2008-2009 Catalog - United States Air Force Academy

geospatial science major
The Geospatial Science program emphasizes learning about diverse cultures, physical landscapes, and geospatial tools that
expeditionary Air Force officers use. This major offers a diverse and challenging program focusing on contemporary world
issues. A flexible curriculum has been carefully designed to permit either an in-depth or cross-disciplinary approach to the
study of geospatial science, maximizing a student’s ability to design his/her academic program beyond the core disciplinary
requirements. Course offerings within the discipline represent a broad cross-section of the key geospatial science sub-fields
including physical, human, and regional geography, as well as state-of-the-art geographic information processing methods such
as digital image processing and geographic information systems. Furthermore, cadets who wish to complement their major in
Geospatial Science with a foreign language minor will be able to achieve both without carrying an academic course overload.
The Geospatial Science major provides excellent preparation for any assignment in the Expeditionary Air Force. The major
also helps cadets develop international insight and cultural understanding of the battle space. Most Geospatial Science majors
become pilots or intelligence officers. Many intelligence officers progress to become Foreign Area Officers or International
Affairs Specialists.
The goal of the Geospatial Science program is to produce leaders of character who:
• Effectively communicate spatial information.
• Analyze the Earth’s physical form, processes, and biota.
• Synthesize the spatial characteristics, distribution, cultural differences, and interactions of human populations.
• Synthesize how relationships between humans and the physical environment impact the battle space.
• Solve ill-defined geospatial problems.
Cadets who excel in this program are eligible to compete for scholarships to graduate school. These include not only the
prestigious national scholarships, such as the Rhodes, Fulbright, and Marshall, but the USAFA Graduate Scholarship Program,
in which graduates are sponsored by the Air Force Institute of Technology to earn their master’s degree from a civilian
institution.
Suggested Course Sequence
3rd-Class Year 2nd-Class Year 1st-Class Year
Chem 200 Advanced Literacy Opt Academy Opt
Econ 201 Aero Engr 315 Advanced Literacy Opt
English 211 Beh Sci 310 Astro Engr 410
Engr Mech 220 Biology 315 Cognate Elective
For Lang 3 El Engr 315 Cognate Elective
For Lang 4 Geo 351 Cognate Elective
Geo 310 Geo 370 English 411
Geo 350 Geo 382 Geo 490
Law 220 History 302 Geo 498
MSS 200 Math 300 Mgt 400
Physics 215 Philos 310 MSS 400
Pol Sci 211 Soc Sci Div Opt Soc Sci 412
GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE (Geo)
Offered by the Department of Economics and Geosciences.
Geo 310. Geospatial Information Analysis. Prepares cadets with the basic tools necessary to make decisions with
geographic (geospatial) information. It introduces data sources and collection techniques (e.g. use of remote sensing and GPS).
Students learn methods to transform data into geospatial intelligence appropriate for decision making. Military and civilian
applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology are examined in case studies and students complete projects
to demonstrate the ability to solve an ill-defined spatial problem and make recommendations to a decision maker.
104 United States Air Force Academy Catalog