Geographical Information Systems

Course manual 2025/2026

Course content

The primary goal of this course is to equip students with the fundamental skills needed to understand and work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, a powerful tool for creating maps, analyzing spatial data, and revealing patterns in the world around us. Although GIS can be applied in both the natural and social sciences, this course focuses on applications that are most relevant to the social sciences.

The course is divided into two main parts. In part 1 (Labs 1–7), students learn to work with Vector GIS, where geographic features are represented as discrete points, lines, and polygons—for example, cities as points, roads as lines, and lakes as polygons. In part 2 (Labs 8–11), the focus shifts to Raster GIS, in which the world is represented as a continuous grid of cells (pixels), with each cell storing a value such as elevation, temperature, or land cover type.

We will use Esri’s ArcGIS Pro as the primary software. Over 11 Lab sessions, students will practice essential GIS techniques with guidance from instructors, using real-world social science data on topics such as urban change, environmental risk, and population dynamics. By the end of the course, students will be able to apply core GIS methods confidently in a variety of social science contexts.

Study materials

Literature

• All required readings are posted on Canvas and feature key chapters from the book:

   

  Heywood, I., Cornelius, S., & Carver, S. (2011). An introduction to geographical information systems (4th ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education.

   

  The required Chapters are:

  Chapter 1: What is GIS?

  Chapter 2: Spatial data

  Chapter 3: Spatial data modelling

  Chapter 6: Data analysis

   

Syllabus

• We will also use a practical Lab Guide for all 11 Lab sessions, which can be downloaded from Canvas. It is highly recommended that students print this guide and bring it to each Lab.

   

Software

• This course uses ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro, and each student will receive a license code to install on a personal laptop. Detailed setup instructions will be provided on Canvas before the course begins.

   

  Important: because all Lab sessions require a laptop, it is crucial that you have ArcGIS Pro installed and running on your device prior to the first class. Please note that Apple computers do not  support ArcGIS Pro.

Objectives

• Understand the structure and possibilities offered by Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for geographical and spatial analysis.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the basic principles of cartography.
• Demonstrate familiarity with both vector-oriented and raster-oriented GIS procedures.
• Execute geographical and spatial analyses with the help of GIS, and interpret the results.

Teaching methods

• Computer lab session/practical training
• Self-study

This course consists of 11 computer Lab sessions, each lasting three hours. At the start of each Lab there will be a short presentation by the course instructors, after which students immediately begin working on the assigned exercises for that day. A practical "Lab Guide" offers detailed instructions and activities to guide students through each Lab session. Course instructors remain available throughout the Lab to answer questions about the exercises.

If you cannot complete all tasks during the scheduled class time, you are expected to finish them on your own before the next session (see information on Checkpoints below).

Learning activities

Attendance

Additional requirements for this course:

For this course, attendance is mandatory for the Lab sessions. During these sessions, learning objectives 1 through 4 are addressed. The guidance and exercises provided in the Lab sessions are essential for achieving these learning objectives. These learning objectives are assessed through the Checkpoint validation exercises and the exam. By registering for this course, you agree to comply with the attendance policy and to prepare for and actively participate in the mandatory activities.

Students are expected to attend and actively participate in at least 9 of the 11 Lab sessions. If you miss a session, you must complete the exercises (Lab Checkpoints) on your own and have them validated at the start of the next Lab. If a student misses more than two Lab sessions, the course cannot be successfully completed. Absence needs to be communicated to the course coordinator before the start of the Lab session (r.j.vanduijne@uva.nl)

Assessment

Lab Checkpoints (30% of final grade)

• Each of the 11 Lab sessions has two “checkpoints,” i.e., exercises you must complete. Students are required to have their checkpoints validated during the corresponding Lab session or, at the latest, at the start of the following session.
• If you cannot finish or attend the Lab session, you are responsible for completing the checkpoints on your own.
• For checkpoint validation, you must show your screen with ArcGIS Pro open (not a screenshot). Exception: For the final session only, if exercises are not completed in class, you may email your instructor a full-screen screenshot (including the system clock) within two days of the session.
• The maximum checkpoint grade is 10, equivalent to 22 points. You earn 1 point for each checkpoint completed on time. 
• You must complete at least 15 checkpoints in total to pass the course.

Final Exam (70% of final grade)
A computer-based exam will be held on Tuesday 24 March 2026, 12:30 - 14:30, Location: IWO 4.04C (Blauw). Grades will be published within 15 working days from the exam date. More information will be provided on Canvas.

A re-sit is possible and is currently planned for Friday, 5 June 2026, 13:00 - 15:00, Location: IWO 4.04A (Rood).

Assessment diagram

Your final grade is a weighted average of the following components:

• Lab checkpoints (30%)
• Final exam (70%)

To pass the course, you must:

1. Complete at least 15 checkpoints (out of 22) in total, and
2. Score at least 5.5 on the final exam

Students that were enrolled in the course in previous years

Please contact the course coordinator (r.j.vanduijne@uva.nl)

Inspection of assessed work

For the final exam, students wishing to inspect their work and/or receive additional feedback can contact the course coordinator within two weeks of receiving their grade.

Assignments

1. Checkpoints: During each lab session, students work individually on exercises and complete checkpoints to demonstrate their progress. While collaboration in solving the exercises is allowed, each student must individually show the completed checkpoints on their own laptop. Feedback is provided continuously throughout the Lab sessions.
2. Final exam: A computer-based final exam will be conducted on secured computers, covering both the assigned readings and Lab sessions materials.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Additional information

We vinden het belangrijk dat je je op de UvA en bij Future Planet Studies veilig voelt. Krijg je onverhoopt te maken met ongewenst gedrag of voel je je onveilig, dan kun je terecht bij verschillende personen. Je melding wordt altijd vertrouwelijk behandeld. Kijk op onze website voor meer informatie over waar en bij wie je terecht kunt.

It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.

Last year's student feedback

In order to provide students some insight how we use the feedback of student evaluations to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. R.J. van Duijne PhD

Staff

• Marcel Heemskerk