Scientific Method in Geography

The methodology of the natural and social sciences. Research process. Critical thinking in Geography. The logic and testing of hypotheses. Design of models and experiments. Laws and Theories in geography, space/time Concepts.

Microclimatology

The physical basis of boundary layer Climates. Climates of Vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces and terrain: environment. Urban Climatology. The measurement and instrumentation for determining boundary layer climates.

Techniques in Climatology

The basic techniques in Analysis of climatic variables. Climatological models. Applications of the basic technique in radiation Climatology. Techniques of Weather estimation, Techniques of analysing climatic data, cartographic representation of climatic data. Techniques of climatological investigations at micro, meso and macro scales. Vulnerability to climate change and Climate Impact Assessment..

Biogeographical Analysis

Ideas and concepts of man and his environment; the environment as a man’s life support system; fundamental processes determining the nature of and spatial patterns in the biosphere; human impacts on major world ecosystem. Research frontiers in biogeography; experimental design techniques of biogeographical investigation. Concepts and ideas about soil and plants as living systems; weathering and pedogenetic processes: Principles and practice of soil and vegetation communities and their analysis.

Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment

Environmental and Development. Environmental Hazards. Techniques of Environmental Monitoring and Hazard Assessment. Methods of Environmental Impact Assessment.

Land Resource Analysis

Economic analysis of existing natural resources complexes indifferent regions; the classification of land types and assessment of their development potentials; river basin planning water resource development. Perception of the natural environment.

River Basin Studies

The Drainage basin as a physical unit in the parameters and their study. Development problems and practices including design and

Operation of comprehensive river basin development programmes, water resources and flood control systems.

Surface and Groundwater Hydrology

Principles of open channel flow. Flood routing techniques. Simulation methods – pervious, impervious and semi-pervious rocks and their influence on porosity. The formation of aquifers and methods of groundwater prospecting. Instrumentation of well logging

Geomorphological Research Techniques

Methods of geomorphological investigation, advanced morphometry. Material properties of rocks. Weathering slope, river glacial and desert processes: methods of dating.

Location of Economic Activities

Locational theories –Knowledge industry, Primary, Secondary, tertiary and Quaternary activities, industrial agricultural, locational agricultural, locational decision making processes. Measurement methodologies and analysis of the spatial structures of economic activities. Concepts and processes of shift migration and splash of economic activities. Case studies of space economics in West Africa.

Population Analysis

Tools of demographic analysis: techniques of migration and socio-economic trends. Population models the life table; dynamics of

population and socio-economic trends

Urban Systems Analysis

The city as a system. Central Place Systems and Rank - Size Relationship. The nature of cities: Classical methods. Factorial ecology and micro-economic explanations of Urban spatial structure

Mathematical Modelling of urban systems.

Rural Systems Analysis

Principles of Human Settlement and Models of Colonization: Rural Central Places; Agricultural. Location Theories; Models of rural change, development Concepts and Strategies in rural Development Planning.

Location Allocation Method

The Minimal spanning tree, the shortest Path and the traveling salesman’s problems location, allocation systems optimal partitioning of point set, the minimal covering problems, Dynamic and hierarchical location - allocation systems. Location-Allocation of Public Facilities

Applied Medical Geography

Elements of disease ecology. Disease Mapping; Disease diffusion and variable methods of association; Geographical application in health-care delivery. Political economy of healthcare. Climate Change and healthcare systems.

Transportation

History and Evolution of Transport. Transport spatial Processes and spatial structures; Evolution and Structure if Transportation System; Transportation/ Communication relationship. Transport energy and sustainability, Environmental Challenges if Transport. network and structural Model Systems; Urban and rural Transport problems; transport and Economic development.

Applied Political Geography

Classical and contemporary concepts and theories in political geography, Elements of political Geography; Political spatial organizations. Electoral Geography. Geopolitics at the International Arena. Geopolitics of globalization. Geography and public Policy.

Techniques of Geographical Investigation

geographical series; Advanced methods in Multivariate analysis (multiple regression, factor and principal components, trend surface and linear discriminant analysis etc.) Spatial Autocorrelation, Variogram and Semi-variogram, Statistical and Mathematical modelling (Monte Cardo Simulation. Markov processes), Regionalisation and grouping Techniques.

Mathematics for Geographers

Basic Matrix Algebra; Differential and Integral Calculus; Difference and Differential Equations; Maximization and Minimization methods, application to Geography.

Computer Techniques in Geographical Research

Computer application in spatial data analysis in hydrology, metrology, demography, human health, soil and vegetation, land use/ cover change analysis, urbanization etc. using SPSS, GeoDA, ArcGIS and Quantum GIS software. A brief introduction to R-Language for Spatial Data Analysis.

Surveying

Principles of surveying angles and rectangular co-ordinates. Chain surveying, levelling, ground and air photographic surveying; topographical and hydrographical surveying.

Advanced Cartography

Historical development of cartography; theory of colour – the technical and conceptual aspects of its use in cartography; map as a model; Computer cartography; Research methods in Cartography.

Project

An independent research project which involves the use of geographic tools and techniques to investigate a problem in the candidate’s field of specialization. It would normally involve the collection of quantitative data on physical and/or human related phenomena in the field and the use of appropriate statistical method to analyse the data and to test Hypothesis.

Theories and Methods in Geography

Geographical Traditions

Evolution of Geographic Thought: Changing paradigms – Environmentalism, Possibilism, areal differentiation, spatial organisation. Theory in Geography: structure, nature, type and applications in geography; human-environment interactions and social theory. Philosophical debates in Contemporary Geography: Critical understanding of positivism, behaviouralism, realism, Marxism, Structuralism, post-structuralism and postmodernism. Methods in Geographical Analysis: Epistemology of geography, critical assessment and debates on quantitative, qualitative, Future of Geography: changing nature, concepts, approaches and methodologies of geography in a Globalising World. Progress and Contributions in Indian Geography

Contemporary Research Methods in Geography

Familiarity with appropriate range of intellectual and methodological traditions in Geography. Capacity development to frame research questions, to derive appropriate research designs. Development of competence and confidence in using a range of both qualitative and quantitative methods of gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence. Development of capability to manage research, including data management, conducting and disseminating research, working in a team, and understanding codes of research practice and research ethics. Gain practical experience of geographical research through conducting small-scale research project(s), chiefly through thesis

Computer Applications in Geography

Introduction to Open Data Kit and CSPro for mobile and online questionnaire design. Using SPSS and GeoDa for geographical data analysis. Spatial analysis using ArcGIS and QGIS software (overlay, clip, intersect, buffering). Hydrological tools, digital image processing and interpretation. introduction to R-Language

Elements of GIS

Evolution of GIS and Mapping; component of GIS; GIScience, Current and Future trends. Representing Geography: Geographic Data Modelling fundamentals. Database fundamentals Geographic Data Collection, GIS Data Creation and Storage Spatial Analysis

Theories and Methods of Geographic Research

Theories in geography, space/time Concepts. Research Process. Critical thinking in Geography The methodology GIS. The logic and testing of hypotheses. Design of models and experiments.

Algorithms

Raster and Vector Structures and Algorithms. Surfaces, Volumes and Time Data Structures. Storage of Complex Objects. Data bases for GIS. Managing and modelling Errors, Spatial Interpolation Visualisation etc.

Application Issues in GIS

Overview of GIS System Planning, Functional Requirement Studies; GIS System Evaluation Activities, Benchmarking; Pilot Project; GIS Systems Cost and Benefit Analysis; Implementation Issues in GIS; GIS System Integration and Application Development; System Planning and implementation, Social Legal policy and global issues etc.

Spatial Decision Support Systems

Decision making processes, Spatial decision making, Decision Support Systems, Multi-criteria Evaluation, Methods and tools for collaborative Decision-making. Consensus Evaluation, Analytical Hierarchical Process. Coupling of GIS models with analytical models to facilitate processes of decision-making.

Spatial Statistics

Review of Non-spatial statistics, Geostatistics: variograms and Covariance functions, kriging, Spatial Error& Lag regression model and smoothing methods. Areal data analysis including neighbourhoods, testing for Spatial association, global and local tests of association; disease mapping. Point Process data: types of spatial patterns, CSR and tests. Bayesian methods for spatial stat, Bayesian disease mapping. Spatio-temporal modelling

Computer Programming in GIS

Emphasis on Visual Basic, Java and Python Scripting. Linking computer programs with GIS software. Set tutorial classes in Python, Java and Visual Basic languages, write source codes for GIS basic functions; customize GIS Programs; practical

Advanced Programming in GIS

Advanced python programming and scripting Programming for Web and GIS Tool box

Maps and Mapping

Definition of map, components of a maps. Map as a storage and communication media. Choropleth Mapping technique, Dasymetric, Isarithmic maps. Map project and transformation. Visualisation of spatial data. GeoVisualisation. Tutorial using ArcGIS and Quantum GIS software

Digital Image Processing

Image Fundamentals, Image enhancement in spatial and frequency domains. Image restoration, processing, segmentation, interpretation and analysis. Change detection analysis.

Geomatics

Maps, Satellites and the Geospatial Revolution, Air Photo Interpretation and Remote Sensing, Global Positioning System. Introduction to Surveying principles and methods, Measurement analysis and adjustment. Use of relevant contemporary application software.

Desktop Cartography

Introduction to digital cartography, differences Between digital and manual cartography. Principles and Practice of cartography. Cartography as language and communication. Map content design and implementation. Graphic representation. Elements and principles of data abstraction, visualization, Entities and attributes, quantities, quality, uncertainty and spatialisation. Representing non-geographic data, composing maps and graphics, and presentation and display.

GIS in Environmental & Natural Resource Management

Environmental and Natural resources data considerations. Environmental and biogeochemical modelling. Applications/Case Studies in Environmental Monitoring, resource management, hydrology, Agriculture, forestry etc.

GIS in Management and Planning

Applications Case Studies in Social, economic, demographic, health, transportation, urban and regional planning decision. Location-allocation models. Project management in GIS

GIS System 1: Simple Systems

Data conversion and database creation Projection and transformation, Data editing, data analysis using various overlay techniques. Using Google Earth and Global Positioning System (GPS) device for spatial data capture. Thematic mapping and 3D data representation Set tutorial classes on ArcGIS, Quantum GIS, TransCAD and MapInfo in the Computer Lab.

GIS System II:

Remote sensing platforms. Spatial, spectral and radiometric image correlation and calibrations image registration, Supervised and Unsupervised. Classification. Pixel and object based digital image classification. Hyperspectral image interpretation. Land use/cover mapping. Vegetation and water indices. Orthogonal transformations and other Advanced Systems. Set Tutorial classes on Idrisi, Erdas Imagine, ErMapper, GRASS, eCognition, ENVI and Iliwis.

Web Based GIS

Principles and concepts of web mapping. Historical trends in web mapping. Examples of contemporary online web mapping applications. Online spatial analysis and decision making using web maps. Authoring and publishing of GIS based maps using Geo-apps in configuring web maps. Using SDK and Java scripts to author maps. Practical exercise using ArcGIS online platforms.

Project

An original piece of work based on the application of one of the GIS system in the student’s chosen area (GIS 771 OR 772)

Course Title and

Description

Theories and Concepts in Water Resources Management

Concept of water; the Hydrologic cycle; System Concepts: Definition, classification, and characteristics of systems; Need for systems approach to water resources; Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): Principles, indicators, instruments, case studies. ET control theory water scarcity, water sensitive

Research Methods in Water Resources Management

The methodology of the natural and social sciences. Research process. Design of models and experiments. Strategies and Methods of Data Collection, Data Processing. Statistical analyses methods: Descriptive statistics; Basic probability concepts and distributions; The logic and testing of hypotheses.

Catchment Water Resources Assessment

Water Quality:- Physical and chemical properties of water. Water Quality Sampling and Analyses:- Sampling design; Data collection platforms; Water quality data storage, analysis and inference; Software packages. Water Pollution; Pollution control; Water treatment technologies; Recycling and Reuse of Water; Economic and social dimensions; Water Quality Management; Methods of water quality monitoring and assessment; Analyses and quantification of multiple uses of water.

Water Systems Modelling

Digital Data Management:- Data base structure; Data acquisition; RDBMS; Data analysis; Network data sharing; Statistical Analysis (SYSTAT; SPSS); Regression; factor analysis; Simulation Software in Water Resources:- Surface water models (HMS); Storm Water Management Models (SWMM); River Analysis system /drainage basin models (HEC-RAS, SWAT); Ground Water Flow models; Groundwater transport models.

Water Resources Planning and Management

Concepts and notions in water resources planning; Water resources planning and implementation in basins for specific context; Surface Water resources Development and Utilisation. Groundwater Resources Development and Utilisation; Planning and Management Issues; Water Management strategies.

Water Conservation

Public access to information regarding water quality, water supply sustainability and public education, demand projections; water management efficiency; systems approach to water management; watershed protection; drinking water treatment and distribution; wastewater collection and treatment; effects of deforestation and treatment, and complex water system developments, destruction of wetlands, effects of recreation, agriculture and aquaculture on eutrophication.

Water Governance

Elements and dimensions of water governance; Water Governance in Nigeria:- National water policies and water acts; Water regulatory authorities; Institutional arrangement and administrative controls of water service; Interstate water management initiatives; Stakeholders’ participation and case studies in water governance. Water Disputes Management, relevant case studies; Global Water Diplomacy; Multi-national water disputes and their resolution mechanisms.

Climate Change and Water Resources

The Climate System; Climate change; Drivers, Observed and Projected Impacts; Climate Vulnerability Assessment; Climate Models; Climate Change Impact on Water Resources:- The role of hydrological cycle in the climate system; Precipitation variations and water resources; Water availability and demand in Sub-Saharan Africa; Future water challenges; Assessing impact of climate change on water resources on regional and smaller scales. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Water resources

Urban and Rural Water Supply

Water Supply:- Sources; choice of water sources (springs, wells etc) and protection; forecasting population; consumption; factors effecting consumption; economics of community water supply. Urban Water Supply:- Water in the urban eco-system; Urban water resources; Major problems; Urban water demand; Urban water pricing; Types, Operation and Maintenance of Urban Water Supply Systems; Inventories and conditions assessment; Social awareness and involvement. Rural Water Supply systems.

Remote Sensing and GIS for Water Resources

Introduction to Remote Sensing; Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and interactions; Remote sensing platforms. Digital Image Processing; Introduction to GIS; Spatial data; Spatial Analysis; Water Resources Applications:- Spatial data sources; 4M GIS approach water resources system; Thematic maps; Watershed/ drainage net delineation; Rainfall-runoff modelling; Groundwater modelling; Water quality modelling; Flood inundation mapping and Modelling; Drought monitoring; Cropping pattern change analysis; Site selection for artificial recharge; Reservoir sedimentation.

Freshwater Ecosystems

Fundamentals of lotic and lentic ecosystems; Elements of aquatic ecosystems (Rivers, lakes, floodplains, estuaries and coastal zones); Spatial and temporal scales in aquatic systems; Energy flow and nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems; Factors influencing ecosystem functions; Interactions between humans and freshwater ecosystems (emphasis on impacts and management). Field sampling techniques and design of survey and monitoring programmes for ecosystem status.

Integrated River Basin Management

Policy framework for integrated catchment management; strategic catchment planning (identification of pressures, management priorities and stakeholders to develop integrated solutions); natural capital and ecosystem services: policy context, role in integrated river basin management, geospatial valuation tools.

Coastal Morphodynamics

The concepts of coastal morphodynamics; Methods for analysing and predicting coastal change and approaches to coastal engineering and management. Basic sediment and morphological theory; Analytical and numerical models; Relevant contemporary issues (examples: shoreline management planning and impacts and responses to storm surges, sea-level rise).

River Basin Studies

The drainage basin as a physical unit, the parameters and their study. Development problems and practices including design and operation of comprehensive river basin development programmes, water resources and flood control systems.

Surface and Groundwater Hydrology

Principles of open channel flow, flood routing techniques. Simulation methods pervious impervious and semi-pervious rocks and their influence on porosity. The formation of aquifers and methods of groundwater prospecting. Instrumentation of well logging.

Introduction to Groundwater Hydrology

Hydrological cycle, physics of flow through porous media. Aquifer characteristics and influence of geological factors. Well sinking methods, pumping tests, saline intrusions and coastal hydraulics. Water resources systems, groundwater resources of Nigeria.

Water, Sanitation and Health

Introduction:- Safe Water-Health Nexus; Water-Sanitation -Health and Hygiene -Water security -Food Security; Need and Importance of WASH. Overview of water supply and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa/Nigeria; health aspects of water supply and sanitation; Water borne, Water washed and Water based diseases; Severity, risk analysis; surveillance, epidemiology and control of water borne diseases; Water quality standards and monitoring, education. Water and health budgeting; Planning and design of low cost sanitation.

Gender and Water

Basic concepts; Social Perspectives; Historical framework; Social stratification and roles; Power and authority; Equity and equality; Gender empowerment. Gender and Integrated Water Resources Management:- Gender policies in water management; Gender Competency Issues; Water rights; Legal frameworks. Gender in Global Water Scenario:- Impacts in water sector; Globalisation-Liberalisation; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Gender and capacity building; Gender analysis tools; Gender mainstreaming in Water Management.

Water and Environmental Law

Water Legislation in Nigeria. Water and environmental law - local to global administrative and functional levels. Water Conflicts (Global/Nigeria); Case Studies Transboundary Water Issues:- International Water Law; Emerging Principles; International Law Commission; International Treaties and Protocols; Transboundary Water Issues: Niger Waters Treaty; Sharing of Niger and Nile River Basins.

Water Economics

Water Rights; Water Sustainability; Stakeholders’ participation. Water demand supply and allocation. Valuing Water:- Valuation methods; Water Pricing - Approach and Models. Water pricing practices in Nigeria and globally; relevant case studies. Hydro-economic models; Economics of Water Projects. Economic Evaluation Methods.

Water, Food and Energy

Water, food, and energy nexus; Water for Food: Irrigation, groundwater resources, water quality and water value, food security, transboundary dynamics, fisheries, projections and challenges. Water for Energy; Energy for water; Food as Energy; Food as Water; Energy for food. Water and energy footprints of agriculture and the food industry; Constraints on water, food, and energy systems; Design, implementation, and evaluation of solutions to challenges in water, food, and energy domains.

Seminar

Students will research topics and organize presentations for faculty and other students. The topics on emerging and topical issues in Water Resources Management must be approved by the supervisor in advance.

Field Visits

Concurrent field practice in Water Resources Management

Project

Independent students research

Fundamental of Geographic Information Science

Introduction to GIS (definitions, concept and history of developments in the field of information systems), Hardware and software requirements for GIS; Coordinate System and Projections in GIS; Data structure and formats, Spatial data models – Raster and Vector, Spatial data quality and uncertainty; Data base design - editing and topology creation in GIS, Linkage between spatial and non-spatial data; Spatial data analysis, Data quality and sources of errors; Digital Elevation Model and derivation of parameters; Data analysis and modelling in GIS; Open sources software, free software and cloud computing; Overview of image processing & GIS Packages – ArcGIS, ERDAS, ENVI, MAP INFO, GEOMEDIA, IDRISI, GRASS, SAGA, QGIS

Principles of Remote Sensing

• Focused on the basic radiometric concepts and physical relations required for remotely sensed data to be analysed quantitatively. Electromagnetic radiation: radiometric units and terms, radiation laws, radiation sources optical, thermal and microwave. Surface interactions. Plant, soil and water spectral properties. Atmospheric interactions and correction. Spatial resolution and geometry. Orbits and platforms. Review of satellite and airborne systems. Sensors and platforms. Interpretation of spectral response patterns. Remote sensing applications

Techniques of Geographical Investigation

Analysis of statistical and geographical series; Advanced methods in Multivariate analysis (multiple regression, factor and principal components, trend surface and linear discriminant analysis etc.) Spatial Autocorrelation, Variogram and Semi-variogram, Statistical and Mathematical modeling (Monte Cardo Simulation. Markov processes), Regionalisation and grouping Techniques. Computer application in spatial data analysis using SPSS, GeoDA, ArcGIS and QGIS software. A brief introduction to R-Language for Spatial Data Analysis.

Digital Image Processing and Analysis

• Principles of optical and radar image formation, image characteristics, statistics and visualisation. Radiometric, spectral and spatial image enhancement. Contrast stretching, digital filtering in the spatial. Geometric correction: map projections, selection of ground control points, transform equations, resampling methods (nearest neighbour, bilinear interpolation, cubic convolution). Supervised and unsupervised image classification: parametric and non-parametric techniques, clustering, segmentation, pixel and object-based approaches and validation (accuracy assessment). Post processing, processing chains, change detection, Cellular Automata, CA-Markov

Data Structure and Algorithms

Data structures; data formats; data storage; data standards; spatial and non-spatial data; spatial querying; analysis techniques – reclassification, overlay, proximity, mensuration, visualisation, map algebra; hardware and software; system specification; projections; datums; spheroids. Raster and Vector Structures and Algorithms. Surfaces, Volumes and Time Data Structures. Storage of Complex Objects. Databases for GIS. Managing and modelling Errors.

Spatial Statistics

Variograms and Covariance functions, kriging, Spatial Error and Lag regression model and smoothing methods. Areal data analysis including neighbourhoods, testing for Spatial association, global and local tests of association; disease mapping. Density analysis, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and geographically weighted regression. Point Process data: types of spatial patterns, CSR and tests. Bayesian methods for spatial stat, Bayesian disease mapping. Spatio-temporal modelling. Statistical data, skewness, moments and kurtosis, Matrix algebra, time series, correlation, regression, sampling, distribution, multivariate statistics

Spatial Decision Support Systems

Decision making processes, Spatial decision making, Decision Support Systems, Multi-criteria Evaluation, Methods and tools for collaborative Decision-making. Consensus Evaluation, Analytical Hierarchical Process. Coupling of GIS models with analytical models to facilitate processes of decision-making.

Programming for GIS and Remote Sensing

Introduction to Python and Java scripting, write source codes for GIS basic functions; customize GIS Programs, Introduction to R for spatial analysis, Introduction to Google Earth Engine

Modelling Environmental Processes

• An introduction to the full suite of environmental models and modelling methods that are currently used to describe and predict environmental processes and outcomes. Lectures will cover examples of models applied in climate, soil, water, natural ecosystems and atmosphere and others. Mechanistic, semi-empirical and empirical models. Their strengths and weaknesses and application. System analysis and numerical solutions. Identifying what makes models powerful. Predictions, Scenario and Sensitivity testing. Recognizing limits and uncertainties; validating the model. Recognizing the importance of good data.

Spatial Database

Database structures – ordered and indexed lists, hierarchical, network, relational, object-oriented, hybrid structure. Metadata – standards and practice, creation, maintenance, distribution and control. Systems analysis and analysis approaches – methods for designing computerised spatial systems. Object Orientation – theory and practice. Data specification formats, interoperability and handling of geographic data. INSPIRE and the Spatial Data Infrastructure. Industry standard database management systems – Oracle and SQL. Open-Source geospatial database management systems – Postgres/Post GIS and SQL

Cartography

This will enable students to design more effective and aesthetically pleasing map outputs, and gain a deeper understanding of the mapping process, Definition of map, components of maps. Map as a storage and communication media. Geo-Visualisation Techniques in Thematic mapping (Dasymetric, Isarithmic maps, Choropleths, etc). Map project and transformation. Visualisation of spatial data. Tutorial using ArcGIS and QGIS software

Geo-Information Science Applications in Environnemental Management

Applications issues in Environmental management related to landscape ecology, Hydrology and Water resources management, Soil and Geomorphology, Geology, Forestry management, Climate change, etc

Geo-Information Science Applications in Social Development

Application issues in sustainable Urban management and governance, Health and epidemiology, transport and network management, demography, crime and security management, agriculture and food security, gender, trade and economic development, political analysis, land governance and administration, etc

Environmental Resource Survey

• Survey strategies for environmental resources: census with thematic mapping, ground sampling, sampling with property mapping, integrated ground sampling and property mapping. Development of classification schemes. Sampling and rapid estimates; count plot methods, plotless sample technique, soil and water survey techniques. Assessment of existing data quality and use in survey design. Statistical design and analysis for environmental resource surveys. Quality assessment of environmental data. Introduction to interpolation methods.

Web Cartography

• Principles of web mapping development.
• Introduction to HTML. Review of Internet mapping technologies and solutions: Google Maps/Earth API; ESRI JavaScript and Flex API; Open Layers API; Leaflet API; ArcGIS for Server. Introduction to XML/XSLT, GeoJSON. Proprietary and Open-source toolkits. Case study applications of Internet mapping: local authorities, location-based services.

Seminars in Geo-Information Science

All students take turns to present their mid-term progress reports on their chosen Research topics and term papers before panels and Supervisors for assessment. Attendance at each seminar is mandatory for all students.

Geomatics

Linear and angular measurement, triangulation and traversing, cut and fill, Global Positioning Systems, levelling, topographical surveying with Total Station etc.

Research Project

A substantial, planned programme of research that develops to a high level: personal, generic skills; research skills; and specialist knowledge and understanding of a selected subject area. The Dissertation is prepared under the individual guidance and supervision of a member of staff

Contemporary Research Methods in Geography

Familiarity with appropriate range of intellectual and methodological traditions in Geography. Capacity development to frame research questions, to derive appropriate research designs. Development of competence and confidence in using a range of both qualitative and quantitative methods of gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence. Development of capability to manage research, including data management, conducting and disseminating research, working in a team, and understanding codes of research practice and research ethics. Gain practical experience of geographical research through conducting small-scale research project(s), chiefly through thesis

Techniques of Investigation in Geo-Information Science

The methodology of the natural and social sciences. Research process. Critical thinking in Geo-Information Science. The logic and testing of hypotheses. Design of models and experiments. Laws and Theories in Geo-Information Science, space/time Concepts. Analysis of statistical and geographical series; Advanced methods in Multivariate analysis. Spatial Autocorrelation, Variogram and Semi-variogram, Statistical and Mathematical modeling, Regionalisation and grouping Techniques. Computer application in spatial data analysis using SPSS, GeoDA, ArcGIS and QGIS software. A brief introduction to R-Language for Spatial Data Analysis.

Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing and Analysis

Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing and Analysis, Electromagnetic radiation: radiometric units and terms, radiation laws, radiation sources optical, thermal and microwave. Spatial resolution and geometry. Orbits and platforms. Sensors and platforms. Interpretation of spectral response patterns. Remote sensing applications. Contrast stretching, digital filtering in the spatial domain. Supervised and unsupervised image classification: parametric and non-parametric techniques, clustering, segmentation, pixel and object-based approaches and validation.

Spatial Analysis and Modelling

Geographic distribution of social phenomena; Analyses of socio-spatial phenomena. Multi-criteria evaluation, Hydrological modelling, river modelling, GIS analysis, and in water scarcity. Spatial, spectral and radiometric image correlation and calibrations image registration, Supervised and Unsupervised. Classification. Land use/cover mapping. Vegetation and water indices. Data editing, data analysis using various overlay techniques. Google Earth and Global Positioning System (GPS) for spatial data capture.