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American River CollegeView Photo(s) of Award Presentation Project Goal
Since the spring of 1998, American River College (ARC) has offered one of the most comprehensive GIS certificates in the nation, consisting of 29 units of GIS courses, including GPS, Cartographic Design, GIS Database Design and Management, Spatial Analysis and Modeling, Desktop GIS classes, Data Acquisition in GIS, GIS Programming, and an Internship in GIS. To meet employer needs, ARC has also designed a GIS Web Applications and Programming certificate which combines computer information science courses such as Web Publishing, Programming in Visual Basic, and additional courses in database management with GIS courses to give students a wider base of CIS skills. Business Problem Solved
As part of our GIS certificate, GIS students are required to complete an internship in GIS with a local agency, business, or non-profit organization. Internships are a great way for our students to demonstrate their GIS skills, gain invaluable "real world" GIS experience, advertise the GIS program at ARC, and meet prospective full-time GIS employers. GIS employers who have participated in the internship program are uniformly impressed with the quality of ARC GIS students, and many internship positions have turned into full-time extended or permanent positions. We've found this is also an excellent way to network with potential adjunct GIS professors as well. Technology Implemented
ARC maintains a state-of-the-art on campus GIS lab (all computer stations were completely replaced during June 2004) with the able assistance of our instructional assistant Mr. Geoff Preston. Additionally, evening GIS courses are taught at an off-campus (downtown Sacramento) location equipped with labs specially designed for GIS course instruction. Development Team Biography
Mr. Dale van Dam, Geology Professor and GIS Program Coordinator |
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