Geographical Information Management and Applications (GIMA)

Geographical information is becoming more and more important in today’s societies. Not only for physical planning, navigation systems or location-based services, but also for addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change and deforestation. Providing geographical insights and knowledge allows us to contribute to those big social issues. Are you prepared to make a real difference?

More than Geographic Information Systems

Geographical Information Management and Applications (GIMA) is a two-year joint-degree Master of Science programme, available in both part-time and full-time modes. The programme focuses on how to use, apply and manage geo-information from a scientific perspective, and offers more than advanced use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) for a variety of applications. Think of addressing societal or environmental issues by using GIS technology, managing geo-information projects and spatial data infrastructures in organisations, or combining GIS with Artificial Intelligence methods and techniques.

Blended learning

The GIMA programme is built on blended learning. That means most of the time you can study wherever works best for you, whether at home or at one of the four participating universities. We kick off each module with two weeks of live sessions that you are expected to attend in person. These on-campus sessions feature lectures, mid term presentations, assignments and explanations of the upcoming program activities. The next 12 weeks are devoted to remote learning, during which you can study under the guidance of our lecturers using our electronic learning environment from any location. You can also choose to study on-campus and work on the (group) assignments there. Each module concludes with on-campus sessions at one of the four universities. In total, you will have four on-campus periods of two weeks during the first year, alternated with four 12-week periods of remote learning.

In the second year you will write your thesis and do internship as at any other classical programme. You can write your thesis from wherever you like consulting your supervisor regularly. And naturally, you must be physically present at the geo-information company or institute when you do an internship.

Why a GIMA joint degree?

Studying Geographical Information Management and Applications (GIMA) at four Universities presents several advantages and benefits.

• You will learn from geo-information experts from four universities in the Netherlands. Each has a strong reputation in their field and its own traditions: University of Twente/ITC Enschede is known for its technical and application-oriented courses for developing countries, where TU Delft focuses on legal, organisational and technical aspects of geo-information, Utrecht University on geography and planning, and Wageningen University on environmental applications.
• The unique blended learning mode gives you lots of flexibility and freedom while following a state-of-the-art GIS Master’s program under the supervision of top GIS experts from four universities.
• It's also possible to study GIMA part-time, while working for a GIS organization. The part-time mode is a four-year programme.
• Experts in the field of geo-information are scarce. The majority of our graduates are offered a job immediately after finishing their study or even during their internship. They usually start their careers as GIS advisers, all-round managers, researchers and/or application specialists.
• For a blended learning program it is of crucial important to keeps students busy during on-campus but also between the on-campus periods. Not only with study activities but also social and fun ones. NODE, the programme’s student association, brings together fellow students with different fun or educational activities during the study period. NODE is also organising career days and company visits bringing GIMA students in contact with the GIS industry.