Best of All-Time Online Course

Cartography

Esri via Independent

Go to class

Independent
Free Online Course
English
6 weeks long

Found in

GIS Courses

Overview

Once, only cartographers made maps. Today anyone can. Still, cartographers can teach people to make better maps, just as chefs can show people how to cook better meals. With coaching from experienced cartographers and practical, hands-on exercises using ArcGIS Pro, you'll become a smarter mapmaker, ready to go beyond the defaults and make better maps.

Syllabus

Section 1

Getting Started: Let's Get Mapping

Consider the value and purpose of cartography as science and art. Get set up with ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and exercise data. Use ArcGIS Pro to design a small-format, multiscale topographic map, using generalization tools and scale-dependent symbology. Use layouts for composition. Add contextual detail, insets, legends, and marginalia.

Section 2

Math for Mapmakers

Explore how coordinate systems, transformations, and projections affect your map's message. Deal with the effects of projections and data classification methods on thematic maps. Design and publish a custom basemap in a nonstandard projection to support thematic data. Build attribute-driven symbology. Publish a multiscale web map and app.

Section 3

Language of Graphics

See how generalization, symbology, and color affect your story. Explore generalization techniques that reduce feature complexity for smaller-scale displays. Create a variety of thematic maps, including choropleth, proportional symbol, value-by alpha, and multivariate maps. Change symbology and use transparency in creative ways.

Section 4

Labels and Composition

Learn a little about typography, label placement, and map composition. Set up a palette of label styles for different features and explore options for positioning them around other map details. Create a layout that includes a range of marginalia. Use ArcGIS expressions to define labels in innovative ways.

Section 5

Mapping in 3D

Consider how to best use the z dimension to represent data for both reference and thematic maps. Use 3D symbology and develop a sense of when 3D adds value to your map. Build 3D web scenes and vary the way features are represented using attributes and dynamic symbology.

Section 6

Mapping Change

Use the time-aware and animation controls in ArcGIS Pro to design maps that show temporal change. Direct an animated movie to map change; add captions and dynamic overlay information; and publish in a range of popular, shareable formats. Create a display of small multiples for an infographic poster.

Charts

#1 in Subjects / Engineering / GIS

Reviews

4.8 rating, based on 124 reviews

Start your review of Cartography

Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This was my first foray into ArcPro. And it had a lot of interesting bells and whistles to it. The MOOC focused on a lot of things that were way above my skill level, like animation and 3D mapping, and I felt that while it was interesting to see what...

This was my first foray into ArcPro. And it had a lot of interesting bells and whistles to it. The MOOC focused on a lot of things that were way above my skill level, like animation and 3D mapping, and I felt that while it was interesting to see what could be done with it, that I personally would probably never have reason to do it.

It had a lot of things that I as a simple mapper would probably never need, but I did appreciate a few of the simple cartography tools. Symbology was a lot more powerful than in its ArcMap cousin.

As far as the videos went, I didn't get much out of them besides the opinions of the three people in them and the interesting old cartography tools they were looking at. I'm a visual person, and the lack of examples of what they were talking about meant that I had little to no idea as to what some of the things they talked about would actually look like. I feel that this hampered my ability to understand considerably.

I really enjoyed the layout of the tutorial documents. It was incredibly easy to get lost in ArcPro, but the pictures made navigation much easier in something so strange and foreign. I found the exercises interesting, even if for most of them that scared-of-change voice in the back of my head whispered "why are they doing it this way when ArcMap does it another way?". I found labeling almost as aggravating as in ArcMap, but there were a few things that came in handy (breaking up by classes).

I wish that I had more time to devote to this MOOC; it might have been interesting to take a look at the forums. But I feel that the theory discussed in the tutorials was useful. I wish that this MOOC talked more about the theory behind symbology; what works, and some general rules. Symbology is one of the toughest things for me, and I would have appreciated some sort of section focusing on it as thoroughly as map projections were focused on.

All that aside, I'm glad that I was able to participate in this MOOC. Thank you for having me.
Anonymous

Anonymous is taking this course right now.

Whether you are brand new to working with spatial data or have been a long-time veteran of ArcGIS, this is an excellent course that provides a broad yet detailed overview of basic principles of cartography with exceptionally well-explained exercises and...

Whether you are brand new to working with spatial data or have been a long-time veteran of ArcGIS, this is an excellent course that provides a broad yet detailed overview of basic principles of cartography with exceptionally well-explained exercises and activities. Largely a self-directed class, this MOOC focuses on becoming familiar with and utilizing ArcGIS Pro and working through a variety of exercises focused on using different projections, data classification, how to label maps at different scales, thematic maps, and how to construct 3D maps. Although I have taken coursework in GIS, this was an excellent refresher on basic tools and processes in ArcGIS Pro and additionally taught me a lot about aesthetics and effectively communicating visual data to various audiences. Highly recommended.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

Overall it was very good. I learned some new techniques for making better maps and I have already started implementing some of the strategies in my maps I've been working on the last few weeks. The exercises were very detailed and quite easy to follow...

Overall it was very good. I learned some new techniques for making better maps and I have already started implementing some of the strategies in my maps I've been working on the last few weeks. The exercises were very detailed and quite easy to follow most of the time. However, I do have to say it always took at least twice as long as it said it would to complete an exercise. Perhaps that was because I was getting used to ArcGis Pro. The ones in section 3 seemed to be the longest, there was multiple ones, which required creating new layers again and again. It might be because my computer is slow too. Perhaps an exercise which factors in slower computers and stating a more resaonable/average time for completing them would be good thing to think about. Other than that, it was great!
Anonymous

Anonymous is taking this course right now.

I love how the organizers really did well in making the class not boring, especially the videos of each section! They were fun to listen to and some of their cheerfulness / animation is also translated into the exercises. I just wish I had more time to finish the course. I do mine while also working, so sometime when there's a lot of work to be done, this course takes a back seat. But I really learned a lot, even with many years of map making before this course. I would recommend this course to others, and if another cartography MOOC (part 2) would be offered, I would definitely sign up!. Thanks so much to Ken, Edie, Wes, John, and Nathan. You all did splendid work!
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

Excellent intro to effectively communicating with cartography using Esri ArcGIS Pro software (aka ArcPro). On completion of the course, the student may download a certificate. The course is divided up into 6 sections, and each section begins with a...

Excellent intro to effectively communicating with cartography using Esri ArcGIS Pro software (aka ArcPro). On completion of the course, the student may download a certificate.

The course is divided up into 6 sections, and each section begins with a video followed by exercise lessons, a quiz and a MOOC forum participation component. The videos are of the instructors discussing the topic of the week, a "show and tell" of a few old-school cartography tools (so you appreciate modern computer tools!) and pet peeves or "cartofails". The lessons exercises are very well written with screenshots (PDF format). Data used in the exercise is provided via download. The lessons begin with step-by-step instruction; next level refers back to steps learned earlier (with reminder hints); and finally directs a task to be performed without providing hints back to the steps which were relies on steps done earlier in a similar task. An optional "stretch" or challenge task is given for those who wish to challenge themselves further and receive feedback.

Some technical comments:
ArcPro: Software download, only runs on Windows 10. Free license granted for the duration of MOOC plus about one week afterwards. Software is graphically intensive, so program may run slowly on an entry level laptop.

Videos: May be viewed from any browser. However, some may experience viewing problems since the video server domain (amazonaws.com) is on a network security blacklist for phishing. (Try watching the video from a different network.)

This is a very informative course for learning cartography basics, and to get familiar with ArcPro. Highly recommended!
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This course was a mix of basics review and accompanying (meatier) project in which the basics were applied to real world examples. I thought it excellent and very helpful on 3 fronts: it gets you moving around in, and comfortable with, ArcGIS Pro. It is sprinkled throughout with tips and good map making advice from cartographic experts. Lastly, it is a broad sweep, exposure, to a wide range of Pro's functionality, in a tiny course created with advanced beginners in mind. An exception, imagery isn't specifically addressed in this course.
F. O.

F. completed this course.

Cartography is just too fantastic! Right now, there is just nothing that doesn't require map or mapping...just think about it! Everything can be mapped, whether to scale or not, just to ensure effective communication. But it's unfortunate that some people (especially in the research domain) don't care if the maps are well done or not. So this course provided that needed oil to lubricate the friction(gap) between map makers and map users, a well a crafted map and a badly made map.
Ioli K.

Ioli completed this course.

well structured and demanding, I'll definitely attend more MOOC -free- courses asap , a good way to learn and progress in mapping. Things to improve: more realistic estimation time to conclude exercises and focus on little details over what tabs and panes you expect to see white following instructions (eg. Sec6Exs2 sSenario 2.. wrong put in dates makes you maaaaad since you don't get what you are supposed to!)
Ida V.

Ida completed this course, spending 4 hours a week on it and found the course difficulty to be medium.

This was my very first Esri course. I think that it was a good start and gave me a glimpse to the world of map-making, that I used to love. Some of the tasks were quite challenging, but everything is manageable if you stay focused and read the instructions carefully.
This MOOC gave me new inspiration to start creating maps on my own again and I will definitely attend other trainings provided by Esri!
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

I consider myself a newbie to both GIS software and cartography in general, so I appreciated the various principles covered as well as the exercises to demonstrate how to use the software to "live-out" the principles. There was a great amount of links and recommended resources so I can delve into subject matter more, and the stretch goals will provide me opportunities to continue to develop the skills that have been cultivated by the course.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This MOOC made me go back to the details of the cartography, and I really enjoyed the weekley videos for each section. From my perspective, the PDFs are sometimes a bit tiring, specially when, like in my case, you are working with one screen and has to go back and forth to each step.
But it was a very interesting MOOC, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, I appreciated it.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This course was a good review of some basic cartographic skills using ArcGIS Pro, such as information about projections, scaling, symbology, etc. There was also good information about 3D mapping and animated maps. I highly recommend this course to someone who wants to get started with improving their mapping skills, or someone who is already familiar with cartography and would like a fun informational review.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This class was a comprehensive review of Cartographic principles, applied in ArcGIS Pro. Instructional videos were informative and interesting, although I could have used more visual map examples in the videos themselves. Coursework applied clearly to the topics, and I exit the class with an excellent introduction to ArcGIS Pro, and more knowledgeable on cartographic principles.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This course is awesome! Training videos are helpful and really fun to watch. It really broadens the map as a communication tool since you can produce traditional static maps, web maps animations, and learn how to publish in different social networking media. Also you do not need an expert cartographer to start. Course material is designed to guide to the whole process of map making.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This course was excellent. I learned a lot of great cartography techniques as well as things to think about when making a map. I liked the guidance of never just take the defaults on a map, but intentionally decided on how you want the map to look. The instructors were great. One of the biggest takeaways is I'm now much more comfortable with ArcGIS Pro.
Mikus R.

Mikus completed this course.

Great course for a beginner, but also great for a professional, to remind yourself of basic old forgotten 'truths'. Also for cartos who had ArcGis out of their hands for a while. Very good structured, easy to follow and with a stretch goals if you wish! Give a license for the period of the course and a little beyond. Definitely recommend!
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

I took this course with no background in cartography. It served as a good introduction to help understand the scope of cartography. It is not a tutorial about how to use the software, more about creating visual geographic presentations of information. The introductory videos for each lesson are helpful, interesting, and a bit humourous too.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

I would say this was a great course to take if you were wanting to see and try some of the features of ArcGIS Pro. It was not too hard nor to easy of a class (from someone that has worked with ArcMap before) to see and learn more of the program and on the creation of different types of maps.
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

A great course - interesting sections (very well planned with introduction videos which were both educating and fun to watch, exercises, quizzes, surveys and discussions) , enthusiastic teachers and a fantastic chance to tr ArcGIS Pro. Thank you to ESRI and the Cartography team!
Anonymous

Anonymous completed this course.

This Mooc has helped me (Lorenzo Luisi) to learn even better the use of ArcGis Pro.
In general I know quite well the cartographic representation of natural and anthropic phenomena, but I must say that I did not manipulate representation with symbols for specific entities. Thank you.

The Best Online Courses of All-Time (2020 Edition)

Best of All-Time Online Course

Cartography

Overview

Syllabus

Charts

Tags

Reviews

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The Best Online Courses of All-Time (2020 Edition)

Overview

Syllabus

Charts

Tags

Related Courses

Maps and the Geospatial Revolution

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