The graduate program in Spatial Information Science and Engineering focuses on
advancing knowledge about spatial information particularly with respect to concepts
needed in next-generation information systems. Emphasis is placed on developing
novel concepts and methods in the broad field of geographic information science
for:
- storing, accessing, analyzing, and managing spatial data, and
- modeling, extracting, integrating, visualizing, and communicating geospatial
information.
Students build on a solid foundation in computer science, mathematics, physics,
geography, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and related fields to study
spatio-temporal phenomena and design intelligent spatial information systems.
In addition to these concepts, the design of spatial information technologies
requires a comprehensive understanding of the social, legal, economic, and institutional
issues affecting such systems, a commitment to human users and ethical uses of
such systems, dedication to the ethics of broad access to information, and commitment
to quality of information.
Degrees offered include the Master of Science in Spatial Information Science
and Engineering, the Ph.D. in Spatial Information Science and Engineering, and
the Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems.
- an interdisciplinary study of the nature and function of spatial information
systems, and
- the technical study of the design and evaluation of methods and processes to
capture, represent and analyze spatial information.
Graduate courses cover formal representations of spatial phenomena, image analysis,
database systems, geographic information systems, and information policy. Research
topics may be selected from any of the principal areas ranging from geographic
information science, spatial and spatio-temporal reasoning, spatial database systems,
image understanding, to legal and managerial aspects of spatial information systems.
Many research topics require an interdisciplinary approach and, therefore, courses
taught in other departments complement the program offered.
The Department offers both a thesis and project option in the Master of Science
in Spatial Information Science and Engineering. All work for a master’s degree
must be completed within six years. The timing starts with the first semester
of registration after admission to the Master of Science in Spatial Information
Science and Engineering.
The thesis option is the scientific track, typically requiring a strong engineering,
computer science, or mathematics undergraduate background. Prospective master’s
students with other disciplinary backgrounds are expected to make up the requisite
math and engineering courses that would allow them to succeed in an engineering
graduate curriculum. The thesis option includes a substantial piece of individual
research as a basis for a master’s thesis.
The project option is aimed at students who wish to focus primarily on course
work rather than research at the master’s level. The formal coursework is complemented
by a one-semester project in which the student must demonstrate that he or she
can apply the acquired knowledge for implementing a particular solution.
Master (Project Option)
- Minimum of 30 graduate course credits (i.e., 400 level or above)
- At least 12 graduate course credits at 500 level or above
- At least 18 graduate course credits in SIE
- No more than 6 credits of independent study courses (SIE 498, 598, 698, or equivalent
independent study courses in other graduate programs)
- SIE 589 Graduate Project
- At least 3 graduate faculty on the advisory committee
- At least 2 must be SIE tenured or tenure-track faculty
- Breadth Requirement: at least one 3-credit graduate course from 4 out of the 5
groupings:
- Formal Representations of Spatial Phenomena
- Image Analysis
- Database Systems
- Geographic Information Systems
- Information Policy
Master (Thesis Option)
- Minimum of 30 graduate course credits (i.e., 400 level or above)
- At least 24 graduate course credits
- At least 6 thesis credits - SIE 699
- At least 12 graduate course credits at 500 level or above
- At least 18 graduate course credits in SIE
- No more than 6 credits of independent study courses (SIE 498, 598, 698 or equivalent
independent study courses in other graduate programs)
- SIE 501 Introduction to Graduate Research
- SIE 502 Research Methods
- SIE 693 Graduate Seminar
- Breadth Requirement - at least one 3-credit graduate course from 3 out of the 5
groupings:
- Formal Representations of Spatial Phenomena
- Image Analysis
- Database Systems
- Geogapic Information Systems
- Information Policy
- At least 3 graduate faculty on the advisory committee
- At least 2 must be SIE tenured or tenure-track faculty
- Master’s Thesis Defense
A maximum of six credit hours of graduate course work taken prior to enrollment
in the master’s program, whether at this university or another, may be counted
towards the master’s degree. If the course did not count towards a completed undergraduate
degree and if the student’s graduate advisory committee formally approves acceptance
of the courses on the student’s Program of Study, then the credit hours may be
transferred toward the master’s degree.
In order to meet the residency requirement, at least 50 percent of the course
work applied toward the degree must be taken through The University of Maine.
The Ph.D. degree is the highest of academic degrees. The Ph.D. in Spatial Information
Science and Engineering is awarded to those demonstrating outstanding achievement
in Spatial Information Science and Engineering scholarship and primarily for demonstrated
ability for independent research in the field. The preparation and defense of
a thesis embodying the results of an original investigation in a specialized area
of Spatial Information Science and Engineering are essential features of the program.
All work for a doctoral degree must be completed within eight years. The timing
starts with the first semester of registration after admission to the Ph.D. in
Spatial Information Science and Engineering. Students must be admitted to candidacy
within four years of registration for the first work presented for satisfaction
of degree requirements; the dissertation must be completed within four years of
admission to candidacy.
The program for the Ph.D. degree in Spatial Information Science and Engineering
carries a minimum residency requirement of two academic years and a minimum of
42 credit hours in formal course work beyond the bachelor’s degree. Students are
expected to hold a Masters degree, typically in engineering, computer science,
mathematics, or geography with a strong technical and analytical background.
A qualifying examination is taken after the student has completed the course
requirements and developed a thesis proposal. The examination will be designed
to test the student’s area of expertise by evaluating the student’s knowledge
related to his or her thesis topic through oral and/or written examination. No
foreign language requirement is included in the program. A full oral defense of
the dissertation is required upon completion of the student’s work.
- Minimum of 42 graduate course credits (i.e., 400 level or above)
- Minimum of 12 thesis credits (SIE 699)
- Minor of 9 graduate course credits as detailed below
- Up to 24 transfer credits of graduate course work
- No more than 9 credits of independent study courses (SIE 498, 598, 698 or equivalent
independent study courses in other graduate programs)
- SIE 501 Introduction to Graduate Research
- SIE 502 Research Methods
- SIE 693 Graduate Seminar
- Breadth Requirements: at least one 3-credit graduate course from 4 out of the 5
groupings:
- Formal Representations of Spatial Phenomena
- Image Analysis
- Database Systems
- Geographic Information Systems
- Information Policy
- At least 5 graduate faculty on the advisory committee
- At least 3 must be SIE tenured or tenure-track faculty
- Dissertation Proposal Defense
- Dissertation
A maximum of 24 credit hours of graduate course work taken prior to enrollment
in the master’s program, whether at this university or another, may be counted
towards the master’s degree. If the course did not count towards a completed undergraduate
degree and if the student’s graduate advisory committee formally approves acceptance
of the course on the student’s Program of Study, then the credit hours may be
transferred toward the doctoral degree.
All students must complete a minor program consisting of at least nine credit
hours of course work taken outside of Spatial Information Science and Engineering.
Only courses at the 400 level or above and listed in the Graduate Catalog (or
equivalent courses transferred from another university) can be counted toward
the minor requirement. Independent study courses do not qualify for a minor. This
minor must consist of courses relevant to the student’s thesis and must have a
common core that typically comes from a single department. The minor program must
be approved by the advisory committee.
The minimum residency requirement for Ph.D. programs is met by registering for
courses or thesis research at The University of Maine for four semesters beyond
the baccalaureate degree. Students entering doctoral programs with a master’s
degree from The University of Maine must register for a t least two semesters
of course work or thesis research.
In addition to University fellowships and scholarships listed elsewhere in this
Catalog, the Department offers graduate research assistantships to qualified students
on externally funded research projects.
We encourage all international applicants to submit, in addition to the complete
application package, a video of approximately 10 minutes, in which they describe
their research interests, their background and experience in doing independent
research, and their future goals. This movie can be a digital video submitted
as a URL to a QuickTime file (do not e-mail the entire digital movie) or mailed
on a CD (same format) together with your application. This instruction is particularly
important for prospective graduate students who seek funding through graduate
research assistantships.
M. Kate Beard-Tisdale, Ph.D. (Wisconsin, 1988), Professor and Chair. Geographic information systems,
spatial analysis, digital libraries.
Peggy Agouris, Ph.D. (Ohio State, 1992), Associate Professor. Digital image processing and
analysis, digital photogrammetry, remote sensing, spatiotemporal information management.
Max J. Egenhofer, Ph.D. (Maine, 1989), Professor. Geographic database systems, spatial reasoning,
GIS user interface design, research methodologies.
Silvia Nittel, Ph.D. (Zurich, Switzerland, 1994), Assistant Professor. Spatial database management
systems, mobile object systems, heterogeneous information systems, high performance
architectures.
Harlan J. Onsrud, J.D. (Wisconsin, 1982), Professor. Computer and information systems law, cadastral
systems, boundary law, and environmental law.
Anthony Stefanidis, Ph.D. (Ohio State, 1993), Assistant Professor. Video analysis, virtual scene
modeling, digital image processing.
Michael F. Worboys, Ph.D. (Birmingham, UK, 1980), Professor. Geographic information representation
and reasoning, uncertainty, spatio-temporal information, human interaction issues.
Claudia M. Bauzer Medeiros, Ph.D. (University of Waterloo, Canada, 1985)
Carol Bult, Ph.D. (University of New Hampshire, 1989)
Arie Croitoru, Ph.D. (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 2002)
Peter J. Doucette, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 2002)
Matt Duckham, Ph.D. (University of Glasgow, 2000)
Andrew Frank, Ph.D. (Swiss Federal Institute of Tech., 1982)
Mark Gahegan, Ph.D. (Curtin University of Technology, 1997)
Marcelo Gattas, Ph.D. (Cornell University, 1982)
Michael Goodchild, Ph.D. (McMaster University, 1969)
John R. Herring, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State, 1979)
Kathleen Stewart-Hornsby, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 1999)
Werner Kuhn, Ph.D. (Swiss Fed. Inst. of Tech., 1989)
Lars Kulik, Ph.D. (University of Hamburg, 2002)
David Mark, Ph.D. (Simon Fraser University, 1997)
Graduate School
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