What is Geographic Information Systems?
Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are computer-based systems that accommodate virtually any type of information about features that are referenced by geographical location. For example, GIS is used to model population growth and distribution, urban development, transportation expansion, manufacturing location, emergency response planning, environmental impacts, and many other processes.

The use of GIS in government agencies, municipalities, private businesses, and nonprofit organizations has grown dramatically in recent years. People with the skill to use GIS are in demand across a broad range of professions in environmental science, geology, biology, engineering, city and regional planning, marketing, telecommunications, and other industries.

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