Professional Skills and Competences (Learning Outcomes)

Geoinformatics and spatial information management has been established as a methodology-oriented, cross-disciplinary subject based on spatial concepts and approaches. Such ‘spatial view’ competences for representing our world as a ‘Digital Earth’ are invaluable within any subject-specific context whilst widely applicable across domains such as planning, resource management, logistics, mobility, marketing, nature and environmental protection, and security. 

Graduates of this programme will be confident in using key technologies pertinent to spatial information handling and upcoming trends in the field of Copernicus and Digital Earth.

Graduates with a CDE Master’s degree are able to answer research questions, including the development of hypotheses, definition of objectives, selection of methods, implementation of workflows, collection, analysis and interpretation of data as well as a written and oral communication and interpretation of outcomes in a decision support context.

The study programme provides application-oriented knowledge based on relevant theories and methods. Blended learning methods for critical thinking, practicing language and inter-cultural skills are an integrative part of the study programme. Discipline-specific ways of thinking in space-related research and spatial thinking, analytical skills and techniques as well as problem-solving competences are developed in core areas of Copernicus and Digital Earth, especially in:

  • Geospatial data acquisition and spatial representations across scales;
  • Advanced visualisation methods and cartographic communication;
  • Data modelling and spatial data management;
  • Data analytics across the spectrum of Geoinformatics and Earth Observation: georeferenced data and data streams; in-situ, remote and mobile sensing; statistics; machine learning and knowledge-based systems;
  • Spatial analysis, system understanding and dynamic system simulation;
  • Information extraction routines from imagery and continuous observations including cloud processing;
  • Development of geospatial applications

The study programme is challenge- and research-driven, provides a broad range of academic analysis and scientific methods, and prepares students for a doctoral degree programme. It corresponds to International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2011): level 7, European Qualification Framework (EQF), and National Qualification Framework (NQR): level 7.

latest update: August 8, 2023