Introduction to GIS
June 21, 2021 through June 25, 2021
9:00 AM-12:30 PM
Instructor: Alex Quistberg, PhD, MPH, Urban Health Collaborative, Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health
The course is an introduction to the basic concepts and techniques of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This course contains lectures and exercises in ArcGIS. The lectures introduce the basic concepts of GIS, data models, coordinate system and map projections, data management and processing, spatial analysis, spatial estimation, and GIS data visualization. Students will also learn how to use the fundamental knowledge and techniques of GIS to solve real-world problems. Through the exercises, students will get familiar with the interfaces and analysis tools in the ESRI software package ArcGIS. Students will also practice applying GIS as a tool and a methodological approach to spatially analyze environment and public health data.
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Understand basic concepts and terms of GIS, and know how to spatially analyze data using ArcGIS.
- Acquire spatial data that is relevant to urban health, e.g., census data, land use data, greenspace, road networks, satellite images, etc.
- Build knowledge of data structure, data management, and coordination and projection systems.
- Practice featuring symbols and making elegant maps in ArcGIS.
- Apply the knowledge of GIS to solve research questions in urban health research.
Prerequisite knowledge: No prerequisite knowledge or skills are required for this course.
Technical requirements: A temporary license for Esri's ArcGIS Pro will be provided for participants to install on their computers. Students planning on using a Mac computer will need Boot Camp with Microsoft Windows installed in the partition or a virtual environment (Parallels 15 or greater).
Contact Information
uhc@drexel.edu