Fundamentals of Geospatial Science

The Fundamentals of Geospatial Science is a 10-week module of 15 ECTS, designed to bridge diverse academic backgrounds, ensuring every student can master the fundamental knowledge, technologies and analytical methods needed for geospatial problem-solving.

For whom is the course relevant?

The course is especially relevant for professionals (scientists and practitioners) with an academic background who deal with geospatial data but have only limited knowledge of GIS and earth observation principles in their field of application.

What is the course content?

The course content is built from three connected courses:

• Fundamentals of GIS and Earth Observation: Master the principles of spatial data modelling, acquisition and visualisation, and the physical properties of remote sensing to interpret and classify satellite imagery.
• Fundamentals of spatial data processing and analysis: Gain technical expertise to analyse and explore spatio-temporal data structures, relational spatial databases (SQL), and the dissemination of data through modern web services and APIs.
• Fundamental Programming for Geospatial Data Analysis: Develop proficiency in Python to perform exploratory spatial data analysis, geostatistics, and basic machine learning techniques.

What will be achieved?

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Model & Acquire: Apply appropriate methods for spatial data modelling and acquisition.
• Analyse & Interpret: Use Python and GIS tools to identify spatio-temporal patterns and apply machine learning techniques to explore complex datasets.
• Engineer & Manage: Organise spatial information storage and retrieval within relational databases and cloud-based infrastructures.
• Communicate & Visualise: Present geospatial insights effectively using advanced visualisations, web services, and documented analytical workflows.

Why choose this course?

Studying at ITC means studying at a faculty ranked among the top institutes worldwide for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Science. ITC is internationally recognised for its research and capacity development in geo-information science and Earth Observation. Joining this course means joining a diverse network of professionals and students from over 170 countries, offering you a unique global perspective on spatial problems. You can work with leading scientists and other experts in geoinformation science and Earth observation. It is a great environment where you will expand your network and gain invaluable hands-on experience for your future career.

About your diploma

Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive a Certificate that includes the course name. 

Along with your certificate, you will receive a course record providing the name and, if applicable, all the subjects studied as part of the course. It states: the course code, subject, EC credits, exam date, location and the mark awarded.

This certificate course is part of the accredited Master’s in Geo-information Science and Earth Observation at ITC. If you decide to take the full Master’s Geo-information Science and Earth Observation at ITC, the Examination Board will give you, in principle, exemption from the course you followed successfully as a certificate course.

Admission requirements

Academic level and background

Applicants for the Certificate programme should have a bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised university in a discipline related to the course, preferably combined with working experience in a relevant field.

Some courses in the Certificate programme, or separate modules, require knowledge of and skills in working with GIS and/or digital image processing of remotely sensed data.

Skills in taught or related subjects are prerequisites for some courses in the Certificate programme or for separate modules. Even if the applicant satisfies the overall admission requirements, acceptance is not automatic.

Documentation

The faculty accepts transcripts, degrees, and diplomas in Dutch, English, and German. It is at the discretion of the faculty to require additional English translations of all documents in other languages.

Language skills

Success in your studies requires a high level of English proficiency. Therefore, prospective students with an international degree (other than a Dutch degree) must meet the English language requirement. As proof that you meet this requirement, you will be asked in the application procedure to upload one of the requested language certificates:

• IELTS (academic) with an overall band score of at least 6.0 (with a minimum sub-score of 6.0 for speaking and writing) and certificates not older than two years. 
• TOEFL iBT (internet-based) with an overall score of 80 (with a minimum sub-score of 20 for speaking) and certificates not older than two years. Please note that the University of Twente does not accept the MyBest scores of the TOEFL test.
• Cambridge C1 Advanced Formerly known as; Cambridge English Advanced (CAE), obtained with an A, B or C grade.
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency Formerly known as; Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE) obtained with an A, B or C grade.

Only these internationally recognised test results are accepted. Without a valid certificate, we cannot process your application.  

Other requirements

• Ensure you have obtained a valid English test result before the application deadline. If your application is accompanied by a language test score report with a test date after our application deadline, we will not process it. Therefore, make sure to take the test in advance, as it will take time to receive the official certificate.
• When applying for a scholarship, the language requirements may vary, as scholarship providers may have different requirements.

Exemptions

You are exempt from the English language requirement if you hold:

• a relevant bachelor's degree from an accredited academic institution in the Netherlands
• if you are a national of one of the countries in this list (PDF)
• a three-year bachelor's degree in Australia, Canada (English-speaking part), Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA. When your awarding institution is in one of these countries but your teaching institution is not, you are not exempt. The same rule applies to distance (online) education.

Computer skills

If you lack computer experience, we strongly advise you to follow basic courses in your home country.

Notebook requirements

When you study in an ITC programme, you should have a notebook computer that meets  ITC's technical notebook requirements.

Key information