Master's Degree in Geospatial Technologies (International Erasmus Mundus).
Coordinators: Dr. Michael Gould and Dr. Joaquín Huerta. Department of Computer Languages and Systems of the UJI
Coordinating University: University of Münster (Germany)
Partner universities: Universitat Jaume I, University of Munster (Germany) and Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal)
Number of credits: 90 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System)
Duration: 3 academic semesters
Dates: September 2007 - February 2009
Directed to: Students holding a university degree with qualifications in areas related with Geographic Information application such as Environmental Science, Geography, Topography, Land Planning, Logistics, etc. In general it is directed to any professional who is interested in the application of Geospatial Technologies.
Cost: 50 € per credit
Language of teaching: English
Collaboration entities: European Commission: Erasmus Mundus Programme
Description and objectives: This Master consists of three semesters, the first two dedicated to the courses of the programme, and the third dedicated to the Master's thesis. The first semester is held in the UJI, the second in the University of Münster (Germany). In the third semester, the Master's thesis can be completed in either the UJI, the University of Munster, or the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. The courses of the first semester in the UJI are focused on new technology contents and basic Geographical Information. In the second semester, in the University of Münster, students study subjects on basic and advanced Geoinformation Science. Also, courses are taught on other important subjects such as project management and research methods. The Master's thesis in the third semester is closely linked to ongoing research projects of one of the partners. The objective of this Master's programme is to train professionals in Geospatial Technologies which is a rapidly growing area that lacks professionals; it therefore provides an excellent opportunity for the development of a professional career. The excellence of this Master's programme is guaranteed by the fact that, in 2007, it has been selected by the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Programme of the European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/projects/index_en.html
Programme and structure: The programme of study is the following:
| Semester 1 Option A: University Jaume I |
| Module 1: Informatics and Mathematics |
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Programming (data structures and Java) |
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Databases (Oracle and Postgres) |
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Software engineering (UML) |
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Applied mathematics: logic and statistics |
| Module 2: New technologies |
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Computer graphics (OpenGL and digital terrain models) |
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Multimedia (Dreamweaver and other software) |
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Image processing |
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Networks/Internet (wired and wireless) |
| Module 3: GI basics |
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GIS I |
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Spatial analysis (point patterns and spatial stats) |
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Geospatial infrastructures |
| Semester 1: Option B: Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Module 1: Mathematics and Statistics (1 of 2 courses) |
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Mathematical statistics |
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Descriptive statistics |
| Module 2: Data modelling (1 of 3 courses) |
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Data analysis |
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Data mining |
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Databases |
| Module 3: GI basics (2 of 4 courses) |
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GIS I |
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Remote sensing |
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Geostatistics |
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Geosoftware I |
| Semester 2: University of Münster |
| Module 4: Fundamentals of Geographic Information Science |
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Introduction to Geographic Information Science |
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Digital Cartography |
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Digital Cartography |
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Reference Systems for Geographic Information |
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Reference Systems for Geographic Information |
| Module 5: Advanced Topics in Geographic Information Science |
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Selected Topics in GI |
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Seminar in GI |
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Applications of GI within and outside geosciences |
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Geoinformatics Forum |
| Module 6: Core competences |
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Research methods in GIScience |
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Project management in GI projects |
| Module 7: Annual summer school or project work, performed by ifgi, ISEGI, and UJI, alternating location |
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Selected GI topics |
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| Semester 3: UJI, Universidad de Münster o University Nova de Lisbon |
| Thesis |
|
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Master's thesis seminar |
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Master's thesis including defence |
Departments involved: The Master's Programme is taught by the following departments:
- Department of Computer Languages and Systems of the UJI
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the UJI
- Department of Mathematics of the UJI
Institute for Geoinformatics, University of Münster Superior Institute of Statistics and Management Information, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Admission criteria: The Master's Programme in Geospatial Technologies is directed towards students with relevant degrees in the area of Geographical Information application. If this relevance is not clearly stated, the Programme's Evaluation Committee will decide upon admission. Students should have a degree with a minimum of 150 ECTS credits or its equivalency. As this Master is taught in English, a level of conversation English is required.
Additional information: Geoinformatics is a young science. In Europe, there is a lack of qualified personnel in Geospatial Technologies, not only in research but also in industry and Public Administration. The field of Geographic Information (IG) is growing at a very fast pace in the economic sector: 80 % of all decisions in politics and economy are spatially related. Therefore, GI has been introduced as a tool in many areas, for example in environmental planning, regional planning, traffic and logistics, telecommunications, energy provisions, etc. This new Master's Programme provides training in the area of GI application for those professionals who are interested in acquiring qualifications in GI within their specific fields. The Master's Programme is directed towards the existing need in Europe of having qualified GI personnel in both the public and private sector.
