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GIS (Geographic Information Systems) & Remote Sensing: Tools

This guide covers resources and tools helpful for people interested in GIS & remote sensing.

Desktop GIS Tools

QGIS - A leading free, open source desktop GIS program. Create, edit, visualize, analyze and publish geospatial information. Runs natively on many operating systems, including Windows and Mac.

Esri ArcGIS Pro - The leading commercial software for desktop GIS mapping and analysis. Licenses are available to all UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff. Note: ArcGIS only runs natively on Windows machines.

To install:

  1. Follow the instructions from Esri to use ArcGIS Online to download and install the ArcGIS Pro software on your computer.
  2. Launch the application.
  3. Open the login window in the top right corner.
  4. Choose the option to sign in with "Your ArcGIS organization's URL" and fill in "cal" in the box so that the URL reads: cal.maps.arcgis.com
  5. Click the Continue button, and proceed to sign in with your UC Berkeley Calnet ID.

If you require offline access, the GIF (Geospatial Innovation Facility) provides information and a form for requesting a license.

Note: We will no longer have licenses for Esri products ArcMap/ArcGIS Desktop after June 2024. We continue to license ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online.

Web GIS Tools

Easy US Demographic Mapping Tools