Empowering GIS Education Program: Is GIS as a Science, Art or Tool?

The technolog)· of Geographic lnfonn:111on S)stem (GIS ) 1s demanding nowadays as 10 pro.,.1de professional 10 perfonn re~earch and adm1111s1rn11on in various d1sc1phnes The higher educauon msu1u11ons plays crucial role m pro' 1d1ng the GIS cducouon programs or courses in promoting, the growmg use of GIS at umvcrsity level especial ly for undergraduate's, master's and Ph.D This popcr reviews nnd discusses the strength of G!S pos111on as GI System and GISc1ence, and our persp<cttve in empo\\ering studcnb to answer the questton to GIS communuies is GIS as science, art or tool? It 1s important for the related department, users and public to aware end understand the GIS different position as the GIS education nowadays become more challenging 10 be taught m the higher education instilu11on The answers for the term a GIS as tool Md a GIS as science are based on delinitions of GIS and the arca/disciplmcs involved in GISciencc. We relotc our d1scuss1on to the student's a\\arencss and competences in different le\'cl of GIS cducauon program required to fulfill by the students after they graduated In term of a GIS as an an, our opinion dominantly relates to canograph) lb the di~c1plmc that highly contributes 10 the visuahzation and presentation capability in GIS.