You learn to use GIS systems to gather and analyze geospatial information. You also learn to create and edit your own information layers to a system. You learn to create combinations of local and remote layers to produce useful GIS maps for different users. You also learn to create hard copies of these maps for different publishing platforms.
A successful use of GIS systems also requires basic skills of cartography such as understanding of map projection and coordinate systems as well as basic tools of map visualisation.