PrintQuick Facts
- Instructor(s): This course is taught by Peter Croswell and David DiBiase. Feel free to learn more about them before class.
Visit the Geospatial Class and Registration Calendar to see who is teaching each term. - Course Structure: Online, 12-15 hours per week (on average) for 10 weeks
Overview
Principles of effective project management applied to the planning and execution of GIS projects.
In GEOG 871, we'll take a critical look at geospatial project management. Project management is a broad discipline that encompasses technical methods such as system design and analysis and also interpersonal factors that affect professional relationships. Project management is also a discipline that has matured outside of, but can be incorporated into geospatial technology. By the end of this course, you'll have devised a project plan from a scenario built upon a realistic project involving the "City of Metropolis" field data collection, geodatabase development, and application development—with work performed in a cooperative effort with the City's project team and a hired contractor. You will prepare a project charter, a document that provides the City's foundation for the project, and project plan elements that define work to be carried out by the City and contractor: scope, schedule, budget, quality management, and risk management. We'll work through each of the components in an organized and logical manner and will incorporate constructive peer review to help everyone achieve the best product possible.
GEOG 871 is a required course for Penn State's Online Master of GIS.
Learn more about GEOG 871 - Geospatial Technology Project Management (1 min 34 sec)
My name is Peter Croswell and I'm one of the instructors for the course, Geospatial Project Management. You'll find that this course is a little different than many other GIS courses because it doesn't be on a hands-on way with GIS technology. The course covers concepts, practices, and tools to effectively plan and manage GIS projects with a goal to make your work more efficient and your projects more successful. So, what types of GIS projects am I referring to? The most common projects involve geographic database development, custom application design and development, and creating interfaces between GIS and external systems. We will teach skills and methods that really do work to make projects run smoother and to help you complete them to deliver useful results to your users and customers. Many of the course assignments will be based on a fictitious but realistic GIS project which involves the field data collection of important city facilities, creation of a geodatabase, and development of custom applications. The instructors will be fully engaged to answer questions, conduct several live zoom sessions, to provide help to you throughout the course. So, whether you are taking this course as part of the requirements for the Master of GIS program or to enhance your capabilities in GIS project management, we believe it will improve your skills and give you specific practices that you can apply immediately in an actual work setting.
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.
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