Geographical information system 15 credits

About the course

The course provides advanced knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), primarily with applications within environmental science, including ecology and geoscience.

The course focuses on theoretical knowledge within GIS, in addition to practical applications of various GIS programs in order to process and analyze various types of spatial data with a focus on raster data and point data to create maps. The course assumes that the student has a basic understanding of the following aspects within GIS: projections and coordinate systems, processing of vector data including selections from attribute tables, editing vector data and attribute tables, digitizing new vector files, georeferencing, and vector analyses. The course focuses on processing and various types of analyses of raster data, including digital elevation models, remote sensing, interpolations, hydrological analyses, etc.

The course is divided into three modules of 5 ECTS each.

Module 1: Practical exercises focus on practical exercises by learning to conduct advanced spatial analyses with a focus on raster data in various GIS software in lectures and lab exercises.

Module 2: Theoretical elements focus on understanding the theory behind GIS analyses and how they are used in scientific studies, through lectures and seminars.

Module 3: Project includes a project where the students obtain their spatial data to answer their questions.

Data will be obtained and handled during the course from various digital databases, maps, orthophotos, and GPS points. Various types of digital data are included as course material, including from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), the Swedish Land Survey (LM, and the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

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Apply

Spring 2026
- Geographical information system
  
  Spring 2026 / Umeå / English / On site
  
  Application opens 15 September 2025
  
  Save education at universityadmissions.se
  
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  Starts
  19 January 2026
  
  Ends
  23 March 2026
  
  Number of credits
  15 credits
  
  Type of studies
  On site
  
  Study pace
  100%
  
  Teaching hours
  Daytime
  
  Study location
  Umeå
  
  Language
  English
  
  Application code
  UMU-50702
  
  Eligibility Univ: Diversity of Nature, 15 ECTS, Earth Science 15 ECTS and Ecology 15 ECTS, or GIS 7,5 ECTS. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6. Where the language of instruction is Swedish, applicants must prove proficiency in Swedish to the level required for basic eligibility for higher studies.
  
  Selection
  Academic credits
  
  Application
  The online application opens 15 September 2025 at 09:00 CET. Application deadline is 15 October 2025.
  
  Application and tuition fees
  As a citizen of a country outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees for studies at Umeå University.
  
  Application fee: SEK 900
  
  Tuition fee, first instalment: SEK 38,075
  
  Total fee: SEK 38,075
  
  Details about tuition, fees and funding

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