Professional GIS Workshops Offered by South Dakota Mines

Upcoming Workshops

*Online attendance is supported with Zoom. (Except Field Data Collection workshop). 
**Concepts discussed in workshop apply to both ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro, attendees must select which application for lab exercises ahead of time.
^◊Receive a $100 discount by registering for both Intro to ArcGIS I, II workshops in one week. (Does not include the Switching to ArcGIS Pro workshop.)

Workshops are held in December/January and May/June. Daily schedule is 8:30am to 4:30pm Mountain Time, with an hour break for lunch. 

Register Online

Note: If you do not receive a GIS Workshop confirmation email within a day or two of registering, please email Maribeth.Price@sdsmt.edu to inquire.

Workshop Descriptions

Intro to ArcGIS I: Mapping with GIS

Instructor: Victoria Karnes
Cost: $550 Course Outline (pdf) 
This workshop is for people with no previous GIS experience. It covers the basics on how ArcGIS stores and manages map data and introduces participants to making maps and working with GIS data sets and data tables. GIS data storage, creating maps, publishing map layouts, and working with tables are all covered. It also includes an overview of commonly used sources of GIS data and how to adapt them for your own use. (Tuition includes license for Mastering ArcGIS or Mastering ArcGIS Pro e-textbook)
Background required: Familiarity with Windows and Internet browsers

Intro to ArcGIS II: GIS Analysis

Instructor: Victoria Karnes
Cost: $425 Course Outline (pdf)
This workshop is for people who want an introduction to the types of spatial analysis possible with GIS data. It introduces many key GIS techniques, including how to: do a suitability study based on multiple criteria, analyze spatial relationships between layers, work with topographic data, interpolate values from point data, and solve problems using distance and neighborhood factors. (Tuition includes license for Mastering ArcGIS or Mastering ArcGIS Pro e-textbook)
Background required: Intro to ArcGIS I workshop or equivalent experience

Field Data Collection with ArcGIS          

Instructor: Curtis Price
Cost: $425 Course Outline (pdf)
This workshop is for people who need to learn about how to prepare GIS data for field collection projects, collect spatially enabled data in the field, and integrate the collected data back into the geodatabase. The course includes an brief overview of geodetic fundamentals and geo-location technologies, and hands-on practice with ArcGIS Online hosted technology (Survey123, QuickCapture, and Collector) using student's personal devices. (BYOD: Bring Your Own Device)
Background required: Familiarity with the ArcGIS platform recommended but not required.
Equipment: Bad Elf handheld GPS units (provided with assistance from the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium) will be used to collect data. However, participants must bring their own phone or tablet (iOS or Android). See ArcGIS Collector System Requirements.

About the Instructors

Victoria Karnes teaches the courses in geospatial technology at South Dakota Mines. She earned her B.S. from South Dakota Mines and her M.S. from the University of Arkansas. She has experience in Esri products as well as QGIS.

Dr. Maribeth Price holds a PhD in Geosciences from Princeton University and is currently a professor of geology at the South Dakota Mines. She has been using and teaching GIS for over 20 years, has consulted on GIS in both industry and government, and supervised undergraduate and graduate research projects involving GIS. She is the author of Mastering ArcGIS and Mastering ArcGIS Pro (McGraw-Hill Higher Education), introductory GIS textbooks used by both college students and professionals in developing their GIS knowledge and skills, as well as Switching to ArcGIS Pro (Esri Press). She has given more than 100 workshops to over 1200 participants since 2000.

Curtis Price has taught at South Dakota Mines and now works part-time for the U.S. Geological Survey from Washington state. Price earned his M.S. in Geology from Dartmouth College and, after a few years with NASA, joined the U.S. Geological Survey.  During his USGS career, he provided GIS technical support and training and applied GIS to projects ranging in scale from local water-quality studies, to nationwide tools for landscape characterization. He also developed Python software used to integrate hydrography and elevation data for the National Hydrography Dataset-Plus. Mr. Price is an Esri ArcGIS Certified Desktop and ArcGIS Pro Professional and is an Esri Community MVP Esteemed Contributor. 

Attendee comments (from May 2021 workshops)

South Dakota Mines GIS Workshops is a proud sponsor of BHDMA