Next course delivery: September to December 2026
Course description
In this course, students will learn about:
- The geographic nature of population and public health
- How geographic data are incorporated into health research
- Key considerations in spatial analysis
- The applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to health research and population and public health
Throughout the course, students will gain hands-on experience working with a wide range of spatial data and analysis methods using QGIS.
Learning objectives
- Identify the importance of the geographic nature of population health.
- Explain basic concepts of spatial data as they apply to health data and population health applications.
- Identify major uses of GIS in population health.
- Use GIS to map health data.
- Apply a number of spatial techniques to analyze health data.
- Critically interpret spatial approaches and methodology in population health.
Note: QGIS software will be introduced in this course to conduct spatial analytic methods and techniques.
Prerequisites
- QGIS software will be introduced in this course.
Instructor: Sami Kurani
Sami Kurani, MSc is a geospatial analyst and population researcher with a strong passion for teaching, applied GIS, and demographic modeling. He earned both his Honours Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Sciences (GIS Specialization) and Master of Science in Geography from McMaster University, where his graduate research focused on modeling population distribution in rural Alberta to assess flood risk. Currently, he works as a Market Analyst at Federated Cooperatives Limited, where he integrates spatial, health, and economic data to inform business strategy.
This program has been developed by Population Data BC in partnership with the Division of Continuing Studies, University of Victoria.
For further details, visit the Division of Continuing Studies webpage.
