1. Esri Academy – Free Courses

• Platform: Esri (ArcGIS creators)
• What You Learn: GIS fundamentals, spatial analysis, cartography, ArcGIS Online.
• Best Free Course: “Getting Started with GIS”
• Tools: ArcGIS Online (free trial account)

2. QGIS Training Manual (Official)

• Platform: QGIS Documentation
• What You Learn: GIS mapping with QGIS (free, open-source software)
• Format: Step-by-step tutorials with data sets
• Why It’s Great: Fully open, community-supported learning

3. Coursera – Audit Free GIS Courses

• Courses to Try:
  • Fundamentals of GIS (UC Davis)
  • GIS Data Formats, Design and Quality (UC Davis)
• Tip: Click “Audit the course” to learn for free (no certificate)

4. [YouTube Channels – GIS Mapping Tutorials]

• Best Channels:
  • QGIS Tutorials and Tips
  • GeoDelta Labs
  • OpenSourceOptions
• Why It’s Great: Short video tutorials on real-world projects

5. OpenCourseWare – Penn State GIS Series

• Courses: Intro to GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis
• What You Get: University-level material with reading, exercises, and data sets
• Self-paced, No registration needed

🛠 Free Tools You’ll Need:

• QGIS (https://qgis.org) – Open-source GIS software
• ArcGIS Online – Free trial or public account via Esri
• Google Earth Pro – Useful for basic mapping and visualization