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ArcGIS Desktop for Spatial Analysis

Go from Basic to Pro

Packt - Course Instructors

Dive into spatial data analysis with our extensive ArcGIS Desktop course. Begin with an introduction to the core concepts and functionalities of ArcGIS Desktop, ensuring a solid foundation for understanding spatial data. As you progress, you'll explore various methods to access, display, and manipulate spatial data, including raster and vector data formats. You'll be equipped to perform comprehensive spatial analyses by mastering these techniques.

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Dive into spatial data analysis with our extensive ArcGIS Desktop course. Begin with an introduction to the core concepts and functionalities of ArcGIS Desktop, ensuring a solid foundation for understanding spatial data. As you progress, you'll explore various methods to access, display, and manipulate spatial data, including raster and vector data formats. You'll be equipped to perform comprehensive spatial analyses by mastering these techniques.

The course then transitions to more advanced geoprocessing tasks, where you'll learn about spatial statistics and how to automate processes using Model Builder. These skills are essential for efficiently managing and analyzing large datasets. You'll also gain proficiency in creating informative and visually appealing maps, using base maps, and presenting spatial data effectively. Each module is designed to build upon the last, ensuring a seamless learning experience that enhances your GIS capabilities.

Throughout the course, you'll engage with practical examples and hands-on exercises, solidifying your understanding of theoretical concepts through real-world applications. By the end, you'll be proficient in using ArcGIS Desktop for a wide range of spatial analysis tasks, ready to apply these skills in various professional settings. Whether you're new to GIS or looking to enhance your existing skills, this course offers the comprehensive training you need to succeed.

This course is designed for GIS professionals, environmental scientists, urban planners, and anyone interested in spatial data analysis. No prior experience with ArcGIS Desktop is required, but a basic understanding of geography and data analysis concepts will be beneficial.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Welcome to Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization
In this module, we will introduce the foundational elements of spatial data analysis and visualization. You'll meet the instructor, explore the core concepts that will be covered throughout the course, and understand the learning objectives. This section sets the stage for your journey into mastering ArcGIS Desktop for spatial analysis.
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Introduction to ArcGIS Desktop and its Functionality
In this module, we will delve into the basics of ArcGIS Desktop and its comprehensive functionality. You will learn about the software's core components, how to access and display spatial data, and ways to identify and select specific features and values. Additionally, we'll cover essential tools for zooming, measuring, and calculating geometries, as well as understanding different coordinate systems. This section equips you with the foundational skills needed to navigate and utilize ArcGIS Desktop proficiently.
Working with Raster Data in ArcGIS Desktop
In this module, we will explore the functionalities and techniques involved in working with raster data within ArcGIS Desktop. You will learn how to display and manipulate raster datasets, including merging, reclassifying, and resampling. Additionally, the section covers topographic calculations, clipping rasters, performing zonal statistics, and extracting raster values to points. Finally, we'll address the critical process of geo-referencing to ensure your raster data aligns correctly with other spatial data. This section provides comprehensive skills to manage and analyze raster data effectively.
Working with Vector Data in ArcGIS Desktop
In this module, we will focus on the comprehensive functionalities available for working with vector data in ArcGIS Desktop. You will learn to perform exploratory data analysis, create basic graphs, and conduct spatial joins using both tabular and spatial location data. Additionally, the section covers creating choropleth maps and various vector data operations including splitting, clipping, intersecting, buffering, merging, appending, and dissolving shapefiles. This section equips you with the essential skills needed to manage and analyze vector data effectively in ArcGIS Desktop.
More Advanced Geoprocessing Tasks in ArcGIS: Intro to Basic Geostatistics
In this module, we will advance into more complex geoprocessing tasks within ArcGIS Desktop, with a focus on basic geostatistics. You will learn to generate Euclidean distance rasters, perform various density analyses, and apply kernel density methods. The section also covers the theory and application of point data interpolation, mapping spatial clusters, and conducting geographically weighted regression analyses. Finally, you will explore the use of Model Builder to automate geoprocessing tasks, streamlining your workflows and increasing efficiency. This section prepares you for tackling advanced spatial analysis projects with confidence.
Make Simple Maps in ArcGIS
In this module, we will guide you through the process of making simple maps in ArcGIS Desktop. You will explore examples of different types of maps, learn how to present spatial data as layer files, and use ArcGIS base maps to provide context and background to your maps. Finally, you will put together all the elements to create a complete and informative map. This section equips you with the fundamental skills needed to produce clear and professional maps using ArcGIS.

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Provides hands-on exercises and real-world examples, which solidifies the understanding of theoretical concepts and enhances practical application in professional settings
Begins with an introduction to core concepts and functionalities, which ensures a solid foundation for understanding spatial data, regardless of prior experience
Covers automating processes using Model Builder, which is essential for efficiently managing and analyzing large datasets in professional environments
Teaches how to create informative and visually appealing maps using base maps, which is a core skill for communicating spatial data effectively
Requires a basic understanding of geography and data analysis concepts, which may necessitate additional preparation for learners without this background
Focuses on ArcGIS Desktop, which may not be relevant for learners interested in open-source GIS software or web-based GIS solutions

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in ArcGIS Desktop for Spatial Analysis: Go from Basic to Pro with these activities:
Review Basic Geography Concepts
Reinforce your understanding of fundamental geographic principles. A solid grasp of these concepts is crucial for effectively using ArcGIS Desktop and interpreting spatial data.
Browse courses on Map Projections
Show steps
  • Review definitions of latitude, longitude, and map projections.
  • Practice identifying locations using geographic coordinates.
  • Summarize the differences between common map projections.
Practice Basic Data Manipulation
Sharpen your data manipulation skills. This will help you efficiently prepare and analyze spatial data within ArcGIS Desktop.
Browse courses on Data Filtering
Show steps
  • Practice filtering and sorting data in a spreadsheet program.
  • Learn to aggregate data using pivot tables or similar tools.
  • Identify and correct errors in a sample dataset.
Read 'GIS Tutorial 1: Basic Workbook'
Gain practical experience with ArcGIS Desktop. This book offers step-by-step tutorials that complement the course material and reinforce key concepts.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Work through the first five chapters of the workbook.
  • Complete the exercises at the end of each chapter.
  • Review the key concepts covered in each chapter.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Georeferencing Practice
Improve your georeferencing accuracy. Repeated practice will help you quickly and effectively align raster data with real-world coordinates.
Show steps
  • Download several unreferenced raster images.
  • Find corresponding control points on a reference map.
  • Georeference each raster image using ArcGIS Desktop.
  • Evaluate the accuracy of the georeferencing process.
Create a Choropleth Map
Solidify your understanding of vector data and map creation. Creating a choropleth map will reinforce your skills in data manipulation, spatial joins, and map design.
Show steps
  • Find a suitable dataset with spatial and attribute data.
  • Join the attribute data to the spatial data in ArcGIS Desktop.
  • Create a choropleth map using graduated colors or symbols.
  • Add map elements such as a title, legend, and scale bar.
Explore 'The ArcGIS Book'
Broaden your understanding of GIS applications. This book will inspire you to think creatively about how you can use ArcGIS Desktop to address real-world challenges.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Browse through the different chapters and case studies.
  • Identify examples that are relevant to your interests.
  • Reflect on how you can apply these ideas in your own work.
Analyze Crime Hotspots
Apply your spatial analysis skills to a real-world problem. This project will challenge you to integrate various techniques learned in the course to identify and analyze crime hotspots.
Show steps
  • Obtain crime data for a specific geographic area.
  • Use ArcGIS Desktop to map the crime incidents.
  • Perform density analysis to identify crime hotspots.
  • Analyze the spatial patterns of crime and identify potential contributing factors.
  • Create a report summarizing your findings and recommendations.

Career center

Learners who complete ArcGIS Desktop for Spatial Analysis: Go from Basic to Pro will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
GIS Specialist
A GIS Specialist utilizes geographic information systems to manage, analyze and display data, and would greatly benefit from this course's focus on ArcGIS Desktop. The course covers the core functionalities of ArcGIS software, equipping a GIS Specialist with the ability to work with both raster and vector data, perform spatial analysis, and create informative maps. This training will streamline data analysis and decision-making processes, as it teaches the use of Model Builder to automate tasks and the application of spatial statistics. Because this course can help a GIS Specialist improve their skills with ArcGIS Desktop, it is very beneficial to them.
See salaries and explore the career path for GIS Specialist
Geospatial Analyst
A Geospatial Analyst uses GIS software like ArcGIS Desktop to analyze spatial data and create maps. This course helps build skills necessary for a Geospatial Analyst by teaching core concepts of ArcGIS Desktop functionality, including accessing, displaying, and manipulating spatial data. You'll work with both raster and vector data, which is essential for analyzing and modeling different geographic features. The course also covers advanced geoprocessing tasks, which prepare a geospatial analyst to work with spatial statistics, automate processes using Model Builder, and create detailed maps. If you want to become a Geospatial Analyst, you should take this course to develop practical experience.
See salaries and explore the career path for Geospatial Analyst
GIS Technician
A GIS Technician is responsible for managing and maintaining geographic information systems data, often using ArcGIS Desktop. This course provides the foundation for a GIS Technician by teaching the fundamentals of ArcGIS Desktop software, including how to work with vector and raster data. It also helps build skills in data manipulation, geoprocessing, and map creation. This course will also be helpful for a GIS technician as it includes learning more advanced skills such as spatial statistics and model building, which can be useful in performing data analysis and report generation. These skills are vital for a GIS Technician role.
See salaries and explore the career path for GIS Technician
Urban Planner
Urban Planners use spatial data analysis to inform decisions related to city development. This course helps prepare an Urban Planner to analyze spatial data using ArcGIS Desktop, allowing them to understand how different factors impact urban environments. You will learn how to access, display, and manipulate spatial data, which is key to visualizing and analyzing urban areas. This course also teaches more advanced geoprocessing tasks, spatial statistics, and the creation of informative maps, which can help an urban planner understand how to apply spatial analysis to various urban projects or plans. Taking this course can help develop the skills of an urban planner to utilize GIS technology.
See salaries and explore the career path for Urban Planner
Location Analyst
Location Analysts focus on analyzing geographic data to aid business decisions, and this course helps such individuals acquire key spatial analysis skills. The course teaches access, display, and manipulation of spatial data using ArcGIS Desktop, a crucial tool for a Location Analyst. This course also explores various methods for analyzing geospatial data, including geoprocessing tasks and spatial statistics, useful in understanding specific geographic patterns. Furthermore, the ability to create visualizations with GIS software will help the Location Analyst present their findings. This course can therefore have important benefits to a Location Analyst.
See salaries and explore the career path for Location Analyst
Environmental Scientist
An Environmental Scientist often uses GIS tools to analyze environmental patterns and data. This course directly helps an Environmental Scientist by providing training in ArcGIS Desktop, a key tool in environmental analysis. The course teaches how to handle both raster and vector data, perform spatial analysis, and create maps showcasing critical environmental information. Such skills allow for the effective analysis of environmental data. This training is vital to conducting projects or field work efficiently and presenting findings to stakeholders. This course may be useful to an environmental scientist and provides them with the skills to use GIS technology in their work.
See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Scientist
Cartographer
A Cartographer's main task includes the design and creation of maps, and this course may help them achieve this by training them to use ArcGIS Desktop. The course covers the core functionality of ArcGIS Desktop, teaching how to display and manage spatial data, which is a basis for creating cartographic products. This course will also improve mapmaking skills through the creation of visually appealing maps using base maps. This type of training helps to create clear and informative maps, thereby improving efficiency in their work. A cartographer will find this course a great step towards expanding their knowledge.
See salaries and explore the career path for Cartographer
Remote Sensing Analyst
Remote Sensing Analysts use satellite and aerial imagery to gather geospatial data and this course may be useful for them by teaching them how to use ArcGIS Desktop. The course includes working with raster data, such as that derived from remote sensing, as well as analyzing spatial data using ArcGIS Desktop. This course may be helpful to a Remote Sensing Analyst's work because it will teach them how to manipulate and analyze geospatial data within ArcGIS Desktop. Furthermore, the ability to create informative maps using ArcGIS Desktop, as taught in this course, will be beneficial to communicating their findings.
See salaries and explore the career path for Remote Sensing Analyst
Conservationist
A Conservationist works to protect natural resources and may find this course useful for learning how to use ArcGIS Desktop. The course teaches how to use ArcGIS Desktop to access, display, and manipulate spatial data, which is important for understanding environmental processes. Conservationists can use spatial analysis techniques covered in the course, along with the ability to create maps, to better understand and manage conservation areas. They may find this course helpful because it teaches how to work with both raster and vector data and how to perform geoprocessing tasks.
See salaries and explore the career path for Conservationist
Geographer
Geographers study the spatial relationships of earth's physical and cultural phenomena and can benefit from this course that teaches them how to use ArcGIS Desktop. The course gives a Geographer the skills to access, display, and manipulate spatial data, important in geographic analysis. You will also learn how to perform spatial analysis and create maps. The ability to automate geoprocessing tasks, a skill taught in the course, is useful in the analysis of complex geographic data. This may be useful to any geographer interested in applying spatial analysis techniques to geographic projects.
See salaries and explore the career path for Geographer
Transportation Planner
Transportation Planners often rely on spatial data analysis to enhance their work, and this course may be beneficial to them because it utilizes ArcGIS Desktop. The course provides the foundational skills in using ArcGIS Desktop including how to access, display, and manipulate spatial data. The course also progresses to more advanced geoprocessing tasks, including spatial statistics and automation using Model Builder, which will be useful in transportation planning projects. By taking this course, a Transportation Planner can develop stronger analytical and technical skills within the GIS softwares.
See salaries and explore the career path for Transportation Planner
Surveyor
A Surveyor collects and analyzes geographic data, and may find this course useful in learning how to use ArcGIS Desktop to process spatial data. This course teaches fundamental skills in accessing, displaying, and manipulating spatial data. It is also helpful that this course covers the use of raster and vector data, which a Surveyor frequently encounters. This course has a great fit for surveyors since it also teaches geoprocessing tasks and map creation, supporting surveyors with tools for visualizing and analyzing data. Overall, this course may be beneficial to a surveyor who wants to take advantage of GIS in their work.
See salaries and explore the career path for Surveyor
Data Scientist
Data Scientists analyze large data sets, and this course may help them in the application of GIS to spatial data. This course covers ArcGIS Desktop, including its core functions and its ability to display and manipulate spatial data. While data scientists often use tools such as Python, this course may be useful because it teaches spatial analysis techniques. In particular, this course will teach a data scientist how to visualize spatial data in a map format. This makes the course useful for any data scientist who is interested in working with geographical data.
See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist
Emergency Management Specialist
Emergency Management Specialists use GIS to plan for and respond to emergencies and this course may be useful in teaching them how to utilize ArcGIS Desktop for this purpose. The course will teach methods to manage and analyze spatial data, including the use of both raster and vector data, which can be applied towards evaluating areas affected by a natural disaster. The course progresses to more advanced skills, such as spatial statistics and map making, and may be useful to an emergency management specialist who needs to produce detailed maps during an emergency. This course may be helpful to emergency management specialists.
See salaries and explore the career path for Emergency Management Specialist
Public Health Analyst
Public Health Analysts examine health trends and outcomes and can potentially benefit from this course's use of ArcGIS Desktop for spatial data analysis. This course introduces core functionalities of ArcGIS Desktop, including accessing, displaying, and manipulating spatial data. This course may be useful as it explores spatial statistics and map creation, which can be useful in communicating health trends. While it may be beneficial, the focus of this course may not directly align with all aspects of public health data analysis, it still may offer considerable benefits to Public Health Analysts.
See salaries and explore the career path for Public Health Analyst

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in ArcGIS Desktop for Spatial Analysis: Go from Basic to Pro.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
This workbook provides a hands-on introduction to ArcGIS Desktop. It covers essential GIS concepts and workflows through practical exercises. It is commonly used as a textbook in introductory GIS courses. will help you build a strong foundation in ArcGIS Desktop before diving into more advanced spatial analysis techniques.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
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Level
Introductory
Via
Coursera
Institution
Packt
Instructor
Packt - Course Instructors
Session
January 27, 2025 - March 10, 2025
Language
English
Good to know
Provides hands-on exercises and real-world examples, which solidifies the understanding of theoretical concepts and enhances practical application in professional settings
Begins with an introduction to core concepts and functionalities, which ensures a solid foundation for understanding spatial data, regardless of prior experience
Covers automating processes using Model Builder, which is essential for efficiently managing and analyzing large datasets in professional environments
Teaches how to create informative and visually appealing maps using base maps, which is a core skill for communicating spatial data effectively
Requires a basic understanding of geography and data analysis concepts, which may necessitate additional preparation for learners without this background
Focuses on ArcGIS Desktop, which may not be relevant for learners interested in open-source GIS software or web-based GIS solutions
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