Remote Sensing & Geographic Information Systems
About
Are you a fresh graduate looking to enter GIS-related employment for the first time, or add remote sensing and GIS to your skillset to enhance employability or change career; or a professional already in remote sensing/GIS-related employment and want to broaden and deepen your remote sensing and GIS knowledge and skills with a view to making better use of spatial technologies, or want to enhance your career and promotion prospects? This course is for you.
This online course delivers contemporary content on remote sensing and GIS integrating theoretical and practical learning activities encompassing acquisition, analysis and interpretation of geospatial data. Course participants will develop skills in a range of areas including:
- Remote sensing and photogrammetry
- Spatial data analysis
- Programming for GIS and remote sensing
There has been considerable growth within the UK and European Space Industry which has led to the provision of a host of new remote sensing technologies that offer great potential to map and monitor terrestrial and marine environments across the world on a rapid basis. The UK Government set ambitious targets to capture 10% of the global £400bn commercial space activity by 2030. The European Space Agency and UK Space Agency are releasing vast amounts of data that can be used for a diverse range of applications ranging from monitoring glacial melt in the Arctic to mapping land cover change and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The Remote Sensing and GIS course at Ulster University provides training in capturing, storing, analysing, and interpreting spatial data.
We are an established provider of online distance learning postgraduate courses. With around 25 years' experience of teaching GIS, and 20 years via online distance learning, we have a long and successful track record in GIS education. We enjoy imparting knowledge, skills and confidence that enhance employment prospects with our innovative and career-focused modules and research. Ulster’s strong provision and expertise in the GIS sector makes it an excellent choice for local students who are keen to up-skill for careers in key growth areas in the NI Economy.
Our Remote Sensing and GIS programme offers flexible learning through part-time education – while each module has coursework deadlines, you study at a time and pace that suits you.
Term dates
22 September 2025 to late April 2026 (30 weeks taught). Please note the application deadline to apply for this programme is 18 September 2025.
Attendance
Typically, the course will have around 5 hours of taught content per week. Participants should expect to spend around 25 hours per week on the course.
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
This course is delivered through BlackBoard Ultra, an online Virtual Learning Environment, through which we provide teaching materials, assignment instructions, links to electronic library resources and other reading materials, as well as discussion boards and other communication tools. Teaching materials consist mainly of lectures in various formats (e.g., as illustrated documents or podcasts) and practical exercises (written instructions with screenshots or screencasts), which may be supplemented by additional reading or video content, tutorial exercises, quizzes, etc. The format of delivery provides you with the flexibility to study at your own pace, any place and at any time, and you are not required to attend the campus at any stage during the course. Once registered, you will be able to use the University's extensive online library resources of electronic journals, e-books, and databases. In addition, you will also gain access to different remote sensing, GIS, and statistics software packages.
Learning is supported by lecturers and e-tutors via discussion forums, email, phone, or video-conferencing tools. Discussion forums encourage participation from the whole class and offer opportunities for you to learn about issues and problems from different perspectives as well as getting to know your fellow students.
You will be assessed by coursework only and there are no sessional examinations. Assessment involves a mixture of methods including practical reports, problem analysis, research projects, presentations, blogs, online tests, and group work.
Academic Profile
Dr Robert McNabb – Dr Bob teaches various modules on advanced remote sensing methods, including the Photogrammetry and Advanced Image Analysis, and Programming for GIS and Remote Sensing modules. His main research focus has been on glacier change, and how glaciers impact not only the physical world, but terrestrial and marine ecosystems. At present, he is working on projects to study glacier changes in Alaska since the Little Ice Age, re-processing historic aerial and satellite images to study landscape and glacier changes, and mapping glaciers and landscape features using tools such as Google Earth Engine.
Dr Edoardo Grottoli – Dr Edo teaches the Principles of GIS module at postgraduate level, in addition to several undergraduate modules. Edoardo is a coastal geomorphologist with interests in many aspects of physical processes, hazards, and management of coastal zones. His research methods range from field measurements to remote sensing and GIS analyses. His primary research foci are sediment transport, storm impact and monitoring of sandy and gravelly beaches in different wave and tidal environments. Recently, Edo worked on shoreline change analyses over the last two centuries to better understand long-term drivers of coastal change.
Dr Neil Brannigan – Dr Neil coordinates the Introduction to Remote Sensing module. His research focuses on soil erosion and muddy flooding, especially in the context of future climate change impacts, resilience, and adaptation strategies. With a strong background in GIS and remote sensing, he use these tools to deepen our understanding of environmental resilience and sustainable management, supported by regional climate scenario development.
Career Options
Remote sensing, GIS and geospatial technologies underpin a rapidly growing, multi-billion-dollar industry, and are becoming increasingly mainstream within both the public and private sectors, resulting in a need for professionals who have a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Participants of this course could seek employment in a variety of remote sensing/GIS-related roles such as analysts, scientists, consultants, project managers, surveyors, data specialists, technicians, mapping officers, development, sales and marketing, customer support, GIS training, lecturing and research. Knowledge and understanding of geospatial data are also increasingly required in a variety of jobs outside of the GI profession, making remote sensing and GIS qualifications valuable for enhancing employability in a range of fields.
Contact
If you have any queries about the course, please email GES@ulster.ac.uk.
Further Information
Modules
Introduction to Remote Sensing
This module offers students the opportunity to study the principles and applications of remote sensing and image analysis and to explore links between remote sensing and GIS. Students will become familiar with theoretical foundations of remote sensing and will develop technical skills through a series of software-based practical exercises and assignments using Erdas Imagine.
Principles of GIS
This module introduces the theory and practice of Geographic Information Systems and is intended to provide an understanding of the breadth of potential GIS applications and to equip students with key concepts and skills relating to the input, management, manipulation, analysis and output of spatial data. Lecture-based teaching of key concepts is reinforced by linked practical exercises which allow students to develop competence in ESRI's ArcGIS package. The module assumes no prior knowledge or experience of GIS.
Photogrammetry and Advanced Image Analysis
This module covers advanced topics in visible remote sensing and image analysis, including photogrammetry and digital elevation models, image processing and manipulation, advanced classification techniques such as object-based image analysis (OBIA), and time series analysis using Google Earth Engine. It builds on the topics covered in ‘Introduction to Remote Sensing’ module and provides a foundation for further study in remote sensing.
Programming for GIS and Remote Sensing
This module gives students an introduction to programming skills and their application in GIS and Remote Sensing. In this module, we introduce the python programming language along with basic version control using git. Using open-source python packages, we will show how many standard GIS tools can be used programmatically to automate repetitive tasks and produce repeatable analyses. We will cover more complex programming concepts and issues in the reading material, and develop practical experience through short exercises and assessments designed to ease students into the world of programming.
Entry requirements
Academic qualifications
You must hold a degree in a science, or other suitable discipline, or demonstrate your ability to undertake the course through the accreditation of prior experiential learning.
As a normal requirement, applicants must hold an Honours degree (2:2 or above) with a substantial component of geography, environmental science, computing or other numerate discipline. Applicants with other equivalent and relevant qualifications or experience can also be considered on an individual basis.
Eligibility
Places are limited and open to applicants who:
- are 18 or over at the point of enrolment;
- have a right to work and undertake training in the UK at the point of application and for the duration of the course and must not be disqualified from doing either by reason of their immigration status. Proof of this will be required to progress your application. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK
- meet the course specific entry requirements. See course pages for requirements.
- meet the Ulster University general entry requirements including competency in English (as evidenced by GCSE Grade C in English or alternative). For English competency, a degree taught in UK or Ireland covers this requirement. If your degree is from outside the UK or Ireland, please see our list of acceptable qualifications or tests.
- are available to register in person at the campus as required.
Apply now - limited places available
There are a limited number of places for this course. Offers will be extended to those applicants who meet the entry requirements following successful completion of the application process, and have provided evidence of such, on a first come , first served basis.. Applications will no longer be accepted or processed once all offers are extended. Applications will no longer be accepted or processed once all places are filled. Applications can not be considered once a course has started.
Please note you can only be funded by DfE for a maximum of two courses at any one time (including modules to a total of 45 credits per semester - if studying part-time).
When creating your application you will need to have the following documents saved electronically as they need to be uploaded as part of the application process:
- Passport
- Evidence of having right to work and undertake training in the UK*
- Degree Certificate
- English Competency (If you have a degree from UK/ROI, you don't need to provide anything else
* Holders of UK or Irish passports automatically have this right. if you hold a passport from another nation, please provide evidence of UK immigration permissions to include a ShareCode and/or BRP.
To select the correct course, in the field called Please select the subject area, select Green Skills from the drop down box. Then select Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems, PG Cert from the next drop down box.
