B.S. in Global Geodesign

Graduates will have achieved:

• a deep understanding of:
  • the myriad ways in which places can be constructed, interpreted, and experienced by different people;
  • the principles of design and how these can be used as a force for good in building healthy, livable, and sustainable communities;
  • how urban and regional planning provides a framework for promoting civic engagement and collective action;
  • how geographically referenced data can be gathered and organized to support a large number and variety of collaborative projects;
  • how geospatial data can be analyzed, modeled, and visualized to inform design and planning, and by doing so, support public participation and urban development; and
  • how form and function co-exist and evolve in urban and rural settings and how globalization connects near and far-away places and actions;
• an understanding of the broader context in which the research issues of geodesign are positioned; and
• a breadth of knowledge, as demonstrated by a general knowledge of the physical and natural world, a general knowledge of world histories, philosophical traditions, major religions, and cultural life worlds and an understanding of economic forces and political dynamics.

Graduates will have:

• highly developed cognitive, analytic, and problem-solving skills;
• the capacity for independent critical thought, rational inquiry, and self-directed learning;
• the ability to work, independently and collaboratively, on research projects that require the integration of knowledge with skills in analysis, discovery, problem-solving, and communication;
• mathematical skills;
• familiarity with the general scientific method;
• second-language competence;
• the ability to engage with socio-cultural frameworks and tradition other than their own; and
• the ability to plan work and to use time effectively.

Graduates will demonstrate interdisciplinary skills, i.e., they will:

• be able to evaluate which disciplines are involved in the solution of complex issues;
• be able to assess which research methods are most suitable in a particular situation;
• be able to integrate the content and research methods from architecture, urban and regional planning, spatial sciences, and other disciplines relevant to a particular situation;
• be able to defend a well-considered viewpoint covering the relevant disciplines; and
• know which phenomena are being studied in different disciplines and which research methods and theories are used.

Graduates will possess the attitudes as well as skills for lifelong learning, i.e., they:

• know how to obtain and evaluate information; and
• are able to orient themselves on a new knowledge domain, formulate an overview, and determine their knowledge gaps.

Graduates will demonstrate excellent communication skills, i.e., they will be able to:

• express themselves well verbally and at an academic level in writing;
• present ideas in a clear and effective way; and
• communicate knowledge to a public consisting of specialists or laypersons, making use of various modes of communication.

Graduates will demonstrate engagement at local, regional, and global levels, i.e., they will be able to:

• use a knowledge of cultures in explaining current problems in society;
• understand and appreciate cultural differences, not only at a distance, but in real life;
• live with different value systems in daily life, and reflect on their own value systems; and
• demonstrate an international awareness and openness to the world, based on understanding and appreciation of social and cultural diversity and respect for individual human rights and dignity.

Graduates will demonstrate:

• profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship;
• intellectual curiosity and creativity, including understanding of the philosophical and methodological bases of research activity;
• an openness to new ideas and unconventional critiques of received wisdom; and
• leadership skills, including a willingness to engage in constructive public discourse, to accept social and civic responsibilities and to speak out against prejudice, injustice and the abuse of power.