Established in 1988, the GIS Lab is the first of its kind to be established at a small college. It is the technical hub for mapping, analysis and planning and serves the entire academic program.

The GIS program is founded on learning by doing, through partnerships, training, research and service. Students engage in a broad range of projects while providing valuable assistance to local communities and research efforts.

Related Areas of Study:

Students often work cooperatively with federal, state and local officials, as well as nonprofit organizations. This approach prepares students for jobs, internships and graduate work where spatial thinking and technical skills provide COA students with a distinct and marketable advantage.

In 2008, the GIS Lab was presented with the prestigious Esri Special Achievement in GIS Award.


Student Work in GIS:

  • <div class="lw_profiles_75">Poster:</div><div class="lw_profiles_name"><h2>Culvert Operations: Stormwater Management in Ellsworth, Maine</h2></div><div class="lw_profiles_76"><h4>by: Land-Use Planning Class, 2014</h4></div><span class="lw_profiles_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1285-culvert-operations-stormwater-management-in"><img src="/live/image/gid/29/width/280/height/200/crop/1/src_region/0,0,505,350/1076_student-work-stormwater-ellsworth.rev.1438290776.jpg" alt="Culvert Operations: Stormwater Management in Ellsworth, Maine" class="lw_image" width="280" height="200"/></a></span></span><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Stormwater infrastructure in various parts of Maine is facing increasingly heavy strain and increasingly frequent failure from stormwater.</p><p> Working with the University of Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative (SSI), we as students had the opportunity to work on an actual problem and do applied work rather than a theoretical study, and the city of Ellsworth was provided with valuable information. </p><p><a class="file file_185 lw_files_pdf" title="2014-coa-ellsworth-storm-water-report.pdf" href="/live/files/185-2014-coa-ellsworth-storm-water-reportpdf" target="_blank">Download the PDF</a></p></div><span class="lw_profiles_tags_starred"><span class="lw_item_tags"><a href="/live/tags/community%20planning%20and%20ecological%20policy">community planning and ecological policy</a></span></span>
  • <div class="lw_profiles_75">Poster:</div><div class="lw_profiles_name"><h2>A Vision for Town Hill</h2></div><div class="lw_profiles_76"><h4>by: Land Use Planning Class</h4></div><span class="lw_profiles_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1284-a-vision-for-town-hill"><img src="/live/image/gid/29/width/280/height/200/crop/1/src_region/0,0,511,299/1075_student-work-vision-for-town-hill.rev.1438290476.jpg" alt="A Vision for Town Hill" class="lw_image" width="280" height="200"/></a></span></span><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> The objective of this presentation was for the Land Use class to report to residents of Town Hill with the results of a visioning session, and to present additional research that may be important to the planning process in general.</p><p> This work is intended to be a stepping off point for further dialog between residents and planners as the Bar Harbor planning office moves ahead to draft a “Mini Plan” for Town Hill. </p><p><a class="file file_184 lw_files_pdf" title="2008-coa-townhill-project.pdf" href="/live/files/184-2008-coa-townhill-projectpdf" target="_blank">Download the Presentation (PDF)</a></p></div><span class="lw_profiles_tags_starred"><span class="lw_item_tags"><a href="/live/tags/community%20planning%20and%20ecological%20policy">community planning and ecological policy</a></span></span>