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How to Apply

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in our international Master of Science Programme! The following information are intended to help you to prepare a competitive application for our programme. The application process is coordinated by TUM and supported by TUMonline application system. The final admission decision is taken by selection committee consisting of members of all four universities.

Starting dates

The Cartography Master programme starts every year in winter semester (program start: 1. October). Application is open from 1st of January of every year.

The winter semester lectures of the first and third semester at TUM and TUD take place from approximately mid-October to mid-February. The 2nd semester (summer semester at TUW) begins on March 1st and ends on June 30th. For more information, see the academic calendars of TUM, TUW and TUD.

Application procedure

Although organized by four leading universities, the Cartography M.Sc. programme is officially registered at TUM. This means that Cartography adheres to the application and admission procedures of TUM. Your application will proceed through the TUMonline application system. A guideline about TUMonline application can be found here.

Before you go there, please first check whether you meet the entry requirements for the Cartography M.Sc. programme and if you have all your documents for application ready. If you obtained your diploma from a country outside of EU/EEA or Switzerland, you need to apply additionally via uni-assist - University Application Service for International Students to make a preliminary evaluation whether you meet the entry requirements for the Master programme at TUM.

When you are uncertain about whether you qualify for admission, you may want to contact the programme coordinator. Please note that the programme coordinator cannot make a final decision on your eligibility. The selection committee composed of members of all four universities will only decide on whether you are admissible or not after having received your formal application.

Please note that if you are admitted, you must present certified hardcopies of all documents demanded by uni-assist for proof of your higher education entrance qualification upon enrollment. Please read the information on certification thoroughly to ensure that your documents meet the requirements.

Deadlines

Application for the 2025 intake is open

Application for the 2025 intake (program start: 1.10.2025) is open from 1.1. to 31.5.2025.

If we receive your complete application before 15.3.2025, you will be automatically considered as a scholarship candidate. No further steps are required while applying for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship.

Time remaining to apply for the 2025 intake:

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hours

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Ready to apply?

Proceed with our 3 steps to apply...

3 steps to apply

Application documents

Documents for admission

‒ Passport

‒ English language certificate
‒ Complete and current résumé (CV)
‒ Letter of motivation (see template)
‒ Subject and grade transcript of studies to date
‒ Two letters of recommendation (see template)
‒ Preliminary documentation / VPD certificate (only for applicants with diploma obtained from countries outside of EU/EEA or Switzerland)

Documents for enrolment

‒ Application for enrollment
‒ Passport style photo (as for ID)

‒ Evidence of student health insurance (issued by a compulsory health insurance company, more information here)
‒ Subject and grade transcript of studies to date (certified copy)

‒ Degree certificate (final grade transcript, certified copy)
‒ Diploma (certificate conferring an academic degree, certified copy)

For applicants who have already studied in Germany for minimum one semester (e.g. Erasmus exchange students)

‒ Enrolment certification of university last attended
‒ Study process certificate

Template for motivation letter

Questions that should be answered:

1. What qualification do you have that you think makes you a suitable candidate for the MSc Cartography programme?
2. How do you think Cartography will develop in the next 10 years?
3. How do you think the Master programme will affect your future life?
4. What elements of the programme do you feel attracted most?
5. What is the added value for you having the Erasmus Mundus mobility?

Template for recommendation letter

Questions that should be answered by the referee:

1. In which context do you know the candidate?
2. Would you consider the applicant suitable for the program for which he/she has applied?
3. How would you rate the success factor of the candidate in the program?

Optional: Portfolio

We highly recommend applicants to submit a portfolio of your recent work (all kind of visualizations) together with your application.

Please submit either a PDF of your portfolio via email to info@cartographymaster.eu or include the link to your portfolio in your motivation letter and/or CV.

How to apply in 3 steps ...

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

Start the TUMonline application system. Choose English as your default language. On the main page of the system you will find an option for applicants to create a new applicant account. Fill in the online questionnaire form. In a separate e-mail you will find your online application access data. Use them to log in into your online application panel.

The Cartography programme starts every year in the winter semester. Set “Second degree” as the form of studies if you have already obtained another Master's degree. Select “Consecutive master program” if you are applying with a Bachelor's degree.

Please note the special requirements for international applicants:

Applicants who have obtained their qualification for postgraduate studies (i.e. a bachelor's degree) in a country outside of EU/EEA or Switzerland need to have their documents processed by uni-assist. Uni-assist generates a preliminary documentation (VPD), which determines whether applicants qualify for postgraduate studies in Germany.

You need to apply for a preliminary documentation (VPD) via the uni-assist web portal. You must upload the documents required by uni-assist within the deadline to the uni-assist website.

– a copy of your degree certificate (if already available) and
– a copy of your subjects and grades (transcript),

– an official translation if the original documents were not issued in German or English.

More information on uni-assist at tum.de/en/studies/application-and-acceptance/uni-assist/

During the online application at uni-assist, choose the Technische Universität München and the option “all degree courses” (“Alle Fächer”). Do not choose a specific programme.

Please send your preliminary documentation to TUM as soon as you receive it. Verification of your documents with uni-assist does not qualify as an application for TUM. You will need to apply to TUM via TUMonline before the relevant application deadline.

During the online application, you will also be asked to upload several forms and documents necessary for the admission process, which you may want to prepare beforehand. These documents are:

(a) Passport
(b) Complete and current résumé (CV)

(c) Letter of motivation: Please describe your personal reasons and your particular interests and motivation for undertaking post-graduate studies in Cartography at TUM, TUW, TUD and UT on one to two pages.
(d) Subject and grade transcript of studies to date – officially certified copies including translation into English.
(e) Two letters of recommendation (written by faculty members, who are familiar with your work in the major area of your graduate study. If that work occurred some time ago, a recommendation from those people familiar with your professional performance is acceptable. If applicants do not have access to the recommendation letters itself, referees can send the letter directly by email to the programme coordinator via info@cartographymaster.eu.
(f) English language certificate – more information about the English language requirements can be found here.

If applicable:

(g) Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese applicants must submit a valid APS certificate (original) from the German Embassy in China/India/Vietnam
(h) Preliminary Documentation / VPD certificate – Applicants with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a bachelor's degree) obtained in a country outside of the EU/EWG are required to have their application documents proofed before submission by the University Application Service for International Students (uni-assist e.V.). Uni-assist will issue a VPD certificate. For further information on the VPD certificate, visit the TUM homepage.

Make sure on the application preview that you entered all the data correctly. Please note, after clicking "Send" no corrections of your details are possible!

In case you would like to send any additional document (e.g., the portfolio), please submit a PDF per e-mail to: info@cartographymaster.eu.

I applied, what now?

TUM evaluates your documents

Only when all required application documents have been filled out completely and received by the specified deadline, will they be processed by the admissions and enrolment office of TUM. Due to the large number of applicants the process may take several weeks. Check the status of your application in your TUMonline account.

Please note: The programme selection committee incl. the coordinator are not involved in this step and cannot give any feedback during this process.

Take part in the aptitude assessment process done by the selection committee of the Cartography programme

Once your application is complete, it will be processed according to the following selection criteria:

- Academic qualification and academic potential (knowledge in cartography, informatics, mathematics, geodesy, other geo, natural and environmental sciences will be scored by maximum 50 points).
- Final grade on diploma/degree (1.5 point for each tenth better than 3.0, if applicable grade converted into German grading system, therewith maximum 30 points).
- Motivation (maximum 20 points).
- Letters of Recommendation (maximum 20 points).

The scores will be summed and an overall score will be generated. Candidates who have obtained at least 80 points will receive an admission confirmation of the passed aptitude test by e-mail. With candidates who have been selected for a scholarship, an additional interview might be conducted. Unsuitable applicants with a total score of less than 60 points will receive a reasoned decision rejecting the right to appeal. All other candidates (between 60 and 80 points) may be asked to attend an interview either in person, by Skype, by video-telephone conference, or by telephone.

Accept your admission to study

You will be informed by e-mail if you have been accepted for Cartography M.Sc.

The admission procedure that follows your acceptance of admission will also take some time. Therefore, accept your admission offer as soon as possible! You can do this in your TUMonline account. Upon accepting your admission offer, you have the option to download your admission notification in TUMonline.

If you have applied to more than one programme and have not yet received an admissions offer for your preferred course of study, please wait to confirm your acceptance. It is possible to accept your offer of admission to the programme up until 15 September. Candidates selected for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship should accept the offer as soon as possible.

You have received an admission offer, but due to some reason have to postphone the start of your studies? Here you will find everything you need to know about reserving your spot.

Complete your documents

To enrol, all documents required for enrolment must be received by TUM until course start. Please check your TUMonline account to see which documents you still need to submit. You have to submit:

- Application for enrollment
- Passport style photo (as for ID)
- Evidence of student health insurance (issued by a compulsory health insurance company)
- Degree certificate (final grade transcript, certified copy)
- Diploma (certificate conferring an academic degree, certified copy)

In case you have been awarded with a scholarship, the Cartography programme will arrange and pay the health insurance for you. Self-funding students have to make own arrangements. More information can be found on our page on Health Insurance.

Send the documents by regular or registered mail (per post) before enrolment deadline to:

Technische Universität München
Immatrikulationsamt
Arcisstr. 21
D-80333 München
Germany

Pay your student union fees

After completed enrolment, please transfer your student union fees.

All information you need about student union fees and the bank transfer process can be found in your TUMonline account.

Be enrolled for Cartography

As soon as ...

- all documents are registered and designated as correct in your TUMonline account,
- you accepted an offer of admission,
- and transferred your student union fees,

... you will be enrolled for Cartography and notified by email. Please remember to check your TUMonline account regularly to keep up-to-date. For technical reasons it may take up to 24 hours until your status of enrolment is verified in your account.

After enrolment you can download your student documents in your TUMonline account. These include

- proof of enrolment,
- certificates for local public transportation,
- confirmation of payment of fees.

Get a student visa

Please make an appointment at the German embassy as soon as possible. Scholarship candidates will receive an award letter which helps to get the student visa. All information concerning the visa is published here.

Finding a place to live

Finding housing in Munich is difficult, but not impossible. Students would have to search for accommodation on their own. Only a few students manage to secure housing in the student union residence halls. Most find private housing. They live with a roommate, sublet or rent a studio apartment. TUM offers advice to students on how to successfully search for accommodation in Munich. For more information click here www.tum.de/en/university-life/accommodations

Pick up your student card

Your student card functions as student I.D., travel ticket for Munich’s public transportation system (MVV), library card and electronic payment card ‒ and is therefore an important prerequisite for studying at TUM in the first semester. Please pick up your student card as soon as possible. Your student card will be ready for collection 10 working days after successful enrolment at the SSZ Service Desk, but no earlier than 21 September.

What's next?

Congratulations ‒ your studies can now begin. Ahead of the first lecture there are still things to be taken care of: From registering at the university library to open a bank account. Here you will find valuable tips and services to help you get started:

- Student Handbook
- Student life sections: Munich | Vienna | Dresden | Enschede
- FAQ-Section

Candidates who do not secure a place in the programme and who wish to appeal the decision of the scholarship selection committee must email in the first instance, at info@cartographymaster.eu. If you have already contacted the selection committee and remain unsatisfied, please see the European Commission’s student complaint form.