GIS Database Design: Solving Real-World Problems

Review industry-standard and emerging data design technologies for today's natural resource and land use planning. This class explores how GIS database design is a necessary step in solving real-world problems such as utility network design, municipal asset management and imagery management. Learn to apply best practices in designing data, delivering data to others and maximizing the application of your data for solving real-life challenges. Using case studies, you’ll refine your expertise in:

  • Interpreting and documenting data requirements for practical applications
  • Modeling data relationships
  • Database language options
  • Populating data to test your database design
  • Administering a database for others to use
  • Participants will propose, design and populate a database of their choice using spatial and other forms of data. This requires stepping away from instructions and designing custom solutions to practical issues.

This course is intended for professionals who want to include GIS as a tool in land use and resource planning efforts and will also be beneficial to anyone with a strong desire to incorporate GIS database design and maintenance technology in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The course is designed for those who have a working knowledge of ArcGIS.

Course Format and Pacing
This fully online course is delivered through Canvas, UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, and includes approximately 20 hours of instruction. Content is presented through a combination of pre-recorded lectures and mandatory live Zoom sessions with the instructor(s).

Industry-Leading Software
ArcGIS Pro is a premier geographic information system (GIS) platform used by professionals worldwide in environmental science, urban planning, natural resource management, and more. Students gain hands-on experience with powerful mapping and spatial analysis tools, developing skills that are highly valued in industries requiring data visualization, geospatial analysis, and location-based decision-making.

Software Requirements
ArcGIS Pro runs on Windows and requires installation using a student license provided prior to the course start, along with detailed licensing and installation instructions. Students must use a personal laptop with at least 8GB of RAM and a dual-core, 64-bit processor capable of running Windows 11. *NOTE: Mac is NOT compatible, even with a Windows virtualization tool. To avoid technical issues, students should install the software immediately upon receipt of access and ensure their system meets the minimum requirements.