To understand the Geographic Information Science principles that underlie the development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and its intelligent use; to demonstrate how geographic information systems be applied to tackle problems encountered in geospatial, environmental and land use planning applications; to understand techniques, data sources, and skills for analyzing regions as economic, social, and spatial systems; to introduce systems modeling, benefit-cost analysis, budgetary analysis, decision analysis, and forecasting techniques for analyzing situations that require a planning response.