Master's in Spatial Engineering
Master degree
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 17,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EUR 2,530 ┃for EU/EEA students
Key Summary
Tackle large-scale, complex, societal challenges with the use of spatial data.
Natural disasters, poverty, food shortage, epidemics, and climate change; are the greatest challenges society is facing today and are characterized by enormous complexity. These so-called wicked problems are impossible to solve in a way that is simple or final. The world needs socially committed engineers who won’t shy away from these complex challenges but feel the urge to contribute to solutions that will make societies around the world more sustainable and resilient. Are you eager to address these multifaceted challenges, using an in-depth understanding of spatial information science? If so, the Master’s in Spatial Engineering at the University of Twente (UT) is the right choice for you.
In this two-year, English-taught Master’s, you will learn to address large-scale and complex societal challenges by combining both technical and socio-economic knowledge with a strong basis of spatial data analysis and modeling. You will become skilled in mapping the conflicting needs of different stakeholders within complex societal, political, economic, and cultural contexts. The key is to structure and redefine problems beyond the obvious frames and design solutions based on a multidisciplinary understanding of wicked problems.
WWF/Russell E. Train Fellowships
Russel E. Train Fellowships support individuals pursuing a Master's or Doctoral degree in conservation and related fields. Each year, WWF supports committed conservation leaders and scientists from target countries to receive financial support for their studies and research.
Level of Study: Master's programs
Master's programs: Geo-information Science and Earth Observation
ITC Faculty Early Bird Programme
ITC is happy to announce the ‘Early Bird’ program for a limited number of unconditionally admitted candidates.
Level of Study: Master's programs and Short course
Master's programmes
- Geo-information Science and Earth Observation
- Spatial Engineering
Short Course
- Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (Postgraduate diploma)
University of Twente Scholarship (UTS)
The University Twente Scholarship (UTS) is a scholarship for excellent students from non-EU/EER countries, applying for a graduate programme (MSc) at the University of Twente.
Level of Study: Master's programmes
Master's programmes:
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Business Administration
- Business Information Technology
- Chemical Science & Engineering
- Civil Engineering & Management
- Communication Science
- Computer Science
- Construction Management & Engineering
- Educational Science & Technology
- Electrical Engineering
- Embedded Systems
- Environmental & Energy Management
- European Studies
- Health Sciences
- Humanitarian Engineering
- Industrial Design Engineering
- Industrial Engineering & Management
- Interaction Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Robotics
- Sustainable Energy Technology
NL Scholarship
The NL Scholarship is a scholarship for excellent students from non-EU/EEA countries, applying for a Master's programme at the University of Twente. The scholarship amounts to € 5,000 only for the first year of your studies.
Level of Study: Master's programmes
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Business Administration
- Business Information Technology
- Chemical Science & Engineering
- Civil Engineering & Management
- Communication Science
- Computer Science
- Construction Management & Engineering
- Educational Science & Technology
- Electrical Engineering
- Embedded Systems
- Environmental & Energy Management
- European Studies
- Geo-information Science and Earth Observation
- Health Sciences
- Humanitarian Engineering
- Industrial Design Engineering
- Industrial Engineering & Management
- Interaction Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Robotics
- Spatial Engineering
- Sustainable Energy Technology
William Georgetti Scholarships
The purpose of the William Georgetti Scholarship is to encourage postgraduate study and research, normally in New Zealand, in a field that in the opinion of the Scholarship Board is important to the social, cultural or economic development of New Zealand.
Level of Study: Master's programmes
Master's programmes:
- Environmental & Energy Management
- Geo-information Science and Earth Observation
- Sustainable Energy Technology
- Water Technology
ITC Excellence Scholarship Programme
The Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation is pleased to announce the offer of partial scholarships to a maximum of 25 applicants with a very good academic track record. These academic scholarships are designed for students exhibiting as high-skilled geospatial professionals.
Level of Study: Master's programmes
Master's programmes:
- Geo-information Science and Earth Observation
- Spatial Engineering
Colfuturo Loan Programme powered by the University of Twente
Colfuturo and the University of Twente provide a shared financing programme to strengthen bilateral cooperation. The programme is for talented Colombians interested in a Master's programme at the University of Twente, within the framework of a Joint Graduate Loan-Scholarship programme.
Level of Study: Master's programmes
Master's programmes:
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Business Administration
- Business Information Technology
- Chemical Science & Engineering
- Civil Engineering & Management
- Communication Science
- Computer Science
- Construction Management & Engineering
- Educational Science & Technology
- Electrical Engineering
- Embedded Systems
- Environmental & Energy Management
- European Studies
- Geo-information Science and Earth Observation
- Health Sciences
- Industrial Design Engineering
- Industrial Engineering & Management
- Interaction Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Spatial Engineering
- Sustainable Energy Technology
ASML Technology Scholarship
Last year, 40 of the best technical Master's degree students from across the world studying at a Dutch university were selected to receive the ASML Technology Scholarship.
Level of Study: Master's programmes
Master's programmes:
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Chemical Science & Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Embedded Systems
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Kipaji Scholarship
The Kipaji Scholarship Fund is founded especially for talented students from countries with upcoming economies. Students from these countries could have the potential, but not the means to study at the University of Twente. The scholarship is meant as additional support for UTS scholarship students.
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Business Administration
- Business Information Technology
- Chemical Science & Engineering
- Civil Engineering & Management
- Communication Science
- Computer Science
- Construction Management & Engineering
- Educational Science & Technology
- Electrical Engineering
- Embedded Systems
- Environmental & Energy Management
- European Studies
- Health Sciences
- Industrial Design Engineering
- Industrial Engineering & Management
- Interaction Technology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Robotics
- Science Education
- Sustainable Energy Technology
- Technical Medicine
- Water Technology
The Master’s in Spatial Engineering is not quite like any other master’s program. Instead of serving up a curriculum that consists of several (elective) courses, this Master’s is based on the premise of challenge-based learning. Within various case studies, in your final research project, in fact, during your whole Master’s, you will choose what knowledge and skills you need to gain to come up with sustainable interventions for certain challenges. This self-directed learning approach will help you to develop your learning path and prepare you for the many challenges that will come your way, during and after your studies.
The Master’s in Spatial Engineering consists of two years, in which you will collect a total of 120 EC. The first year consists of two case study projects, elective courses, a mandatory foundational knowledge subject, an international module, and thesis proposal writing. The second year allows for a more personally oriented curriculum and consists of a Master’s research, an internship project, and electives.
Year 1
During the first and third quartiles of your Master’s, you will work on two case study projects, addressing real-life challenges such as urban flood problems, food and water insecurity, human-induced earth movement, or other crises related to nutrition and energy. Together with your team, you will develop your approach to the problem and propose a sustainable intervention. In the second quartile, you will acquire essential core knowledge in data mastery. You will also gain knowledge not covered in your prior education through a select set of electives.
Case study projects
Within the case study projects, you and your team will try to tackle actual challenges currently faced by society. These two case studies will increase in levels of wickedness. The degree of wickedness is defined by the knowledge that is available on the processes and the level of consensus that can be created among stakeholders.
Teamwork is key when it comes to the case study projects. You will develop your role within the team and make sure to gain the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to possible solutions and design an intervention. To do so, you can choose from choice topics within a case study project or gain knowledge from other sources. For example, one team member might delve deeper into remote sensing, while another focuses on stakeholder analysis.
The choice of topics will help you lay the foundation in certain fields of study, and through self-study and applying what you learned in the group project, you will deepen your knowledge and skills. You can be sure of the support and guidance of your mentor and the tutor who guides your team during the project. For example, they could help you in choosing the right choice topic or connect you to professors who can help you further in the self-study process.
International module
The international module at the start of the fourth quartile consists of a (virtual) field trip along a series of institutes and agencies in Europe to see how they deal with wicked problems in their work. The types of organizations you will visit vary from governmental to private organizations to research institutions. This module serves as a preparation for the professional field and will provide you with valuable contacts for finding an internship and for your future career.
Core knowledge development
In the first year, you will be able to choose some courses to start on your profile in the second year’s MSc Research and Internship project.
Proposal writing
The last quartile of your first year revolves around preparing for your Master’s research project. During the case study projects, you might have already found a research topic of your interest.
Career perspectives
With the increasing availability of spatial data and innovations in technologies, the demand for spatial engineers continues to grow extensively. As a graduate of the Master’s in Spatial Engineering, your job opportunities are nearly endless. You could work for a broad range of (international) organizations, varying from large NGOs to governments and from consultancy agencies to research institutes.
Whether you take on the role of a spatial engineer, a project manager, a consultant, or a researcher, you will be able to work on large-scale projects in international, multicultural, and interdisciplinary teams. You could get involved in the fields of water management, infrastructure, and planning, the development of renewable energy, environmental remote sensing, agriculture and nature conservation, socio-spatial inequality, meteorology, or architecture, to name just a few of the numerous exciting career paths you might follow after graduation. You could, of course, also obtain a PhD after completing your Master’s. Or you might even start up your own company!