University master's degrees
University Master's Degree in Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems

Specialist training in Earth-observation techniques for studying the territory and managing its resources.

Official Master's Degree in Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems

Ideal student profile

The Master’s Degree in Remote Sensing and GIS is aimed at graduates and diploma holders interested in the fundamentals and applications of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Ideally, students are expected to come from university degrees such as Geography, Environmental Sciences, Biology, Geology, Geodesy, Geomatics and Surveying Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Forestry Engineering, Computer Engineering, Architecture, Archaeology, or other disciplines related to environmental and territorial management, as well as Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Telecommunications, Computer Science, or equivalent qualifications.

Students are expected to have motivation and a desire for knowledge in geospatial tools and their multiple applications in areas such as environmental management, land-use planning, agriculture, urban planning, among others, as well as organizational and work planning skills.

A certain knowledge of the English language (B1 level) is recommended for proper use of bibliographic resources during the course.

Knowledge

  • Define the foundations of the cartographic tradition in terms of abstraction of geographical reality, and its needs in conceptual (semantic, etc.) and geometric (projections, reference systems, positioning systems, etc.) terms.
  • Define the theoretical foundations of teledetection or remote sensing.
  • Define the theoretical foundations related to remote sensing platforms and sensors.
  • Define the theoretical foundations of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), paying special attention to the abstractions that facilitate the digital representation of geographical reality through models, data structures, formats and geoservices.
  • Identify the characteristics and functionalities of different cartography, TD and GIS tools.
  • Identify information sharing strategies through international standards (such as OGC or ISO) in geospatial data management in professional technical environments (such as Spatial Data Infrastructures, SDIs) to achieve interoperability and compliance with Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) principles.
  • Identify effective communication strategies to clearly and precisely convey conclusions, knowledge and supporting arguments to both expert and amateur audiences, avoiding ambiguities and adapting the message to the profile of the target audience.
  • Identify the principles, techniques and applications that facilitate the critical interpretation of geospatial information, including reflections on social and ethical responsibilities, paying special attention to inequalities on the grounds of language, culture, gender or origin.

Skills

  • Use different specialised cartography, TD and GIS software to analyse and manage spatial data.
  • Select the most appropriate IT tools for spatial planning and analysis projects.
  • Rigorously and effectively represent a geographical reality through both digital and analogue cartographic products, appropriately applying the principles of spatial representation, symbology, generalisation and cartographic design.
  • Apply knowledge about TD platforms and sensors to select optimal data (spectral, temporal, spatial resolution, etc.) for different types of studies.
  • Develop different methodologies for the primary processing of images obtained by remote sensors for the subsequent extraction of geographic information.
  • Use different techniques and concepts to generate, from spatial databases, useful information in territorial analysis.
  • Apply machine learning (ML) and big data processing techniques to analyse mass geospatial data from a scientifically conscious and socially responsible perspective.
  • Analyse geographic information from various sources using techniques and concepts that serve to generate new cartographic products and advanced spatial analysis.
  • Properly determine geospatial data and metadata formats, taking into account international standards in the documentation and publication of these in any medium, and particularly in geoservices on the Internet.

Competences

  • Formulate research methodologies in remote sensing and GIS aimed at the analysis and processing of data from different sources, applied to social, environmental and territorial studies.
  • Review, using the resources (instrumental, data, information processing, etc.) of TD and GIS, complex problems that may require the joint consideration of spatial, thematic and temporal aspects, and in unknown or multidisciplinary environments.
  • Design innovative solutions based on GIS tools to support political governance, as well as the management and exploitation of natural resources or administrative information with a spatial component.
  • Design R+D+I projects in TD and GIS in collaboration with universities, research centres, administrations and companies in the sector.
  • Communicate technical and scientific reports on territorial studies publicly, clearly and precisely, using well-founded arguments and adapted to both expert and amateur audiences.
  • Build sound and autonomous academic or professional proposals in the field of GIS and remote sensing.
  • Reflect critically on the social and ethical responsibilities of professional activity in relation to the use of geographic information technologies.