Bachelor of Science in Geospatial Intelligence and Earth Observation
Satellite imagery has become abundant and nearly free while the ability to turn it into decisions has remained scarce and expensive. Every ministry, insurer, agricultural firm, mining company and humanitarian agency in the region needs answ...
Employment thesis
What this programme is designed to produce
Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.
Roles
- Geospatial analyst
- remote sensing scientist
- GIS developer
- earth observation data engineer
- cadastral and land information specialist
- humanitarian mapping analyst
- agricultural monitoring analyst
- spatial data scientist.
Employer types
- Ministries of lands, agriculture, water and environment
- district and municipal authorities
- insurers and agri finance
- mining and energy companies
- humanitarian and development agencies
- surveying and mapping firms
- and space and earth observation programmes.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- A field with acute regional shortage and strong international remote demand, and an immediate route to independent consultancy.
Compulsory · The Forward Core
How the Core works →Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.
- AI Fluency
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Ethics and African Context
- Human-Advantage Skills
- Enterprise
Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning
Am I eligible?
Check yourself against the published requirements
7 questions written specifically for Bachelor of Science in Geospatial Intelligence and Earth Observation. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.
What is the highest qualification you hold or are completing?
Curriculum structure
The same degree, in both pathways
Every Forward programme is published in both pathways: Path One, the term plan of two six-month terms, and Path Two, the block sequence of twelve four-week blocks. Same competencies, same assessments, same award. Toggle to see this programme in each.
Path One term plan shown
Path One · The Term Model
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 101 | AI Fluency I: How Intelligent Systems Work Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| ECE 110 | Foundations of Geospatial Science and Cartography Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| ECE 111 | Programming for Geospatial Analysis Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 112 | Surveying, Positioning and Field Practicum Performance | 4 | 1-0-6 |
| ECE 113 | Statistics for Spatial Data Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 102 | Quantitative Reasoning and Evidence Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| ECE 130 | Remote Sensing Principles and Image Processing Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 131 | Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Databases Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 132 | Photogrammetry and Drone Mapping Performance | 4 | 1-0-6 |
| ECE 133 | Physical Geography and Land Systems Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
| COP 190 | Workplace Immersion (4 weeks, recess term) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 201 | Ethics, Society and the African Context Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| ECE 210 | Machine Learning for Earth Observation Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 211 | Radar, SAR and Multi Sensor Fusion Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 212 | Spatial Analysis, Modelling and Geostatistics Both | 5 | 3-2-2 |
| ECE 213 | Land Administration, Tenure and Cadastre Objective | 3 | 2-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 202 | Human Advantage: Argument, Writing and Teams Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 290 | Co-operative Education Placement I (6 months) Performance | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| ECE 230 | Geospatial Software Engineering and Web Mapping Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 231 | Applied Earth Observation Practicum Performance | 3 | 1-0-4 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 301 | AI Fluency II: Building, Evaluating and Auditing Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| COP 390 | Co-operative Education Placement II (6 months) Performance | 10 | 0-0-0 |
| ECE 310 | Big Earth Data and Cloud Geospatial Platforms Performance | 5 | 2-2-4 |
| ECE 311 | Geospatial Ethics, Privacy and Sovereignty Objective | 3 | 2-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FDC 302 | Enterprise, Employability and Financial Literacy Both | 4 | 2-2-0 |
| FDC 401 | AI Fluency III: Domain Deployment, Governance and Assurance Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| FDC 402 | Capability Portfolio and Day One Preparation Both | 3 | 1-2-0 |
| ECE 330 | Geospatial Capstone: Real Client Decision Product Performance | 8 | 0-2-14 |
| ECE 331 | Disaster, Humanitarian and Crisis Mapping Both | 4 | 2-2-2 |
Total credit units: 132
Curriculum source
Forward University Curriculum Compendium
Assessment
Coursework + project + integrated exam
Work-integrated learning
12 months paid co-operative education
Your week at Forward
A typical week on Bachelor of Science in Geospatial Intelligence and Earth Observation
Path One, the Term Model: your own pace across a six-month term, one live session a week, short flexible lessons, and assessment on demand.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Curriculum explorer
Drill into the degree, step by step
Choose a study path, then a year, then a term or block, then a course. Credit totals add up as you go, and every course shows what comes before it and what it unlocks.
Step 1, choose a year
Step 2, choose a term
TERM 1 (SIX MONTHS) | FORMERLY YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1
Year 1 · this step is worth 22 CU
Cumulative
22
Programme total
132
22 CU of 132 CU completed by the end of this step (17%)
Step 3, choose a course
Pick a course to see the detail
Credits, assessment, prerequisites and what each course unlocks later.
The twelve Forward capabilities
What this programme develops in you
Every Forward degree develops the same twelve cross-cutting capabilities. The profile below is the level this programme is designed to develop and verify by graduation, on the four-level scale in Part B2 of the Curriculum Compendium. Every claim above Level 2 is verified by someone other than the teaching lecturer.
- C1Intelligent Systems Fluency CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C2Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C3Ethical and Contextual JudgementLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C4Communication and PersuasionLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C5Disciplinary Mastery CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and Craft CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C7Problem Framing and Systems ThinkingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial LiteracyLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace PerformanceLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive CapacityLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C12Stewardship and Public ContributionLevel 4 of 4, Leading
Critical capabilities for this programme: Intelligent Systems Fluency · Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning · Disciplinary Mastery · Technical Production and Craft. A graduate cannot pass out of this programme below the stated level on any capability marked critical.
Programme Learning Outcomes
What you will be able to do
Each outcome is assessed, and each is tagged with the Forward capabilities it is verified against.
- PLO 1Acquire, correct, fuse and manage optical, radar and elevation data at scale.
- PLO 2Apply machine learning to imagery for classification change detection and object extraction.
- PLO 3Design and execute a spatial analysis that answers a stated decision question.
- PLO 4Build spatial data infrastructure, web mapping services and geospatial applications.
- PLO 5Conduct field survey and ground truthing, and quantify accuracy honestly.
- PLO 6Apply land, privacy and data sovereignty considerations to geospatial work.
- PLO 7Communicate spatial findings to non-technical decision makers under time pressure.
Why this programme exists
Satellite imagery has become abundant and nearly free while the ability to turn it into decisions has remained scarce and expensive. Every ministry, insurer, agricultural firm, mining company and humanitarian agency in the region needs answ...
Admission requirements
UACE with two principal passes including Mathematics, Geography, Physics or Economics, plus UCE with five passes including Mathematics and English. Alternative pathways: Foundation Year, diploma entry with advanced standing, mature age entry and recognition of prior learning, all governed by Part A5 and Part G. Online applicants additionally complete the compulsory Digital Readiness orientation under Part D6.
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