I’d like to add GIS to my skill set. Can anybody recommend an introductory distance learning course?
Also which programme is the industry standard these days?

Thanks in advance

Birkbeck, University of London do a good range of courses from Certificates to Masters degrees (you may find me teaching on one)

Mapinfo was the GIS platform in use in most industries I was hoping to work for when I was doing my degree but we didn’t have access to use that!! go figure!

ArcGIS or Mapinfo tend to be the most widely used programs (you may want to look at this thread I actually hate a computer program 🙂 ) When I was looking most courses seemed to use ArcGIS

ArcGIS (ArcMap) is the most used system – and in my experience is great. You could try getting a demo version and following the built-in tutorials to learn. I taught myself how to use it – fairly easy… and then I taught MSc level GIS in Edinburgh for a good number of years, where we also used ArcGIS, but I dont think they offer distance learning…

Good luck.

If you want to learn how to use ArcGIS, then the software developer (ESRI) offer a range of on-line courses (www.esri.com). But that’s assuming you have access to ArcGIS at work or home….

Get yourself a copy of ‘Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop’ – you could work through it over a (very) long weekend.

It’s a decent enough basic introduction. You could then move on to some of the ESRI online campus courses.

Instructor led GIS course are ridiculously expensive.

Might be worth ringing ESRI and seeing if they can send an evaluation version on disk. Just had a look at the Amazon reviews and the latest version no longer includes evaluation software on CD.

TBH there is a lot of theory behind the actual software that would be more beneficial to learn than the program itself to begin with. there are plenty of websites out there with information on the theoretical study of GI science. Depending on where you are based, your local university will have books on the subjec matter if you can get access to read only.

Thanks. ArcGIS seems to take the lead and the one basic research suggests is most in use. I can’y get near a copy but could possibly get one through work. I can but ask.

Some useful suggestions. Now I just need to figure out the one works for me.

Cheers

TP, try this 60 day ArcGIS Evaluation

Also if you fancy going the open source route try this QGIS which is modeled on Arc. It is not quite as user friendly but the software and documentation are in constant development.

I have nothing useful to say except anyone who goes ‘I fancy adding gis to my bow’ deserves more respect than an 24 hr enduro entrant as far as I’m concerned. Also, consider some of the free web gis offerings springing up as well. Cost nowt, good support communities, more importantly support is free. Can’t speak for arc but mapinfo support comms are like gold dust. I ended up teaching meself and it took 2 years. If you’ve got the patience, download the free datasets from OS, chuck em in a free wrapper, have a play.