Curriculum for the Master's Programme (cand.geom.) in Surveying, Planning and Land Management, 2020, Copenhagen

1: Preface

Pursuant to consolidation Act 778 of August 7, 2019 on Universities (the University Act), the following is established. The programme also follows the Joint Programme Regulations and the Examination Policies and Procedures for Aalborg University.

2: Basis in Ministerial orders

The Master’s programme is organised in accordance with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s Order no. 20 of January 9, 2020 on Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes at Universities (the Ministerial Order of the Study Programmes) and Ministerial Order no. 22 of January 9, 2020 on University Examinations (the Examination Order). Further reference is made to Ministerial Order no. 153 of February 26, 2020 (the Admission Order) and Ministerial Order no. 114 of February 3, 2015 (the Grading Scale Order).

3: Campus

The programme is offered in Copenhagen.

4: Faculty affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Aalborg University.

5: Study board affiliation

The Master’s programme falls under Study Board of Planning and Surveying

6: Affiliation to corps of external examiners

The Master’s programme is associated with the external examiners corps on Surveying Programme

7: Admission requirements

Applicants with legal right of admission (retskrav):

• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Engineering in Surveying, Planning and Land Management, Aalborg University (Campus Copenhagen)

Admission to the master’s programme (cand. geom) in Surveying,  Planning and Land Management requires that the applicant has passed a relevant qualifying bachelor’s degree programme. A bachelor’s degree programme is defined as relevant if the degree programme provides competencies to a minimum of ECTS within the following subject areas:

- Surveying, mapping and photogrammetry - as well as the mathematical basis for this (at least 60 ECTS)

- GIS, property data and geodata, including its Danish infrastructure (at least 15 ECTS)

- Planning law and land law, including the Danish planning and regulatory system (at least 15 ECTS)

- The property formation process in a Danish context (at least 30 ECTS)

8: The programme title in Danish and English

The Master’s programme entitles the graduate to the Danish designation Landinspektør, cand.geom.. The English designation is: Master of Science (MSc) in Surveying, Planning and Land Management.

9: Programme specifications in ECTS credits

The Master’s program is a 2-year, research-based, full-time study program. The program is set to 120 ECTS credits.

10: Rules concerning credit transfer (merit), including the possibility for choice of modules that are part of another programme at a university in Denmark or abroad

The Study Board can approve that passed programme elements from other educational programmes at the same level replaces programme elements within this programme (credit transfer).

Furthermore, the Study Board can, upon application, approve that parts of this programme is completed at another university or a further education institution in Denmark or abroad (pre-approval of credit transfer).

The Study Board’s decisions regarding credit transfer are based on an academic assessment.

11: Exemptions

The Study Board’s possibilities to grant exemption, including exemption to further examination attempts and special examination conditions, are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures published at this website: https://www.studyservice.aau.dk/rules

12: Rules for examinations

The rules for examinations are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures published at this website: https://www.studyservice.aau.dk/rules

13: Rules concerning written work, including the Master’s Thesis

In the assessment of all written work, regardless of the language it is written in, weight is also given to the student's formulation and spelling ability, in addition to the academic content. Orthographic and grammatical correctness as well as stylistic proficiency are taken as a basis for the evaluation of language performance. Language performance must always be included as an independent dimension of the total evaluation. However, no examination can be assessed as ‘Pass’ on the basis of good language performance alone; similarly, an examination normally cannot be assessed as ‘Fail’ on the basis of poor language performance alone.

The Study Board can grant exemption from this in special cases (e.g., dyslexia or a native language other than Danish).

The Master’s Thesis must include an English summary. If the project is written in English, the summary can be in Danish. The summary is included in the evaluation of the project as a whole.

14: Requirements regarding the reading of texts in a foreign language

It is assumed that the student can read academic texts and use reference works, etc., in English.

15: Competence profile on the diploma

The following competence profile will appear on the diploma:

A Candidatus graduate has the following competency profile:

A Candidatus graduate has competencies that have been acquired via a course of study that has taken place in a research environment.

A Candidatus graduate is qualified for employment on the labour market based on his or her academic discipline as well as for further research (PhD programmes). A Candidatus graduate has, compared to a Bachelor, developed his or her academic knowledge and independence so as to be able to apply scientific theory and method on an independent basis within both an academic and a professional context.

16: Competence profile of the programme

The graduate of the Master’s programme:

Knowledge

• must possess knowledge about surveying, geoinformatics, planning and land management, which in selected fields is based on the highest international research within the subject area
   
• must be able to understand and, on a scientific basis, be able to make reflections on the knowledge and identify scientific problems as well as practical problems or challenges in relation to those subject areas

Skills

• must master the scientific methodologies and tools as well as master general skills related to work within the interdisciplinary field of surveying, geoinformatics, planning and land management
   
• must be able to evaluate and select among the scientific theories, methods, and general skills of the subject area, and on a scientific basis be able to further develop sustainable models and solutions
   
• must be able to communicate research-based knowledge and discuss professional and scientific problems with both peers and non-specialists

Competences

• must be able to manage work and developments, that are complex, unpredictable and require new solutions – in order to contribute to national and global challenges (including for example UN’s Sustainable Development Goals)
   
• must be able to independently initiate and carry out discipline-specific and interdisciplinary cooperation and assume professional responsibility
   
• must  be able to ensure his/hers further professional development and specialisation

17: Structure and Contents of the programme

The programme is structured in modules and organized as a problem-based study. A module is a program element or a group of program elements, which aims to give students a set of professional skills within a fixed time frame specified in ECTS credits, and concluding with one or more examinations within specific exam periods that are defined in the curriculum.

The programme is based on a combination of academic, problem-oriented and interdisciplinary approaches and organized based on the following work and evaluation methods that combine skills and reflection:

• lectures
• classroom instruction
• project work
• workshops
• exercises (individually and in groups)
• teacher feedback
• study group
• portfolio work
• professional reflection

18: Overview of the programme

All modules are assessed through individual grading according to the 7-point scale or Passed/Not Passed. All modules are assessed by external examination (external grading) or internal examination (internal grading or by assessment by the supervisor only).

Except the modules “Property Rights and Land Use Regulation” and “Special Themes for Chartered Surveyors” (taught in Danish), all course modules are taught in English.

Project reports on the first and second semesters have to be written in English, while the project reports at the third and fourth semesters can be written in English or in Danish (an English abstract has to be included).

19: Additional information

All students who have not participated in Aalborg University’s PBL introductory course during their Bachelor’s degree must attend the introductory course “Problem-based Learning and Project Management”. The introductory course must be approved before the student can participate in the project exam. For further information, please see Department of Planning's website. 

20: Commencement and transitional rules

The curriculum is approved by the Dean enters into force as of 1^st of September 2020.

The Study Board does not offer teaching after to the previous curriculum of 2017 after the summer examination 2021.

The Study Board will offer examinations after the previous curriculum, if there are students who have used examination attempts in a module without passing. The number of examination attempts follows the rules in the Examination Order.

21: Amendments to the curriculum and regulations

The Vice-dean has on October 27, 2020, approved an adjustment of the learning objectives in the module "Project Management and Project Economy" valid as of September 2021.

The Vice-dean has on April 27, 2021, approved an adjustment of the learning objectives in the modules "Special Themes for Chartered Surveyors" and "Project Management and Project Economy" valid as of Autumn 2021.

The Vice-dean has on July 11, 2024, approved an update of the admission requirements. Requirements for specific subjects or subject areas in ECTS credits has been added. The amendment is valid as of Autumn 2024.