Hochschule KarlsruheHochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences
Hochschule KarlsruheHochschule Karlsruhe - University of Applied Sciences
young engineers working at PCs

Environmental and Geo-Information Management

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About the program

At this study program, you learn to organize and evaluate environmentally relevant data by means of solid IT skills and comprehensive knowledge of application-oriented software tools. Visualization of spatial data to communicate results is important for the successful implementation of environmental projects.

In addition to the programming languages Java, JavaScript and Python, the modules of the computer science and data science area also include building blocks for identifying, organizing and analyzing Big Data in the environmental and geospatial fields.

In the field of geoinformation technology, we focus on the use of a wide variety of sensors to collect spatial environmental and geodata at different scales. In addition to IT-supported analysis, geo-visualization for user-friendly communication plays an important role in the implementation of environment-related projects.

The environmental applications field is based on two theory modules: Earth and Climate, as well as Ecology, which provide the necessary basic knowledge. Continuing from there are modules on environmental monitoring and environmental modeling, which bring concrete environmental applications into practice based on the computer science and geoinformation technologies taught.

Basic studies

First semester (basic studies)
Earth and Climate
Fundamentals of Geo-visualization
Fundamentals of Geodata
Computer Science Basics
Mathematics 1

 

Second semester
Ecology
Geo-Visualization
GraphDV/Digital Image Processing
Computer science II
Mathematics 2

 

Advanced studies

Third semester
Environmental Monitoring I
Data Science
Basics of Geoinformation Systems (GIS)
Photogrammetry
Computer Science III

 

Sixth semester
Mobile Map Apps
Environmental Modeling
Big Geodata
3D Visualization
GIS Programming

 

Fourth semester
Environmental Monitoring II
Geodata Management
GIS applications
WebMapping
General Qualifications 1

 

Seventh semester
Project Climate-Energy-Resources
General qualifications/Foreign language
Thesis
 
 

 

Fifth semester
Internship semester
 
 
 
 

 

Thesis

The great variety of topics available for the bachelor’s thesis becomes clear in this overview

Excursion to the Danube National Park with drone flights

As part of the course "Photogrammetric Evaluation" in the 3rd semester of the Bachelor's degree program "Environmental and Geoinformation Management", an excursion to the Danube Floodplain National Park "Free River - Wild Forest" east of Vienna was carried out from 23.10.23 - 28.10.23 (see also).

to the complete report (dt.)
 

Examples of projects: Student theses

StoryMap

The new technology of "StoryMap" combines web page content to interactive maps. In this way, complex, spatial issues can be visualized in an attractive way.

Example: Historical development of Philippsburg
Lecturer: Prof. Detlef Günther-Diringer
Course: Spatial visualisation

Environmental monitoring via satellite image analysis

Satellite images offer exciting views of our earth. Since image data from Landsat or Sentinel have been made freely available, their importance and use is growing rapidly. In the module Image Analysis, students gain practical experience in the analysis of multispectral satellite images.  The example shown concerns the Kingwal swamp in western Kenya, which is decreasing in size. Landscape change can be highlighted and evaluated using satellite imagery.

Lecturer: Prof. Gertrud Schaab
Participants: students - Environmental and Geo-Information Management
More information

Real-time cartography on earthquakes

As part of the project in the final, seventh semester, students created the interactive web map application on current earthquakes. The real-time data is retrieved, processed, managed in databases and implemented in a web interface in an automated way.

Participants: students - Environmental and Geo-Information Management

Energy master plan

This thesis shows possibilities to visualize the energy master plan of the city of Karlsruhe in a three-dimensional way. In different study projects, partial aspects of the energy master plan of the city of Karlsruhe were developed.

Insect extinction

This thesis describes the development of a GIS-based method to evaluate the attraction effect of artificial lighting on insect fauna in protected areas. In cooperation with the Regierungspräsidium (regional council), the environmental office of Karlsruhe and the Stadtwerke Karlsruhe (public services), this project was exemplarily implemented at the nature reserve "Alter Flugplatz Karlsruhe" (disused airfield).

GIS applications

In the second module on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) the focus is on the applications: Water runoff starting from a digital terrain model, determining suitable pipeline routes based on a cost surface that takes several factors into account, supplying restaurants based on a routable road network, and creating a map service that can be accessed on the Internet to visualize statistical data.

 

3D Visualization

Berckholtzsches Palais (formerly Karlstraße 44): 3D design with "Autodesk 3D Max" in Level of Detail 3 (accuracy 10-20 cm) and presentation via video animation (Alicia Schneider).

Lecturer: Prof. Detlef Günther-Diringer
Participants: students - Environmental and Geo-Information Management
For more information, see the video

 

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) uses geographic information technology to visualize spatial data

The technology behind the RKI dashboard will be applied in our study course. We are one of the few study courses in Germany that has been recognized as an EDC - ESRI Development Center. ESRI, the world market leader in this technology, offers comparable visualizations for Germany in which the corona statistics are updated down to the district level.

Geo runs

An initiative of the program to promote inter-semester activities and facilitate personal contact between student batches.

video1 and video2

Cartography and Geomatics

Key content from the former Cartography and Geomatics bachelor's program has been integrated into the visualization modules of the Environmental and Geo-Information Management program.

 

Internship & studying abroad Career prospects Organization & exams