- ITC - GEM MSc
- About GEM MSc
- Programme Structure
Programme Structure
When you apply, you first choose one of the study tracks
There are four tracks to choose from. These tracks integrate academic excellence from the four universities in geospatial science applied to societal challenges for a sustainable world. Each year is spent at a different university in a different European country, depending on the track you will choose. See the Study Guide for details per track at the bottom of this page.
Study Tracks
TRACK NAMES AND DESCRIPTIONS
Track 1 – GEM for Urban-Rural Interactions
The University of Tartu provides geospatial analysis, basic remote sensing, geo-information method foundation and socio-ecological/urban and planning. ITC-University of Twente provides advanced remote sensing and entrepreneurship for natural resource management. This track addresses the challenge of sustainably meeting the natural resource demands of a rapidly urbanising world while considering the essential linkages and interactions between urban areas and their rural surroundings.
Track 2 – GEM for Land Use Systems
The University of Tartu provides the same first year as track one, but with year two at UCLouvain on environmental challenges related to agriculture, forestry and nature conservation in the context of climate change. This track addresses the challenge of planning and assessing the impact of land use change in a changing climate.
Track 3 – GEM for Ecosystems & Natural Resources
Lund University provides the foundation year in geo-informatics, including GIS/geospatial analysis, remote sensing, ecosystem modelling and dynamic process-based spatial models. ITC-University of Twente provides the second year on natural resources management including courses on rangelands, ecosystem services and conservation to address the challenge of managing and valuing natural resources to enhance the resilience of society.
Track 4 - GEM4 Food Security
Check out the video made by our Lund Partners on the GEM course: here
Lund University provides the foundation year with UCLouvain hosting the specialisation year on food security challenges related to crop production, including its inter-annual variability in a context of changing climate and its environmental impacts. This track addresses the challenge of food security in the context of climate change and associated socio-environmental vulnerabilities.
Courses and Credits
- Courses in Track 1: GEM4 Urban-Rural Interactions
Year 1 at the University of Tartu
Compulsory (54 EC)
- Spatial Data Studio (15 EC)
- Data Science in Remote Sensing (6 EC)
- Planning project (15 EC)
- Demography, Global Mitigation and Contemporary Cities (6 EC)
- Geography, Communication and Spatial Mobility (6 EC)
- Internship (6 EC)
Electives (6 EC)
- Spatial Data Analysis (6 EC)
- Statistical Data Science (6 EC)
- Geospatial Analysis with Python and R (6 EC)
- Web Mapping (2 EC)
- Spatial Data Infrastructures (6 EC)
- Spatial Databases (6 EC)
- 3D Modelling and Analysis (6 EC)
- Visual Geodata Mining (2 EC)
- Economic Geography of Urban Systems (2 EC)
- Introduction to Urban Planning (2 EC)
- Energy Flows and Material Cycles (3 EC)
- Start-up Project (3 EC)
Year 2 at ITC-University of Twente
Compulsory (45 EC)
MSc Research Proposal and Thesis Writing (45 EC)
Electives (15 EC)
- Quantitative Remote Sensing of Vegetation (5 EC)
- Entrepreneurship: A bridge towards geospatial innovation (5 EC)
- Environmental Monitoring with Satellite image Time Series (5 EC)
- Geo-journalism (5 EC)
- Courses in Track 2: GEM4 Land Use Systems
Year 1 at University of Tartu
Compulsory (54 EC)
- Spatial Data Studio (15 EC)
- Data Science in Remote Sensing (6 EC)
- Planning project (15 EC)
- Demography, Global Mitigation and Contemporary Cities (6 EC)
- Geography, Communication and Spatial Mobility (6 EC)
- Internship (6 EC)
Electives (6 EC)
- Spatial Data Analysis (6 EC)
- Statistical Data Science (6 EC)
- Geospatial Analysis with Python and R (6 EC)
- Web Mapping (2 EC)
- Spatial Data Infrastructures (6 EC)
- Spatial Databases (6 EC)
- 3D Modelling and Analysis (6 EC)
- Visual Geodata Mining (2 EC)
- Economic Geography of Urban Systems (2 EC)
- Introduction to Urban Planning (2 EC)
- Energy Flows and Material Cycles (3 EC)
Year 2 at UCLouvain
Compulsory (47 EC)
- Decision Tools for Environmental Management (3 EC)
- Spatial Modelling of Land Dynamics (3 EC)
- Land Monitoring by Advanced Earth Observation (3 EC)
- Smart Technologies for Environmental Engineering (3 EC)
- Master Thesis (27 EC)
- Master Thesis' accompanying Seminar (3 EC)
- Process-based Modelling in Bioscience Engineering (5 EC)
Electives (Students must choose minimum 13 ECTS in total from Lists 1 and 2 with a maximum of 10 ECTS per list)
List 1
- Data Science in Bioscience Engineering - Part 1: Spatial Temporal Data (3 EC) + Part 2 : Seminars and Case Studies (2 EC)
- Algorithms in Data Science (5 EC)
- Advanced Hydrology for Engineers (3 EC)
- Project Management (1 EC)
- Human and Environmental Toxicology (4 EC)
List 2
- Soil erosion and Conservation (4 EC)
- Sustainable Food Production Monitoring - Part 1 (1 EC)
- Databases (6 EC)
- Field trip - Forest, Natural Areas and Land Use (2 EC)
- Economic Geography (5 EC)
- Courses in Track 3: GEM4 Ecosystems and Natural Resources
Year 1 at Lund University
Compulsory (60 EC)
- Geographical Information Systems, Basic Course (15 EC)
- Geographical Information Systems, Advanced Course (15 EC)
- Ecosystem Modelling (15 EC)
- Satellite Remote Sensing (15 EC)
Year 2 at ITC - University of Twente
Compulsory (55 EC)
- MSc Research Proposal and Thesis Writing (45 EC)
- Internship (10 EC)
Electives (5 EC)
- Environmental Assessment using SDSS and advanced EO tools (5 EC)
- Environmental Monitoring with Satellite Image Time Series (5 EC)
- Spatial Analyses of Ecosystem Services: Nature’s Benefits to People (5 EC)
- Geo-journalism (5 EC)
- Courses in track 4: GEM4 Food Security
Year 1 at Lund University
Compulsory (60 EC)
- Geographical Information Systems, Basic Course (15 EC)
- Geographical Information Systems, Advanced Course (15 EC)
- Ecosystem Modelling (15 EC)
- Satellite Remote Sensing (15 EC)
Year 2 at UCLouvain
Compulsory (57 EC)
- Elements of Agroecology (3 EC)
- Economics of Rural Development (3 EC)
- Smart Technologies for Environmental Engineering (3 EC)
- Master Thesis (27 EC)
- Land Monitoring by Advanced Earth Observation (3 EC)
- Sustainable Food Production Monitoring - Part 1 (1 EC)
- Soil Erosion and Conservation (4 EC)
- Master thesis' Accompanying Seminar (3 EC)
- Internship (10 EC)
Electives (Students must choose a minimum 3 ECTS from List 1 or List 2)
List 1
- Data Science in bioscience Engineering - Part 1 : Spatial Temporal Data (3 EC) + Part 2: Seminars and Case Studies (2 EC)
- Algorithms in Data Science (5 EC)
- Climatology and Hydrology Applied to Agronomy and the Environment (6 EC)
- Agricultural and Rural Policies (3 EC)
- Decision tools for Environmental Management (3 EC)
List 2
- Spatial Modelling of Land Dynamics (3 EC)
- Impact Evaluation in Agriculture (4 EC)
Study Guide
Download and review the official study guide for the GEM MSc programme in pdf format. The study guide provides a detailed overview of the programme structure and courses for the September 2023 intake for all tracks and partner universities.
