Bachelor of Science in Applied Computing with Concentration in Geomatics University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Computing is permeating modern life and data is the new resource that industries around the world are chasing. However, data analytics or applied computing cannot be taught in isolation. When applied to a particular problem or domain, knowledge of computing and the domain itself are required to effectively achieve insight. A degree in applied computing will give graduates knowledge in both computing and domains of application.

Geomatics Concentration
Geomatics is the quantitative study of relationships pertaining to the Earth’s surface, particularly focused on the analysis of satellite or drone images of the Earth or in GPS tracking across the Earth’s surface. Satellite, drone, and GPS data have revolutionized how we capture, analyze, and interpret spatially anchored data, such as the distribution and health of crops or the weekly shopping habits of individuals.

This program trains students in the theory, tools, and techniques of spatial data analysis. It combines courses in computer science and geography and planning to provide knowledge and skills in several critical areas: fundamentals of computer programming and practice, the acquisition and analysis of spatial data using geographic information systems, the interpretation of spatial data given existing theory, the fundamentals of data analytics, and the fundamentals of image processing.

The computer science component of the concentration in geomatics adds data analytics, visualization and image processing courses to the fundamentals listed above, providing you with the tools you need to analyze and present spatial data. This field has applications in civic planning, land and water management, agriculture, and business. Increasingly, firms are making decisions about investments based on satellite telemetry. In the field of geomatics, computer science provides the tools for analyzing data and geography provides the social and physical theoretical constructs which provide meaning to the data and analysis.

In upper years of this program, senior computer science courses are grouped into a software engineering option for students who wish to build geomatic software systems, an analytics option focused on AI and machine learning, and a user interface and visualization option for student who want to create interactive spatial tools. The options are voluntary, and students can mix and match as they deem appropriate.