In this module students will learn the fundamental concepts of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and discover how this tool is used in a variety of environmental planning and management applications. Lectures will explore topics of spatial data formats and structures, coordinate systems, integrating and editing data, fundamentals of cartography, and spatial analysis operations. During the laboratory section of this module, students use ArcGIS 8.3 by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) to complete a final project using data from on-going research at Columbia University. After completing this module students will have a greater understanding of the use of GIS as an instrument for conducting scientific research and as a decision support tool for policy makers and the general public.