Beginning spring聽semester of 2018, North Park will offer a bachelor’s degree in Location Intelligence (LI), a field with wide-ranging applications in today鈥檚 high-tech job market. The emerging field, which combines aspects of natural and technical sciences, along with business principles and the latest in spatial technology, prepares students for many careers including cybersecurity, urban planning, and financial services.
鈥淟ocation Intelligence has applications to almost any discipline and is one of the most cutting-edge fields today,鈥� said Richard Schultz, associate dean of Online Education. Schultz says that paid LI internships, as well as full-time jobs, are plentiful, but often go unclaimed because there are not enough qualified candidates for the jobs.
North Park has built this program based on model courses created by international experts in the discipline. The online aspect of the major makes it accessible to a vast audience with various interests, Schultz says. The curriculum also incorporates a strong foundation of liberal arts coursework, including business and communication skills. Courses include The Art and Science of Map Design,聽Development of Web Apps, and a聽Geospatial Practicum which involves an internship related to the student’s specific career interests.