Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

The School of Continuing Education & Workforce Development is proud to present the Introduction to Geographic Information Systems course. GIS Mapping integrates specific data points into geospatial contexts, enabling organizations to analyze, interpret, and forecast information globally. It enhances understanding of spatial relationships and provides insights into issues like national security, climate change, and disaster response, depending on data quality, technology, and professional expertise.

This course offers students a general understanding of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), encompassing key concepts, applications, and software platforms. It delves into spatial data acquisition, management, analysis, and visualization techniques. Students will be introduced to diverse GIS applications across fields such as environmental management, urban planning, infrastructure analysis, human geography, and business analytics. Practical learning will be reinforced through hands-on exercises and case studies on selected topics. The students, thus, will develop both theoretical knowledge and real-world skills.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Utilize GIS software techniques for spatial data analysis, management, and visualization.
• Apply spatial analysis techniques to address real-world problems in environmental management, urban planning, and infrastructure analysis. The class will use the Quantum GIS platform, but the concepts are applicable to other available software.
• Acquire proficiency in importing, managing, and preprocessing spatial data from various sources.
• In the hands-on labs, they will conduct basic activities aimed at environmental assessments, infrastructure analysis, and demographic studies using GIS.
• Design and create thematic maps based on principles of cartographic design.
• Understand advanced concepts such as 3D city modeling and LIDAR data processing, and their applications in GIS.
• Communicate effectively through visual representations of spatial data and analysis results.

This course is ideal for:

Students: Those in environmental science, urban planning, geography, public health, or any field where spatial data is relevant.

Professionals: Individuals seeking to enhance their data analysis, visualization, and problem-solving skills within their respective industries.

Saturdays and Sundays

October 25, 2025 thru November 16, 2025

9:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT

$299 (introductory price)

Technical Requirements:

Throughout the course, students will use QGIS, a free software program that provides hands-on experience. Instructions for downloading and installing the software will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Operating System: Windows (7/8/10/11) (Though QGIS also runs on macOS and Linux, the class will be taught in a Windows environment).

Processor: Minimum dual-core CPU, Core i3 2.7 GHz

Memory: At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)

Storage: At least 2 GB of free disk space

If you have any questions about other courses, please visit https://www.hccc.edu/programs-courses/continuing-education/index.html or email Alexis Muniz at amuniz@hccc.edu.

Syllabus:

Day 1: Orientation, course content, schedule, and expectations from students.

a) Introduction to GIS and mapping - Overview of GIS concepts and applications.

b) Introduction to GIS software platforms

c) Introduction to Coordinate Systems, Projections, and GPS

d) Understanding spatial data types (vector vs. raster)

e) Hands-on exercises:

i) Basic navigation in GIS software.

ii) Capturing geographic coordinates using GPS.

iii) Storing geographic position information.

iv) Plotting the captured geographic information to generate a simple map.

Day 2: Spatial Data Acquisition and Management

f) Sources of spatial data (remote sensing, GPS, surveys)

g) Data formats and standards (shapefiles, GeoTIFF, KML)

h) Data quality and preprocessing techniques

i) Hands-on exercises:

i) Importing spatial data into GIS software.

ii) Managing spatial data in a GIS project (including coordinate data system management)

Day 3: Spatial Analysis Fundamentals

j) Spatial relationships and operations (buffering, overlay, proximity analysis)

k) Introduction to spatial statistics

l) Geoprocessing tools and workflows

m) Hands-on exercise:

i) Performing basic spatial analysis tasks.

Day 4: Environmental Applications of GIS

n) GIS in environmental management and conservation

o) Spatial modeling for environmental assessment

p) Case studies of environmental GIS projects

q) Hands-on exercise:

i) Analyzing environmental data and creating suitability maps.

Day 5: Human Geography and Urban Planning

r) GIS in urban planning and development

s) Demographic analysis and spatial patterns

t) Transportation and infrastructure planning using GIS

u) Hands-on exercise:

i) Analyzing urban data and planning scenarios.

Day 6: Human Geography and Urban Planning

v) GIS in urban planning and development

w) Demographic analysis and spatial patterns

x) Transportation and infrastructure planning using GIS

y) Hands-on exercise:

i) Analyzing urban data and planning scenarios.

Day 7: 3D City Modeling and LIDAR Data Processing

z) Introduction to 3D city modeling concepts

aa) LIDAR data acquisition and processing for 3D modeling

bb) Techniques for extracting buildings and terrain from LIDAR data

cc) Hands-on exercise:

i) Creating 3D city models and extracting features from LIDAR data.

Day 8: Infrastructure Analysis, Environmental Sustainability

dd) Advanced infrastructure analysis using GIS

ee) Introduction to environmental sustainability concepts

ff) GIS applications in pollution analysis and monitoring

gg) Carbon footprint assessment using GIS

hh) Hands-on exercise: Analyzing infrastructure data,

i) Conducting environmental assessments