Oct 23, 2026  
2026-2027 Catalog 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  Admission
  Expenses and Payments
  Financial Aid
  Academic Calendar
  Academic Policies and Procedures
  Academic Programs
  Academic Departments, Programs, and Requirements for Majors and Minors
  Course Numbering and Prefixes
  Course Descriptions
  Student Affairs
  Athletics
  UNC Asheville—Our History and Accreditation
  Mission Statement
  UNC Asheville Board of Trustees
  Administration
  Faculty
  Distinguished Teaching Awards
  The University of North Carolina System
  University Rules and Regulations
  Student Code of Responsibility
  Student Appeals, Complaints, Grievances and Academic Misconduct
  Appendices
  Current and Archived Catalogs (pdf format)
HELP
2026-2027 Catalog

MSER 503 - Introduction to GIS (3)

This course will introduce students to the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and demonstrate its applications to the fields of climate science, community resilience, and risk and vulnerability. Through a series of lectures, case-studies, and computer lab exercises, students will gain an understanding of basic GIS principles, data exploration, and geospatial analysis. Students will learn to use a variety of software platforms, including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Desktop, QGIS, among others to integrate and incorporate climate, resilience, and natural hazard datasets into GIS for further evaluation and analysis. Students will also be introduced to basic geospatial communication and learn how to create static and interactive maps, online GIS web viewers, Dashboards, and StoryMaps to convey complex data. Upon completion of the course, students should feel comfortable using GIS tools to explore spatial data, perform simple analyses, and communicate climate and resilience information to end-users, decision-makers, and other stakeholders. Fall.