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GIS Foundations

Learn foundations of GIS concepts and geospatial technology to view, understand, query, visualize, and interpret geospatial data to reveal patterns and relationships for effective problem-solving and better decision making.

GIS Foundations

There is one session available:

After a course session ends, it will be archived.
Starts Oct 15
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Estimated 4 weeks
3–5 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
Optional upgrade available
GIS Foundations

About this course

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GIS is a framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data. Using the principles of geographic science, it integrates many types of geospatial data, analyzes their relationships, and organizes them in layers of information for visualization and improved understanding. This course focuses on ESRI’s ArcGIS software, the industry standard. Jack Dangermond, CEO of ESRI, describes GIS as “uncovering meaning and insights from within data.”

Participants in this course will learn GIS concepts, tools, and processing applicable to problems in a variety of fields. The course is designed for self-study with lessons covering GIS applications on real-world problems, and prepares learners for more advanced applications such as 3D GIS and GIS Image Analysis, the two other courses in the GIS Essentials Professional Certificate.

GIS, once an esoteric technology limited to geographers and data scientists, is now available to everyone. Thousands of organizations in virtually every field are using GIS to analyze data, make maps that reveal patterns and relationships, share insights, and solve complex problems of local to global significance.

Verified track learners will receive an ArcGIS Pro license in addition to unlimited course access and a verified certificate.

At a glance

What you'll learn

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  • Use ArcGIS Pro software efficiently
  • Explore, create and analyze geospatial data in ArcGIS Pro software
  • Create and share new GIS data
  • Use ArcGIS geoprocessing tools for data preparation, building workflows and spatial analysis
  • Create informative maps, graphs and charts
  • Perform spatial analyses on points, lines, and polygons data to gain deeper insight into data, pattern and relationship

Syllabus

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Week 1: Introduction to GIS

  • What is GIS?
  • History of GIS
  • GIS data types (vector and raster)
  • GIS file types (File Geodatabase, Feature Class, Shapefile, Table, GeoTiff)
  • Coordinate systems (geographic and projected)
  • GIS applications and ArcGIS Pro access

Week 2: Getting started with ArcGIS Pro Software

  • Project set up in ArcGIS Pro
  • Introduction to Geoprocessing tools
  • Introduction to feature class (point, line, polygon)
  • Working with attribute table
  • ArcGIS best practices

Week 3: Spatial Analysis using Geoprocessing tools

  • Point analysis
  • Line analysis
  • Polygon analysis

Week 4: Map Layout and Charts

  • Create your first GIS map
  • Add basic map elements to a map layout (title, scale, north arrow, descriptive text)
  • Add advanced map elements (map grid and overview map)
  • Create charts
  • Format and analyze charts

Learner testimonials

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I loved the hands-on exercises. I have been wanting to get better GIS knowledge and each time I thought it would be too difficult with a full-time job. Having the modules broken down in videos helped me start and work at my own pace until I felt comfortable of applying what I learned to create my own reports. –Verified track learner

The course is structured in a simple, logical manner. Essential components of GIS are presented in a systematically structured manner keeping a beginner in mind. –Abhijith Jose, audit track learner

The course covers a good range of ArcGIS features in a manner that is straightforward and easy to follow. I used ArcGIS 10.4 extensively for my undergraduate disertation and found myself saying "wow" a number of times throughout this course as I discovered new or previously undiscovered features –D. Dearnaley, verified track learner

About the instructors

Ways to take this course

Choose your path when you enroll.
Verified Track
Audit Track

Price

$149 USD

Free

Access to course materials

Unlimited

Limited

Expires on Nov 12

World class institutions and universities

edX support

Shareable certificate upon completion

Graded assignments and exams

Read our FAQs about frequently asked questions on these tracks.

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