Moas båge

An introduction to geographic information systems

Course

GIS: I

15 credits

Autumn / Spring

50%

Distance

Expertise in geographic information systems (GIS) is in demand on the labour market. It has a wide range of applications in different professions, for example consultancies and municipalities. GIS is used for mapping (visualisation), planning and (risk) analysis, in city planning or to assess the consequences of future climate scenarios. The course provides fundamental knowledge of, and skills in, GIS.

Information for exchange students

This course is also open for exchange students. Application information for exchange students.

Want to know why you should study at Södertörn University? Find out here.

A wide range of potential careers Because geography is an interdisciplinary subject, it touches on areas in the other social sciences, as well as in the humanities and natural sciences. This means that studying geography can lead to careers in areas that range from urban planning, teaching, journalism, environmental law, emergency planning and conservation to being a GIS officer or recycling consultant, in the public or the private sectors.
GIS in theory and practice through exercises and project work This is a distance course, that is run at half of full-time. It has a minor section on GIS theory, and a larger, practical section in which GIS is applied to examples using different data types and analyses, in exercises and an individual project. The course teaches you how to use ArcGIS Pro software for data management, visualisation and analysis. This is ideal if you need GIS skills for fundamental geographical analyses presented as maps and graphs. All teaching is in English, and all examination assignments can be written in English or Swedish.
A vision of the world Geography is an interdisciplinary subject that unites the social sciences and natural sciences in studying the Earth, applying a unifying vision that is necessary to solve many contemporary environmental and social problems. We are constantly exposed to geographic information in the media and our information society is dependent on geographic information systems (GIS) for traffic management, fire and rescue services, weather information and product marketing. Interpreting geographic information is one of a geographer's tasks, but the most important question is: Why are things like this just here? Geographic knowledge is important for social planning and for preserving the environment, often relating to the location and dimensions of housing, workplaces, services and transport systems, as well as to the interaction between man and environment in a wider perspective.