Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Course content
The students will learn the basic concepts being used when acquiring, storing, handling and visualising geographical information – with an emphasis on digital maps and digital techniques. The course will introduce the basic analytical capabilities of vector/feature- as well as raster-based GIS. Further, focus will be put on basic cartography and map-reading. In this way the students will obtain the needed theoretical as well as practical skills and competences required to work with maps – both in paper and digital form. The students will learn to use the achieved theoretical knowledge when evaluating the quality of available data and produced results. During the course, the student will, through the practical exercises, acquire the skills to plan, carry out and they shall submit a GIS project. Moreover, the students will practice communication with other professionals within the geospatial data and GIS community.
MSc Programme in Agriculture
MSc Programme in Environmental Science
MSc Programme in Nature Management
Knowledge
- Cartography (both in relation to paper and digital maps respectively)
- Map Comprehension and Appreciation
- Map Types (topographic, thematic, legal, historic, etc.)
- Geospatial Data Resources (at the servers of the Institute and on the Internet)
- Digital Data Types: the vector data model (2D: points, lines and polygons; 3D: point cloud) and the raster data model (images and thematic rasters)
- Data Capture (GPS, digitizing and image georectification, LiDAR)
- Geodatabase build-up and editing
- Assessment of Accuracy and Quality
- Data Transformation and Analysis (incl. overlay, proximity and network analyses)
- Recent developments within the field of GIS
- Internet-based GIS
- Map Layout and Digital Cartography
- GIS in Landscape and Urban Planning, Geodesign
Skills
- Understand and appreciate the theoretic and methodological background of maps.
- Discriminate between map types, and to justify the use of various thematic and topographic datasets for given purposes.
- Search, identify and retrieve digital geographic data from various sources, incl. knowledge of key owners/distributors of national and local geospatial data.
- Select data required for a given task, and to argue for the choices made.
- Decide which type of geographical data (point, line, polygon, raster) to apply in a given context, to a given phenomenon.
- Produce digital geospatial data ‘from scratch’ using analogue maps and aerial photos (incl. georectification, georeferencing and digitizing), or a GPS device.
- Find and select methods of data analysis required for a given task, and to argue for the choices made.
- Produce composite maps from multiple sets of digital map sources.
- Using Internet-based GIS resources of geospatial data and tools.
Competences
- To possess a comprehensive insight into maps in general and GIS in specific – from map reading to creating/collecting, storing, transforming, and presenting digital spatial data.
- To apply maps and spatial analytical results to articles, theses, project reports, posters etc, produced after attending the course.
- To plan, prepare and carry out project work together with colleagues and external partners.
The course is constituted of lectures, exercises and an analytical project work. It is recommended – but not a prerequisite – that the projects are conjoined with activities related to other courses and project works. Exercises will take place in the digital student computer lab.
See Absalon/Canvas for course literature.
There are no specific formal requirements. All Master level
students may sign up for the course, however, comprehensive
knowledge of IT, including good practical skills in catalogue
organization in Windows or similar, is recommended as well as some
basic understanding of math and statistics.
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is
recommended.
Written + Individual: Relates to the compulsory outputs from the
practical exercises (e.g. map layouts), handed in by the student.
Written and/or Oral + Collective: Relates to the process and the
outputs of the group project (incl. a Project Plan and a
Poster).
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written examination, 3 hours under invigilation
- Type of assessment details
- The three hour digital examination consists of two parts:
1. Shorter, factual questions referring to the text of all exercises, lecture presentations and other obligatory course texts.
2. One longer question referring more to the practical skills of handling a GIS project.
The course has been selected for ITX exam
See important information about ITX-exams at Study Information, menu point: Exams -> Exam types and rules -> Written on-site exams (ITX) - Exam registration requirements
-
Assignments have to be handed in and accepted. The digital test forms connected to the exercises (e.g. DIGIT tests, provided by the Absalon/Canvas) have to be completed. Further, the project work has to be displayed as a public poster or as a web-based StoryMap, and be accepted.
- Aid
- Only certain aids allowed
All text material (including the text book, the hand-outs and notes relating to the lectures and exercises), in paper or digital format, may be used.
Pocket calculators may be used.
Students are not permitted to bring their own computers, tablets, cell phones or other types of communication gear.As the exam is an ITX-exam, the University will make computers with calculator available to students at the exam. Students are not permitted to bring their own calculator.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Two internal examiners/co-examiners.
- Re-exam
-
Identical to ordinary exam.
Requirements listed under the Exam registration requirements have to be met no later than three weeks before re-examination, in order to be eligable for re-examination.
Criteria for exam assessment
Please see the learning outcome.
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 23
- Preparation
- 111
- Practical exercises
- 64
- Excursions
- 2
- Guidance
- 3
- Exam
- 3
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- NIGK14002U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedulegroup
-
C
- Capacity
- 75
The number of seats may be reduced in the late registration period - Studyboard
- Study Board of Natural Resources, Environment and Animal Science
Contracting department
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinator
- Patrik Karlsson Nyed (4-60717b7e5079777e3e7b853e747b)
Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 3533 1832
E-mail: pakn@ign.ku.dk
Teacher
Hans Skov-Petersen
Professor
Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 3533 1816
E-mail: hsp@ign.ku.dk
Lene Fischer
Associate Professor
Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 4011 5084
E-mail: lfi@ign.ku.dk
Thomas Balstrøm
Senior Advisor
Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 3533 5396
E-mail: tb@ign.ku.dk
Bjarne Fog
Senior Lecturer
Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 3532 2539
E-mail: bf@ign.ku.dk
Anton Stahl Olafson
Associate Professor
Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 3533 1808
E-mail: asol@ign.ku.dk
Christian Fertner
Associate Professor
Dept. of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
University of Copenhagen
Tel: + 45 3533 1782
E-mail: chfe@ign.ku.dk
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