EAE5258 Geographical information systems (GIS) for environmental science
Faculty of Science
EAE5258 Geographical information systems (GIS) for environmental science is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before EAE5258
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After EAE5258
No unit lists EAE5258 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
PROHIBITION: ATS3259, APG4758
Overview
The unit provides a practical introduction to the principles, techniques and applications in GIS for environmental problem solving and decision making. It covers a wide range of topics including general nature of spatial data, spatial data quality, georeferencing, raster and vector approaches, spatial data management, spatial analysis, spatial modelling, spatial visualisation, terrain analysis, and GIS applications in land use analysis, hydrology, ecology, geoscience, environmental policy and decision analysis.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- PracticalsDemonstration50%
- Project: Identify a site for remote bush lodgesProject30%
- Online quizzesQuiz / Test20%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Understand the fundamental principles of GIS.
- 2
Comprehend the nature of spatial data and their importance in environmental science.
- 3
Identify environmental problems that can be solved with GIS.
- 4
Grasp basic GIS skills.
- 5
Demonstrate a high level of skills in the use of GIS software (ArcGIS).
- 6
Design GIS-based solutions to environmental problems.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops12 hours
- Practical activities30 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
Learning resources
Required resources
Zhu, X. (2016) GIS for Environmental Applications - A Practical Approach . Routledge, London and New York
Where it fits
EAE5258 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Xuan Zhu
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Xuan Zhu
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for EAE5258?
EAE5258 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is EAE5258 offered?
In 2025, EAE5258 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is EAE5258?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does EAE5258 have an exam?
No. EAE5258 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include EAE5258?
EAE5258 is part of Earth science and Environmental security.