T en or 20 years ago,

“planning your life’s career”

meant just that. People tended

to learn a relatively narrow set of

skills and “settle in” to a

professional life with a simple career

path and one or two employers. Today,

this traditional employment model still exists, but

a current professional career might also involve

multiple employment relationships, participation in

a “virtual” organization, self-employment, or

pursuit of many types of jobs during one’s lifetime.

The bottom line in today’s world is that it pays to

be educated broadly, yet skilled technically, to

meet the challenges and reap the

tremendous opportunities of an

information-based global

economy.

More and more,this information-based globaleconomy isbecoming ageospatialinformation-based economy.Such tools asaerial andsatellite remotesensing imag-ery, the GlobalPositioningSystem (GPS), andcomputerized geo-graphic informationsystems (GIS) are revolutioniz-ing the conduct of business,science, and government alike.

Geospatial information is increasingly becom-ing the driving force for decision making acrossthe local to global continuum. Tasks as varied asplanning urban growth, managing a forest,implementing “precision farming,” assessinginsurance claims, siting an automatic teller ma-chine, routing 911 vehicles, drilling a well,assessing groundwater contamination, designing acellular phone network, guiding “intelligent”vehicles, assessing the market for manufacturedgoods, managing a city, operating a utility,improving wildlife habitat, monitoring air quality,assessing environmental impact, designing aroad, studying human health statistics, minimizingwater pollution, undertaking real estate transac-tions, preserving wetlands, mapping naturalhazards and disasters, providing famine relief, orstudying the causes and consequences of globalclimate change, can be greatly enhanced bythe use of some form of geospatial technology.The pioneers, builders, and specialists ingeospatial information collection and manage-ment are trained in such fields as photo-grammetry, remote sensing, and GIS.

PhotogrammetryPhotogrammetry is the tongue-twistingterm for the science and technology ofobtaining reliable measurements, maps,

digital elevation models, and other GISdata primarily from aerial and space photog-

raphy. Professional photogrammetrists areresponsible for all phases of mapping projectsand provide spatially accurate base maps thatform a foundation for many applications of GIS.Functions can include planning and supervisingground and aerial surveys, interpreting andmaking measurements from remote sensingimagery, designing maps and cartographicpresentations, reproduction and distribution ofmap products, and managing general businessand organizational aspects of photogrammetricprojects. Many engineering disciplines also

use photogrammetric data as the basis forproject planning and design. In order toserve these customers effectively, theprofessional photogrammetrist must have

a broad understanding of a number of civilengineering and GIS disciplines, as well as

surveying and geodesy (the study of the trueshape of the earth). Some photogrammetristsare employed in the design and manufacturingof specialized data acquisition, analysis, andmeasurement equipment. As we move into the21st century, the photogrammetrist must bewell versed in mapping from a variety of sourcedata types: conventional and digital aerialphotography, satellite imagery, laser ranging(lidar) and radar to name a few. As a providerof data to a wide variety of users, the photo-grammetrist will make professional assessments

of the spatial accuracy and integrity of thesewidely varied data types and will makerecommendations for the application ofthese data in engineering and GIS

analysis.

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Remote SensingIn a nutshell, remote sensing refers to any tech-nique whereby information about objects and theenvironment is obtained from a distance. A bat’snavigation system is one form of remote sensing.In this case, acoustic waves are used to “see”objects and determine their position. Remotesensing in the context of obtaining geospatialinformation is based on measuring variations inhow electromagnetic waves interact with objects.The wavelengths typically involved not onlyinclude visible light, but also near-infrared, mid-infrared, thermal and microwave energy. Hence,remote sensing systems often permit us to greatlyexpand our spectral view of the earth and “see”the world much more clearly than we can with theunaided eye or any other sensor restricted tovisible wavelengths.

Today, an extremely broad range of remotesensing systems are used to collect data from bothaerial and spaceborne platforms. These systemsinclude everything from aerial cameras to earthorbiting multispectral sensors, and imaging radarsystems. Remote sensing, like photogrammetryand GIS, is a rapidly changing field. Three recentdevelopments in particular are fueling greatinterest and activity in the field. First, there issubstantial research and development underwayin the area of hyperspectral remote sensing, which

involves systemsthat sense inliterally hundredsof very narrow

spectral bands simultaneously. This approachgreatly increases the information and detail thatcan be obtained about objects on the earth’ssurface. Second, a series of recently launchedsatellite-borne remote sensing systems formNASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS), which is aprimary component of the Earth Science Enter-prise (ESE). The ESE is an international earthscience program aimed at proving the observa-tions, understanding, and modeling capabilitiesneeded to assess the impacts of both naturalevents and human-induced activities on theearth’s environment (www.earth.nasa.gov/).

A third major influence on the fieldof remote sensing today is the launch of

commercial high-resolution earth-orbitingsystems. These systems supply data witha ground sampling distance on the orderof 1 meter (3 feet). This will permitobjects of approximately one meter inlength to be identified on the earth’ssurface using a satellite in outer space.Most will also be pointable, with theiroptical systems being controlled byground command. This will enablefrequent observation of areas that are notdirectly below the satellite and it will also

allow the collection of stereoscopic (3D)data. These high-resolution systems areexpected to provide a quantum jump in

the commercial applications of remotesensing, and hence the demand forprofessionals in the field. In all, some 45new satellite remote sensing systems areplanned for launch over the next three

years (www.ersc.wisc.edu/ersc/).Remote sensing is a very broadly

based field. Professionals with back-grounds in such diverse areas as

agriculture, archaeology, business,ecology, engineering, forestry, geogra-phy, geology, range management, urban

and regional planning, water resources,wetland ecology, wildlife management,manufacturing and machine vision,meteorology, and oceanography use theinformation processed from remotely

sensing data. In addition, many remotesensing scientists are involved in basicresearch developing new sensor systems,

other instruments, and defining newanalytical techniques. Many suchpeople are also actively engaged inthe area of digital image processing,which is changing rapidly with majorimprovements in the power ofcomputer systems, networks, andvisualization techniques.

GeographicInformationSystemsGeographic InformationSystems (GIS) are computer-

ized systems that allow the userto work with, interrelate, and

analyze virtually all forms of spatialdata. Typically a GIS consists of three majorcomponents: a database of geospatial and thematicdata and information, a capability to spatiallymodel or analyze the data sets, and a graphicaldisplay capability. A GIS synthesizes computermapping and automated cartography, spatialanalysis, data modeling and database managementinto a coherent unit. GIS enables the combining(overlay) and analysis of various geographically-based data sets for use in many decision makingprocesses that benefit from the ability to visualizedata and information in different ways.

GIS emerged as a viable technology in theearly 1980s. In the 1990s, it exploded into one ofthe fastest growing and most widely adoptedtechnologies in the information age. GIS technol-ogy also crosscuts many disciplines and applica-tions ranging from the medical profession tonatural resource management. Likewise, it spans adiverse group of user communities ranging fromsmall villages to Federal agencies. This excitingtechnological development integrates remotelysensed and ground-based information intopowerful decisionmaking analytical tools.Knowledge and experi-ence is often desirable inone or several applicationareas such as biology/ecology, resourcemanagement, facilitiesmanagement, planning,or engineering.

Geographic information systems are used toprovide information and knowledge data invarious forms to help resolve complex resourcequestions such as:

l How does a community best use its naturalresources?

l What is the best location for a highway, givenspecific environmental, social, and economicconstraints?

l What will be the effect of locating a low-levelhazardous waste disposal facility at a certain site?

l What areas are likely to have the highest soilerosion?

l What are the likely biological/physical impactsof global warming or ozone depletion?

Geographic information systems are alsoenjoying greatly expanded application in busi-ness–from siting retail stores, to real estate,logistics, and marketing. Together, photogramme-try, remote sensing, and GIS offer numerousemployment opportunities throughout the private,governmental, and academic sectors and acrossthe globe.

Educational BackgroundRequirements/SuggestionsHigh School � College-preparatory courses thatemphasize the sciences are suggested for indi-viduals interested in pursuing careers in photo-grammetry, remote sensing and GIS. Examplesinclude, but are not limited to, mathematics(algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus),biology, chemistry, physics, geography, earthscience, computer programming and applications,drafting, English, fine arts/humanities, socialstudies, and foreign languages.

Community Colleges and Technical Institu-tions � Many 2-year academic and technicalinstitutions offer education and training in photo-grammetry, remote sensing and GIS, and inrelated fields. Associate degree and certificateprograms in GIS, surveying, photogrammetry, andsimilar curricula provide a sound foundation forwork experience or for transfer to other academicinstitutions for further education. There is asubstantial demand for technicians in geospatialinformation technology, for individuals who do notwish to pursue an advanced degree.

Colleges and Universities � Majors emphasizingphotogrammetry, remote sensing and GIS aretypically found in geography, geomatics engineer-ing, civil engineering, forestry, planning, survey-ing and mapping, or various physical scienceprograms at many colleges and universities, andcan result in earning bachelor’s, master’s, anddoctoral degrees. Increasingly, colleges anduniversities are offering minors, certificates, andspecialized professional master’s degree programsin these areas as well. Hence, educational prepara-tion can be targeted either toward becoming aspecialist in the field of geospatial informationscience and technology or a specialist in a tradi-tional discipline with a complementary backgroundin photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS.

Internships � It is highly recommended that anyindividual wishing to pursue a career in photo-grammetry, remote sensing, and GIS participate inan internship program to obtain “hands-on”experience as part of their preparation for employ-ment. Such opportunities are plentiful for thosehaving at least introductory knowledge aboutgeospatial information science and technology.

Continuing Education – Like many rapidlyadvancing high-tech fields, continuing educationin photogrammetry, remote sensing, and GIS is amust to keep current as a professional. ASPRS: TheImaging & Geospatial Information Society, otherprofessional and scientific organizations, hardwareand software providers, and educational institu-tions offer programs fulfilling this need.

Photogrammetry: To qualify as a professionalphotogrammetrist, you generally need abachelor’s degree, or significant work experiencecombined with a two-year technical degree indisciplines such as surveying engineering,cartography, or geodesy. While this educationgenerally occurs in engineering curricula, it canalso be found in some geography, forestry, orresource management programs. Photogrammetryis a professional discipline newly recognized bythe National Council of Examiners for Engineeringand Surveying (NCEES). In an increasing numberof states it is possible to attain professional statusand licensure as a photogrammetric surveyor ormapper.

Remote Sensing: A bachelor’s or graduatedegree is usually required for professional status.Such fields as engineering, physical geography,mathematics, statistics, computer science, and thebiological and physical sciences all provide goodtraining for remote sensing. A highly interdiscipli-nary education often serves as a good foundationfor professional work in this field.

GIS: Most professionals involved in the GIS fieldreceive an education in the earth sciences,engineering, management, or planning; supple-mented with courses in traditional and automated

cartography, mapping and remote sensing, spatialstatistics, computer science, mathematics, and GISfundamentals and applications.

Where will I find a school that offers thesecourses?For a sampling of colleges and universities offeringprograms in GIS, remote sensing, or photogram-metry, see the web sites for the UniversityConsortium for Geographic Information Science(www.ucgis.org). The Accreditation Board forEngineering and Technology (ABET) evaluatesuniversity and college degree programs insurveying, engineering and technology, some ofwhich include imaging and geospatial informationdiscipline areas. Visit their website (www.abet.org)and go to the link on accredited programs forlistings of colleges and universities and theirASPRS-related programs. Course catalogs for theseinstitutions will define specific courses for thesedegree programs.

Careers in theGeospatial Sciences

Computer Science l Biology l Geography

Physics l Geometry l Photography l Ecology

Graphic Arts l Forestry l Engineering

Community Planning l Transportation

Military Planning l Environmental Science

Cartography l Geodesy l Industrial Engineering

Civil Engineering l Architecture l Archeology

Urban Planning l Agriculture l Geology

Medicine l Aerial Photography l Economics

Satellite Imagery l Meteorology l Sociology

Hydrology l Manufacturing l Meteorology

Natural Resource Management

EmploymentAs mentioned previously, careers in imaging andgeospatial technology disciplines are available innearly all segments of the commercial, public,government, and academic communities. Jobtitles and starting salaries vary with experienceand background. Geographer, cartographer,physical scientist, computer scientist, GIS analyst,database administrator, applications specialist,project manager, remote sensing scientist,surveyor, photogrammetrist, and image analyst,are typical job titles. Detailed information onpotential employers in the private sector isavailable in the special annual issue of Photogram-metric Engineering & Remote Sensing - ResourceBook as well as at the ASPRS web site(www.asprs.org). The Resource Book lists namesand addresses of companies who are SustainingMembers of ASPRS, along with a description oftheir products and services.

State and local government agencies offeropportunities in ASPRS discipline areas. Stategovernment activity in these disciplines aregenerally carried out in agencies such as planning,environment, resources, transportation, andgeology, and are usually coordinated throughstate geographic information councils. TheNational States Geographic Information Council(NSGIC), which serves as the national coordinatingbody for these state organizations, can be con-tacted through links at the NSGIC website(www.nsgic.org). Employment opportunities incity and county government agencies oftenparallel state job titles and positions and can beresearched at their respective city or countyemployment offices. Academic institution offeringsat the entry level are usually for graduate studentsat those institutions for teaching assistant or otherstaff support positions, although instructor posi-tions become available and are widely advertised.World Wide Web searches keyed on localitynames and employment yield connections tothese opportunities.

Many U.S. government agencies, such as theU.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S.Forest Service (USFS), Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA), National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA), National Imagery andMapping Agency (NIMA), and U.S. Bureau ofLand Management (BLM), offer Federal employ-ment opportunities in related fields. Job announce-ments and general descriptions of Federal em-ployment opportunities and salary ranges can befound at the U.S. Office of PersonnelManagement’s (OPM) website(www.usajobs.opm.gov).

With the increased use of computers inimaging and geospatial technology careers, mostjobs are in an office environment. However,certain careers may require extensive field work toverify results or to acquire data in the outdoors. Inaddition, imaging and geospatial technologydisciplines are finding their way into many otherapplications and careers that are not traditionallyassociated with photogrammetry, remote sensing,and GIS. For example, photogrammetry is beingused in biomedical research, GIS is finding broaderuse in real estate development, and remotesensing/image processing are being used in lawenforcement. Therefore, job titles, alone, are notnecessarily the best indication of career opportuni-ties utilizing imaging and geospatial technology.

An increasing number of graduates areutilizing GIS in private firms, in environmentalmanagement, planning, and other businesses thatrequire spatial analysis. The rise of many morecommercial remote sensing firms also is a goodopportunity for people with training in geospatialfields.

With a bachelor’s degree, an employee canexpect to obtain an entry-level position workingas part of a larger group. With experience,employees can expect to be given more complexresponsibilities and will begin to manage largerprojects. Those with master’s degrees are oftenexpected to assume considerable responsibility as

soon as they are hired, including their ownprojects to manage. In some smaller organizations,employees may be expected to design andimplement new imaging and geospatial informa-tion procedures and systems. Again, substantialdemand exists for technicians in this area tosupport such activities.

For those who earn a doctoral degree (PhD),you could expect to find employment in auniversity or as a research scientist. The rapidgrowth of GIS programs at the university level hasresulted in a growing market for PhD graduates.There is also a high demand for such individualswith consulting firms, software development firms,and scientific laboratories. Those employers expectyou to make significant new contributions to theadvancement of current technology, develop newways to analyze information, or contribute toscientific research, theory, and discoveries.

Career GoalsMany things lead to a fulfilling career. Monetaryreward, ongoing technical challenge, opportunityfor advancement, employment flexibility, thedevelopment of a local to global perspective, andthe satisfaction of truly making a difference allcharacterize careers in this field. Geospatialinformation science and technology can providemany commercial, scientific, and social benefits ina broad range of settings. That’s why we like tosay that when you enter this career area, you notonly shape your future, but the future.

Check out these web sites for job openings:l www.asprs.org/l www.gjc.org/l www.gisjobs.com/l www.gita.org/industry/jobavail.htmll www.mapps.org

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ASPRS: The Imaging &Geospatial Information SocietyASPRS is a membership society that represents theinterests of individuals and companies in the fieldof imaging and geospatial information. Themission of ASPRS is to advance knowledge andimprove understanding of geospatial informationscience and technology and to promote theresponsible application of photogrammetry,remote sensing, geographic information systems,and supporting technologies.

Geospatial information answers the questionswho, what, when, and primarily where. ASPRS iscommitted to providing the highest quality spatialinformation to all people for effective decisionmaking and better understanding to improve theirquality of life.

Founded in 1934, ASPRS has given increasingservice to the scientific, user communities, and thenation through development of the art andscience of photogrammetry, remote sensing andgeographic information systems.

Scope of Society InterestThe core technologies represented by ASPRS arephotogrammetry, remote sensing, and geo-graphic information systems (GIS). Supportingtechnologies include, but are not limited to,cartography, spatial positioning, image process-ing, and photo interpretation.

The Society’s integration of core and support-ing technologies to real-world applications arecurrently concentrated in the areas of mapping,environmental and natural resources, modeling,simulation, visualization, close-range imaging, andsociocultural applications. The Society advancesresponsible practice through its professionalcertification program, continuing education andworkshops, publications, standards, and venues forsocial and career networking.

To find out more aboutASPRS and to become amember, visit our web site atwww.asprs.org.

Photo CreditThis image is a comparison ofLandsat Thematic Mapper data onthe right and a multipolarization,multifrequency Shuttle ImagingRadar-C (SIR-C) image on the left.The image is of Death Valley NationalPark, California, USA. Provided byReasearch Systems, Inc.,

This image is a color infrared digitalorthophoto quadrangle (DOQ)image of Imperial Beach, Californiaand Tijuana, Mexico. Provided bythe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

This image shows an Earth-orbitingsatellite carrying remote sensingdevices used to acquire, store, andtransmit digital images of theEarth’s surface. Provided by NASA.

This image is a computer renderedperspective view of a digitalelevation model, a computer file ofregularly-spaced points of elevationon the Earth’s surface. Provided bythe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

This image is a GSD natural colorcollection of the City of Cincinnatitaken by Litton/TASC’s EmergeDigital Airborne Sensor System.

This image is a rendering of 224-bandAirborne Visible/Infrared ImagingSpectrometer (AVIRIS) hyperspectraldata acquired by the Jet PropulsionLaboratory in the northwest cornerof Yellowstone National Park.Provided by Research Systems, Inc.

This brochure is downloadable by going towww. asprs.org/Career.

This image was generated fromNASA’s Total Ozone MappingSpectrometer (TOMS), andillustrates the October mean totalozone from 1979-1994 and 1996.Provided by NASA’s Goddard SpaceFlight Center.

This image shows a portion of a 30-meter resolution land-cover data.The primary data source is Landsatthematic mapper (TM). Provided byUSGS EROS Data Center.

AVIRIS and AIRSAR data acquired byJet Propulsion Laboratory, processedby Analytical Imaging and Geophys-ics, Boulder, Colorado using ENVI ®,the “Environment for Visualizing Im-ages” as part of a Multi-Mode ImageFusion study sponsored by EastmanKodak Company. Image provided byResearch Systems, Inc.

This image depicts data points oncontours (lines of equal elevationon the Earth’s surface) in a digitalelevation data set. Provided by theU.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Terrain features above a specificelevation are shown in shades ofgreen to indicate changes inelevation and slope. This data ismerged with a blue-tinted digitalorthophoto (a digital photographic

image with the characteristics of a map) to show details inareas below that elevation that are subject to flooding.Provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

All other images provided by www.arttoday.com.

This brochure has been sponsored in-partby ERDAS, Inc.

www.erdas.com