MSc στη Γεωπληροφορική και Παρατήρηση Γης

There will be no admission of new students for the academic year 2025-26.

MSc in Geoinformatics and Earth Observation

Structure and Content

*Under evaluation from the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education

Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing synthesize aspects of various scientific fields, as well as associated methods and techniques, including Geodesy, Geophysics, Geographic Information Systems, Photogrammetry, Information Science, Geomathematics, Geostatistics, which are employed in all stages of collection, storage, management, analysis and dissemination of geographic information. Geoinformatics support a wide range of social and environmental decisions, both in the private and public sectors. There is, however, a continuous need for training and specialization of scientists and engineers capable of addressing the increasing requirements of society related to collecting, managing and analyzing geospatial information, the volume of which increases with unprecedented pace.

Earth observation is the gathering of information about planet Earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems. It involves monitoring and assessing the status of, and changes in, the natural and man-made environment. In recent years, Earth observation has become more and more sophisticated with the development of remote-sensing satellites and increasingly high-tech “in-situ” instruments. The integration of novel Earth Observation (EO), space and ground-based integrated technologies, can contribute to a more sustainable and systematic monitoring of the environment, the timely detection of societal risks/threats and the growth of vital economic sectors. The ultimate goal is to foster the sustainable development in line with the international policy framework (EU Societal Challenges, UN SDGs, Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement) and provide critical information through end user products to policy makers, local, national and regional authorities, citizens and tourists.

The master’s program “Geoinformatics and Earth Observation” constitutes a competitive program of international standards, which:

provides the opportunity for specialization and knowledge expansion in Geoinformatics, cutting edge Geospatial Technologies and Earth Observation
promotes high-quality research in the fields of Geoinformatics, Geospatial Technologies and Earth Observation
provides the opportunity to come across with high-level and high-quality research funded activities such as the EXCELSIOR H2020 TEAMING Project
prepares students towards the continuation of their education at a PhD level
equips students with additional qualifications and skills related to Geoinformatics, Geospatial Technologies and Earth Observation in order to seek employment with greater competence in the public or private sector.
provides the opportunity to employees already working in the public or private sector to continue their education in a graduate level, thus offering professional advancement opportunities.

The program consists of 13 courses, which also include a master’s thesis. The course list and content description are given at the tab “Courses”. It is noted that all classes are three (3) hours long and correspond to 6 ECTS, while the master’s thesis corresponds to 30 ECTS.

The students have the opportunity to specialized in two areas: Geoinformatics & Earth Observation (EO). Specialization is achieved via courses in research methods, elective courses, seminars/labs (workshops) and the master’s thesis. Specialization in Geoinformatics aims at providing the methodological and algorithmic/computational knowledge necessary to comprehend relevant new technologies & aims at the application of the above methodologies/technologies in various fields, such as environment, infrastructure, etc. Specialization in EO for Monitoring the Environment aims at providing methodological and algorithmic/computational knowledge necessary to comprehend relevant new technologies of EO in the following areas: Environment and Climate (atmosphere, agriculture, water, land), Resilient Societies (disasters risk reduction, cultural heritage, marine safety and security, energy) and Big Earth Data Management (information extraction, visual exploration and visualization, crowdsourcing and data fusion, Geo-informatics). Emphasis will be given on research excellence in five application areas, which include Climate Change Monitoring, Water Resource Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Access to Energy and Big EO Data Analytics.

The curriculum of the program includes only compulsory courses, which are credited with six (6) ECTS each. Five (5) courses are held during the first semester (Autumn semester) and five (5) during the second semester (Spring semester). The topic of the postgraduate dissertation is chosen within the autumn semester and is inextricably linked to the course of research methods and specialization. The elaboration of the postgraduate dissertation starts at the beginning of the summer period, once the teaching part of the program is successfully completed, and is expected to be completed at the end of the summer period.

The program is offered in the form of full or part time. In the case of full-time study, the program is completed in thirteen (13) months which includes two academic semesters and the summer period. The latter begins immediately after the end of the Spring semester and includes the months of June, July, August and September. In the case of part-time study, the program can be completed in four (4) academic semesters. For the summer period after the end of the two years of teaching, the same applies in the case of full-time study.

Admission

*Under evaluation from the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education

Holders of a degree from a recognized university, or holders of a degree that has been deemed equivalent to a university degree by the Cyprus Degree Evaluation Council (KY.S.A.T.S.), have the right to apply for the Master's program. Undergraduate students, who are expected to receive a university degree before the start of the postgraduate program, can also apply.

Candidates are informed of the outcome of their application in the e-mail they have stated when submitting their application and through the University Portal.

Advance payment is a condition for securing a position that has been offered. This amount is not refundable in any case. See here the amount of the deposit and how to repay the tuition.
Applications together with the supporting documents are submitted electronically, through the University Portal. Create an application here.

Applicants must submit the following electronically in order to apply:

Photocopy of political identity card or passport.
Curriculum vitae
Photocopies of university degrees (or a certificate confirming that the university degree will be obtained before the start of the postgraduate program).
Detailed degree rating
Short report (approximately 500 words), in which the candidate explains the reasons for choosing the postgraduate program and describes his / her academic and research interests, in relation to his / her future professional plans.
Letters of Recommendation are not required. It is only necessary to state two names / details / telephone numbers of the persons who can report and the Department, if it deems it, will contact them directly.
Certificate of proficiency in the Greek language: Acceptable evidence of proficiency in the Greek language are considered the diploma of a recognized six-grade Secondary School of Greece or Cyprus or Lyceum that has Greek as the main language of instruction.

The Department may request additional confidential information from the candidate as well as adopt any additional criteria it deems necessary.

Courses

*Under evaluation from the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education

1st semester

GEO 551	Compulsory	Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Science
GEO 552	Compulsory	Geospatial Data Acquisition
GEO 553	Compulsory	Remote Sensing and Earth Observation
GEO 554	Compulsory	Digital Imaging, Photogrammetry & Computer Vision
GEO 555	Course of specialization	Research Methods: Geoinformatics & Earth Observation

2nd semester

GEO 561	Compulsory	Geospatial Data Science
GEO 562	Compulsory	Earth Observation for Environmental Monitoring
GEO 563	Compulsory	Space-based Positioning and Deformation Monitoring Techniques
GEO 564	Elective	Special Topics in GIS
GEO 565	Elective	Special Topics in Earth Observation
GEO 566	Elective	Special Topics in Earth Data Analytics
GEO 567	Course of specialization	Specialization: Geoinformatics & Earth Observation

Course Description

Course Code/Title	GEO 551: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Science
Course Purpose and Objectives	Methods and techniques of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Science (GIScience) relevant to Geoinformatics and Earth Observation
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) develop geodatabases within a GIS, (2) analyse spatial data within a GIS, (3) create meaningful representations for communicating data and analytical results within a GIS.
Course Content	Theoretical framework of Geoinformatics. Application areas, computer /information systems, and their architecture. Spatial and temporal notions in spatial information. Sources of spatial and descriptive data. Data acquisition from maps. Geospatial data acquisition from geodetic, photogrammetric and remotely-sensed sources. Object and field data models in spatial information. Data bases and their structure. Spatial decision support systems. Commercial and open-source geographic information systems.

Course Code/Title	GEO 552: Geospatial Data Acquisition
Course Purpose and Objectives	Introduction to advanced geospatial data acquisition via terrestrial, airborne, and space-based methodologies, referencing and management of geoinformation. Student understanding of geospatial data acquisition, coordinate reference systems and frames, and management of geoinformation via programming techniques.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) recognise and discriminate terrestrial, airborne and satellite data acquisition methodologies, (2) classify and appraise national, regional and terrestrial coordinate reference systems (CRS) and transformation processes, (3) organise heterogeneous geospatial information by means of high-level programming languages, such as Python.
Course Content	Terrestrial, Airborne, and Space-based geospatial data acquisition systems. Introduction to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Basic Principles of Terrestrial, Airborne and Space-based data acquisition. Categories and Types of Geoinformation. Coordinate reference systems, Datums and Map Projections. Coordinate Conversions and Transformations. Data Structures and Geo-information Management. European and National Policies on Geospatial Information Management. Geodata Management and Analysis using programming tools.

Course Code/Title	GEO 553: Remote Sensing and Earth Observation
Course Purpose and Objectives	Principles of remote sensing, image processing, and trends in earth observation.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) show a deeper understanding of theory and practice of remote sensing, (2) comprehend the information content of remotely sensed data and means for retrieving that information, (3) decide which remote sensing techniques suit specific needs.
Course Content	Remote Sensing Principles, role and importance of satellite remote sensing, Earth observation, network of earth observation, Passive and Optical Sensors, Characteristics of satellites and satellite data - modern earth observation missions. Pre-processing of satellite images (Geometric corrections, Radiometric corrections, Atmospheric corrections). Post-processing techniques, Fusion of remote sensing data, sub-pixel applications, Hyperspectral data, multi-scale remote sensing (up-scaling / down-scaling techniques), Advanced classification techniques, spectral signatures, spectral libraries. Image Transformation, Indices, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Tasseled Cap. Field Spectroscopy. Atmospheric Lidar, Microwave, Thermal Images, satellite radar images (SAR). Importance of using ground-based facilities and UAV to support earth observations. Geophysical surveys. Systematic monitoring with global systems. Applications. Trends in satellite remote sensing: The international environment and the European Space Agency.

Course Code/Title	GEO 554: Digital Imaging, Photogrammetry & Computer Vision
Course Purpose and Objectives	Familiarization with basic principles of photogrammetry and computer vision techniques, along with their applications in data gathering using cameras and image processing.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) relate photogrammetric data in a cartographic production process, (2) predict the quality of photogrammetric processes and products, as well as prioritize the influence of variables in the final product quality, and (3) use digital photogrammetric systems
Course Content	Historical background. Platforms and sensors. Active and passive sensors. Mathematical and geometrical principles of computer vision. 3D models, orthophotos and deliverables. Data management and quality control of photogrammetric processing. Equipment and software of photogrammetric production. Aerial, terrestrial, and underwater surveying. Simultaneous Location and Mapping along with mobile mapping data acquisition, principles of Artificial Intelligence in object detection in images. Applications on cultural heritage and constructions.

Course Code/Title	GEO 555: Research Methods: Geoinformatics & Earth Observation
Course Purpose and Objectives	Selection of Geoinformatics or Earth Observation subfield for the master’s thesis and critical review of relevant literature
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to critically review pertinent literature (Greek and English) in Geoinformatics or Earth Observation, as well as develop research questions and hypotheses.
Course Content	Selection of a subfield of Geoinformatics or Earth Observation for the purposes of the specialization and master’s thesis, and relevant literature review under the guidance of one or more members of the Faculty and Instructors. The objective of the literature review is the identification of issues warranting further investigation, and/or the identification of new research trends in the particular subfield. The process of literature review can be enriched via seminars/workshops in relevant subfields.

Course Code/Title	GEO 561: Geospatial Data Science
Course Purpose and Objectives	Methods and techniques of geospatial data science and its role in Geoinformatics and Earth Observation
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) identify core methods of different disciplines contributing to spatial data science, (2) select and employ the most appropriate analytical methods depending on the research question and the type of geospatial data required to address that question, (3) Synthesize and present high-quality analytical results involving spatial data.
Course Content	The role of (geo)spatial data science in Geoinformatics and Earth Observation. Geospatial data types and spatial analysis objectives for each type. Elements of statistics and their application in spatial analysis. Multivariate statistical methods, regression, clustering, classification, as well as machine learning approaches. Methods for the analysis of spatial distribution of point data, graphs and networks. Geostatistics and spatial interpolation. Problems and models for spatial allocation/siting. Spatial models, cellular automata, agent-based models.

Course Code/Title	GEO 562: Earth Observation for Environmental Monitoring
Course Purpose and Objectives	Principles of earth observation for environmental monitoring, satellite imagining sensors, remote sensing, image processing and the trends for environmental monitoring.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) demonstrate the ability to complete an independent, in-depth, thorough and systematic study related to: Climate Change Monitoring, Water Resource Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Access to Energy and Big EO Data Analytics, (2) interpret and evaluate conclusions from data analysis, and develop results validated through a sound research methodology, (3) prioritise and critically assess earth observation sensors and space-based solutions for environmental applications.
Course Content	Classification algorithms for land use analysis. Land use changes and environmental protection. Spatio-temporal changes of landscape. Vegetation indices. Integrated analysis of remote sensing images and thematic maps. Remote sensing applications for built and natural environment. Risk assessment using satellite data. Management of monuments and cultural heritage sites. Detect subsurface archaeological remains through image analysis of archival datasets and fusion with high resolution satellite data.

Course Code/Title	GEO 563: Space-based Positioning and Deformation Monitoring Techniques
Course Purpose and Objectives	Ways in which Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), GNSS augmentations, and integrated mapping and positioning platforms contribute to multidisciplinary fields. Space-based deformation monitoring techniques using GNSS and SAR. Application of GNSS, and alternative methodologies to position, navigate, map and analyze physical or man-made features and processes.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) assess and apply available GNSS positioning methodologies and the underlying mathematical models, (2) determine errors and biases that affect positioning and navigation performance, (3) discriminate between different GNSS augmentations, (4) categorise and assess SAR techniques for deformation monitoring, (5) select the appropriate techniques and methods for applications, such as Geodynamics, Structural Engineering, Meteorology, Hydrography, Transportation.
Course Content	Advanced aspects of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Mathematical Models and Observation Equations. Sources of Errors and Biases in GNSS and error mitigation methods. GNSS Processing techniques. GNSS Augmentations. Mobile Mapping methods and platforms. Modern integrated space-based positioning and monitoring infrastructures. Principles of SAR. GNSS/SAR deformation monitoring techniques and applications in geodynamics, structures, archaeology, meteorology, hydrographic surveying.

Course Code/Title	GEO 564: Special Topics in GIS
Course Purpose and Objectives	Specialization in Geoinformatics and presentation of advanced applications of Geographic Information Systems and Science
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to (1) collect, manage and analyse geospatial data for a variety of applications, (2) evaluate state-of-the-art methods and technologies in Geographic Information Systems and Science for selected application domains
Course Content	Use of GIS (User Needs, Provision of Information, Decision Support Systems, Infrastructure, Legal Framework). Applications of GIS. Database organization and selection of a GIS depending upon a specific application. GIS applications in Cyprus. Applications in various fields: Environment, water quality, air pollution, agriculture, geology, blue growth, social policy, urban planning, land register, coastal, project management, road - management and road works, telecommunications, archeology, cultural heritage, etc.. New methods of acquiring and analysing geospatial data.

Course Title	GEO 565: Special Topics in Earth Observation
Course Purpose and Objectives	Advanced remote sensing technologies and their use in natural and build environment. Learn, critically assess, implement and evaluate a variety of image processing algorithms for satellite datasets
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to show expertise in advanced optical satellite remote sensing applications
Course Content	Bathymetry using optical satellite images. Contribution of remote sensing data for Maritime Spatial Planning. Precision agriculture and evapotranspiration. Recognition and vegetation classification. Phenological studies. Urban heat island effect using satellite images. Monitoring networks. Identifying water losses in rural areas etc.

Course Code/Title	GEO 566: Special Topics in Earth Data Analytics
Course Purpose and Objectives	Specialization in Earth Data Analytics and its applications in Geoinformatics and Earth Observation.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) critically evaluate methodological and practical advantages and disadvantages of analytical methods discussed in the module, (2) select appropriate methods for solving real-world geographical problems .
Course Content	Applications of modern statistical methods for Geoinformatics and Earth Observation. Machine learning for regression, clustering, classification, spatial interpolation and spatial analysis.

Course Code/Title	GEO 567: Specialization: Geoinformatics & Earth Observation
Course Purpose and Objectives	Specialization in a subfield of Geoinformatics or Earth Observation
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to: (1) critically review existing literature in a subfield of Geoinformatics or Earth Observation, (2) develop research questions and hypotheses, (3) use geoinformatics or Earth Observation in a small-project setting.
Course Content	Specialization, lab exercises and research projects, as well as seminars/workshops, pertaining to the subfield of Geoinformatics and/or Earth Observation selected during the 1st semester, under the guidance of one of more program Faculty and Instructors.

Course Code/Title	GEO 590: MSc Dissertation (Thesis) in Geoinformatics and Earth Observation
Course Purpose and Objectives	Conduct research in geoinformatics or Earth Observation in selected application areas, such as environment, infrastructures, cultural heritage, etc.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, it is expected that the learner will be able to conduct applied research and write a research report
Course Content	Master’s project and thesis writing under the supervision of one or more program Faculty and Instructors. Widely accepted methodologies and/or research tools should be employed during all stages of the research project. The deliverable should constitute a complete manuscript, and parts of which could be submitted for peer-review and publication in scientific journals. The master’s thesis topic will be selected during the 1st semester, and will be directly linked to the topics of the research methods and specialization courses. It is expected that this practice will promote the continuous student/Faculty/Instructor interaction, as well as lead to a high-quality thesis. The thesis project will commence in June, while the final thesis should be submitted in September.