Development of an international master program in cartography

The ongoing technological development since the introduction of computerized data processing and increased access to the Internet has increasingly blurred the boundaries among the individual disciplines in the geo-sciences. As a consequence, some traditionally interdisciplinary areas such as geoinformatics and cartography have become particularly active or partly revitalized. In this paper we document the establishment of a new cooperative International Master program in "Cartography". With a cooperation of 3 technical universities, TU München, TU Dresden (Germany) and TU Wien (Austria), the program holds unique features. The program is rooted in the traditional German or Austrian Diploma program "Geodesy and Geoinformation", but has been progressively reshaped as interdisciplinary and non-consecutive Master programs. The curriculum of "Cartography" incorporates and highlights the methods and applications in spatial data modelling, analysis and visualization of geographic information. Additionally this paper relates to the European education reform with the Bologna Declaration issued in 1999. The declaration aims at making European higher education more compatible, competitive and attractive for students from European countries and other continents.