Graduate Program

Geosensing Systems Engineering

Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering

Department Graduate Program and Admission

Ph.D. Program

Students with a B.S. degree can be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy after completing 30 semester credit hours and passing a written qualifying examination. Those who do not meet the minimum standards to continue in the PhD. Program, receive an M.S. Degree without thesis. Students who complete 48 multi-disciplinary semester credit hours (selected from approved offerings in 9 departments) are administered an oral qualifying examination. Those who do not meet the minimum standards to continue with the PhD. Program receive an M.E. Degree. The PhD program is tailored to be completed in four years.

M.S. Degree with Thesis

A minimum of 30 credits beyond a B.S. (15 from the required list, 6 research thesis credits, and 9 from the approved list) are required. Students must write a thesis, containing original research, and defend it before graduating.

M.S. Degree without Thesis

A minimum of 30 credits beyond a B.S. degree (15 from the required list and 15 from the approved list).

Financial Support

Financial assistant may be available for students who have backgrounds in geodetic science, GPS, remote sensing, laser scanning technologies, survey measurements and adjustment, geographic information systems and related geosciences. No teaching or research assistantship is available to a student working on an M.S. Degree without thesis.

A. Required List of Courses

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CCE 5206: Geosensing I (3 cr) Prereq: Permission of Instructor. History of geodetic science as applied to earth's shape, local and world reference frames, gravity and anomalies, geoid, satellite geodesy and GPS, geodetic positioning and navigation by satellite technology. CLOSE	Fall
CCE 6207: Geosensing II (3 cr) Prereq: CCE 5206 or Permission of Instructor. Introduction to satellite positioning technologies, advancement in global positioning system, reference frames, orbits and GPS observable, errors and positioning with GPS, static and phase differenced kinematic GPS for precise aircraft trajectory. CLOSE	Spring
CGN 6381: Airborne Sensors and Instrumentation (3 cr) Prereq: CCE 5136, CCE 6136 or Permission of Instructor. Theoretical and practical issues associated with application of modern, airborne remote sensing technologies to precision mapping problems. Navigation, ALSM (LIDAR), SAR and hyperspectral data. CLOSE	Fall (Odd Year)
CCE 6516: Topics in Airborne Laser Mapping (3 cr) Prereq: CCE 6136 or CGN 6381. Laser mapping technology, current status of the technology, data collection methodologies and requirements, data processing, calibration, errors, conversion to local datums, data base management, filtering techniques and bare earth DTM, product generation and applications CLOSE	Fall (Even Year)
CGN 6905: Observations and Error Analysis (3 cr) Mathematical computations related to error estimation and propagation in surveying. Error ellipses. Axes translation and transformation. Application of Least Square Adjustments to surveying networks. CLOSE	Fall

B. Elective Approved List of Courses - Click course name for description

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A.	SUR¹ 5365: Digital Mapping Methods of digital representation of maps, coordinate development, digitizing, stereocompilation, scanning, remote sensing, hardware and software systems, file conversion, integration into GIS, and attribute development. CLOSE	Fall
B.	EEL² 5441: Fundamentals of Photonics (3 cr) Prereq: EEL 3396 and 3472. Review of electromagnetic fields and waves, energy bands in semiconductors, p-n junctions and optical properties of semiconductors. Fundamentals of optical modulators and switches, laser theory, laser characteristics, photodetectors, optical waveguides, and photonic applications. CLOSE	Fall
	EEL 5544: Noise in Linear Systems (3 cr) Passage of electrical noise and signals through linear systems. Statistical representation of random signals, electrical noise, and spectra. CLOSE	Fall
	EEL 5701: Foundations of Digital Signal Processing (3 cr) Analysis and design of digital filters for discrete signal processing; spectral analysis; fast Fourier transform. CLOSE	Fall
	EEL 6825: Pattern Recognition (3 cr) Decision functions; optimum decision criteria; training algorithms; unsupervised learning; feature extraction, data reduction; potential functions; syntactic pattern description; recognition grammars; machine intelligence. CLOSE	Fall
C.	CAP³ 5416: Computer Vision (3 cr) Prereq: MAC 2312, CGN 3421 or C-language. Introduction to image formation and analysis. Monocular imaging system projections, camera model calibration, and binocular imaging. Low-level vision techniques, segmentation and representation techniques, and high-level vision. CLOSE	Fall
D.	ABE⁴ 4036: Remote Sensing in Engineering: Science, Sensors, and Applications (3 cr) Prereq: MAP 2302, or equivalent. To develop an understanding of remote sensing theory, systems and applications using information obtained from the visible/near infrared, thermal infrared, and microwave regions of the EM spectrum. CLOSE	Spring
	ABE 6035: Advanced Remote Sensing: Science and Sensors (3 cr) Prereq: Differential and Integral Calculus. The main objective of the course is to develop an understanding of remote sensing theory and systems in visible; near-, mid-, and thermal-infrared; and microwave regions of the EM spectrum. The course is divided into two parts. The first half of the course will be aimed at understanding remote sensing theory. Some of the topics that will be covered during this half are: EM spectrum, wave theory, thermal and dielectric properties of the natural media, interaction of EM radiation with these media, absorption, emission, and scattering of EM radiation in different frequency regions, and radiative transfer theory. The second half of the course will involve understanding the system characteristics of sensors used in the different frequency regions including their design, calibration and performance issues. The course is designed for graduate students who have a strong background in differential and integral calculus, and preferably, in applied physics. It is primarily a lecture-based course with three exams and homework assignments. This course is also a pre-requisite to a more application-oriented course, ABE6262 � Remote sensing in hydrology, which will be taught during the fall of every even year. CLOSE	Fall (odd year)
	ABE 6262: Remote Sensing in Hydrology (3 cr) Prereq: Prerequisites: ABE 4036 or 6035. To develop a practical understanding of remote sensing applications to hydrology using observations in different regions of the EM spectrum. The course will be conducted in a seminar style with an emphasis on literature review and presentations. CLOSE	Fall (even year)
E.	URP⁵ 6270: Survey Planning Information Systems (3 cr) Survey of Planning Information Systems is intended to introduce graduate students in Urban and Regional Planning (and related disciplines) to the concepts, principles, and the reality of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) CLOSE
	URP 6272: Advanced Planning Information Systems (3 cr) Theoretical and practical knowledge about the structure, use, and architecture of georeference database systems. Discussion of spatial relationships which exist between network and area-related systems. CLOSE	Fall
F.	AST⁶ 5113: Solar System Astrophysics I (3 cr) Description here. CLOSE	Fall
	MAD⁷ 6406: Numerical Linear Algebra (3 cr) Prereq: MAS 3114, 4105, or 4124; and programming language. Topics most useful in applications with emphasis on numerical techniques: systems of linear equations, positive definite and toeplitz systems, least squares problems, singular value decomposition, and eigenvalues. Numerical stability and efficiency of algorithms as well as effect of perturbations on the problem. Companion to MAD 6407. CLOSE	Fall
G.	GLY⁸ 4734: Coastal Morphology and Process (3 cr) Prereq: GEO 2200 or GLY 2010C or GLY 2030C. Examines the nature and variety of coastal processes and the origin and modification of environmental changes along coasts and human activities in the coastal zone. CLOSE	Spring
	GEO⁹ 4241: Fluvial Morphology and Process (3 cr) Description here. CLOSE	Spring
¹Civil & Coastal Engineering, ²Electrical and Computer Engineering, ³Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering, ⁴Agricultural and Biological Engineering, ⁵Urban and Regional Planning, ⁶Astronomy, ⁷Mathematics, ⁸Geological Sciences, ⁹Geography

Geosensing Graduate Study Plan

Year 1:

Fall Semester #1 (9 cr, minimum)
CCE 5206: Geosensing I (3 cr)
CGN 6905: Observations and Error Analysis (3cr)
Elective (3 cr)

Summer Semester #1 (3 cr, minimum)
CGN 6910: Supervised Research (3cr)
Select Advisor and Committee Members

Spring Semester #1 (9 cr, minimum)
CCE 6207: Geosensing II (3 cr)
Two Electives (6 cr)

Year 2:	Fall Semester #2 (6 cr, minimum) CGN 6381: Airborne Sensors (3 cr) or CCE 6516: Topics in Airborne Laser (3 cr) Elective (3 cr) Students failing the written qualifier Summer Semester #2 (3 cr, minimum) CGN 7979: Advanced Research (3 cr) Ph. D. Written Qualifying Exam	Spring Semester #2 (6 cr, minimum) Two Electives (6 cr)
Students who fail written qualifying exam will be terminated with a MS degree without thesis

Year 3:	Fall Semester #3 (6 cr, minimum) CGN 7979: Advanced Research (3 cr)	Spring Semester #3 (6 cr, minimum) CGN 7979: Advanced Research (3 cr) Ph. D. Oral Qualifying Exam
Research Proposal for oral qualifying exam is due at the first working day of the Spring Semester and defend it within 8 weeks. Successful defense will classify the student as a Ph. D. Candidate. If the student fails the oral qualifier, student will be given the following options:
	Option 1.	Terminate with a ME Degree
		Summer Semester #3 (3 cr, minimum) CGN 7980: Research for Doctoral Research (3 cr) (for Ph. D. Candidates)
	Option 2.	Retake the oral qualifying exam on the first working day of the last week of the Semester C. If the student fails again, he/she will be terminated with a MS degree (with or without a thesis depending upon the advice given by the examining Committee Members)

Year 4:

Fall Semester #4 (6 cr, minimum)
CGN 7980: Research for Doctoral Research (6 cr)

Spring Semester #4 (6 cr, minimum)
CGN 7980: Research for Doctoral Research
Ph. D. Final Oral Defense