How can you learn about GIS?
GIS is what laymen call “map making”. It includes surveying/mapping. It may be included in civil engineering departments, or in geography departments.
It’s a bit different than any other kind of drafting. Most drafting involves engineering design.You are drawing something that doesn’t exist yet, so somebody can build it: a mechanical part, an electric circuit, a piping connection, a building foundation, etc. And to draw those things, you need the technical knowledge from an engineering curiculum.
In GIS and mapmaking, you draw things that already exist : you take reality, and re-produce it as a drawing , and in the process create a massive data base. Every item on the map has its own codes. A person can read the map, but a computer can read the data base( say, to print out a list of all the electric poles which are connected to a certain circuit, or a list of all the properties which are zoned for residential use)
GIS drafting involves more computers, and less engineering.
There are lots of schools that now offer programs and degrees in it.
Visit here - http://www.esri.com/ to get some ideas about GIS software and what it does. - I am in no way connected with ESRI other than we use their software. They have a complete corner on the market.
As chappachula said, this is mapping and cartography, and ‘drawing’ existing features. But it goes much, much deeper than that. It’s spatial analysis of features not just based on their individual attributes, but also analysis on their location and/or proximity to other features.
For any data analysis, there needs to be a common link between other records in the db. For instance, you might search all recipes that use chicken as an ingredient.
GIS uses the location of the object as the link or commonality. In this case, you might search for all properties that have a structure on it valued at over $1000 that are within 100’ of a stream.
I’m going to look into that as well. However my options to receive a degree or certificate in the field are very limited because of where I live and the financial status of my family. Which is why I’m also asking if the two links I posted above would suffice or not?
I wish I could be of more help evaluating those links. But I’d be talking through my hat. Much depends on the market where you are for jobs of course. I know that the front range in Colorado is a hotbed for GIS.
I frankly got lucky and got in at the VERY beginning. Before GIS was even a term. It was first called AMFM - Automated Mapping and Facilities Management. I just climbed the ladder.
Those both seem to be Architectural/Civil Engineering Lite programs. I think you would be taking a lot of courses that you don’t need. I’ve been out of the field for a while (I was a structural engineer who both worked with drafters and did my own CAD drafting), but I think you want two basic types of classes: CAD (and possibly other relevant computing stuff) and Engineering Drawing classes.
The Civil/Architectural fields are notorious for being relatively low-paying. Mechanical is probably the way to go, if you have a choice.
If you are definitely picking between the two programs, based on the limited info on the sites I would pick the NCC one as it seems to be more engineering-based rather than architecture-based.
Oh, and another girl engineer here. We’re not that rare! Although I was pretty used to being the only female in the room for job meetings…
Which I just found a program here
http://www.farmingdale.edu/academics/engineering-technology/mechanical/index.shtml
They have both an associates and a four year option
The mechanical AA looks better to me than the civil/architectural AAs previously mentioned. Greater focus on CAD and understanding drafting basics. FWIW I think it looks pretty good for what you want to do.
Ok I’m down with that one. Thank you
Oh and another thing if I were to get the AA in Mechanical should I pursue the 4 year option?
If the extra two years has an internship program whereby you actually get into a real shop, and, if it concentrates on the coming changes to the software used in design and manufacturing, the 2 years MIGHT be worth it. Haven’t looked at the programs in question, but will advise to avoid becoming over-educated for the job you’re after (specific exception is if it is required for the job you want in 5 years).
When I was interviewing for programmers, I would put the MS Computer Science at the bottom of the pile. We never did get to the bottom of that pile.
Spending too much time getting into the guts of a a process can skew your approach.
I’m not sure yet if it has an internship program built into it. From my experience I have found or least from what I can seen students are usually on their own to get an internship in whatever field they are in. I think that is interesting that you weren’t too interested in the people with an MS in Computer Science.
Trying to be as brief as possible:
At one level (first, usually) the interest was in “How do I get this thing to do what I want?” (which is directly applicable to the business world).
When you get past that, you get into the “Why does this do what it does, and how does it do that?” (which is not so applicable).
Short form:
At BS, you have written the core of a payroll system.
At MS, you have written a compiler - which is so far from what we needed done as to be a different language.
And yes, I did work with a blowhard who liked to brag about his MS in Computer Science. To this day, I have no idea what he did or even if he was paid.
When the founder saw the writing on the wall and sold the place, the new owners learned exactly what “due diligence” meant - by then the company was worthless. It owned a mainframe and rented out time. In 1986. As the HP and DEC and even the System/3 and 8100 came out and the little companies could buy their own computers for less than they were paying for the mainframe time.
If it were me, I would go for the two-year program if all I wanted to do was drafting. The four-year program looks like it is geared towards designers, and requires more of the math/science/design courses required for engineering analysis and design.
The associates degree still contains some of the basic mechanical/civil engineering courses such as statics, strength of materials, material science, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics, so if at some point you wanted to go back for a bachelors, it seems you would be in a good position. One caveat - I’m not sure if the engineering courses are the ones you would normally get at an accredited (ABET) engineering program, or some kind of “lite” course. That may be worth checking into, if you are interested in perhaps pursuing a 4-year degree down the road. It would suck to take statics, etc. and not have the courses accepted by a four-year program.
Well the four year one will have to sadly wait because right now money is an issue and one of the goals with getting the 2 year degree ( which should be the goal of getting any degree ) is to gain employment. I’m going to also pursue the certification above that was suggested to me.