Course Info

The UNIGIS study guide provides you with detailed course information.

The Postgraduate Diploma and MSc in GIS are innovative, established courses presented to professional standards. They are designed to meet the needs of industry and commerce and aim to give you an understanding of the technical, geographical and organisational aspects of GIS, as well as hands-on experience, and a theoretical and practical background in the design and implementation of GIS projects.

The overall programme consists of three stages (see Figure 1):
a) a Postgraduate Certificate, on the way to
b) a Postgraduate Diploma
c) and a Master of Science dissertation.

Figure 1: Structure of the UNIGIS course

The Postgraduate Diploma study enables you to understand GIS theory and application, with an emphasis on design and implementation. Students are encouraged to link the theory and practice with experiences from their working environment. Our experienced teachers want students to leave the course with technical and managerial knowledge required to be a successful GIS project manager.

Students, who have successfully completed the first half of the Postgraduate Diploma Course, have attained Postgraduate Certificate status. Students who have successfully completed the whole Postgraduate Diploma Course will have the opportunity to convert their diploma into a Master of Science degree by completion of a dissertation.

The UNIGIS course consists of modules, workshops, and a thesis, see Figure 2. Altogether, UNIGIS offers fifteen modules and three workshops. Some modules are compulsory (core modules) while others are elective. Two workshops (both 4 days at the VU) are compulsory as well.

The course is taught and assessed in English. It is acceptable for students to submit their assignments in Dutch, but our preference is that students submit their work in English. The course starts in March and in September each year. Applications are welcome at any time.

Contact Ms. Anne Rooseboom of the UNIGIS Diploma Office (). If you have any further questions about the course which are not answered in these materials, please do not hesitate to contact us at the E-Mail address above.

Figure 2: Modules and Workshops in the UNIGIS course