There are various GIS software programs widely used in the academic circle:
ArcGIS uses the concept of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to build maps in which each category of spatial feature is a separate layer. ArcGIS is used for: creating and using maps; compiling geographic data; analyzing mapped information; sharing and discovering geographic information; using maps and geographic information in a range of applications; and managing geographic information in a database.
QGIS is a free and open source GIS software that can create, edit, visualize, analyze and publish geospatial information on Windows, Mac, Linux, and some other platforms. QGIS has matured into a full-featured desktop GIS platform over the past few years and is a perfect alternative to ArcGIS for those not using Windows, or interested in using Free&Open Source software.
GeoDa is a free and open source software tool that serves as an introduction to spatial data analysis. It is designed to facilitate new insights from data analysis by exploring and modeling spatial patterns.
Carto is a web-based drag and drop tool for mapping, sharing, and analyzing location data within a browser.
Free version is available, but your data will be publicly available in the cloud.
Mapbox is a location data platform for mobile and web applications. It can create basic maps of locations (best for point data) or use Mapbox Studio to create more complicated, customized maps and upload them to your Mapbox account.
Basic edition is free and allows uploading up to 100 geographic features per map, up to 5 maps. Users can upload data from Google Spreadsheets, Excel, CSV, KML, and GeoRSS feeds.
It is a platform for designing and hosting web maps using OpenStreetMap base data. WorldMap is being developed by the Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University, based on open source GeoNode software.
| Computer Lab: | ArcGIS Version: |
| EB369, EB441, EB447 | ArcGIS 10.5.1 |
| ES209, ES211, BS109 | ArcGIS 10.5.1 |