Cartography M. Sc.
Have you ever encountered the trouble of getting lost in a strange place or in a complex building? You may believe that navigation services can save you from frustrations. At the same time, you don’t want to become spatially illiterate, that is, someone who is afraid to move a step forward without navigational assistance. Finding your way in a digital forest is even more challenging because neither compass nor GPS works there.
Don’t worry: Your sense of orientation in both physical and digital space can be learned in this international joint master "Cartography". The program is geared toward digital natives who want to know how to transform our world into different types of maps on different display media and make it accessible by everybody including the visually impaired. We call it "mapping for a sustainable world".
| Type of Study | Full Time | Main Locations | Technical University of Munich (TUM, Germany), Vienna University of Technology (TUW, Austria), Technical University Dresden (TUD, Germany), University of Twente (UT, The Netherlands) |
| Standard Duration of Studies | 4 Semester | Application Period | Winter semester 01.01. – 31.05. |
| Credits | 120 ECTS | Required Language Proficiency | English |
| Start of Degree Program | Winter Semester | Tuition Fees | for the 4 semester |
The program covers knowledge of and competencies in the visual representation, analysis and exploration of the digital Earth, together with its spatiotemporal elements and circumstances. The content of the program focuses chiefly on methods and applications in the areas of data modelling, data analysis and the visualization of geographical information. Cartography is devoted, in particular, to answering complex questions relating to the spatiality of a globalized and digitalized society. As such, it considers how the cartographic visualization and analysis of our environment is gaining an ever greater significance in many disciplines – from environmental and climate protection to geology, spatial planning or agriculture and forestry. In addition to conveying the fundamentals of the discipline and its methodologies, the program concentrates on the readable, aesthetic, and user-friendly visualization of geographical data, as well as the development of new methods of representation in the area of modern cartography.
Graduates have in-depth competence and fundamental knowledge in the entire field of cartography. Students learn to master recent theories, methods and procedures connected to map production and map use in the context of modern cartography and geoinformatics. Graduates are capable of developing cartographic research projects and implementing them in a professional and economic way. They have the ability to capture, model, manage, analyze and visualize spatial data, can competently handle databases and geographic information systems and manage rule-based graphic data processing in all forms and for all user groups. They are able to master all publication forms and media, from print media to electronic multimedia including web-publishing. Graduates are in a position to strongly influence and shape cartography as an independent science with its own research and object of knowledge, but also with strong relations to earth sciences, information sciences and communication sciences. As Cartography is an international master program, it involves students from a wide variety of cultural groups. Participants, thus, not only develop theoretical, methodological and technical skills, but also social and intercultural competencies.
The Master degree opens up excellent professional opportunities on national and international levels, both in the private sector and in administration or research. Graduates can work for government authorities, for map and atlas publishers or for companies specializing in GIS, location-based services, or navigation systems. Further opportunities arise in the areas of town and landscape planning, environmental protection, disaster management, tourism, transportation, or telecommunications.
In addition, the completion of the M.Sc. qualifies graduates for the PhD program. Cooperation with the four universities provides graduates with access to an international research network and thus an optimal start to a career in science.
Graduates of the international master program Cartography have in-depth competence in the entire field of cartography. Fundamental knowledge in spatial data modelling, analysis and visualization of geographic information is acquired by all students. Students learn to master recent theories, methods and procedures connected to map production and map use in the context of modern cartography and geoinformatics. Graduates are capable of developing cartographic research projects and implementing them in a professional and economic way.
Degree holders have the ability to capture, model, manage, analyze and visualize spatial data. They can competently handle databases and geographic information systems and manage rule-based graphic data processing in all forms and for all user groups. They are able to master all publication forms and media, from print media to electronic multimedia including web-publishing. Students gain those skills in various techniques and methods for processing and visualizing geodata that are complemented by professional evaluation procedures.Graduates are in a position to strongly influence and shape cartography as an independent science with its own research and object of knowledge, but also with strong relations to earth sciences, information sciences and communication sciences.
As Cartography is an international master program, it involves students from a wide variety of cultural groups. Participants, thus, not only develop theoretical, methodological and technical skills, but social and intercultural competencies as well.Due to the requirement to write scientific project reports and a Master’s thesis, graduates of the Cartography program are able to define milestones and to meet related deadlines, to problem-solve, and to critically evaluate their own work through self-reflection.
The qualification of M.Sc. in Cartography opens up excellent professional opportunities on national and international levels, both in the private sector and in administration or research. Graduates can work for government authorities, for map and atlas publishers or for companies specializing in GIS, location-based services, or navigation systems. Further opportunities arise in the areas of town and landscape planning, environmental protection, disaster management, tourism, transportation, or telecommunications.
In addition, the completion of the M.Sc. qualifies graduates for the PhD program. Cooperation with the four universities provides graduates with access to an international research network and thus an optimal start to a career in science.
Study Structure
The full-time program comprises four semesters (120 ECTS). Students obtain 30 ECTS per semester/at each university as well as 30 ECTS for the master's thesis. All graduates are awarded a M.Sc. in Cartography and they receive a "Joint Degree" certificate from the four partner universities.
Students form a single group during the first three semesters and proceed together to the next university at the start of each new semester. The program begins in the winter semester at the Technical University of Munich.
The first semester is devoted to conveying the fundamentals of cartography, providing the basis for the subsequent program. Students complete the second semester at TU Wien and the third at TU Dresden. Central to the second and third semesters is the acquisition of knowledge from specific areas of cartography that allows individuals to pursue their own specialization. In addition, online modules provided by the University of Twente accompany the first and third semesters. Students choose one of the four universities at which to spend their forth semester completing their master's thesis.
Contents
The program focuses on a comprehensive education in cartography and geoinformatics, in particular on spatial information technologies, mathematic principles of map making, spatial data handling, theories and technologies of visual analytics, geovisualization and communication of spatial information.
During the 1st semester at TUM, the foundations in cartography and geovisualization are taught. In the 2nd semester at TUW students gain knowledge in multimedia cartography, especially in web mapping, mobile internet and location-based services (LBS). Students specialize in mobile cartography and 3D cartography in the 3rd semester at TUD. During the first and third semester, online modules from the University of Twente are integrated in the curriculum. Students choose one of the four universities where they spend their fourth semester to write their master's thesis.
The curriculum is structured in complementary and consecutive modules. It is based on lectures, exercises, seminars and project works. In the beginning of the 3rd semester, an 11 days’ alpine field school within the module Georelief and Cartography takes place. A comprehensive collection of all details about the program can be found in the student handbook.
Application via TUMonline: Apply via the TUMonline application portal and upload your documents for admission there.
Assistance: How to apply for Cartographymaster and Info Portal
Legal Notice: The basis is the Academic and Examination Regulations and the Statutes on Aptitude Assessment
- Degree Certificate and Diploma or Subject and Grade Transcript of Studies to Date
- Transcript of Records
- Proof of English Language Proficiency
- Statement of purpose (Letter of Motivation)
- Complete and Current Résumé
- Two Letters of Recommendation
- Passport
- Preliminary Documentation (VPD) if the qualification for graduate studies (e.g. a Bachelor’s) was obtained outside Germany)
We may require additional documents depending on your educational background and your country of origin. Complete the online application to receive a comprehensive list of the required documents.
Please consider the specific requirements for documents for application and enrollment at TUM.
Selection takes place through an aptitude assessment procedure. Aptitude assessment is a two-part procedure after the submission of an official application to a program. In this procedure, the TUM school or department determines whether you meet the specific requirements for its master’s degree program.
In the initial stages, the grades you obtained during your bachelor's program, as well as your written documents, will be evaluated using a point system. Depending on the amount of points accumulated, applicants are either immediately admitted, rejected or invited to an admissions interview.
- Application for Enrollment (signed)
- Degree Certificate and Diploma (authentic document)
- Transcript of Records (authentic document)
- Most Current Photo (as for ID)
- Digital notification of your health insurance status from a German public health insurance provider (requested by applicant)
We may require additional documents depending on the type of educational background you earned and your country of origin. After accepting an offer of admission in TUMonline, you will receive a list of documents you must submit to TUM in hardcopy for enrollment.
Please consider the specific requirements for documents for application and enrollment at TUM.
Students form a single group during the first three semesters and proceed together to the next university at the start of each new semester. The program begins in the winter semester every year at the TUM.
The four partner sites represent centers of excellence in the field of cartography, recognized at the European and global levels. The Chair of Cartography and Visual Analytics of TUM, the Research Division Cartography of TUW, the Institute of Cartography of TUD and the Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation of UT complement each other in an ideal way. With a very high concentration of scientific competence in cartography, the exceptional program provides excellent job employment prospects in this interdisciplinary field.
All graduates are awarded a M.Sc. in Cartography and they receive a Joint Degree-certificate from the four partner universities. The program is funded by the European Commission within the Erasmus Mundus framework and awards scholarships to the best students from all over the world.
Mapping for a sustainable world
Whether visiting a museum, strolling through the city or traveling - we use all our senses for orientation. But how do people with impairments, disabilities and disadvantages navigate? How can individual mobility and social participation be enabled with the help of digital information services? This is the question that the first-year students of the Cartography master's degree program addressed in their Mapping Project. Under the motto "Accessible Places, Everywhere: Mapping for Inclusivity", they designed digital, barrier-free visualizations of geodata in collaboration with the Pfennigparade Foundation in Munich.
Ravenstein Prize 2025
The Cartography M.Sc. program is delighted to announce that two of our students were honored at this year’s Ravenstein Prize 2025 award ceremony, held on November 5, 2025, at the Westermann educational media publishing house in Braunschweig. The Ravenstein Prize recognizes outstanding achievements in cartography and geovisualization, and we are proud to see our students among the distinguished awardees.