Land Management and Geospatial Science M. Sc.
Do you know that ninety percent of land holdings in developing countries are not documented, administered, or protected? Yet, land administration systems and practices do not cater to the complexity of land issues, including urban sprawl, land tenure insecurity, and climate change.
Deriving solutions to these challenges requires a combination of contextual insights, technical-methodological instruments, and communication skills to accelerate land rights documentation, land tenure security, and sustainable land use. It requires responsible governance of land tenure and fit-for-purpose land information systems to document people-land relationships in a politically, legally, and socio-culturally sensitive manner.
The Land Management and Geospatial Science program combines two inter-connected scientific domains: Land Management and Geospatial Science. The aim of the master’s program is to train land professionals who can apply land and spatial-related concepts and tools to analyze international contemporary land issues and have the executive soft skills to carry out land administration functions to solve these land issues.
What you'll learn for your future?
Students explore land management from a multidisciplinary perspective, applying methods and techniques from geospatial engineering and land management sciences to evaluate and implement spatial development and land policy responsibly and sustainably.
Graduates of the Land Management and Geospatial Science program are specialized generalists with a broad overview of land management and geospatial science topics and approaches. They work at the interface of politics and technology, applying existing land tools or designing new policies and interventions for documenting, administering, or protecting land tenure in specific socio-legal contexts. Their expertise is crucial in developing creative, innovative, and sustainable solutions to complex and contextual spatial problems. They also contribute their technical-methodological expertise to developing land and geospatial information systems that can capture, monitor, store, and query multi-dimensional information on land use, land tenure, and natural resource rights. Finally, they apply their interrelated geospatial, social, and legal skills to reconcile different and competing stakeholder interests in land.
You can find more information about the M.Sc. Land Management and Geospatial Science in our TUM Land Management and Geospatial Science Wiki.
Type of study: Full-Time
Standard period of study: 4 Semester
Credits: 120 ECTS
Main location: Munich
Type of admission: Aptitude test for Master's programs
Start of study: Winter semester
Application period: Winter semester: January 1st - May 31st
Required proof of language skills: English
Tuition fees: No tuition fees for international students from third countries are charged for this degree program. Please note: The semester fee as a contribution to the student union must still be paid.
Specializations:
In the first two semesters, students acquire knowledge of land management, geoengineering, political, administrative, management and research sciences.
In the third semester, students choose one of three specializations (Systems of land use and land rights/Systems of geospatial engineering for land, water, and forestry/Systems of planning, policy, and governance).
They can choose module combinations according to their specific interests. The third semester also offers a good opportunity for international mobility.
In the fourth semester, students complete their studies by writing their Master's thesis.
The course is divided into compulsory and elective modules that enable students to acquire the basic concepts, theories, methods, systems, and fundamentals of land management and geospatial sciences.
In the first semester, students must take the following compulsory modules:
- land management
- real estate economics
- photogrammetry and remote sensing
- geodesy
- international professional practice in land management and geospatial science
- one additional elective module
In the second semester, students must also take the following compulsory modules:
- property rights and land use systems
- land administration and land information systems
- geoinformatics
- decision support systems
- two additional elective modules
The third semester is a specialization semester, which students can design freely by selecting module combinations from a catalog of elective modules. Together, these reflect the central theme of one of the three focus areas.
The language of instruction in the program is English. German is not a prerequisite for enrolling in the master's program. For everyday life in Germany, we recommend the free German courses at TUM.
The TUM School of Engineering and Design offers many opportunities for a study-related stay abroad. Good reasons for studying abroad are to broaden your horizons, to have a personality-building effect, to improve your language skills, and to get to know other (professional) cultures and ways of life.
Internships are not mandatory for completing the Master's degree. However, students have the opportunity to complete an internship in the 4th semester of their studies. Students can also choose to write their thesis at a company or organization in the form of an internship on a topic that is of interest to the company.
Apply via the TUMonline application portal and upload your documents for admission there.
The following requirements must be met:
- Bachelor's degree recognized by TUM to be able to study a Master of Science program
- English language certificate recognized by TUM (or completed Bachelor's degree in English)
- Letter of motivation (to be submitted during the online application process)
- affinity with land and spatial issues
The application deadline for the beginning of the academic year (October) is May 31 of the same year.
Prospective students who have acquired their Master's entrance qualification (e.g. a Bachelor's degree) outside the EU / EEA must usually request preliminary examination documentation from uni-assist in advance.
Examination Dates
The examination dates for each semester can be viewed in TUMonline.
Winter semester 2025/26:
The dates for the individual examinations will be published in TUMonline until 24 October 2025. Then, you can view them there.
Summer semester 2026:
The dates for the individual examinations will be published in TUMonline until 24 April 2026. Then, you can view them there.
Please also follow TUMonline for possible room and date changes.
Registration and Deregistration for Examinations
| Registration period winter semester 2025/26: | 17 November 2025 - 15 January 2026 |
| Registration period summer semester 2026: | 18 May 2026 - 30 June 2026 |
The cancellation of your participation (de-registration) in an exam is possible until one week before the exam.
In order to take part in examinations, you must register independently via TUMonline. The registration takes place via your study status/curriculum. How to register for an examination in TUMonline.
The de-registration from examinations works the same way.
Please note:
- The examinations office ASG does not register you for exams once the registration period has closed. If you have failed to register for one or more exams, you will not be able to take these exams.
- No exams may be taken for the first time during a leave of absence. An exception is leave on grounds of maternity leave, parental leave or for the care of close relatives.
- However, repeat exams can be taken.
Repeating examinations:
- Module examinations can be repeated as often as required, taking into account the academic progress check (see § 10 (3) and (4) APSO, resp.).
- Only exams that have been previously failed can be retaken. It is not possible to retake an exam that has already been passed for the purpose of improving your grade.
- Please note that you must also register for a retake exam in TUMonline.
Disadvantage Compensation in examinations
Students are entitled to compensation for disadvantages in examinations if they have an impairment that impairs their studies and can be compensated for.
Compensation for disadvantages must be applied for from your board of examiners in good time before the start of the relevant examination phase. The application must be made informally in writing by e-mail to the examinations office ASG: examination.asg(at)ed.tum.de.
The application must be accompanied by meaningful (specialist) medical certificates or reports stating which impairment is involved and which measures are required to compensate for the disadvantage.
Please note that the board of examiners is not bound by the measures to compensate for disadvantages stated in your application or in the certificate or expert opinion.
The following deadlines apply for the application:
Winter semester and summer semester: By the end of the registration period for the respective semester's examinations at the latest.
Please note: If an application is submitted after this deadline, any approval of compensation for disadvantages will apply from the examination phase of the following semester at the earliest.
You can find further information and information sheets on the subject of "compensation for disadvantages" on the pages of the TUM Center for Study & Teaching.
You will also find an application form that you can use under the link above.
Withdrawal from an Examination
Withdrawal from an examination is only possible for valid reasons for which the student is not responsible. Such reasons include illness, accident, death in the family etc.
Please be sure to read the TUM's information on withdrawal regulations in the event of illness.
If you cannot participate in an examination, a written withdrawal application must be submitted immediately to the responsible examination board. This notice should be submitted by e-mail to: examination.asg(at)ed.tum.de
You can download the withdrawal application form here.
In addition to the application, proof of the reason preventing your participation in the examination must also be submitted without delay, e.g. a medical certificate in the event of illness.
The certificate must meet the following criteria:
- It must be issued by a qualified doctor.
- Generally, it must be based on an examination carried out on the day on which you claim to be unable to take the exam.
- It must state the start and end dates of your inability to take the exam due to illness.
- It must clearly state why you are unable to take the exam so that the board of examiners can determine whether you were actually unable to take the exam on the day of the exam (e.g., necessary bed rest or inability to travel to the exam location and/or take the exam there without significant discomfort).
Important:
- Confirmation of inability to take the exam alone is not sufficient.
- The certificate does not need to contain a medical diagnosis.
- If you are being treated as an inpatient in a hospital on the day of the exam, a certificate from the hospital must be submitted.
- Certificates of incapacity for work (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung) are not sufficient.
Academic progress (hardship application)
If you can prove (with a valid medical certificate or other supporting documentation) that you were unable to complete your studies properly over a long period of time (possibly even an entire semester) for reasons beyond your control (illness, etc.), you can apply for an extension or suspension of the deadline of the academic progress check (§ 10 para. 7 APSO).
The reasons must be reported to the responsible board of examiners immediately. If you fail the academic progress check, you cannot retroactively cite long-term illness or other reasons if you did not report these to your board of examiners immediately.
As a rule, the study progress check can only be suspended once.
If the restrictions continue, you must inquire with the TUM Center for Study and Teaching - Application and Enrollment Department about the possibility of taking a leave of absence or interrupting your studies. You can also seek advice from the student advisory service or the secretary to the board of examiners of your degree programme.
The immediate notification of valid reasons has to be be sent informally to the ASG Examination Office: examination.asg(at)ed.tum.de
Important:
Medical certificates must comply with TUM's legal requirements. Information on the formal and substantive criteria for certificates can be found above under “Withdrawal from an examination.”
If a certificate does not meet these criteria, a corresponding hardship application must be rejected.
Please note that you can only apply for a suspension or extension of the deadline if you were actually unable to meet the requirements of the academic progress check. You can see this by the notification “DF” in your study tree in TUMonline.
In this case, please send the appication informally by e-mail together with all necessary supporting documents (see above) to the examinations office ASG: examination.asg(at)ed.tum.de.
The board of examiners responsible for your degree program will decide on your application at its end-of-semester meeting. The decision will then be communicated to you in writing by the examinations office ASG as soon as possible.
Please refrain from making any prior inquiries regarding the status of your application.
Boards of Examiners Aerospace and Geodesy
According to § 29 APSO, the boards of examiners are responsible for conducting the examination procedure. They make all necessary decisions, unless the general academic examination regulations of TUM have assigned this responsibility to the respective examiners.
The boards of examiners' decision-making authority includes, in particular, applications for withdrawal from examinations, applications for suspension and extension of deadline, applications for recognition of credits as well as applications for compensation of disadvantages in examinations.
The degree programmes of Aerospace and Geodesy has the following boards of examiners with their respective responsibilities:
| Board of examiners | degree program | secretary to the board |
| Aerospace | B.Sc. Aerospace M.Sc. Aerospace M.Sc. Aerospace Engineering (TUM Asia) | Ms. Pema Mauser-Sherpa Mr. Daniel Hartenstein Mr. Daniel Hartenstein |
| ESPACE | M.Sc. Earth Oriented Space Science and Technology | Mr. Daniel Hartenstein |
| Geodäsie und Geoinformation | B.Sc. Geodesy and Geoinformation M.Sc. Geodesy and Geoinformation B.Sc. Land Management (partial degree) M.Sc. Land Management and Geospatial Science | Mr. Daniel Hartenstein |
If you have completed parts of or an entire degree program at a university other than TUM, you can apply for recognition of credits. A prerequisite for the recognition of credits that were not achieved at TUM is the equivalence of the gained competences. This means that the knowledge and skills acquired outside of TUM must not be fundamentally different from the knowledge and skills conveyed in the corresponding modules at the TUM (basis for this is Art. 86 BayHIG and § 16 APSO).
Procedure of the recognition process:
- Submit the completed recognition form to the examinations office ASG. All additional documents required must be enclosed in accordance with the form (page 1) and checked for completeness by the student. Only complete documents can be processed.
- Your application with the documents will be forwarded to the module coordinator/subject examiner. They will decide on the equivalence of the already achieved credits with the credits to be achieved in your degree pgroamme at TUM.
You can find the recognition form in the wiki of your degree programme under "Documents and Forms".
Please note:
- You can apply for recognition of credits only after you have enrolled.
- An application for recognition of credits can only be made once and must be made within the first academic year. In order to ensure an appropriate planning of your studies, you should submit your application as soon as possible.
- In the case of credits from a semester abroad, recognition must be applied for within the semester following the stay abroad.
- The recognition procedure ends with the signing of the application by the responsible module coordinator. Information on recognition or rejection will be sent by e-mail. Applications cannot be re-submitted after the recognition procedure has been completed.
- Once recognition has taken place, a new application for recognition of credits claiming equivalence with a module other than the recognized competences is no longer possible. If the student claims equivalence of the competences to multiple different modules, this must be checked in the same application/recognition process. In this case, please use a separate form for each recognition process.
- If at least 30 credits are recognized as equivalent, you will be upgraded by one semester. If 52/82 credits are recognized, you will be upgraded by two/three semesters respectively.
Grade conversion:
If the grading system of examinations completed at universities or equivalent institutions of higher education and recognized by TUM does not match the TUM grading system, the grades of the other institution will be converted according to the so-called "Bavarian Formula". If such a conversion is not possible, the examination board will determine a corresponding ratio for the grade conversion.
Contact for credit recognition: examination.asg(at)ed.tum.de
Registration:
For final theses (= Bachelor’s thesis und Master’s thesis) registration and all administration take place in the ED portal at https://portal.ed.tum.de/en/Theses/
You find all important information in the wiki of the ED portal.
The supervising chair will register you for the thesis. You will then receive an e-mail asking you to confirm the registration of the thesis and the data provided in the portal. Only then will the registration be reviewed by the examination board and you will then receive the approval or rejection of the topic by e-mail.
All e-mails from the portal will be sent to your TUM e-mail address.
Submission:
The Bachelor's/Master's thesis is handed in digitally via the ED portal. For more information, see wiki of the ED portal.
Extension:
In the event of valid reasons for which you are not responsible (e.g. longer waiting time for technical equipment or software), you can apply to the respective examination board for an extension of the processing time. This is also done via the ED portal. For more information, see wiki of the ED portal.
Suspension due to illness:
The processing time is suspended for the duration of an illness. You are obliged to report an illness to the respective board of examiners immediately and to provide credible evidence of this in the form of a medical certificate. The report is also made via the ED portal in the same way as when applying for an extension (see above).
Please send the medical certificate in PDF format to examination.asg(at)ed.tum.de. The certificate must meet the same criteria as those set out above under “Withdrawal from an examination.”
Important: If the illness is not reported immediately—i.e., as soon as you realize that you are ill—the respective board of examiners must reject the suspension of the processing time.
When the grading process is complete, you can view the grade in TUMonline.
As soon as the assessment has been finally confirmed by the examiners, you receive the grade by e-mail. The grade and other details are then transferred from the School Office to TUMonline.
According to § 18 (11) APSO, the thesis has to be graded within two months.
Please note: You may not be on leave of absence during the entire time you are working on the thesis and must be duly enrolled by the time you hand in your thesis.
Important: Please read the guidelines for ensuring good scientific practice at TU München. Their knowledge is assumed when registering the thesis.