Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £12,120 for the course
International/EU: £19,225 for the course -
How long will I study?
2 Years
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2025
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Placement year available?
Yes
1. Course summary
- Gain advanced skills in implementing Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
- Apply GIS to map and analyse real-world problems.
- Develop your ability to communicate complex concepts to a range of audiences.
- Increase your employability skills by working on live projects in the industry.
Geographical Information Systems are increasingly important for understanding our changing planet. On this course you’ll develop cutting-edge skills while exploring the power of GIS – for both analysing and communicating spatial data. Along the way you’ll gain real-world experience in a range of industrial and academic sectors, giving you the knowledge and skills you need to kickstart your career.
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
2. How you learn
The course provides a balance of academic and practical content, enabling you to apply GIS to real-life scenarios. You’ll be taught by staff with a range of academic and industry experience, who apply their GIS skills to produce world-leading research.
We’ll challenge you to use GIS to understand our changing world, to find solutions, and to communicate with different audiences. Most sessions are taught through interactive practical exercises, with support provided by a tutor. You’ll also have short lectures and opportunities for group discussion and collaboration.
You learn through:
- Interactive practical exercises
- Engagement with external professional collaborators
- Tutorials
- Work-based placements
- Live projects
- Lectures
- Guest lectures
- A virtual learning platform
- Self-directed study
Course support
You will be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled employment through a number of key areas. These include:
- access to specialist support services to help with your personal, academic and career development.
- access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
- industry-specific employability activities such as live projects and networking opportunities
Course leaders and tutors
Niall Gandy
Lecturer in GISNiall is a palaeo-glaciologist and GIS specialist, primarily lecturing in GIS at Sheffield Hallam University.
Applied learning
Work placements
You’ll have the opportunity to source a work placement for up to 12 months, where you’ll apply academic theory and your skills in a real-world setting. This hands-on experience will enhance your professional development and help you to make informed career choices after graduation. Throughout your placement, you’ll be supported to reflect on your experience and contribution to the organisation you work for. You'll also share your progress and achievements with your Placement Academic Supervisor as part of your final assessment.
Work placements are competitive and will require you to make formal applications to employers and be successful in securing an opportunity. The application process for placements takes place while you are a student with us. To support you in applying for placements, you’ll complete an additional placement preparation program that introduces you to the UK employment landscape and prepares you for the recruitment and assessment activities you will experience during that process. We also maintain a large database of placement offers that you can search to find opportunities most relevant to your course that you can apply for.
Live projects
Through the GIS Professional module or your independent project, we offer opportunities to work with industry and bodies like the British Cartographic Society. Previously this has included the Environment Agency, South Yorkshire Forest Partnership, Kew Gardens and United Utilities.
On the GIS Professional module you’ll take on work commissioned by a client organisation. Here you’ll engage with the client – giving you valuable real-world experience and problem-solving skills. Previous students have worked on projects such as analysing the Manchester bus network, conducting detailed geological mapping, and identifying new sites for local businesses.
Field trips
The course includes site visits with employers who have won awards for their innovative use of GIS.
Networking opportunities
We’ll prepare you to attend and network at a large GIS conference.
Members of the teaching team also have extensive professional experience and contacts within the GIS field. These will influence teaching and advise you on employability-based issues in tutorials.
3. Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- GIS technician roles
- Strategic analysis
- Environmental modelling
- Data analysis
- Research
- Statistics
- Planning
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- The Environment Agency
- The Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust
- Amazon Web Services
- Scottish Forestry
- Yorkshire Water
- ESRI
- Moors for the Future
4. Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn more5. Equipment and facilities
Students have access to specific GIS computer suites and remote-access software.
6. Entry requirements
All students
A lower second class degree or above in a relevant subject ensures consideration for entry on to the course. You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more
Individuals without a suitable degree will be considered where they can demonstrate they meet the applicant entry profile and have worked for two years at a management level using GIS in the workplace, or, have a sufficiently high level of technical ability and responsibility within their role to meet the satisfaction of the admissions tutor.
If English is not your first language you typically need an IELTS 6.0 score with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Compulsory modules
Advances In GIS
GIS Professional
Monitoring Change With GIS
Postgraduate Work Experience Applied Professional Diploma
Spatial And Environmental Skills
Compulsory modules
Independent Project
8. Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £12,120 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. For this work experience route, your fees will be payable over two years, divided into two annual payments based on credits studied. The fee includes dedicated employability support to help you prepare for and secure work experience. It does not guarantee you a placement and if a placement is not secured the work experience fee will still be charged. If a placement is not secured you will transfer to the standard version of the course to complete your remaining credits, where the balance of your course fees will be due in year one in line with completing the course.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £19,225 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. For this work experience route, your fees will be payable over two years, divided into two annual payments based on credits studied. The fee includes dedicated employability support to help you prepare for and secure work experience. It does not guarantee you a placement and if a placement is not secured the work experience fee will still be charged. If a placement is not secured you will transfer to the standard version of the course to complete your remaining credits, where the balance of your course fees will be due in year one in line with completing the course.
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £12,858 is available in 2025/26 for home students on most masters courses.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences (PDF, 255.2KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
