We are awash with data. People, places, things – but how do we make sense of it all? If a picture tells a thousand words, a map is made up of a thousand pictures unlocking trends and issues, sparking curiosity, and providing insight.
This course aims to not only inspire you with those possibilities, but also to teach you the skills to do it yourself. Using geographic information systems or GIS, you will be able to learn how you can represent all sorts of data in multiple ways. Using maps as well as freely available data sets and software you can unleash the power of information to gain new insights.
This course requires no prior experience, just your curiosity (and a little bit of hard work and persistence)! It is for people who are interested in learning about GIS mapping and the exciting opportunities for understanding what it offers.
The course includes explanations of key concepts and the practical application of these concepts with a number of software training exercises. As health, wellbeing and environment are very relevant issues in people’s lives it uses a number of examples in those fields to help you understand the process of using GIS software in an effective and useful way.
Our courses are flexible, enabling you to plan your study around your other commitments. You can choose to study when it suits you during the learning period (15 July - 15 September, with a one-week study break from 12 - 18 August), followed by a 2-week review period for marking and feedback (16 - 29 September).
We recommend completing around 6 hours of study a week during the learning period (excluding the study break) – you can view the course overview here for more details on assessment timings.
Module 1: What is spatial data?
Get a handle on the basics of spatial data and how it can benefit your work, including examples of how experts in various fields use GIS in their work.
Module 2: Where is the spatial data?
Learn where to source data, best practices for compiling datasets and the use of coordinate reference systems.
Module 3: What do you do with spatial data?
Become confident using QGIS (an open-access software you can continue using after the course), learning to visualise your data and including the essential features your map should have.
Module 4: How do you classify and visualise spatial data?
Learn to combine, analyse, and summarise your data, before bringing your new skills together for a map-making assignment.
Upon successful completion of the course you will be issued a digital badge to recognise your learning achievements. This can take up to 2 months to be delivered after the marking and feedback period.
There are no prerequisites for this course – it is open to anyone who has confidence listening, reading and writing in English with an interest in learning to use GIS software. While UC Online has accessibility at the heart of its course design, Introductory Mapping uses an external software, QGIS, which has limited support for low vision and blind users – you can review their software and documentation here.
You’ll need a laptop or a desktop computer (rather than a phone) to use the QGIS software installed as part of the course. For most courses you'll also need to download and populate assignments. These are usually available in Microsoft Word.
Please note: this course was designed around QGIS versions 3.28 and 3.2.2. If other versions are used in the completion of the course, interaction with the software may differ from the instructions in the course.
Course fees must be paid before learning can begin, either via online credit-card payment, or by contacting info@uconline.ac.nz to request an invoice. Please note: fixed invoice payment dates apply, so we recommend getting in touch with us as soon as possible to request an invoice, as this option is subject to availability.
Please note: Tuihono UC | UC Online has a minimum enrolment threshold that must be met to enable opportunities for interaction, discussion, and feedback. If the minimum number of enrolments required for a course is not met, enrolled students will be given the option to defer their enrolment to the next course date, or receive a refund.
Crediting this course towards a degree
In certain cases the points from this course can be credited towards further study with UC. Learn more about cross-crediting and recognition of prior learning.