Geographical Information Systems (GIS) MSc programmes: Who teaches this course
About the faculty
The Faculty of Science, Engineering and Computing teaches this course. The Faculty's wide selection of undergraduate and postgraduate courses covers a diverse range of subject areas, from aerospace to geography; from maths and computing to biotechnology; and many more. Our collaborative set-up provides new opportunities for our students, and we design our courses with industry professionals to ensure you stay up to date with the latest developments.
Geography, Geology and the Environment
The School of Geography, Geology and the Environment prides itself on the high quality of its teaching, as recognised by the excellent and satisfactory awards in various subject reviews undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) on behalf of the Higher Education Funding Council.
The School has invested in developing its labs for both teaching and research, including:
- facilities for environmental monitoring, geology, geochemistry, and mapping/GIS/computing; and
- specialist instrumentation laboratories (eg nuclear metrology; laser raman spectroscopy; and 3D mapping).
In 1989, Kingston University offered the first geographical information systems (GIS) undergraduate degree in the world. This was followed by several MSc and PhD research degrees, and there are now strong and active undergraduate and postgraduate groups within the School. Staff are also actively involved in research and consultancy. Kingston is the UK's foremost centre for GIS education and training, with one of the largest GIS programmes in Europe.
Staff teaching on this course
Teaching and research associates
In addition to the core staff members below, we have a range of teaching and research associates who contribute to the GIS programme.
Professor Nigel Walford
Specialist subjects:
- Geodemographics, data and statistical analysis
- Land use and planning
- Agricultural and rural geography
Research fields:
- Agricultural policy adjustment
- Integration of small format aerial photographs and population census statistics
Membership of professional bodies:
- Member of the Higher Education Academy
- Chartered geographer (GIS)
- Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers
Dr Mike Smith
Specialist subjects:
- Digital elevation modelling
- Internet GIS
- Remote sensing
- Landform mapping
Research fields:
- Visualisation of DEMs for landform mapping
- Different types of DEMs (eg radar, photogrammetry etc) and their effect on visualisation and modelling
- Error assessment for DEMs
- Ice sheet reconstructions, with particular research interests in Cumbria and Ireland
Professional activities:
- Editor of Journal of Maps
- Vice-chair for working group on applied geomorphological mapping
Ian Greatbatch
Specialist subjects:
- Ethnophysiography
- Applications of GIS
- GIS for search and rescue
Research fields:
- Ethnophysiography
- Integrated retail management
Professional activities:
- GIS professional training programme director
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Learn more about the facilities available to you as a GIS student.The GIS group has strong links with the geographical information industry, including the Association for Geographic Information, Ordnance Survey and the GeoInformation Group. Guest speakers from a range of organisations give lectures about the latest industry developments.
Kingston graduate and honorary doctor Ed Parsons – the technology expert who helped develop Google's Street View photo maps. Find out more.