MSc in Geographic Information Technologies

The MSc in Geographic Information Technologies (MTIG) is an interdepartmental collaborative MSc programme between the Department of Geography & Tourism (Faculty of Letters) and the Department of Mathematics (Faculty of Sciences & Technology), along with the participation of the Department of Informatics Engineering (Faculty of Sciences & Technology) and the Faculty of Law.

The MTIG course programme is structured and split into two specialised branches: 

• AOT - Environment & territorial planning (Department of Geography & Tourism);
• CTIG - Geomatics (Department of Mathematics).



Objectives

• Articulate scientific content from different fields;
• Enable the conception and implementation of working methods in interdisciplinary teams compliant with the geographic phenomena complexity;
• Fill a gap in the higher education reality in Coimbra region relating to the absence of such an interdisciplinary educational programme;
• Develop informatics knowledge and solutions applied to physical geography, environment, and territorial planning & development. 
• Develop informatics knowledge and solutions applied to geomatics in general;
• Take into account the pertinence of legal support, both national and international, in the context of geo-information dissemination across digital platforms;
• Educate resilient practitioners well motivated and skilled in order to effectively tackle a wide range of issues in the course of their professional daily life.

Professional careers

Postgraduates holding an MSc in Geographic Information Technologies (MTIG) will be able to undertake a professional career in either the private or public sectors, such as:

• Public agencies, at local, regional or national government level, responsible for territorial planning & development, environmental monitoring, or natural resource management;
• Public or private institutions that deal with geospatial information processing and management in general;
• Technology-based companies in the field of location based services (LBS), and usage of geographic information systems (GIS) towards mapping, territorial planning, environmental monitoring, natural resource management, geomarketing, tourism, real estate market, distribution and optimisation of transport services, among others; 
• Finally, higher education and scientific research institutions.

Program

In order to be awarded the MSc degree in “Geographic Information Technologies” by the University of Coimbra, students must obtain a pass at least in five disciplines specific to the chosen specialising branch (summing up 30 ECTS) plus the final MSc dissertation/internship report/project report (which corresponds to 60 ETCS).

According to each specialising branch, the MSc course programme is structured as follows:

Geomatics branch

1st semester

• Environment, GIS & Spatial Modelling (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Mapping & WebSIG (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Remote Sensing (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Informatics, Systems & Programming (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Georreferencing Systems & Technologies (compulsory, 6 ECTS)

2nd semester

• Seminar in Geomatics (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• GIS Mapping (optional, 6 ECTS)
• Law & Information (optional, 6ECTS)
• Geospatial Data Modelling & Analysis (optional, 6 ECTS)
• GIS Modelling Processes (optional, 6 ECTS)
• GIS Programming (optional, 6 ECTS) 
• SIG e Open Source (optional, 6 ECTS)
• GIS and Open Source (optional, 6 ECTS)
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship (optional, 6 ECTS)

Note: As far as optional subjects are concerned, each student must undertake any 24-ECTS combination of subjects specific to this specialising branch.

3rd and 4th semesters

• MSc Dissertation in Geomatics (annual, optional, 60 ECTS), or
• MSc Internship in Geomatics Report (annual, optional, 60 ECTS), or
• MSc Project in Geomatics Report (annual, optional, 60 ECTS).

Environment & territorial planning branch

1st semester

• Environment, GIS & Spatial Modelling (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Mapping & WebSIG (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Remote Sensing (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Informatics, Systems & Programming (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• Georreferencing Systems & Technologies (compulsory, 6 ECTS)

2nd semester

• Seminar in Information Technologies Applied to Environment & Territorial Planning (compulsory, 6 ECTS)
• GIS Mapping (optional, 6 ECTS)
• Law & Information (optional, 6 ECTS)
• Geospatial Data Modelling & Analysis (optional, 6 ECTS)
• GIS Modelling Processes (optional, 6 ECTS)
• GIS Programming (optional, 6 ECTS) 
• SIG e Open Source (optional, 6 ECTS)
• GIS and Open Source (optional, 6 ECTS)
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship (optional, 6 ECTS)

Note: As far as optional subjects are concerned, each student must undertake any 24-ETCS combination of subjects specific to this specialising branch.

3rd and 4th semesters

• MSc Dissertation in Information Technologies Applied to Environment & Territorial Planning (annual, optional, 60 ECTS), or
• MSc Internship in Information Technologies Applied to Environment & Territorial Planning Report (annual, optional, 60 ECTS), or
• MSc Project in Information Technologies Applied to Environment & Territorial Planning Report (annual, optional, 60 ECTS).

Detailed program

Admission requirements

Who can apply to this MSc programme? 

1. Anyone who holds a Licentiate or BSc degree, or equivalent;
2. Additionally, anyone else holding a relevant educational and professional CV that has to be acknowledged as such by the Scientific Committee of the Department of Geography & Tourism (Faculty of Letters).



Observations:

1. It must be pointed out that in case b) above any CV acknowledgement gives only permission for respective candidates to undertake this MSc programme and DOES NOT imply any Licentiate, BSc, or equivalent degree award.
2. Finally, it is strongly recommended that candidates should have a strong enough background in geoinformation science in general.

Contacts

This master program is a FLUC program.

Departamento de Matemática da FCTUC

Apartado 3008

EC Santa Cruz

3001 – 501 Coimbra

Phone: +351 239 791 150

Fax: +351 239 793 069

Email: secmat@mat.uc.pt

OR

Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra

Largo da Porta Férrea

3004-530 Coimbra

Phone: +351 239 859900 

Fax: +351 239 836733

Program coordination:

• José Paulo Elvas (coordinator, DMUC)
• Rui Ferreira Figueiredo (coordinator, FLUC)