Unit Outlines

The units available within the Pathways are briefly listed below. Please note that the range and content of the Units are reviewed periodically.

Fundamentals of GIS
This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the concepts and principles of GIS and enables them to be able to employ GIS techniques in real world contexts. Topics within the unit include: GIS as a field of study; Spatial Data Modelling; Spatial Operations and practical experience with GIS.

Database Theory
This unit aims to provide students with the practical skills to design, implement and interrogate relational databases together with the requisite knowledge critically to assess both current database models and developments of these models for geospatial data .Topics within the unit include: the Database Approach; the Relational Model; Implementing a database and GIS and RDBMS.

GeoData Capture, Standards and Quality
This unit aims to provide students with the requisite knowledge and practical skills to source and evaluate data for use in Geographical Information-based projects and to assess the quality of information output from these projects. Topics within the unit include: Sourcing Spatial Data; Data Standards; Data Quality and Evaluating Fitness for Purpose.

GIS in Organisations
This unit aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the issues which arise when deploying GIS within organisations and the practical methodologies used to address these issues .Topics within the unit include: Organisational issues and GIS; ISDMs; Peopleware and GIS beyond organisations.

GIS Project Management
This unit aims to develop project management skills through a critical understanding of the concepts, principles and use of project management tools. Topics within the unit include: Issues in GIS project management; Running a GIS project; People issues and methodologies.

Programming and Modelling for GIS
This unit aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the issues involved in designing and implementing software and GI-based models. In addition, it aims to enable students to write small scale GIS applications and design GIS-based models. Topics within the unit include: Programming and Quality; Programming Tutorial; Models and Modelling and the GIS-Model interaction.

Databases for EnterpriseGIS
This unit aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the issues in building GIS databases for EnterpriseGIS, together with the necessary skills to implement a small geo-database using current standards/technologies. Topics within the unit include: the move from Desk-top to EnterpriseGIS; the standards and technologies that underpin EnterpriseGIS and a Spatial Database tutorial.

Environmental Impact Assessment and GIS
This unit aims to provide a historic and contemporary planning background to EIA, a knowledge of the concepts and techniques utilised in the EIA process, and assessment as related to specific environmental parameters. It considers the need for EIA, history, planning background, concepts and definitions for EIA, EIA procedure versus EIA process, critical parameters, integration of elements and recent trends.

Remote Sensing for GIS Applications
This unit aims to provide students with a broad insight into the sources, applications and future potential of remote sensing data for GIS applications. Topics within the unit include: Principles of remote sensing; Satellite Systems; quantitative data and GIS integrations.

Research Methods
This unit aims to develop critical awareness of research design, data interpretation and presentation. It aims to achieve this through an understanding of the research methods of the natural and social sciences and the interactions between them in GIS applications. Topics within the unit include: Research Design and Qualitative and Quantitative Techniques.

Spatial Analysis Workshop
This unit provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to investigate the spatial patterns which result from social and physical processes operating in geographical space. Topics within the unit include: the Theory of spatial statistical analysis and GIS for Spatial Analysis.

Internet GIS
This unit aims to provide students with the knowledge and practical skills to design and implement distributed GIS services according to current industry standards, building in concepts such as OpenGIS standards to future proof such implementations. Topics within the unit include: Desk-top to Distributed Web Services; Building the GeoWeb and a GML tutorial.

GIS for Society
This unit aims to provide students with the appropriate skills to employ GIS effectively in social science applications. It considers GIS in the social sciences; how GIS is used to investigate spatial processes and working with Census, geodemographic and other socio-economic data.

Spatial Anaysis of Health
This unit provides a broad range of theory, ideas, techniques and knowledge. The central aim is to help students to help students to understand the role of geographical and spatial thinking in an epidemiological and medical context. To understand how GIS and remote sensing provide valuable tools for problem solving by example.

Visualisation and GIS
This unit aims to provide students with a critical understanding of issues in visual perception, the influence of these on design for GIS visualisation and possibilities for the future. Topics within the unit include: Human Perception and Mapping and GIS and Visualisation.

MSc Project and Dissertation
This unit aims to enable students to design and execute an original/independent study in their field of GIS and in doing so, to develop an in-depth knowledge of the relevant GIS literature and research activities in that field.