MSc Geographical Information Science

Course overview

• We're ranked 4th in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2018) and 17th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2018) for Geography.
• Develop advanced theoretical geographical information science (GIS) knowledge and understanding, alongside expertise in widely used geographic information systems and remote sensing software packages.
• Gain thorough expertise in spatial data analysis and applying it to GIS projects.

Open days

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses.

For more information, see  Open days

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2019, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MSc (full-time)
• UK/EU students (per annum): £9,500 
• International students (per annum): £18,500
• MSc (part-time)
• UK/EU students (per annum): £4,750 
• International students (per annum): £9,250

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Scholarships/sponsorships

We offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and merit awards to outstanding applicants and international students.

In addition, the Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a first-class Bachelors degree and are progressing to a postgraduate taught masters course.

For more information, see Fees and funding or search the University's postgraduate funding database .

Entry requirements

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Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:

• IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.5 in writing, no sub-section below 6.0
• TOEFL iBT overall score of 90 with a minimum score of 22 in writing and 20 in the other subsections 
• Pearson PTE overall score of 59 with a minimum score of 59 in the written section and 55 in all other subsections
• Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) overall score of 176 or above, with 176 in writing and no sub-section below 169 - OR - Grade C if taken before January 2015

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Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

_{Other international entry requirements}

We accept a range of qualifications from different countries. For these and general requirements including English language see Accepted entry qualifications from your country

Application and selection

_{How to apply}

Apply online  (from 8 October 2018)

_{Advice to applicants}

Please submit the following documents with your completed application form:

• copies of official degree certificates and transcripts of your previous study, showing the subjects taken and grades obtained. If these documents are in languages other than English please provide official translations;
• two written references, one of which should be familiar with your academic work, signed, dated and stamped by the referee and on official headed paper;
• a personal statement (maximum 500 words) detailing why you wish to study the course, your experiences, what you can bring to the course and any other information that you see as relevant to your application;
• your CV;
• copies of English Language Certification, eg IELTS, TOEFL or Pearson test score report. 

Returning to education

Return-to-learn students are those who have had a substantial period away from any formal learning. Often such learners have pursued careers or raised a family.

We recognise that standard selection measures and procedures may not enable these learners to demonstrate fully their suitability for their chosen course.

Where appropriate, admissions officers will seek and consider alternative evidence in order to give such learners equivalent consideration. Where they deem this alternative evidence meets entry criteria fully, the learner will not be required to meet the standard academic entry requirements.

Teaching and learning

The course has five core course units.

You select your remaining four course units from a wide range of options offered by Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, and the Global Development Institute (GDI), all within the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED). These optional course units enable you to tailor the course to your unique interests.

Part-time students complete the full-time programme over 27 months. There are no evening or weekend course units available on the part-time programme, therefore if you are considering taking a programme on a part-time basis, you should discuss the requirements with the Programme Director first and also seek approval from your employer to have the relevant time off. Timetabling information is normally available from late August from the Programme Administrator and you will have the opportunity to discuss course unit choices during induction week with the Programme Director.

Coursework and assessment

Assessment is primarily coursework-based and includes a variety of project work, essays and presentations. This enables you to gain a significant amount of hands-on experience of applying geographical information science skills to real world environmental applications.

The dissertation, based on an original research project of your own design, accounts for 60 credits. Dissertation topics can focus on aspects of geographical information science (GIS) and are supported by researchers who specialise in core areas of GIS, remote sensing, or modelling. The remaining 120 credits are based on eight 15-credit course units (four in each semester).

Career opportunities

Geography graduates have particularly great employment prospects, and go on to shape environmental policy through positions in the public and private sectors.

Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in areas including consultancy, research, non-governmental organisations, project management, environmental management, agriculture and forestry, environmental sciences, energy, oil and gas, marketing, finance, and water.

Top employers of our graduates include DEFRA, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Organic Soil Association, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and UNEP.

Visit the MSc Geographical Information Science page on the University of Manchester website for more details!