Seminar in Selected Topics

Open Electives

Open elective credit is also required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.

Program Combination Restrictions

Students pursuing the BS in Computer Science + Geography are forbidden from pursuing the following secondary/double majors: BS Computer Science (all concentrations), BS Game Programming, BS Information Technology, BS Math and Computer Science, BA Geography (all concentrations). Students are also forbidden from pursuing a Minor in the following areas: Geography, Computer Science, Information Technology.