Research Guides: Geographic Information Systems, Maps and Cartographic Information: Accessing GIS Software

Accessing GW's ArcGIS Software

Current GW faculty, staff, and students can access and use ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online resources at no cost after establishing an ArcGIS Online account. The software is available for use in campus computer labs and instruction spaces. ArcGIS Online tools are available for use in a cloud computing environment and ArcGIS Pro software may be downloaded on work and personal devices running standard Windows and Mac operating systems.*

Please use the following instructions to create your free ArcGIS Online account and download ArcGIS Pro. More detailed guidance is available in this GW Knowledge Base Article. Mac users may also want to review ESRI's FAQ page for supplemental guidance.

1. Visit https://gwu.maps.arcgis.com and authenticate via SSO (to establish your account)

2. Click on your name -> My Settings (on top right banner)

3. Within My settings, select Licenses -> Download ArcGIS Pro

4. Run the installer and follow the prompts to install the application

5. Once installation is completed, launch the application, select "Your ArcGIS organization's URL"

6. Enter "gwu" and click Continue

7. Complete the sign-in with your GWU credentials.

*QGIS is a recommended alternative for users interested to install and use GIS software on devices running Linux and BSD operating systems. The latest version of QGIS is available for downloading at no cost online.

ArcGIS Supplemental Tools

ArcGIS StoryMaps
Directly access ArcGIS StoryMaps for creating visually compelling, customized and interactive map-based digital stories and narrated visualizations.
ArcGIS Python Libraries
ArcGIS Python libraries are Python packages that include ArcPy and ArcGIS API for Python.
R-ArcGIS Bridge Resources
R resources to support accessing and integrating ESRI and R software products, datasets, and analyses.
ArcGIS for Excel
Blog post introduction to accessing and using ArcGIS in collaboration with MS Excel.

GIS Software Learning Resources

Esri Academy
A list of free and fee-based training and teaching resources for learning about ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online tools
LinkedIn Learning
GWU's LinkedIn Learning subscription provides access to training and online courses for learning GIS software
O'Reilly Online Learning (formerly Safari Tech Books)
Books, videos, learning paths, playlists, and audiobooks for learning about GIS software. Note: GW users will need to create a free account using their GWU email address.
SAGE Research Methods Core
Books, reference materials, journal articles, datasets, cases, videos, project planners, podcasts, and additional resources for teaching and learning about GIS software
Open Textbooks in Higher Education
Curated collection of resources for exploring open textbook options as well as supplemental educational resources for learning and instruction.

Open Source Alternative GIS Software

GeoServer
A Java-based server that allows users to view and edit geospatial data.
PostGIS
A spatial database extender for PostgreSQL object-relational database. It adds support for geographic objects allowing location queries to be run in SQL.
GeoDa
Free and open source software designed to facilitate new insights from data analysis by exploring and modeling spatial patterns.
StoryMap JS
Open source StoryMap resource which provides an alternative to ArcGIS Online's StoryMap tool.
QGIS
Recommended free, open source GIS software tool for creating maps and using geospatial data. Provides for an alternative to ArcGIS Pro software. Supports mapping in Windows, Macs, Linux, BSD, and mobile/tablet environments.