Quick Facts
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Instructor(s): Bradley Doorn
Program Scientist/Manager
Agriculture Program Element
NASA/Earth Science Division
Washington, D.C. -
Email: Please use the Canvas email system
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Course Structure: Online: 12 - 15 hours per week for 10 weeks
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Prerequisite(s): GEOG 480: Exploring Imagery and Elevation Data in GIS Applications, GEOG 481: Topographic Mapping with Lidar, and GEOG 883: Remote Sensing Image Analysis and Applications
Overview
GEOG 589 is a graduate seminar focusing on the geospatial technologies and tools to exploit remote sensing data. Topics change based on emerging trends in the profession as well as interests expressed by students in the program.
GEOG 589 is one of two electives required to complete the Graduate Certificate in Remote Sensing and Earth Observation. Geography 589 can also be used as an elective in the Certificate of Geographic Information Systems, Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security - Geospatial Intelligence Option., or the Master of Geographic Information Systems. The course is specifically designed for adult professionals and is offered exclusively through the World Campus and the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Students will be asked to complete hands-on exercises, read journal articles and textbook chapters, participate in online discussions, and complete an independent semester project, in which they will be asked to formulate a research problem in a topic area of their own choosing and to apply Google Earth Engine to conduct an analysis.
Geog 480 and 883 are listed as prerequisites for this course. Geog 480 introduces students to a wide variety of remotely sensed imagery sources, focusing on geometric as well as radiometric and spectral characteristics. Students who take Geog 589 are expected to be familiar with remote sensing image metadata, including where to find it and how to interpret it. Geog 883 takes students through the fundamentals of image analysis, including pixel-based, object-based, machine and deep-learning techniques. Students who take Geog 883 have been introduced to these approaches in theory and in practice; they are familiar with the important classes of algorithms that are typical employed in these approaches. In both Geog 480 and 883, students work with imagery locally on their own desktop computers or laptops, using ArcGIS Pro and eCognition. It is expected that students who take 589 without completing these prerequisites have similar knowledge gained from professional experience.
Programming experience is not listed as a prerequisite but students will be asked to read and modify short snippets of JavaScript in each weekly lesson. Familiarity with a programming language and programming concepts will be very helpful.
In Geog 589, students will be accessing imagery in the Google Earth Engine cloud. They will explore the vast libraries of code written and shared by other developers, researcher, and students and will learn to create their own code based on these resources. No prior programming experience is required, but students should have some basic conceptual understanding of computer systems, cloud architecture, and programming principles.
Credit: © Penn State is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Want to join us? Students who register for this Penn State course gain access to assignments and instructor feedback and earn academic credit. For more information, visit Penn State's Online Geospatial Education Program website. Official course descriptions and curricular details can be reviewed in the University Bulletin.