If you are curious to find out all about GIS courses, then stay glued to this blog post as I will be curating the best free online GIS courses available for you to enroll in.
You must be itching to know what GIS stands for. Let me satisfy your curiosity by telling you first. GIS is an acronym that stands for “ Geographical Information System” GIS is a collection of geographic data, using some software to analyze, direct, run, and monitor this data. Lots of companies including big brands like Google, Uber, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Starbucks, use this data to know how their initiatives will affect the environment.
To elaborate for better understanding, Google for example is widely using GIS through their Google Earth, individuals use it to create, save, and interact with different locations. Also, Uber solely depends on GIS data to match customers with the nearest driver, GIS helps the driver to come to the exact location of the passenger.
GIS is an aspect of geology that is very important, that is why Nicholas Chrisman said, “Geographers never get lost, they just do accidental fieldwork.” I couldn’t have agreed less because when you understand your map you’ll hardly get lost. In other to learn all about GIS, you should have a good background knowledge of geography and you can even take up online geology courses to get more knowledge.
You may be wondering if there are requirements that you may need to be able to enroll in the free online GIS courses that are available. But the truth is that you don’t need a degree to learn and you will be able to access it without paying a dime as there are popular online learning platforms that offer these courses for free like Coursera, Alison, edX, Udemy, and others not mentioned here. All you need to learn about GIS are;
- A working computer that has internet access.
- The latest GIS software like ArcGIS. Some of these courses will show you the practical application of GIS through some software.
- Some courses will require you to know Windows-based software.
What is the difference between ArcGIS and GIS?
GIS is the acronym for Geographic Information System, which is a framework for gathering, managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial or geographic data. It encompasses a wide range of software, hardware, data, and personnel. ArcGIS, on the other hand, is a specific geographic information system software suite developed by Esri. It is one of the most widely used GIS software platforms in the world and includes a variety of tools for mapping, spatial analysis, data management, and more. In summary, GIS is a broader concept that encompasses the entire field of geographic information systems, while ArcGIS is a specific software product within that field.
Free Online GIS Courses
The free online GIS courses that are available for enrollment will be listed and discussed here. They are as follows;
- Diploma in Remote Sensing – A Theoretical Approach
- Representing the Real World in Geographic Information System
- Rational Horizons and Positioning in Celestial Navigation
- Advanced Diploma in Geographic Information Systems
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization
- Getting Started with GIS
- Cartography
- Introduction to GIS
- GIS and Spatial Interpolation
- 3D GIS
- Spatial Data Science and Applications
- Ecosystem Services: a Method for Sustainable Development
- Strengthening Geospatial Information Management: Using the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework
- Diploma in GeoSpatial Analysis in Urban Planning
- GIS Data Formats, Design, and Quality
1. Diploma in Remote Sensing – A Theoretical Approach
This course introduces you to the fundamental concepts of remote sensing as a sub-category of geography. You don’t need any GIS (geographic information system) or prior remote sensing knowledge to take this course; no software is required. Terms and subjects such as the history of remote sensing, the electromagnetic spectrum, sensors, imagery, pre-processing, and image classification are carefully explained for you to understand easily. This course is made up of 9 modules with 6 to 10 hours of completion.
Published By – Elizmay Vos
Offered By – Alison
2. Representing the Real World in Geographic Information System
This free online course will help you become more knowledgeable about representing the real world in geographic information systems. You will gain an understanding of georeferencing, how to do georeferencing, the kinds of systems you can use, and the various projections that can be applied. You will also be brought up to speed about coordinate reference systems, geographical coordinate systems, geodetic datum, and representation of the earth. This course is made up of 3 modules with 3 to 4 hours of completion.
Published By – NPTEL
Offered By – Alison
3. Rational Horizons and Positioning in Celestial Navigation
When learning about celestial navigation, it is essential to learn about the types of horizons: visible, sensible, and rational. Learning about position-fixing and calculating position lines is of utmost importance. You will be able to explain the relationship between time and longitude and measure local mean time (LMT). Start this course today to improve your understanding of the horizon types and their positioning. This course is made up of 3 modules with 3 to 4 hours of completion.
Published By – ADU
Offered By – Alison
4. Advanced Diploma in Geographic Information Systems
This free online course will help you understand the concept of geographic information systems. You will learn about how to represent data in the real world, and how we can use GIS to achieve this. You will be informed on how data flows, the different databases, and models, and the various opportunities available in the GIS field. You will also learn the various analyses that can be done on data collected and the software used in mastering GIS tools. This course is made up of 15 modules with 10 to 15 hours of completion.
Published By – NPTEL
Offered By – Alison
5. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization
This is one of the free online GIS courses. It’s a 6-month course that will teach you how to produce and work with raster data. You’ll also be learning to produce and properly examine data for geospatial analysis work. Further, you will learn to use techniques from cartography to proficiently communicate your results in maps. Finally, you’ll be given a project to create a professional GIS portfolio through combined data identification and collection.
Published By – University of California, Davis
Offered By – Coursera
Instructors – Nick Santos and Eric Howard
6. Getting Started with GIS
One of the best providers of GIS software is Esri. Esri is a company that uses huge data to solve geographical problems in real-time and was established in 1969. They have come to acknowledge the science of GIS, and many reputable companies depend on their “ArcGIS” for strong data. They help these companies and us to see what others can’t see. This is one of the free online GIS courses that introduce you to the Geographic Information System. You’ll be learning the foundational principles that made geologists create this, and you’ll be learning through ArcGIS.
This course will be teaching you how to create a GIS map, and access data that will be used in the GIS mapping project. Visually analyze feature relationships and patterns on a GIS map, finally, you’ll learn to Share GIS maps and analysis results. To participate in this course it will be better if you know Windows-based software, to enable you to manage files and browse. This course also comes in diverse versions, and it takes 3 and a half hours to complete.
Offered By – Esri Academy
7. Cartography
This is one of the free online GIS courses available. This course will show the practical use of ArcGIS Pro to create a reliable map, which will make you smarter in creating maps. Your map through ArcGIS will go ahead to communicate with Impact. You’ll be able to download a PDF course topic and important tips you will need to succeed in this course. Further, you’ll acquire a skill that can set you different from other job seekers or employees.
You also need experience with Windows-based software and you need to be familiar with GIS and cartographic concepts (they are not necessary). You’ll freely have access to ArcGIS Pro during this course, you’ll need to download it. The course takes 6 weeks to complete.
Offered By – Esri Academy
8. Introduction to GIS
This is one of the free online GIS courses that will help you to properly start a GIS career. It will explain a deeper meaning of GIS and its types, you’ll also see lots of GIS software. Further, you’ll be introduced to Web GIS and its career, you’ll learn the difference between web GIS and software GIS. Then you’ll see ArcGIS software packages such as ArcMap, ArcGlobe, ArcCatalog, and ArcScene. This course is for those who don’t know anything about GIS but have the passion to learn or even those who want a free course.
Offered By – Udemy
9. GIS and Spatial Interpolation
This free course on GIS and Spatial Interpolation teaches the fundamentals involved in spatial interpolation and how it is used to solve problems that arise regarding urban planning. Learn how to manage geographical space through attribute data management and data exploration, as well as spatial interpolation and all the methods that spatial interpolation entails. This course shows you the diverse techniques that are used in the GIS system. It’s an approximate 2 to 3-hour short course with 2 modules that can be taken by a student who wants to learn more about Spatial Analysis.
Published By – NPTEL
Offered By – Alison
10. 3D GIS
This free online GIS course that will teach you to advance your maps to the third dimension, which makes them more realistic. You’ll be learning how to use some advanced software to picture, analyze, and read spatial data in 3D. This course will teach you the basics of 3D GIS and you’ll see how to reveal GIS data in a 3D format to enable you to easily solve problems and make wiser geographical decisions. This course takes 4 weeks to complete.
Published By – University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Offered By – edX
11. Spatial Data Science and Applications
The hiring rate for a spatial data scientist is increasing and it’s projected to skyrocket more. Even companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Uber, Microsoft, Audi, and Mercedes are hiring Spatial Data scientists in line with our world’s recent digital innovations.
This free online GIS course will deposit lots of information on Spatial Data Science for you. After the course, you’ll have a better knowledge of data science and analysis, and you’ll learn a secret that can make you stand out from other Spatial Data Scientists. In addition, you will appreciate the relevance of spatial big data, and how open source software can help to handle Spatial Data Science problems.
This course runs for approximately 11 hours with 6 modules and it is focused on intermediate students. That is students that already have a basic knowledge of Spatial Data Science. It can be taken at your speed and it’s online, a little dollar is required to pay for the certificate. After this course, you’ll have Spatial Analysis, QGIS (Quantum GIS), Big Data, and Geographical Information System intermediate skills.
Published By – Yonsei University
Offered By – Coursera
Instructor – Joon Heo
12. Ecosystem Services: a Method for Sustainable Development
This free online GIS course is for intermediate students, which means you have had a ground knowledge of GIS which you can get from the prior list. You’ll be learning a deeper part of our ecosystem, you’ll come to appreciate the resources nature freely offers us and their limitations. You’ll start to appreciate the advantages of monetizing our ecosystem and some of the likely risks.
The course will start by introducing you to the instructors who will be taking you on this 18-hour journey. You’ll be given a list of major questions that your instructors will revisit as the course progresses. You’ll then progress to learn about the evaluation of ecosystem services, where you’ll understand more about valuation and the difference between price and value. In the final course, you’ll learn to create your own ecosystem services case. This course is made up of 6 modules with approximately 17 hours before completion.
Published By – University of Geneva
Offered By – Coursera
Instructors – Martin Schlaepfer, Anthony Lehmann, and Juliet Jane Fall
13. Strengthening Geospatial Information Management: Using the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework
This course is based on the World Bank’s “Strengthening Geospatial Information Management: Using the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework”. This course introduces the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF), which guides countries to strengthen their arrangements in geospatial information management.
In essence, this course will enable you to create maps for your country or sub-nation. You’ll also learn the meaning of geospatial and how it can affect a country’s progress, stagnation, or even regression.
Offered By – edX
14. Diploma in GeoSpatial Analysis in Urban Planning
This free online Geo-Spatial Analysis course in Urban Planning teaches the fundamentals of spatial analysis and how to solve problems that arise concerning urban planning. This course will introduce the basics of GIS and show you the diverse techniques that are used when dealing with different types of analysis, such as vector and raster data analysis. You will also learn about modeling spatial relationships in regards to landscape metrics. The course takes 10 to 15 hours before completion with 8 modules.
Published By – NPTEL
Offered By – Alison
15. GIS Data Formats, Design, and Quality
This is an intermediate free GIS course where you’ll get deeper into raster and vector data. You’ll be learning more about data models and formats. You will see and learn how to create vector data models with vector attributes tables.
This course will also show you how to create new data with ArcGIS. Further, you’ll see some major data storage mechanisms in GIS. The course will run for 26 hours with 4 modules. It is part 2 of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization.
Published By – University of California
Offered By – Coursera
Instructors – Nick Santos and Eric Howard
Conclusion
All these free online GIS courses are available for you to enroll in anyone of your choice. So, start enrollment now!
Recommendations
- Best Free Online German Language Courses
. - Best Free Online GED Classes
- .
- USAID Free Online Certificate Courses
- .
- Free Online ABC Games for 3-year-olds
. - Free Online Food Safety Courses With Certificate