Geographic Information Systems Minor

Skill in the use of geographic information systems is useful in a wide variety of professions. A GIS minor will allow students from a variety of disciplines to develop professional skills that complement the skills developed in their major course work. The GIS minor is flexible so that students can tailor their course choices to accommodate individual needs and interests. A broadly-based approach to selecting minor courses can be appropriate for students whose majors are highly specialized or narrowly focused.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to perform basic capture, processing, storage and analysis of geospatial data.
Students will be able to create effective, aesthetically-pleasing visualizations of geospatial data.
Students will be able to utilize geographic information systems to answer meaningful research questions in at least one area of application.

About Academic Minors

Farmingdale State College students are invited to enhance their studies with an "Academic Minor." A minor is a cluster of thematically related courses drawn from one or more departments. In addition to department based minors (e.g. computer programming & info systems), interdisciplinary minors are also available (e.g. legal studies).

Academic minors are approved by the College-Wide Curriculum Committee and the Provost. Students must make application for an academic minor through the department offering the minor in conjunction with the Registrar's Office Specific course work must be determined in consultation with a faculty member in the department offering the minor. A statement of successful completion of the academic minor will appear on the student's transcript at the time of graduation.

A minor is considered to be an optional supplement to a student's major program of study.
Completion of a minor is not a graduation requirement and is subject to the availability of the courses selected. However, if the requirements for a minor are not completed prior to certification of graduation in the major, it will be assumed that the minor has been dropped. Consequently, the student will only be certified for graduation in their primary major.
Only students in 4 year baccalaureate programs can apply for a minor.
A minor should consist of 15 to 21 credits.
At least 12 credits must be in courses at the 200 level or higher.
At least 9 credits must be residency credits.
Specific requirements for each minor are determined by the department granting the minor.
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in their minor. Some minors may require a higher GPA.
Students are prohibited from declaring a minor in the same discipline as their major (e.g. one cannot combine an applied math minor with an applied math major). Academic minors may not apply to all curricula.
Students are permitted to double-count courses.
Students are only permitted to take more than one minor with appropriate written approval of their department chair or curriculum Dean.

Admission to Farmingdale State College - State University of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or military status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

History, Politics, & Geography | Dr. Doug Gallaway | douglas.gallaway@farmingdale.edu | 934-794-2739

Fall 2026

Subject to revision

Required:	(10 credits)
GIS 101 The Digital Earth OR
GEO 110 Maps and Maps Analysis	3
GIS 222 Geovisualization I	4
GIS 321 Geovisualization II OR
GIS 322 Geovisualization II	3

Students must earn at least six additional credits selected from any combination of 300-level or 400-level GIS courses.

Curriculum Summary

Total Credits: 16

1. At least nine credits must be taken at Farmingdale State College

2. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 for all courses taken for the minor

3. All courses must be in Geographic Information Systems (GIS prefix); any course substitutions must be approved by the minor coordinator in advance, in consultation with a GIS advisor.