GIS in Career and Technical Education

Get Esri mapping software for CTE classroom instruction at no cost.

ArcGIS in classroom instruction

ArcGIS is Esri’s powerful geographic information system (GIS) software offered on desktop, web, and mobile apps for data collection, spatial data analysis, mapping, and more. ArcGIS offers capabilities to support better, smarter decision-making. As the most widely used GIS in the world, ArcGIS serves over 350,000 organizations globally.

GIS is already implemented in the career and technical education (CTE) standards of at least 17 states from a variety of career clusters. Add GIS to your curriculum today by requesting information below.

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Agriculture

Agricultural GIS analysts gather, map, analyze, and interpret data about crops, soils, hydrography, weather, and other related factors. Satellite or drone photography use is common. These GIS experts advise everyone from farmers to national decision-makers about crop health and projections and even help shape public policy.

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Health

Health GIS analysts are best known for their role in tracking and mitigating the spread of diseases, like COVID-19. These analysts assist with designing and analyzing medical materials and medication routing. They also help find optimal locations for vaccination distribution. Often, health analysts work in an academic setting—teaching students, performing research, or supporting a lab.

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Two people sitting at desks with laptops, looking at an instructor at the front of the room
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Engineering

Engineers can apply GIS to many areas of focus in the field—surface water management, transportation logistics, environmental impact analysis, construction, and more. Today, most engineers must understand GIS in some capacity, often needing GIS experience for smarter decision-making.

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Public safety

GIS is used across public safety sectors, from first responders to law enforcement, and is also used extensively in national security. Whether used by police to manage a crowd or by firefighters to predict the next wildfire, GIS helps these professionals better understand their work.

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A person sitting at the dashboard of an aircraft with a keyboard and a monitor displaying a map
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More careers

GIS is used in most careers today. Explore videos on other careers that utilize GIS—programming, forestry, climatology, city management, research geography, conservation, and more.

Explore all careers
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Request information about software for your CTE classroom

By providing your email address, you will receive the direct link to request no-cost software and instructional resources.