Mapping Public Health

Welcome to Mapping Public Health!

We are excited to have you join us as we explore how a deeper understanding of the factors influencing health outcomes can lead to more effective planning and targeted assistance for communities in need. In this course, you will gain valuable skills and tools for accessing, analyzing, visualizing, and sharing spatial data.

Using ArcGIS Online, a leading Geographic Information Science software, you will learn how to conduct location-based analysis specifically applied to public health. Don’t worry if you have no prior experience with data—this course is designed to be accessible to everyone and will guide you through each step.

We look forward to embarking on this journey with you and enhancing your ability to make impactful decisions based on spatial analysis. Let's get started!

My name is Dr. Shadi Maleki, and I am a Geospatial Data Scientist at the Translational Health Research Center. I will be your instructor for this course.

Here is my email, which is the best way to reach me: smaleki@txstate.edu

You can visit my profile on the  THRC website .

To learn more about the extended THRC Team please visit  this page .

In addition to THRC, the  Department of Geography and Environmental Studies  has sponsored this course. Visit their website to learn more about GIS degrees and the courses offered by this department.

By the end of this training, you will be able to:  

• Develop a basic understanding of GIS fundamentals and their applications in public health.  
• Access and import publicly available health data for analyzing and creating map layouts  
• Create a Story Map and an interactive dashboard to showcase your analysis and maps  
• Publish and share maps, story maps, and dashboards  

• The course will be delivered asynchronously through an online learning platform. 
• Participants can contact the instructor via email and schedule meetings during office hours. If the scheduled office hours do not fit your availability, we can arrange a meeting at a different time. Additionally, participants will have access to discussion forums for collaboration and support.

No prior knowledge of data or GIS software is required for this course. It is designed as an introduction to GIS fundamentals and their application in public health. Participants will have access to a wealth of resources and information, allowing them to develop knowledge ranging from basic to intermediate GIS concepts and the use of ArcGIS software, depending on their time and interest.

To complete this course, participants will need:

• access to a computer with internet connectivity 
• basic familiarity with using computers and software applications 

This course does not require the submission of weekly assignments. To earn the final certificate, participants will need to complete the following requirements:

1. Submit the PDF files of the three certificates earned by completing Esri Web Courses within the modules. The deadline for this requirement is the end of Week 8.
2. Take a final 10-question quiz at the end of the course to assess their knowledge of the theoretical content. Participants will have unlimited attempts but must answer all 10 questions correctly to fulfill this requirement for the final certificate. The deadline for this requirement is the end of Week 9.
3. Create a StoryMap and a Dashboard to showcase the maps and other content developed through the guided labs. Participants are welcome to reproduce the maps from the guided labs for their StoryMaps and Dashboards. Alternatively, they can create different maps using the same dataset or another relevant to their professional needs. It is important to showcase the GIS and cartographic techniques learned within each module.
4. Prepare a 5 to 10-minute video to present their work to their classmates. The deadline for this requirement is the end of Week 10.

This course includes a total of three discussions. The goal of the first discussion is for participants to get to know each other by posting brief introductions, which will also serve networking purposes. The second discussion encourages participants to discuss a topic relevant to the course content.

The final discussion invites participants to share a link to their StoryMaps and Dashboards with their classmates. This will be helpful for collecting feedback, fostering potential collaborations, and continuing the conversation outside of the course context.

Although participation in discussion posts is highly recommended, it is not required for receiving the final certificate in this course.

Participants will be given extended access to THRC's ArcGIS Online for 6 months after completing the course. This extended access allows them to continue using ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Living Atlas, and various Esri apps and training materials. Additionally, THRC will assist participants in working with Esri to determine the type and cost of an ArcGIS organization that their organization can obtain based on available funding.

Esri provides special pricing for non-profit organizations (only 501 c3). You can fill out  this application  to see if you qualify for Esri's Nonprofit Orgnization Program. You can read more about this program  here .

Esri also offers access to their software for personal use. Read  this page  to learn more about ArcGIS for personla use pricing.

Module 1: Course Introduction and First Steps  

Module 2: Getting Started with ArcGIS Online   

Module 3: Managing Health Data  

Module 4: Mapping and Visualizations  

Module 5: Spatial Relationships and Bivariate Maps  

Module 6: Join & Hot Spot Analysis 

Module 7: Visual Overlay & Sharing Content in ArcGIS Online

Module 8: Telling Stories with Mapping

Module 9: ArcGIS Dashboards 

Module 10: Final Project & Presentation 

Now, to get started, watch this short video to learn what GIS is.