Dr. Gaurav Sinha

Teaching Responsibilities

My teaching responsibilities are aligned with my research expertise in Geographic Information Science (GIScience). I teach several undergraduate and graduate level GIS courses. The official description of these courses and the syllabi are listed below for reference.

I am one of the core faculty responsible for the GIScience undergraduate major, and also the director for both the undergraduate and graduate GIS certificate programs offered by our department. Interested students are encouraged to contact me. Send an email.

Fall 2016-17 Teaching Schedule

Course Portfolio

GEOG 2680: Introduction to GIS & Mapping Sciences

This is an undergraduate course available to all majors. This course meets the Tier II requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences. I teach one section of this course every year. There are several other sections offered by other instructors throughout the year.

The course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts pertaining to geographic information including geographic data collection and data management, principles of mapping, and mathematical foundations of spatial measurement and spatial analysis. An overview of application of these core concepts in the mapping sciences of GIS, remote sensing, and cartography is provided. Basic principles of GIS software for exploring and practicing these fundamentals are emphasized. Latest Syllabus

Credit Hours: 4.0; General Education Code: 2AS; Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture, 2.0 laboratory

GEOG 4730/5730: Principles of GIS

This course is cross-listed in both the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. It is offered in the Fall semester. This is a mandatory core course for the undergraduate and graduate GIScience certificates.

The course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental principles governing the design and operation of geographic information systems. Both the lectures and the labs will focus on training students to establish a connection between the principles of mapping and spatial analysis and the corresponding tools provided in commonly used GIS software. Students complete a suite of modular lab exercises, which focus on specific GIS skills that will collectively prepare students to solve typical GIS problems encountered in most entry level jobs. Latest Syllabus

Requisites (GEOG 4730 only): GEOG 2680; Credit Hours: 4.0; Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture, 2.0 laboratory

GEOG 4760/5760: Advanced Spatial Analysis and GIS Applications

This course is cross-listed in both the undergraduate and graduate curriculum. It is offered in the Spring semester every year. GEOG 4730/5730 or an equivalent course is a pre-requisite for this course. This is one of the optional core courses for the undergraduate GIScience certificate and a supporting course for the graduate GIScience certificate.

The course is designed to train students in advanced quantitative methods of spatial data analysis and the utilization of GIS in geographic problem solving. Students learn the theoretical basis of geographic information representation and computation in the lecture periods. The lab exercises build on students' prior experience with GIS and spatial analysis with advanced GIS based projects designed to teach practical aspects of terrain analysis, hydrologic modeling, spatial multicriteria decision making, spatial interpolation, and spatial statistics. These topics will collectively expose students to most analytical skills expected in professional settings. There is a special emphasis on explicit consideration of uncertainty and model error analysis throughout the course. Students from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds can benefit from this course due to the balanced focus on both social and environmental science topics. Latest Syllabus

Requisites: GEOG 4730 and (Jr or Sr); Credit Hours: 4.0; Lecture/Lab Hours: 2.0 lecture, 4.0 laboratory

GEOG 6730: Seminar in Geographic Information Science

This is a graduate only seminar. Exceptional undergraduates may be given special permission to attend the course at the sole discretion of the instructor. This course is offered every other year in the winter quarter. This course does not presume any background in mapping and GIScience, but prior exposure will help in critical assessment of the papers.

The seminar will focus on current and emerging topics related to GIScience. The primary goal of the course is to encourage students to think critically about the nature of geographic information, cognitive and computational aspects of geographic representation, appreciate the complexity and uncertainties associated with geographic information analysis and representation, and most importantly, develop a critical understanding of both quantitative and qualitative methods for representing, analyzing, and communicating geographic information. The fundamental topics listed in the current syllabus serve only as a framework for selecting assigned readings, which will be selected depending on collective interest and developments in the rapidly-evolving, multidisciplinary field of GIScience. Latest Syllabus

Requisites: None; Credit Hours: 4

Certificates in Geographic Information Science

The ability to think spatially, interpret maps, and creatively use geospatial technologies is a fundamental skill expected in a wide variety of careers today. Maps and mapping technologies also underlie a significant proportion of everyday decision makings. Acquiring such skills requires formal training in many topics related to the interdisciplinary field of Geographic Information Science (GIScience). The undergraduate and graduate certificates in GIScience are designed for students to complement the skills and know;edge from their major with general knowledge of mapping and geospatial technologies. The curriculum ensures a balanced background in the three c re areas of GIScience: i) theoretical foundations of mapping and geospatial analysis, ii) use of geospatial technologies for creating, mapping, and analyzing geographic information, and iii) general computational and information analysis skills.

Undergraduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science (GISc). This certificate is open to all undergraduates except those enrolled in the GIScience undergraduate major offered by the Department of Geography.

Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science (GISc). This certificate is open to anybody who has earned a bachelor’s degree. Those students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at Ohio University can add the certificate program by completing an Application for Update of Program(s), available at the Graduate College office. Students not currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at Ohio University must first complete a non-degree application as described in the Graduate Catalog, before they can enroll for this certificate.