QGIS Essentials

The course is suitable for beginners to GIS, those looking to refresh their skills, or migrate to QGIS software. The course will cover some essential skills an ecologist would need to confidently start using QGIS.

QGIS is a freely available open-source GIS that matches the functionality and usability of commercial products like ArcGIS. It has been adopted by governments, businesses and NGOs around the world.

The course is suitable for beginners to GIS, those looking to refresh their skills or migrate to QGIS software. The course will cover the Day 1 topics of the popular ‘QGIS for Ecologists and Environmental practitioners’ which are the essential skills needed to confidently start using QGIS. See also ‘Key learning’ section.

Although the topics are well established, the course will be delivered using CIEEM’s Moodle Learning Management Platform. The proposed approach will be a blend of self-led learning with some tutor contact. The course will run over a month, and delegates will need to undertake c.1.5 hours of exercises each week.

Each week delegates will watch demonstration videos and then undertake practical exercises (instruction documents and data will be provided). Delegates will then have the option to join the tutor for two, 1 hour live sessions exploring the topics covered in your self-led learning. Overall, the approach will allow delegates to learn from wherever they are based, at their own pace, to have some tutor contact, and to gain hands-on experience needed to confidently implement GIS projects in the workplace.

The Tutor led sessions will be at 10:00am for 1 hour on the following dates: 12th and 24th November 2025. Although these are not essential, we do recommend that you attend these sessions. This will be your opportunity to ask questions and seek support for the self-led work. These sessions will not be recorded.

Ecological Consultants, Wildlife Trusts, Land Managers, Rangers, Statutory Agency staff, conservation practitioners, students.

No prior knowledge of GIS is required, but participants should be comfortable working with computers, managing files and installing software.

• Set up a QGIS project and data management process.
• Source and incorporate high quality, freely available data to provide background and set your data in context.
• Create your own GIS data to represent habitats, species and other features on a map, and add colours and symbols.
• Perform basic spatial queries, to export a species list for a site.
• Produce professional habitat maps for reports.