Master of Science in Geographical Information Science & Systems – UNIGIS

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The UNIGIS MSc study program is based on a modular structure, including

• 9 core modules (each one 6 ECTS),
• Elective subjects (24 ECTS),
• the study phase “Academic Guidance and Support” (9 ECTS),
• the Master Thesis (30 ECTS), and
• the Defense (3 ECTS)

In total, the program amounts to 120 ECTS credits.

The program is designed to be completed in two years, however it can be extended for one additional year without additional fee.

Core Modules

• Introduction to Geoinformatics
• Data Modelling and Data Structures
• Data Sources and Data Acquisition
• Geodatabase Management
• Application Development
• Spatial Analysis
• Visualisation and Cartography
• Spatial Statistics
• OpenGIS and Distributed GI Infrastructures

Elective Subjects

Electives advance and/or complement skills and knowledge acquired on UNIGIS core modules for specialized topics. A total of 24 ECTS are to be selected for Electives.

There are various ways to cover the Electives. Most importantly, UNIGIS offers a variety of optional modules that cover a broad range of conceptual and application-oriented topics in Geoinformatics. However, students can get credits for a range of other courses and achievements, successful participation in a Summer School, scientific publications, etc.

Academic Guidance and Support

This module covers the entire course of study. As a study-accompanying module, it serves, on the one hand, as an introduction to the curriculum and for orientation with regard to individual specialization and optional offers, as well as for setting accents in order to draw attention to new developments and trends. On the other hand, it serves as an introduction to scientific working methods. Specific module contents include:

• Content-related, organisational, and administrative framework within the University Programme for Further Education
• Classical techniques of scientific work, such as literature research, citation, and writing of scientific texts
• New forms of subject-specific communication and collaboration in Web 2.0
• Introduction and support in the implementation of a scientific project
• Subject-specific accents and suggestions for scientific topics for the implementation in students’ master’s theses
• Presentation and discussion of the proposed master thesis topic

Master Thesis

In the Master Thesis, a student shows the ability to do independent research in a selected topic in the field of “Geographical Information Science & Systems”. As such it is a “business card” for career development. Students are required to meet the principles of scientific work in terms of formal presentation, methodological approach and its content according to current scientific standards.

The definition of a thesis topic – thesis proposal – typically takes place in the middle of the study program. The online master thesis workshop focuses on the in-depth discussion of the thesis topic with the UNIGIS Team. Additional thesis supervision through an external expert in the respective field is recommended.

Master Theses that have been successfully submitted to graduate from the UNIGIS MSc program can be found online (https://unigis.at/en/master-thesis/).

Defense

The university study program UNIGIS MSc (CE) is completed with the Master Exam (3 ECTS credits), in which students defend their Master Theses in an online meeting. The prerequisite for the defense is the positive assessment of all other study items, including the Master Thesis.