The Department of Geospatial Informatics is an exciting new academic department and the home of the Surveying and Geomatics Sciences degree program, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) major and minor, Geography minor, and the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) minor. These technology-driven areas of study are the launching point for well-paid careers in many different areas.
Geomatics Sciences involve the collection, analysis and interpretation of data relating to the earth's surface. GIS involves the framework for gathering, managing and analyzing geographic data. UAS delves into drone technology and the information collected by them.
Here are some highlights about our department:
- Careers related to Geospatial informatics are available in a wide range of fields including urban planning, agriculture, natural resources, environmental, military, social science and health care.
- Our Surveying and Geomatics Sciences program is one of 17 ABET accredited programs in the nation and the only one in Alabama.
- Troy University is one of four universities in Alabama to offer a GIS major and is listed In the top 15 online Drone training colleges.
- The demand for young survey and geomatics professionals is very high with the average annual salary of a professional surveyor being $77,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job availability in drone technology integrated with Geographic Information Systems will grow “much faster” than average over the next ten years. The current median income for someone with this skillset is approximately $64,000 per year.
- All of our lectures feature exposure to cutting edge technologies and our labs feature hands-on experience using industry relevant state-of-the-art equipment.
- Students can take almost all courses online or on the Troy Campus. The Surveying and Geomatics Sciences degree is the only one requiring on campus labs.
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