The University of Texas at Dallas has introduced a new interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree that will train students in both computer and geospatial sciences, broadening their career prospects across both disciplines.
The Bachelor of Science in computational and geospatial science degree program began last fall in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) and the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. The degree will produce graduates proficient at the intersection of two in-demand fields, said Dr. Jennifer S. Holmes, EPPS dean and the Lloyd V. Berkner Professor of political science and of public policy and political economy.
“I’m excited because this gives students the ability to progress toward myriad career opportunities,” she said. “Geospatial information sciences, a highly reliable career field, combined with computer science, will give graduates options. This degree is built for students who want to shape the future, and there is no better moment to join these fields than right now.”
The program is part of a natural progression, said Dr. Yongwan Chun, professor and program head of geospatial information sciences (GIS), who helped develop the new degree.
“Modern GIS technology has moved to computers, requiring programming-related skills,” he said. “And some computer science students wanted to apply their ideas geospatially, so there was a need on both sides.”
Students will take a set of computer science courses from the Jonsson School, along with a roster of courses in geospatial science, Chun said, including Drone and Remote Sensing; Internet Mapping and Information Processing; Spatial Data Science; and GIS Database and Modeling.
Read the full story: New Degree Program Brings Together Computer, Geospatial Sciences