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Geographic Information Systems (GIS) — ArcGIS and ESRI Software

Overview

ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) produces GIS and geospatial products for many different types of GIS users and user groups. 

Which product is right for you?

  • Desktop GIS (ArcGIS Pro/ArcMap) is great for performing spatial analysis, doing detailed cartography, and creating printable static maps and layouts. 
  • Use ArcGIS Online to create sharable webmaps that can be integrated into websites, map viewers, and other applications, and shared online with the general public. 

While both options have a bit of a learning curve, generally, ArcGIS online is a great place to start experimenting and playing around.

ESRI Web Applications

ESRI also produces a number of applications that can be used to share maps, data, and information with many different user types. Here are some examples:

  • Create an interactive project about a topic, and integrate both spatial and nonspatial media of many different types using ArcGIS StoryMaps. 
  • Visualize and connect your spatial and non-spatial data by building a dashboard in ArcGIS Dashboards. 
  • Organize and share your geospatial data with stakeholders using ArcGIS Hub.

Downloading ESRI Software

The following groups have access to an ESRI site license through the Connecticut Public Higher Education Institution Site License:

  • UConn students, staff, or faculty at any campus
  • Users at any Connecticut State college or University (ECSU, CCSU, WCSU, SCSU)
  • Users at any Conneciticut community collge

To activate your license, contact Rich Mrozinski at: richard.mrozinski@uconn.edu

For non Connecticut Public Higher Education users:

  • You can download a free version of ArcGIS Online designed for personal, non commercial use. 
    • While limited, a free AGOL account allows you to creat and share geospatial content, and access content from other users. 

Alternatively, you can try the licensed versions of ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online for 21 days. 

You can also purchase a personal use subscription, which includes the licensed versions of ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online. 

Learning more: ESRI Academy and ESRI MOOCS

Throughout this guide, you will see links to tutorials, trainings, and courses offered through ESRI. The organization offeres many options for self-guided and structured learning. While some cost money, and some are only available to certain types of users, many are free and even open to those without an ESRI user license. You can learn more, and find ESRI's full course catalog here:

ESRI MOOCs

Throughout the year, ESRI offers free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which are available to the public and cover a range of interesting GIS topics. MOOCs involve 4-6 weeks of asynchronous self-paced instruction, tutorials, quizzes, and exercises. In addition to access to course content, MOOC participants also recieve a temporary ESRI license for completeing course excersises, which means that you do not need a UConn ESRI site license to parcitpate! 

MOOC Reccomendations

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