SGO4940 – Geographic Information Systems (Master level course)

Course content

This course explores in depth how Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used to study social processes. GIS has become an important tool, not only for planners and in risk assessment, but also in studies of society, the environment, and the interactions between them. Through lectures, the students will learn about the fundamental components of GIS, and apply this knowledge in a series of hands-on seminars and an individual project.

Spatial data is special data. In this course, the students will learn about the unique methodological aspects of spatial data which include collecting, managing, analysing and presenting such data and the respective results. A larger section of the course is devoted to spatial analytical methods and introducing the students to basic spatial econometrics, including spatial regression.

In addition, the course will introduce the students to qualitative GIS, an expanding tool in critical geographical research using bottom-up approaches and participatory information collection to study social processes.

The course will mainly use ESRI ArcGIS, but open-source alternatives such as QuantumGIS and R will also be introduced, highlighting the diversity of available GIS software.

Learning outcome

The students will learn about the fundamental components of a GIS, from the user and software side to the particular methods used to obtain information from spatial data. More specifically, this involves distance measurements, spatial dependency and autocorrelation, spatial clustering, spatial interpolation and spatial regression methods.

The students will also learn how qualitative GIS can be used in social science research, both as an analytical tool and as an information collection tool in participatory GIS.

Knowledge

  • Understand the special nature of spatial data and how they are different from non-spatial data.
  • Learn about the key components of a GIS, including users, databases, software, and networks.
  • Learn how we can collect and manage spatial data in both file formats and databases.
  • Learn basic to advanced spatial analytical methods, including interpolation and clustering.
  • Learn about bottom-up GIS and participatory GIS.
  • Learn basic visualization techniques and cartographic principles.

Skills and competence

  • Develop skills to master GIS software such as ArcGIS, QuantumGIS, and R.
  • Apply methods and techniques discussed in lectures in hands-on seminars.
  • Unite experience from lectures and seminars to complete a project where GIS will be used to study a social phenomenon.
  • Discuss sources of uncertainty and error in spatial data.
  • Create data models used to answer specific spatial questions.

 

Admission

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

This course is a part of the Master's program in Human Geography.

Students in other master programs may apply to be accepted as guest students. Please note that the following special restrictions apply:

  • applicant must be admitted to a master program.
  • this course will be taken as a part of their Master's degree. A confirmation from the students student adviser must be attached to the application.
  • there are available places in this cou