School of Scientific Computing & Informatics · Geoinformatics
Geoinformatics: GIS & Remote Sensing
Geoinformatics turns location data and satellite imagery into knowledge about land, water, crops and people. This course teaches GIS and remote sensing from first principles with free, professional tools.
Course overview
Geoinformatics: GIS & Remote Sensing covers spatial data types, coordinate reference systems and the core GIS operations (overlay, buffering, joins and interpolation) in QGIS and in Python with GeoPandas.
The remote-sensing half works with Sentinel-2 and Landsat imagery: spectral indices such as NDVI, change detection and supervised land-cover classification, ending with publication-quality maps for agriculture, ecology or public health.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Work with vector and raster data and coordinate systems
- Perform overlay, buffer, join and interpolation analyses
- Process Sentinel-2 and Landsat imagery and compute spectral indices
- Classify land cover and detect change between dates
- Produce clear thematic maps and reproducible spatial workflows
Skills you will practise
Eligibility and prerequisites
Who can apply
- Students and graduates in any science, engineering, pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, geography or computing programme (B.Sc., B.Tech., B.E., BCA, M.Sc., M.Tech., MCA, PhD)
- Researchers, faculty and working professionals in research, healthcare, biotech, pharma or IT who want to apply computing to science
- Final-year students may apply before their results are declared
Prerequisites
- None; Python basics help in the later modules
Best suited to
- Students of environmental science, agriculture, geography and life sciences
- Researchers in ecology, epidemiology and agriculture
- Professionals who need maps and spatial analysis
Module-wise syllabus
6 modules. Each pairs instructor-led sessions with a hands-on lab on public data.
Topics
- Vector and raster
- Coordinate reference systems
- Open data sources
Topics
- Overlay, buffer and spatial joins
- Attribute tables
- Interpolation
Topics
- Sensors, bands and resolution
- Sentinel-2 and Landsat
- Atmospheric correction
Topics
- NDVI and other indices
- Supervised classification
- Accuracy assessment
Topics
- GeoPandas and Rasterio
- Change detection
- Automating map production
Topics
- Question
- Analysis
- Map
Practical sessions and projects
Capstone project
Map an answer
Combine vector data and satellite imagery to answer a spatial question and communicate the result as a clear map with its uncertainty.
Assessed on the correctness of the analysis, the quality of the code and the reasoning in the write-up. A pass is required for the certificate.
- Spatial data
Load district boundaries and a satellite scene in QGIS and fix a projection mismatch.
- GIS analysis
Find villages within a distance of health facilities and summarise their population.
- Remote-sensing basics
Download and prepare a Sentinel-2 scene for analysis.
- Indices and classification
Map crop condition with NDVI and classify land cover with accuracy statistics.
- Spatial analysis in Python
Detect land-cover change between two years and automate the maps in Python.
- Project: a mapped analysis
Answer a spatial question in agriculture, ecology or health and present it as a map and short report.
Software, tools and datasets
Software and tools
All software is free and open source or free for academic use. Recommended computer: 8 GB RAM, 30 GB free disk, Linux, macOS or Windows with WSL2.
Datasets
- Sentinel-2 imagery: Remote-sensing practicals.Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem (free)
- Indian administrative boundaries and open data: GIS analysis.Open government data portals
Core reading
- Lillesand T, Kiefer RW, Chipman J. Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, 7th edition. Wiley, 2015.
- QGIS Training Manual (docs.qgis.org).
Duration, format and fees
- Next cohort
- Dates are sent with your admission offer
- Timetable
- Three evening or weekend sessions a week (IST), plus a lab clinic; intensive and weekend-only schedules on request
- Payment
- Secure online payment link with your admission offer (UPI, cards, net banking). Instalments on request for fees above ₹15,000.
- Refunds
- See the refund and cancellation policy.
Instructor
The instructor for each cohort is named in your admission offer and on this page when the cohort is announced. Vedicgen instructors are selected for hands-on research or industry experience in the subject they teach, and every course is reviewed by a second subject expert.
Questions about who teaches a cohort? [email protected]
Certificate
Learners who complete the course and pass its capstone receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion for Geoinformatics: GIS & Remote Sensing, issued by Vivofold, stating the guided hours and skills assessed. Each certificate has a unique ID and QR code that anyone can check.
Apply for Geoinformatics: GIS & Remote Sensing
Apply
Send the form below. It takes about five minutes.
Review
An adviser confirms your fit and format within two working days.
Offer
You receive dates, timetable and a secure payment link.
Onboard
Set-up guide, pre-reading and joining links.
Frequently asked questions
In the live cohort, modules are taught in instructor-led sessions with a weekly lab clinic where you work on real public data with help at hand; every session is recorded. The self-paced format uses the same lessons, labs and datasets with mentor review of your capstone. Both formats end with an assessed project reviewed for the code and the science.
A laptop with at least 8 GB of RAM and about 30 GB of free disk space, running Linux, macOS, or Windows with WSL2. QGIS is free and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Installation instructions are sent before the first session, and lab clinics help with any set-up problems.
Yes. Learners who complete the course and pass its assessment receive a Vedicgen certificate of completion, issued by Vivofold. Every certificate carries a unique ID and a QR code that anyone, including an employer or admissions office, can check on the certificate verification page.
Apply with the form on this page. Live and in-person cohorts run through the year; the dates, timetable and joining details of the next cohort are sent with your admission offer and listed on this page once announced. Self-paced enrolment opens as soon as your application is accepted.
Yes. No course runs longer than four weeks, and the length is customisable: choose the standard schedule, an intensive one- to two-week schedule, weekends only, or a custom timetable. Pick your preference on the application form; colleges and teams can book their own dates.
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