Introduction to GIS
This lab-based course provides an introduction to the data management and analysis capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and provides a foundation in GIS. Topics include geospatial data sources, attribute management, quantitative analysis, map projections and coordinate systems, and raster and vector analysis. This course combines data and common practices from natural resource management and social sciences.
There will be no Classes in the first week, 2 – 5 September.
Syllabus
| Date | Lecture | Tutorial | Lab |
| September | |||
| 2 – 5 | No Lecture | No Tutorials | No Labs |
| 8 – 12 | GIS Data | GIS Data files (8th & 9th) | Introduction |
| 15 – 19 | Data Collection | Text data processing (15th & 16th) | Data Collection I |
| 22 – 26 | Coordinate Systems | Map projections (22nd & 23rd) | Data Collection II |
| October | |||
| 29 Sep – 3 | Spatial Analysis | No Tutorials | Vector Analysis |
| 6 – 10 | Spatial Analysis | Vector Analysis (6th & 7th) | Exploring Raster Data |
| 13 – 17 | Thanksgiving | Mixed Data Formats | |
| 20 – 24 | Geocoding | Raster Analysis (20th & 21st) | Working with Census Data |
| 27 – 31 | Midterm Exam (27th) | Geocoding (27th & 28th) | Geocoding |
| November | |||
| 3 – 7 | Census Data | Attribute Management (3rd & 4th) | Student Project Assignment |
| 10 – 14 | Quantitative Methods | Descriptive Statistics (10th & 11th) | Projects |
| 17 – 21 | Data Quality, Precision and Accuracy | Visualization (17th & 18th) | Projects |
| 24 – 28 | Course Review | No Tutorials | Projects |
| December | |||
| 1 – 5 | Final Exam (1st) | Projects Due | |
Below is the grading scheme for the course this year
COURSE GRADING – 2025
| Lab Assignments | 35% | Due weekly unless otherwise stated |
| Lecture Midterm | 15% | October 27 |
| Tutorial Exercises | 10% | Due weekly unless otherwise stated |
| Student Projects | 20% | December 5 |
| Final Exam | 20% | December 1 |
CONTACTS:
Anthony Jjumba (Lectures): jjumba@unbc.ca
| Office Hours – Room 8-139, Monday: 12:00 – 14:00 || Tuesday: 10:00 – 12:00 |
Lab (Monday 15:00 – 17:50): Ping Bai (SLI): (ping.bai@unbc.ca)
Lab (Thursday 11:30 – 14:20):Shirin Mohrekesh (shirin.mohrehkesh@unbc.ca)
Lab (Wednesday 11:30 – 14:20): Dinesh Bhatt: (dbhatt@unbc.ca)
For GIS Lab access, please refer the information here