Collaborative Study - Honours Degree in Geography with a Concentration in Geomatics

Announcements
BA or BSc Honours Degree in Geography with a concentration in Geomatics
Year 1 students who are taking the required first-year courses in Geography are eligible to apply for admission to the program. An information session for Year 1 students will be provided each year. It will be announced in class and posted in the Geography Department. All Year 1 students interested in the Concentration in Geomatics should attend this session.

Applications for admission to the Concentration in Geomatics will be due after the information session any given year. Applications should be submitted to Virginia Wagg, Administrative Coordinator in the Department of Geography (office located at MC C322).

About the program
Are you interested in Geomatics? Geomatics includes scientific and technological activities which integrate various fields such as cartography, remote sensing, global positioning systems, and geographic information systems (GIS) for the collection, analysis, and management of spatially referenced data.

Brock University and Niagara College have teamed up to develop the Concentration in Geomatics. In just four years, students in the Concentration in Geomatics earn both an Honours degree from Brock University and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management from Niagara College.

The Concentration in Geomatics responds to the growing need for individuals who possess both a solid academic background and the applied skills and substantive knowledge needed on the leading edge of technology in diverse areas; from urban planning and emergency response services to environmental management and ecosystem monitoring. This would ordinarily involve attending college after gaining a university degree. However, the Concentration in Geomatics combines the two in a single integrated package. The combination of a university education and college training provides an excellent background for individuals who are seeking a career in many of these areas, and will likely increase the chances for professional advancement once in the job market.

The Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management program at Niagara College is designed to provide students with a variety of skills and abilities through in-class training and supervised work placements and applied training sessions. It includes a solid geomatics education that provides students with a variety of career and post-graduate opportunities.

Degree options
Students in the Concentration in Geomatics must major in Geography. Upon completion of all components of the program, students will receive both an Honours BA or Honours BSc in Geography from Brock University with a Concentration in Geomatics and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management from Niagara College.

Structure of the program
During Years 1, 2 and 4 of the program, students take all of their courses at Brock University. The specific courses taken at Brock University will depend on the student’s degree program. Details of the courses required in first year are summarized below.

During Year 3, all students complete the Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management program, taking all of their courses at Niagara College. In addition to taking a variety of courses in topic areas such as remote sensing, geographic information systems, surveying, and geospatial data management, students will engage in a year-long thesis project that involves working with employers to design and implement a real-world Geomatics project. The thesis and placement are organized by Niagara College. A list of the courses (with descriptions) taken in the Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management program can be found at the Niagara College website.

Applying to the Concentration in Geomatics
When initially applying to Brock University, students interested in the Concentration in Geomatics Program should indicate Geography as their chosen major. To be admitted to Brock University in this discipline, students must have six 12U or M courses, one of which must be 12U English.

After being admitted to Brock University, students will complete their first year of studies, taking the courses required during the first year of the Geography Program. In April at the end of their first full year of study at Brock University, students will apply for admission to the Concentration in Geomatics. Students who are admitted will complete the program over the next three years, taking courses as indicated below. Students who are not admitted into the Concentration in Geomatics may continue their studies in Geography at Brock University or they can choose to change their major at the end of Year One. Students who still wish to have the educational experience provided at Niagara College can apply to the Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management program after they have completed their degree at Brock (this takes a bit longer than the joint program, but students gain the same knowledge and experience when done consecutively as when the program is completed concurrently in the joint program).

To be eligible for admission to the Concentration in Geomatics, students must have a minimum 70 percent major average at the end of Year 1. Applicants who are admitted to the program must maintain a minimum 70 percent major average and meet other program requirements to continue in the program and to enter the Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management program at Niagara College. Once the program at Niagara College is completed with a minimum 70 percent overall average, 5 transfer credits will be applied to their Brock degree.

Enrolment in the Concentration in Geomatics is limited, and admission to the program is not guaranteed by attainment of the minimum requirements. However, it is our goal to accept into the program as many qualified applicants as possible each year.

Program Coordinator
Dr. Marilyne Jollineau, professor in Geography, serves as the Program Coordinator for the Concentration in Geomatics. Questions about the Concentration in Geomatics may be directed to her via e-mail at mjollineau@brocku.ca or by phone at (905) 688-5550 ext. 4556.

Courses taken at Brock University
Please refer to the Brock University Undergraduate Calendar for complete requirements.

Year One:

• GEOG 1F90 – Introduction to Human Geography
• GEOG 1F91 – Principles of Physical Geography
• Social Science Context credit
• Humanities Context credit
• 1 elective credit

Years Two to Four:
See the Geography Department website for current program plans for the remaining Brock courses.

Courses taken at Niagara College
While enrolled in the Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management program at Niagara College, students will take courses such as the following (for an up-to-date list of courses, please see the Geographic Information Systems – Geospatial Management program website:

• Foundations of Mapping and Cartography Introduction to Remote Sensing
• ArcGIS Applications
• GIS as a Profession/Thesis Planning
• GIS Database and Data Warehouse Concepts
• GIS Systems and Programming
• Surveying and Geospatial Data Development
• Digital Image Processing
• CAD and GIS
• Geospatial Applications
• Programming ArcObjects with VBA
• Spatial Analysis and Spatial Statistics
• Thesis Project Development
• Applied GIS Thesis
• Geodatabases
• Geospatial Models in Visualization
• Internet GIS Applications