All obligatory modules are taught in English. However, some electives are available in German only. Participants can choose to write the Master's thesis in either language.
We highly recommend the start of the programme in the winter semester. Although a start in the summer semester is possible, the programme is optimised for a start in the winter semester.
Admission is generally valid for two subsequent semesters. Applicants from countries requiring a visa for entering Germany should consider applying until 15 January for beginning their studies in winter semester of the same year, giving them more time to complete the visa process and to prepare their stay.
Non-EU citizens:
EU citizens:
Applicants with a BA or MA degree from a German university:
Recommended start of the programme: winter semester
MSc in Geoinformatics
Trier University’s Master's programme in Geoinformatics is a study programme conducted by the Faculty of Regional and Environmental Science, in cooperation 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, and focuses on the combined use of quantitative remote sensing methods with GIS techniques to develop advanced mapping approaches for environmental observation and monitoring.
Graduate Programme
Trier University’s MSc programme in Geoinformatics especially focuses on the application of geospatial technologies, remote sensing methods and visualisation technologies.
The Master's degree in Geoinformatics requires 120 ECTS credit points, which corresponds to 16 to 18 graduate course units. These consist of ten required core courses and six to eight electives. The elective courses allow students flexibility in taking courses that will best help them meet their objectives and strengthen areas that they would like to focus on (e.g., remote sensing methods, survey statistics, or database technologies). The final requirement for a Master's degree in Geoinformatics is the successful completion and defence of a scientific Master's project.
The Master’s programme in Geoinformatics is designed for students who have obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Geoinformatics or a related field. The programme is aimed at providing and facilitating the development of advanced methodological and computational skills. With the skills received from the programme, students will have the knowledge to obtain jobs in the public and private sector, consultant agencies, insurance companies and more. The successful alumni will be qualified to continue their education in national or international PhD programmes. The Master's degree also entitles them to follow a scientific career in universities and research institutions.
This design of the study programme allows full-time students to complete the programme in four semesters.
Compulsory Core Courses
The obligatory courses include ten 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 ten compulsory courses (80 ECTS credit points) are as follows:
Elective Courses (six to eight required)
The elective part of the programme of study comprises 40 ECTS credit points. Students can tailor their programme to suit their individual interests, choosing from a wide selection of 19 elective courses.
Environmental Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics lab:
Geoinformatics - Spatial Data Science lab
Faculty of Computer Science and Business Informatics
Faculty of Economic and Social Statistics
Governance & Sustainability lab
Faculty of Physical Geography
Off-Campus Training
Internships during the Master's programme are not planned unless you opt for the off-campus training as an elective course.
Trier University does not charge tuition fees. Students only have to pay a semester contribution of approx. 300 EUR for the first semester and 285 EUR from the second semester onwards. This includes a semester ticket covering public transport in Trier and the Trier region. The fee acts as a contribution that benefits Trier Student Services ("Studierendenwerk Trier") 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. 900–1,000 EUR per month. For instance, monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (in a students' 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 to 5 EUR.
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.
The Master’s programme in Geoinformatics is designed for students who have obtained one of the following:
Applicants must submit the following:
Applicants must prove their English language proficiency level C1, based on the Common European Framework through one of the following tests. The test must have been taken within the last three years:
Equivalent to one of the tests is proof of:
Non-EU citizens:
EU citizens:
Applicants with a BA or MA degree from a German university:
Recommended start of the programme: winter semester
Please apply directly via Trier University's online application portal (PORTA): www.bewerbung.uni-trier.de
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. Jobs 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.
Accommodation is available in student halls of residence through the Student Services Office (Studierendenwerk Trier: http://www.studiwerk.de) or on the private market (e.g. http://www.hunderttausend.de). Monthly housing costs are approx. 280 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).
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
Additionally, Trier University’s International Office offers a programme specifically targeted at international students: www.career-international.de
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 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 11,000 students (including about 12% 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.
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 economy of the city 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.
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