This postgraduate programme in geomatics is a one-year programme and requires an undergraduate programme in geomatics, or equivalent, as prerequisite for admission. We, at the division of geomatics of University of Gävle, are one of the few best among all science and engineering subjects following the recent national higher education evaluation conducted by the Swedish higher education authority!
The past two decades have witnessed significant advances of geographic information technologies (GIT) involving GPS, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS), and increasing booming of their applications in geosciences and social sciences alike. The most tangible showcases of GIT familiar to the Nordic people are Eniro Kartor and hitta.se, with which we can find places or planning a travel going from location A to B. Similar free services are provided by Google Maps and various others. These technologies have another name to refer to, so called geographic information services, i.e. the use of GIT and geographic information for serving the public in their daily lives and businesses.
The potential and prosperity of GIT have been tremendous. As noted by the US department of Labor, cited in Nature January 2004, GIT are “one of the three most important emerging research fields, along with biotechnology and nanotechnology”. The launch of Google Earth has further democratised GIT or GIS . Nowadays with a decent Internet connection PC, Google Earth enables ordinary people to play with terabytes of satellite imagery, aerial photos and GIS data, flying from space right down to street level, and easily pinpointing their individual houses. Underlying these technologies is the dynamically evolving discipline Geomatics (GeoInformatics or Geographic Information Science), which is the collective name for individual academic disciplines, for example: photogrammetry, geodesy, land surveying, cartography, GIT, and remote sensing. It should be noted that courses in these disciplines sometimes are identical with courses in for example geography and spatial planning.
The geomatics programme consists of one thesis project and nine taught courses: three at basic level and six at advanced level. The three courses given at basic level have two purposes. The first is to offer the opportunity for progression, and the students with slightly different knowledge in one of the disciplines in Geomatics are given the possibility to catch up at basic level at the beginning of the programme and afterwards continue at advanced level. The other purpose is to offer students the chance to broaden knowledge in one or other of the subject’s disciplines. The six remaining courses at advanced level mainly deal with advanced spatial analysis and research preparation for the thesis project that ends the studies.
Within the field of geomatics there is the possibility for international exchange. Currently, University of Gävle (HiG) has exchanges in Geomatics with Università degli Studi di Cagliari in Italy, Thompson Rivers University in Canada, National Taipei University in Taiwan, Universidad de Extremadura and Universidad Politécnica de Valencia in Spain, Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, and Fachhochschule Mainz and Fachhochschule München, University of Münster, Universität Augsburg, and Technische Universität Dresden in Germany, Palacky University Olomouc in Czech Republic, and Vienna University of Technology in Austria. Both courses and thesis work are appropriate for study abroad. In the same way the geomatics programme can accept exchange students from the above colleges. Note however, that participation in exchange may prolong your studies to some extent.
You would be able to work at various governmental agencies e.g., national mapping agency or other agencies that need geography and geomatics related skills, universities mainly for research or teaching, and private sectors as a geo-analyst or consultant.
Prerequisites
A completed Bachelor's degree, corresponding to a Swedish Bachelor's degree (180 ECTS), or equivalent academic qualifications from an internationally recognised university. Major in Geomatics (90 ects) or equivalent (e.g. geography or geology including GIS). English language proficiency equivalent to (the Swedish upper secondary school) English course 6.
Selection
University credits
*) The online application at antagning.se opens approximately one month before application deadline.
