SEST 6577: GIS for Security Studies 

This course provides an introduction to geospatial data science and its applications to public policy, political economy, and international relations.

The course will enable students to work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data structures and understand cartography, transformations, georeferencing, geocoding, and spatial analysis. It will provide students with hands-on experience in using open-source GIS software to visualize and analyze multiple types of data, including administrative records, historical maps, boundaries, weather, climate, roads, and satellite images/remote sensing. Applications will include data on elections, armed conflict, crime, public infrastructure, and economic activity, plus a series of specialized topics selected by students. Class meeting time will be split between lectures and lab exercises, where students will use GIS software to complete assignments.