Program overview
Remote Sensing Science and Technology, simply put, teaches you how to use sensors on satellites, drones, and aircraft to 'see' the Earth, and then turn that data into useful information. For example, monitoring crop growth, predicting flood extents, mapping cities, or even discovering archaeological sites. Core courses include Fundamentals of Remote Sensing Physics (understanding how electromagnetic waves reflect), Digital Image Processing (sharpening blurry satellite photos), Photogrammetry (calculating 3D terrain from 2D photos), Geographic Information Systems (GIS, integrating and analyzing spatial data), as well as programming (Python, C++) and machine learning. It's suitable for students who are interested in geography, physics, and computer science, and enjoy hands-on data processing and solving real-world problems. Chinese universities have strong programs in this field, such as Wuhan University, Beijing Normal University, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. China also has the 'Gaofen' series of satellites and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, giving students access to real high-resolution satellite data and plenty of internship opportunities.