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GEOG 281Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Units
0.50
Faculty
Environment
Subject
Geography and Environmental Management
Cross-listed
PLAN 281

Not in the current Undergraduate Calendar. Shown as it appeared in 2025–26.

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 6 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Introduction to the fundamental concepts and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Students learn about the nature of geographic information and how to store, manipulate and analyze spatial data in a range of application areas. Students will learn underlying theory in lectures and gain a working knowledge of GIS software in lab sessions.

Prerequisites

  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • GEOG181 - Designing Effective Maps (0.50)
      • GEOG187 - Geospatial Data Science (0.50)
    • Enrolled in H-Planning

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Reviewed on UW Flow

76% liked it62% easy81% useful

From 107 ratings and 22 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • really fun course where i got to practice my skills for GIS. very useful too as it is commonly used in coops and in the workplace. professor was nice and understanding too.

    Jul 2024 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Took it in Winter 2024. Most strenuous course I’ve taken so far; each assignment takes 5+ hours to complete and they are nowhere near as simple as the 181 assignments. There is an in-person final test worth 25% as well which is very memory-intensive, but rather easy. Scored a good grade but had to put in a lot of work to do it.

    Apr 2024 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • as an aviation student, most useless course i've taken in my life. prof really loved the content so props to him but the course is not for me. if youre in avia and deciding between this and 271, take this class it's easier

    Apr 2024 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Straightforward course as a successor to GEOG181. Interesting and useful introduction to ArcGis Pro. Assignments were fair and TA's were helpful. Overall a good course.

    Mar 2022 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Easy course if you took Geog 187 it practically the same but just a bit more

    Jul 2015 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

52 posts and comments in 42 threads mention GEOG 281, June 2011 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2023

Spring 2023

Environmental Studies @UW (need advice) 0 points, 6 comments

“For those in environmental related programs what is your major/minor/specializations? What do you recommend for others? Any advice? (From GEM)”

u/Wrong_Mongoose6829: “Just remember you can’t triple count of your courses”

u/Wrong_Mongoose6829: “… to get a geomatics specialization and a diploma in GIS excellence, you will need to use geog 281 as the course for the requirement, which is now being used for both specialization and the diploma and counted twice. …”

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Winter 2023

I think I made a mistake choosing co-op 21 points, 27 comments

“I'm a second year international student in the Environment Resources and Sustainability program (SERS) and I decided to do co-op because I have very minimal work experience and I thought I would …”

u/DIYPANDA07: “… GEOG 281). There's lots of jobs that would require both of these skills. …”

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Fall 2022

Spring 2022

CS students, what courses have you taken each term 9 points, 21 comments

“Inspired by https://www.reddit.com/r/uwaterloo/comments/v3b8nj/can\any\current\mathcs\students\let\me\know\their/ but recognizing that one term is a very narrow view, What courses have you taken each …”

u/2kofawsome: “1A: math 135, math 136, cs 145, phil 145, engl 109 1B: math 136, math 137, stat 230, cs 146, spcom 100, sci 238 2A: math 239, cs 245, cs 246, geog 181, mte 120 2B: stat 231, cs 240, cs 241, cs 251, geog 281 coop 2: phil 384 3A: I will be taking pmath 340, cs 341, cs 350, cs 348”

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Winter 2021

Has anyone taken GEOG 181? 1 point, 5 comments

“I'm thinking of taking GEOG 181 as a non aviation or geomatics student. Is this a beginners/intro course to GIS? …”

u/Wrong_Mongoose6829: “… Also because planning student doesn’t need to take 181, so Geog 281 has to teach so many repeated content from 181, which made 181 now teach QGIS instead. So if you try to learn how to use GIS software, you should try taking 281. …”

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Best environment courses/professors? 2 points, 13 comments

“From experience, what are some must take environment courses? Alternatively, any professor recommendations within the faculty? …”

u/rjln: “GEOG 281 (intro to GIS), GEOG 300 in the spring if it’s offered, GEOG 207”

u/perkornah: “Most GIS courses are interesting (GEOG 281, 387, etc). Maybe you’ll like ENVS 200 (field ecology) or ENVS 195 (introduction to environmental studies)”

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Fall 2020

What can I do with a science degree? 0 points, 22 comments

“Hi guys, I am in the science and aviation program at Waterloo.I wanted some advice on what I could minor in(my current plan is chem and earth sci) to make my science degree a viable career backup.”

[deleted]: “I feel like you might be interested in minoring geography? Considering your degree being science and aviation.”

u/MarkusbeatsConnor: “Thats a tough cut-off,but let me see how I do in geog 281 this term”

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Winter 2020

Spring 2019

is geog 181 hard // how hard is geomatics 5 points, 8 comments

“i have no background in GIS..... i am in the ENV faculty and trying to figure out if i should transfer to GEMS and what to specialize in... …”

u/RedPanda26: “… GEOG 281 is now the introduction to GIS class for non geomatics students or GEOG 187 for the geomatics students only. You should have no problem taking 181. …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar