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Geospatial Sciences (Hydrographic Surveying) MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Prepare for a career in geospatial sciences with a focus on hydrographic surveying in this one-year MSc at UCL. You’ll collaborate with academics and industry experts, gaining exposure to cutting-edge research, theory, tools, and techniques for working with geospatial data in the marine environment, from acquisition to processing and analysis.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£20,500
£10,250
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£39,800
£19,900
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 04 Apr 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline (such as engineering, architecture, geography, urban planning, mathematics, surveying, marine & Earth sciences, computer science) from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Normally, however, only candidates with either a first- or upper second-class degree will be accepted, although applicants with a lower second-class degree supported by extensive relevant work experience will also be considered.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


If you’re looking for a specialist Master’s in geospatial sciences with a focus on hydrographic surveying, there is no better place to study than here at UCL.

Bringing together the relevant theory with extensive project-based experience, the course covers the diverse facets of geospatial sciences – from acquiring, processing, and analysing spatial data and geotechnics to modern vessel-based acoustic techniques, satellite positioning, autonomous survey vessels and more.

In addition to excellent teaching and insights into current research and theory, you’ll gain practical skills and learn specialist software tools like ArcMap, QGIS, and Hypack.

You’ll also gain transferable skills like communication, project management and critical thinking – which, when coupled with your technical expertise, will make you highly sought after for jobs in consultancies, the offshore exploration industry, government and non-governmental bodies. 

Who this course is for

This programme is most likely to appeal to students who have an academic background in a subject such as engineering, surveying, environmental studies, geography, mathematics, earth sciences, physical or computational sciences and wish to develop their skills in the rapidly growing area of marine geospatial sciences. 

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

This degree offers you the following opportunities and benefits:

  • A postgraduate degree from a top-ranked university. UCL is consistently ranked among the best universities globally (ranked 9th in the latest QS World University Rankings 2025), providing you with a prestigious qualification that is highly regarded by employers worldwide.  
  • Work with our expert academics and researchers from UCL Geomatics, including geospatial data analytics, geo-BIM, location technology, reality capture, spatio-temporal big data, machine learning and more.
  • Gain practical experience with a range of data acquisition tools and software, including 3D modelling, GIS analysis, programming languages like Python and software development frameworks.
  • Enjoy a transformative curriculum designed to help you tailor the programme to fit your academic goals and build a successful career in the geospatial industry.  
  • Take advantage of our research and industry links, including attending our industrial and research seminar series and learn from industry leaders. 
  • Build strong collaborative skills, working alongside experts from UCL Geomatics and carrying out research projects with one of our industrial partners.
  • Study in the world's best city for university students (QS Best Student Cities 2025). UCL’s Bloomsbury campus is in the heart of a London district famous for its cultural and educational institutions. 
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Students graduating with a degree in Geospatial Sciences (Hydrographic Surveying) will be equipped for a diverse range of roles, with organisations such as offshore and inshore survey companies, national hydrographic departments, equipment manufacturers and port authorities. Additionally, many graduates from our programmes go on to PhD research at UCL or elsewhere.

Throughout the course, you are in touch with industry partners - through seminars, conferences, GEO Business and you can even do your dissertation with them.

Headshot of alumni student Pratibha Patel talking to camera

Pratibha Patel

MSc Geospatial Sciences (Hydrographic Surveying)

Hear more from our students

Employability

Our programme offers a combination of theory, practice, and innovation that will give you the strong technical and contextual foundation you need to progress into a geospatial science career in either industry or research.  

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate, and build professional contacts during your Master’s, enriching your learning experience and establishing a valuable network that can shape your future in the Geospatial field.

  • Engage with peers, industry experts and faculty members all united in their desire to help shape the future of geospatial sciences and engineering.  
  • Take part in collaborative group projects, seminars, site visits, fieldtrips, case studies, and workshops with the UCL Geomatics and industry partners.
  • Get insights into real-world engineering challenges and learn from industry leaders.
  • Access UCL Careers for a variety of resources and events to support your career development, including workshops, employer fairs, and one-to-one guidance. 

Accreditation

This programme meets the requirements of the FIG/IHO/ICA S-5A Standards of Competence for Category "A" Hydrographic Surveyors—the highest level of international recognition available. The programme is also accredited by RICS, whose accredited degree courses are relevant to industry, and are recognised by employers as the benchmark of quality.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, computer sessions, seminars and field classes. 

For your research project, you may expect to run practical experiments, computational experiments, user studies, or fieldwork, depending on your project's specific requirements. 

This programme is assessed via coursework (individual and group), presentations, written examinations and the dissertation.

Full-time students can expect 12-16 hours of contact time per teaching week. The exact number of contact hours, composition, and assessment varies throughout the terms, and depends on the module choices of the student.

This is a full-time course, which means students should expect a working schedule of approximately 35-40 hours a week.

A Postgraduate Diploma, consisting of eight compulsory modules (120 credits), is also offered.

Modules

1-year (FT) mode: the 4 modules of Term 1 give you a foundation in geospatial science and programming and in the computational and statistical processes that are appropriate to your chosen specialism. The 4 modules of Term 2 focus on the specialist application areas, including two in hydrographic surveying field applications. Over the period May to September you will carry out an individual project. Some routes may involve practical field work integrated within the modules. All modules involve a mixture of lectures, practical work, seminars and visits to government or private geospatial organisations.

2-year (PT) mode: you will study 2 modules per term over the 2-year period. The individual project may be started after the first year and is completed at the end of the second year.

The programme structure for modular/flexible students encompasses a total of 180 credits over the course of their studies. 

Compulsory modules











Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Geospatial Sciences (Hydrographic Surveying). Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Geospatial Sciences (Hydrographic Surveying).

Fieldwork

The Applied Field Project module consists of preparatory work in Term 2, followed by a three week (partly residential) field project in Term 3. This is centred around a complex multi-disciplinary project, and includes onshore and vessel-based activities, and office-based processing, charting, and reporting. To prepare you for safe working on PLA survey vessels there is also a compulsory 'Introduction to Nautical Science' course in Term 1.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

UCL PEARL building pictured from outside on sunny day

The Department boasts award-winning next-generation research facilities across UCL’s estate. Over the past few years, we have developed new state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to versatile and ambitious research aimed at creating safer and more inclusive public spaces. CAVE (Controlled Active Ventilation Environment) and PEARL (Person Environment Activity Research Laboratory) are two innovative research spaces that provide a full-scale testing facility where researchers can simulate real-life environments. These facilities are in line with UCL's Sustainability Strategy, supporting our bold ambition to become a net-zero carbon institution by 2030. PEARL is UCL's first net-zero carbon building. The StrEnTHE (Structural & Environmental Testing at Here East) laboratory offers large-scale structural and environmental testing capabilities, including the UK's only integrated environmental-mechanical rig for testing masonry wall specimens and other large structural elements under various loading and environmental conditions.

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Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £20,500 £10,250
Tuition fees (2025/26) £39,800 £19,900

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

There is no fee deposit required for PG Dip and PG Cert applicants.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

The programme may involve some additional costs, which can vary depending on the specific modules and activities chosen. Not all of these will apply to every student, but these could include expenses for course materials, participation in site visits, necessary equipment for certain settings, or other project-related needs. 

Fieldwork costs are an estimated maximum £1,550, including accommodation and travel. This also includes travel costs related to the practical work aboard survey vessels associated with the Hydrographic Applications module, and the 'Introduction to Nautical Science' course in Term 1.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study geospatial sciences at graduate level
  • why you want to study geospatial sciences at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver. 

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

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Got questions? Get in touch

Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering

cege-pg-admissions@ucl.ac.uk

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