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Geographic Information Systems, Maps and Cartographic Information

This research guide is intended to help researchers find GIS data and learning resources.

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"

Image of ArcGIS Pro login screen

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

GIS Software Learning Resources

Open Source Alternative GIS Software

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