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GEOG 381Advanced Geographic Information Systems

Units
0.50
Faculty
Environment
Subject
Geography and Environmental Management
Cross-listed
PLAN 381

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 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

Students learn theoretical and operational approaches to advanced spatial analysis using geographical information systems. Emphasis is placed on the use of automation procedures using models and programming to address a variety of topics that may include but are not limited to digital terrain modeling, suitability analysis, network analysis, and cell-based models. The domain of spatial problems explored may vary by instructor.

Prerequisites

  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • GEOG281 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (0.50)
    • PLAN281 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (0.50)

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

Reviewed on UW Flow

76% liked it44% easy84% useful

From 46 ratings and 16 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Do not be deceived be these reviews. If GIS technician isn't your career path, DO NOT TAKE THIS COURSE. You think you'll learn GIS, but the reality is you're learning how to answer useless questions about pre-written code in R (was not told we needed to know this coding language for this course). One of 7 assignments has you working in ArcGIS itself (worth 18%), 10% of which is graded on "going above and beyond your classmates". The effort to get a high 80 in this course as a 4th year enviro eng student is not at all worth it. Sorry Derek but your must-know interview prep does not apply to me. Found out this course was completely misleading a few short days after the Add Course deadline.…

    Feb 2026 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Quite an interesting and fun course. There isn't much lecture content which is nice, most of it is dedicated to interesting assignments that I felt really improved my GIS skills. Recommended.

    Apr 2023 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Very useful course! The assignments are time consuming but very interesting. Lots of group work involved, particularly for the final assignments.

    Jul 2014 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • do not take this course if it isn't required for your degree. all assignments done in R notebooks with limited instructions and "bonus" questions that are actually apart of the core grade for the assignment, not really a "bonus".

    Mar 2026 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This course is mandatory for Geomatics students, BUT try taking it with other professors if you don't want to use R in a course that is supposed to be about GIS. Lots assignments contain "bonus questions" that count toward the 100% :) Bonus is just a pretty way of saying I'm not gonna take the effort to teach you this. The infamous 18% assignment has absolutely NO instructions, relying purely on your previous knowledge and ability to use the internet. If we already learned everything then why are we taking this course, Derek? And can we care about the people who actually want to learn GIS, this course isn't a careers course.

    Mar 2026 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

15 posts and comments in 15 threads mention GEOG 381, 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 2024

Winter 2024

Easiest Civil Engineering Electives 3 points, 6 comments

“I am trying to find an easy technical elective (to complement concrete/steel design) for the civil engineering undergrad program at UW. …”

u/ReplEH: “what are the options that fit within ur timetable? ill tell you the easiest out of them”

u/Puzzleheaded-Fix1971: “CIVE596 Construction Engineering CIVE484 Urban Infrastructure Planning Earth 458: Physical Hydrogeology Geog 209: Hydroclimatology Geog 381: Advanced GIS”

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Fall 2023

Spring 2023

Course Selection Question 1 point, 0 comments

u/HairyInspection: “Planning to take both GEOG 371 and GEOG 381 (see picture). I'm assuming I can count one towards the "one of" requirement and count one towards the "1.0 unit at or above 300-level". If anybody has done this before please confirm. …”

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Fall 2020

Spring 2019

Winter 2019

Geog 381 Python Quiz 3 points, 2 comments

u/achaud1: “Wondering if anyone has taken GEOG 381 in the past and can provide some information on an in class Python tutorial quiz (format of quiz, types of questions asked, hard/easy)? …”

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Does a intro to programming via Python course? 0 points, 15 comments

“A friend of mine asked and I honestly have not the slightest idea. She’s in environment and is looking to learn the basic concepts so she write some scripts to manipulate GIS and to just make her …”

u/RedPanda26: “If she's in environment and is looking to learn Python for GIS scripts, GEOG 381 (Advanced GIS) does some basics in python. Also CS 116 uses python for the entire course.”

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Spring 2017

Easiest/Most Bird GEOG Courses (Mainly for Fall 2017) 1 point, 10 comments

“Hello, So I'm currently looking for about 1-2 GEOG courses (above the 200 level) to take as some electives for the Fall 2017 term. Any suggestions? I was thinking GEOG 203 so far”

u/Waterwoogem: “… GEOG 294 is generally considered more interesting GEOG 381 formatted similar to 387 Below (281 as prereq) GEOG 387 assumes the individual has taken 281 (as it is a prereq) and is generally 4x20% Labs + Final Test”

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Fall 2016

Should I declare my major in pure math? 0 points, 8 comments

“I just want to ask other's on their opinions about this. I'm interested in pure math here at uwaterloo. I'm currently in my second year and need to declare my major. …”

u/Huex3: “… In the meantime as I tried to forget, I took a few other courses, two of my ex's sister, GEOG 371 and 381. It hit off pretty well, but they weren't for me. …”

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Winter 2016

Courses without exams SPRING 2016 0 points, 5 comments

“I'm looking for courses without a final or in class exams only for Spring 2016. I am trying to get electives that do not have exams and are super easy as I have a trip planned right around the …”

u/queenbethxo: “Geog 381 has a final test at the end of July but none scheduled during exam times”

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Geomatics to now be offered under the math faculty for 2016-17, students in the Geomatics in the environment faculty can transfer given few prerequisites 105 points, 19 comments

u/Huex3: “… Systems (GIS) GEOG 310 Geodesy and Surveying GEOG 371 Advanced Remote Sensing Techniques GEOG 381 Advanced Geographic Information Systems GEOG 387 Spatial Databases GEOG 471 Remote Sensing Project (1.0 unit) GEOG 481 Geographic Information Systems Project (1.0 unit) Two …”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar