Through this course (GIS and Databases), students gain advanced knowledge of information systems and how they are linked (with particular reference to the ministries of Qatar), computer science, and the analytical tools and approaches used in GIS. Students are taught how to implement the knowledge, tools and techniques of database management, application development, and analytical assessment, to address geographic information requirements, issues of importance to the environment, and to answer questions with a spatial/global perspective. Resources for this course include the Environmental Studies Center of Qatar University, where GIS is used effectively in a range of environmental issues, as well as ongoing research in the Department of Geography.