Course Descriptions
Courses are listed below by department. The course numbering scheme is as follows: 100-199, primarily open to freshmen; 200-299, primarily open to sophomores; 300-399, primarily open to juniors; 400-499, primarily open to seniors. Figures in parentheses following the course title indicate the clock hours per week devoted to theory and practice, respectively. Theory includes recitations and lectures; practice includes work done in the laboratory.
For a complete list of descriptions for all courses offered at Texas A&M University, see the undergraduate course catalog.
Agricultural Systems Management (AGSM)
410. Spatial Technology for Precision Agriculture. (2-2). Credit 3. Information techniques and technologies of precision agriculture and their application within agronomic systems with emphasis on commercial practices; including global positioning system, mapping software, variable rate technologies and decision support systems; selection of appropriate technologies for use in a management system. Prerequisites: AGRO 301, AGLS 201 or equivalent; junior classification.
Computer Science (CPSC)
110. Programming I. (3-2). Credit 4. I, II, S. Basic concepts, nomenclature and historical perspective of computers and computing; internal representation of data; software design principles and practices; structured programming in Pascal; use of terminals, operation of editors and execution of student-written programs.
206. Structured Programming in C. (3-2). Credit 4. Basic concepts, nomenclature and historical perspective of computers and computing; internal representation of data; software design principles and practice; structured and object-oriented programming in C; use of terminals, operation of editors and executions of student-written programs.
310. Database Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. I, II, S. File structures and access methods; database modelling, design and user interface; components of database management systems; information storage and retrieval, query languages, high-level language interface with database systems. Prerequisite: CPSC 210 or 211.
Civil Engineering (CVEN)
201. Plane Surveying. (2-3). Credit 3. I, II, S. Principles of surveying, basic measuring procedures, error analysis, levelling, traverse, mapping, horizontal curves, vertical curves and earthwork. Prerequisite: MATH 142.
Environmental Design (ENDS)
370. Virtual Architecture. (3-0). Credit 3. Introductory course to both HTML (language of the world wide web) and VRML (language of web-based 3-D virtual environments); specific components of Java, language used for interactive control and message passing will also be reviewed. Prerequisites: Basic programming skills and upper-level classification.
375. Foundations of Visualization. (3-0). Credit 3. A comprehensive introduction to visualization concepts, techniques and applications; major topic areas include the digital image, visual language, coordinate systems, geometric representation, modeling animation, image synthesis, visualization ethics and the future of visualization. Prerequisites: CPSC 110 or 111; MATH 102 and 103 or equivalents.
Forest Science (FRSC)
398. Interpretation of Aerial Photographs. (2-3). Credit 3. I. Identification and evaluation of natural and cultural features on aerial photographs; methods for extracting information concerning land use, vegetative cover, surface and structural features, urban/industrial patterns and archaeological sites. Prerequisites: Any mathematics course and one of the following: AGRO 301, BIOL 111, FRSC 101, GEOG 203, GEOL 101, RENR 205, WFSC 101. Cross-listed with GEOG 398.
461. Geographic Information Systems for Resource Management. (2-2). Credit 3. I. Geographic Information System (GIS) approach to the integration of spatial and attribute data to study the capture, analysis, manipulation and portrayal of natural resource data; examination of data types/formats, as well as the integration of GIS with remote sensing and Global Positioning System; laboratory includes extensive use of GIS applications to conduct analyses of topics in natural resources. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor. Cross-listed with AGSM 461.
462. Advanced GIS Analysis for Natural Resource Management. Credit 3. Advanced topics in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to solve natural resource problems; manipulation of raster data types; three-dimensional modeling; emphasis on geoprocessing as it relates to applied projects, particularly with habitat suitability models; field and lab use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS); Internet-based GIS modeling. Prerequisite: FRSC 461/ AGSM 461/ GEOG 390/ LAND 461 or equivalent; or by instructor approval. Offered: Every spring.
484. Internship. Credit 1 to 4. I, II, S. On-the-job supervised experience program conducted in the area of the student's specialization. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
Geography (GEOG)
361. Remote Sensing in Geosciences. (3-2). Credit 4. Introduction to the principles, techniques and applications of remote sensing technology in geosciences including the analysis and interpretation of airborne and spaceborne remote sensing data for studying key earth system processes. Prerequisite: GEOG 332 or approval of instructor.
390. Principles of Geographic Information Systems. (2-2). Credit 3. I, II. Basic concepts of design, planning and implementation of geographic information systems. Prerequisite: Junior or senior classification.
475. Advanced Topics in GIS (Geographic Information Systems). (3-2). Credit 4. Topics related to GIS implementation, spatial database design, spatial data analysis, and various advanced GIS applications. Prerequisite: GEOG 390 or equivalent.
Geology (GEOL)
352. GPS in the Geosciences. (1-3). Credit 2. Introduction to the Global Positioning System (GPS); basic geodesy, figure of the earth; frames of reference, map projection, datums, ellipsoids; GPS accuracy and precision; applications in earth resource mapping and database creation; elementary GPS phase data processing. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification; approval of instructor.
Landscape Architecture (LAND)
461. Geographic Information System Application in Resource Management. (2-4). Credit 3. Process of and planning for change in the urban environment and its infrastructure; Geographic Information System (GIS) tools introduced and used to support this work; GIS theory and resource management modeling. Prerequisites: Junior classification and approval of instructor.
Renewable Natural Resources (RENR)
405. GIS for Environmental Problem Solving. (2-2). Credit 3. Interdisciplinary approach to train students to integrate GIS and relevant technologies for environmental problem solving; helps students relate learning to real world situations; students conceptualize, develop and manage projects using real data; one term project required. Prerequisite: RENR 201 or equivalent or approval of instructor.
444. Remote Sensing in Renewable Natural Resources. (2-3). Credit 3. II. Principles and techniques necessary for applying remote sensing to diverse issues in natural resources. The course emphasizes a hands-on learning environment, including theoretical and conceptual underpinnings in both aerial and satellite remote sensing. Primary focus is placed on sensors, digital image processing, interpretation, and analysis for a broad range of natural resources applications.
Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences (RPTS)
307. Methods of Environmental Interpretation. (2-2). Credit 3. I, II. Communication processes and practices between resource managers and publics using or affected by natural, cultural and tourism resource places; principles and techniques of gathering, analyzing and disseminating information through various media, such as exhibits, presentations, publications and programs.
Statistics (STAT)
212. Principles of Statistics II. (3-0). Credit 3. I, II. Continuation of STAT 211. Design of experiments, model building, multiple regression, nonparametric techniques, contingency tables and short introductions to response surfaces, decision theory and time series data.
