PostGIS & QGIS for Enterprise GIS provides a practical introduction to building and operating an open source enterprise GIS database. Rather than treating the database as a passive storage layer, participants learn how to design and use PostgreSQL/PostGIS as the central system of record for all vector GIS data.

The course is structured around two core deliverables:

1. A Vector Data Warehouse
   Participants will design and populate a centralized PostGIS database to store authoritative vector datasets such as administrative boundaries, parcels, infrastructure, and reference layers. Emphasis is placed on schema design, naming conventions, constraints, spatial indexing, permissions, and long-term maintainability.
2. A Project-Based GIS Database Model
   Participants will build a project-oriented database pattern where multiple GIS projects share common tables, with data logically separated using project identifiers. In QGIS, layers are filtered dynamically by project ID, enabling multi-user, multi-project workflows without duplicating schemas or datasets.

Throughout the course, QGIS is used as the primary desktop interface for interacting with the database—loading data, editing features, managing projects, and enforcing data integrity—while PostgreSQL/PostGIS handles structure, validation, security, and performance. By the end of the course, participants will understand how to move from file-based GIS toward a scalable, multi-user, database-driven GIS architecture suitable for long-term operational use.

Upcoming Sessions

• Friday, February 6, 2026 – 10am to 5pm EST – Virtual (Google Meet). Registration closes on February 3rd, 2026.
• Friday, March 6, 2026 – 10am to 5pm EST – Virtual (Google Meet). Registration closes on March 3rd, 2026.

Prerequisites

This is not an introductory GIS course.

Participants are expected to have:

• Practical experience using QGIS in a desktop GIS environment
• Comfort working with common GIS concepts such as:
  • Vector data (points, lines, polygons)
  • Coordinate reference systems
  • Layer styling, attribute tables, and editing workflows
• Familiarity with typical GIS tasks such as loading data, symbolizing layers, and creating basic maps

Prior experience with PostgreSQL, PostGIS, or SQL is not required. Database concepts are introduced from first principles, with a strong focus on how they apply specifically to GIS workflows rather than generic database theory.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for individuals and organizations that are ready to move beyond file-based GIS and adopt a proper centralized database architecture.

It is especially well suited for:

• Municipal and regional governments looking to centralize parcels, boundaries, assets, and planning data in a shared, multi-user environment with controlled editing and standardized data structures.
• Consulting firms and GIS service providers who manage many projects simultaneously and want a repeatable, scalable database pattern rather than one-off GeoPackages or shapefile folders per project.
• Organizations with multiple GIS users that need shared access to the same datasets, consistent symbology, controlled permissions, and reduced data duplication.
• GIS professionals transitioning into enterprise roles who already know QGIS well but want to understand how “real” GIS systems are structured behind the scenes using a relational spatial database.

If your organization is asking questions like:

• “How do we stop copying the same layers into every project?”
• “How do multiple users safely edit the same data?”
• “How do we treat GIS data as infrastructure, not files?”

—this course is designed for you.

Included in the Course

• One day of intensive, instructor-guided lessons and tutorials.
• 15-day access to a LunaCORE GIS server that includes PostgreSQL and PostGIS.
• All course materials, including tutorials and sample data. 
• Access to support during the event.

What You Need

Geoserver does not need to be installed locally. All participants will have access to a LunaCORE server. The following are required for this course:

• A computer with a solid internet connection.
• Install QGIS 3.40 LTR (download the latest LTR version here).
• Install pgAdmin4 (download here).

Cost

$200 CAD per participant

$150 CAD for existing LunaCORE clients

Registration