Master of Science in Geoinformatics Trier University

MSc in Geoinformatics

Trier University's Master's in Geoinformatics is a study programme offered by the Faculty of Regional and Environmental Science in collaboration with the faculties of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Business Informatics. It is coordinated by the Environmental Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics lab and Spatial Data Sciences lab. 

The programme focuses on the combined use of quantitative remote sensing methods with GIS techniques to develop advanced mapping approaches for environmental observation and monitoring. A special emphasis is placed on geospatial technologies, remote sensing, and visualisation methods.

The programme requires 120 ECTS credit points, comprised of ten core courses and six to eight elective courses, corresponding to 16 to 18 graduate course units. The elective component allows students to tailor their studies to their specific interests (e.g. remote sensing methods, survey statistics, or database technologies). The programme concludes with a scientific Master's project, which students must complete and defend successfully.

The Master's programme is designed for applicants holding a Bachelor's degree in Geoinformatics or a related field. It aims to develop advanced methodological and computational skills, preparing graduates for careers in the public and private sectors, including consultant agencies, insurance companies, and many others. Graduates will be well prepared to pursue PhD programmes or research careers in national and international universities and research institutions.

The obligatory courses include nine core courses covering the fundamental technologies and skills. The courses consist of lectures, lab exercises and seminars. An additional unit is devoted to facilitation the completion of the final Master's project.

The nine compulsory courses (75 ECTS credit points) are as follows:

• Geospatial Programming
• Environmental Remote Sensing I
• Environmental Remote Sensing II
• Earth Observation Data Science I
• Earth Observation Data Science II
• Multivariate Statistics
• Geospatial Statistics
• Numerical Mathematics for Geoscientists
• Master‘s Thesis

Elective Courses (six to eight required)

The elective part of the programme of study comprises 45 ECTS credit points. Students can tailor their programme to suit their individual interests, choosing from a wide selection of 19 elective courses.

Geoinformatics Departments:

• Remote Sensing Time Series Analysis
• Forest Remote Sensing
• Geospatial Data Analysis
• Remote Sensing and Global Change
• Geospatial Visualisation
• Remote Sensing Applications
• Geospatial Applications

Geography and Environmental Sciences:

• Environmental System Analysis
• Academic Research Skills

Computer Science, Business Informatics, Social Statistics:

• Elements of Computer Science
• Big Data Analytics
• Implementation of Database Systems
• Computational Geometry
• Fundamentals of Computer Graphics
• Data Mining
• Machine Learning
• Survey Sampling
• Monte Carlo Simulation Methods

Other:

• Internship (Off-Campus Training)
• University-Wide Free Elective Courses (up to 10 ECTS)

Internships during the Master's programme are not planned unless you opt for off-campus training as an elective course.

Non-EU citizens:

• 15 January 2027 for the summer semester 2027 (admission also valid for the winter semester 2027/28)
• 31 May 2027 for the winter semester 2027/28 (admission also valid for the summer semester 2028)

German citizens, EU citizens, and applicants with a BA or MA degree from a German university:

• 15 March 2027 for the summer semester 2027 (admission also valid for the winter semester 2027/28)
• 15 September 2027 for the winter semester 2027/28 (admission also valid for the summer semester 2028)

Recommended start of the programme: winter semester 

The Master’s programme in Geoinformatics is designed for students who have obtained one of the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Geoinformatics, OR
• Bachelor's degree in a related field, with knowledge in at least a few of the following areas: programming, geoinformatics, remote sensing, geostatistics, or data science

Trier University does not charge tuition fees. Students only have to pay a semester contribution of approx. 380 EUR for the first semester and 360 EUR from the second semester onwards. This includes the "Deutschlandticket", which covers public transport and local trains all over Germany. The contribution also benefits Trier Student Services and the student union. It also enables students to buy meals at reduced prices at the university's canteens.

Students should expect expenses of approx. 1,000 EUR per month. For instance, monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (in a student's dormitory or a room in a shared flat) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market). A meal in the student cafeteria costs approx. 3.50 to 5 EUR.

Students from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland enjoy unrestricted access to the German labour market. International students from other countries are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year.

The Career Service of Trier University and the "Agentur für Arbeit" provide an online database for student jobs. Job offers can also be found on the website of the "Bundesagentur für Arbeit": https://jobboerse.arbeitsagentur.de.

Additionally, some temporary student jobs can be found on the university's bulletin boards. However, many job offers will require at least some knowledge of German.

Trier University offers some funding opportunities for international students in the final stage of their degree programmes (maximum duration: six months). However, there are no funding opportunities within the university for the whole course of study or the first three semesters of the programme.

Trier University’s career service offers a broad range of advisory services, seminars and events to assist students with planning their career: www.career-service.uni-trier.de

Accommodation is available in student halls of residence through the Student Services Office (Studierendenwerk Trier: http://www.studiwerk.de) or on the private market (for more information: www.study-in-trier.de). Monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (for a basic dorm room with a shared bathroom) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market).

With an open eye for the individual and society...

... we create innovation.

... we share knowledge.

... we bridge borders.

Trier University was founded in 1473, and it reopened in 1970 as a modern campus university. Built on a high plateau overlooking the Moselle River and surrounded by luscious green nature, it is said to be one of Germany's most beautiful campuses. Faculty and departmental buildings are connected by bridges and grouped around the forum and the central library.
Trier University has a strong focus on the humanities, social sciences, and economics, but it is also steadily strengthening its information science and environmental science programmes. There are six faculties that together cover more than 30 subject areas. Many research projects are interdisciplinary in nature and embedded in global networks.
With its roughly 1,200 employees and 10,500 students (including about 19% international students), Trier University embraces contrast: young yet true to tradition, internationally oriented yet regionally rooted, and at the geographic edge of Germany but in the heart of Europe.

http://www.uni-trier.de

Mission statement: https://www.uni-trier.de/en/university/about-trier-university/translate-to-englisch-leitbild

Trier is situated in the western part of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the Moselle Valley. The city is proud of its rich history, which is reflected in its museums and its many historical sites. Thanks to its landmarks, the Porta Nigra, the Trier Cathedral, and other significant architectural monuments, Germany's oldest city was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Today's cityscape is a fusion of history and modern lifestyle, not least characterised by a vibrant student life. With bars, cafés, and a colourful range of cultural offerings and festivals, Trier is a tourist attraction with international appeal and a beautiful place for the city's 110,000 residents to live.
The city's economy is characterised by a few major enterprises and many medium-sized businesses. Trier is in the heart of Europe, as evidenced by its proximity to Luxembourg, which is an important financial centre and the site of several EU institutions, as well as its proximity to France and Belgium. Nine twin towns and cities across Europe, Asia, and the USA attest to Trier's international orientation.

http://www.trier.de