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An introductory course for students interested in applying GIS as a tool to help answer important questions in the natural sciences, or for those with ArcGIS experience looking to transition to an Open-Source platform. This course presents the concepts upon which GIS technology is based including the following fundamentals: cartography, geodesy, coordinate systems, and projections. Conceptual overview and hand-on experience of vector data analyses and table queries are introduced. Students will use QGIS to classify data, query tables, analyze spatial relationships, set map projections, build spatial databases, edit data, and create map layouts. Lectures are followed by hands-on activities to develop and reinforce methodologies for GIS analyses.
This is a 1-credit equivalent academic course (16 contact hrs + additional work) where you learn at your own pace.
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Learn at your your own pace with or without instructor support (see Online Course Format Chart below for details).
Summer: Jun 1 – Sept 6, 2026
Fall: Sept 8 – Dec 20, 2026 (Early bird ends August 9)
*Early bird saves $75 for Basic and Standard
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No experience using a Geographical Information System (GIS) is required. QGIS is free, open-source, and runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows. QGIS supports vector, raster, and database formats. QGIS is licensed under the GNU General Public License and supports many common spatial data formats (e.g., ESRI ShapeFile, geotiff).
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Intro to QGIS
Downloading GIS data online (Maine Geolibrary)
Preparing Spatial Data in Excel
Creating Vector Data (points)
Digitizing Vector Data (polygon)
Raster Data Basics
Projections and transformations (Coordinate systems)
Extracting values to points
Exporting data from QGIS
Map design
Publishing maps online
COURSE OPTIONS & INFORMATION (Review chart above, then click below)
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FORMAT:
3 months of access to course materials as you work at your own pace
CONTINUING EDUCATION:
16 CEUs with The Wildlife Society
4 CEUs in Category I(a): Scientific Education and Training with the Ecological Society of America
Go to our Continuing Education Page for more details
PRIMARY INSTRUCTOR
“What I liked most was the structure of learning a skill or two with a tutorial and then practicing with new questions, challenging our new knowledge. The recorded lectures gave the necessary background and the video solutions and tutorials were a necessary resource. Very hands-on, which was perfect.”
-from course survey
“Kathleen is very calming and reassuring. She promptly answered students' questions and gave us the tools to continue our learning after the class ended. Really helpful!”
-from course survey
SCHOLARSHIPS
Full scholarships are available to participants from countries designated as “lower income” and “lower middle income” in the World Bank List of Economies. Please see our CWS World Scholars Program page for details.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellations 30 days or more before the start date are not subject to cancellation fees. Cancellations <30 days before the start date are subject to a 50% cancellation fee. No refunds once the course begins.