Land Management and Geospatial Science

Increasing urbanization, growing demand for land in agriculture, and precarious land tenure, particularly in developing countries, highlight the urgent need for functional land management systems. Students of the English-taught Master’s degree program in Land Management and Geospatial Science (M.Sc.) learn to analyze conflicting requirements and develop solutions for socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable land use.

The program focuses on various aspects of the use of land, water, and forests, especially in developing countries. It teaches concepts, theories, and techniques of land management as well as geosciences. Students deal with the analysis and development of responsible land management systems, with the interactions between urban and rural areas, with questions of land valuation, land taxation, land allocation, and land development in to establish a system of adequate land management and secure land tenure. They have the opportunity to specialize in the areas of Systems of Land Rights and Land Use, Systems of Geospatial Engineering for Land, Water and Forestry Management, or Systems of Planning, Policy and Governance.

Graduates of the degree program are specialists in the development of fair and sustainable land use systems. They are able to apply land and space-related concepts with theoretical knowledge, socio-economic and legal competence, and in a situation-specific manner in order to meet global challenges resulting from insecure ownership, shifts in land use, and volatile social and ecological conditions. This makes them particularly well qualified for work in international development cooperation organizations, but also for continuing their scientific work within the framework of a dissertation.

For a comprehensive description of the program, please refer to the degree program documentation:

• Degree program documentation for the Master’s program in Land Management and Geospatial Science (PDF) 

The degree program comprises 4 semesters and 120 CP in total. Within the first two semesters the students gain skills in land management sciences, in geospatial engineering sciences and in policy, governance, management and research sciences. In the third semester the students choose one of three areas of concentration (1. Land management skills, 2. Usage of geospatial methods and techniques, and 3. Political and organizational aspects of land and geospatial interventions) enabling students to select combinations of modules based on their specific interests, which also offers a good opportunity for international mobility, and finalize their studies in the fourth semester in writing their master’s thesis.

• Overwiew degree program structure

Required language skills for admission:

You need sufficient English language skills if you wish to apply for this program. Evidence of your language proficiency has to be submitted before the end of the application deadline. Learn more about recognized certificates and other ways to prove your English language skills.

This evidence of your language proficiency confirms that you comply with the minimum language requirements for admission to the program. Depending on the program and your individual background, it may be necessary for you to keep working on your language skills during your studies. Be sure to take a look at the services of our Language Center.  

Language of instruction:

The language of instruction for this program is English.

• Information on exams
• Information on studying abroad

Minimum requirements to apply for a Master's program at TUM are a recognized undergraduate degree (e.g. a bachelor’s) and the successful completion of the aptitude assessment procedure. Aptitude assessment allows the TUM school or department to which you are applying the opportunity to evaluate your individual talents and motivation for study.

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents.

If you receive an offer of admission, you will additionally have to submit individual documents as notarized hardcopies by post to be enrolled.

Generally, applicants with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a bachelor’s) obtained outside of the EU / EEA must have their documents reviewed in advance through uni-assist.

In detail:

• Applying for a master’s program: Application, admission requirements and more  
• Important information about your application from the TUM school or department

• Degree Certificate and Diploma or Subject and Grade Transcript of Studies to Date
• Transcript of Records
• Letter of Motivation
• Proof of English Language Proficiency
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Passport
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) if the qualification for graduate studies (e.g. a bachelor’s) was obtained outside the EU/EEA (from winter semester 2025/26: 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. 

• Application for Enrollment (signed)
• Degree Certificate and Diploma (certified copy)
• Transcript of Records (certified copy)
• 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.

Application period for winter semester: 01.01. – 31.05.

Information about applying for a higher subject semester

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents. Please be aware that we can only process your application if you upload all required documents within the application period.

We will review your application as soon as it is complete. Please check your TUMonline account regularly, to see if we have any queries to your documents or if you have to amend one or more documents.

After receiving admission, you will see in TUMonline which documents you have to submit for enrollment, and in which form. Please note that you always have to send the signed application for enrollment and all notarized hardcopies by post.

We recommend that you submit the documents for enrollment as soon as possible after receiving admission. If individual documents are not available by then, you can submit them up to 5 weeks after the start of the lecture period. You will, however, only be enrolled once we have received all documents.

You can check the status of your application at any time in your TUMonline account.

The program is aimed at applicants which are capable of handling complex problems in land matters which usually only tend to have customized and contextually relevant solutions. In addition, applicants should demonstrate good command of the English language, and should have good communication skills. Therefore, applicants are subject to aptitude assessment.

In the initial stages, the grades obtained by the applicant during the bachelor's program, as well as the provided written documents, will be evaluated using a point system. Depending on the amount of points accumulated, applicants are either rejected or provisionally admitted subject to the qualification assessment of the second stage.
The interview represents the second stage of the procedure and helps determine whether the applicant is capable of successfully completing the desired course of study. One by one oral interviews are conducted in person or by telephone. The results of preliminary assessments and interviews leads to the ranking of candidates to be presented to a selection committee, consisting of the Dean of Studies, Program Director and Program Coordinator. It is the committee that determines who is finally accepted or rejected for admission.

• Aptitude Assessment for Master
• Description of the aptitude assessment (PDF 154 KB)