Study plan

NOVA IMS' Program Director

• 

  Pedro Simões Coelho

  Full Professor

  psc@novaims.unl.pt Know more

Faculty

• 

  Ana Cristina Costa

  Associate Professor

  cristina@novaims.unl.pt Know more

• 

  Bruno Damásio

  Assistant Professor

  bdamasio@novaims.unl.pt Know more

• 

  Bruno Jardim

  Assistant Professor

  bjardim@novaims.unl.pt Know more

• 

  Carina Albuquerque

  Assistant Professor

  calbuquerque@novaims.unl.pt Know more

• 

  Carolina Vasconcelos

  Invited Teaching Assistant

  cvasconcelos@novaims.unl.pt Know more

• 

  Daniela Claro

  Adjunct Lecturer

  dclaro@novaims.unl.pt Know more

Academic calendar

Academic year 2026-27

• See here the academic calendar for the year 2026-27.

Length and timetable

Length

Timetable

Scholarships

Admissions and fees

• Applications and admission

  New application phase

  Applications and/or information for the 2027–2028 academic year will be announced soon.

  Entry Requirements

  The applicants to the Postgraduate Program in Geographical Sciences and Information Systems should hold a relevant bachelor's degree, or equivalent, in Statistics and Information Management, Geography, Economics, Engineering, Computer Sciences, Physics, Mathematics, Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, or in other relevant scientific fields to be approved by the Scientific Council of NOVA IMS.We accept applications from those:

  • Holding higher education level conferred on the 1^st cycle of studies (undergraduates) under the Bologna legislation, by an adherent European country;
  • Holding a foreign academic degree, approved by the Scientific Council of NOVA IMS, for achieving undergraduates' goals;
  • Holding a relevant academic, professional and scientific curriculum, approved by the Scientific Council of NOVA IMS, for being able to conduct this study program.

  How to Apply and Selection Process

  To apply, you need to access the NOVA IMS' Applications Portal and follow these steps:

  • Fill in the form available in the user area, namely:
    • Personal, academic and professional background;
  • Upload a copy of a valid identification document - mandatory for international applicants (non-European);
  • Upload your Curriculum Vitae;
  • Upload your Qualification Certificate - if you do not have the certificate at the time of submitting your application, you can still complete the process, provided that you agree to submit the original certificate at a later stage, when requested by NOVA IMS Services;
  • Although it is not necessary to attach any other documents, the applicant has the option of including other documents that they consider relevant to enrich their application;
  • Choose the program;
  • Present the goals and motivation for applying to the program (limit 1,000 characters, including spaces);
  • Pay the application fee. After this last step, the applicant will receive an email confirming their submitted application.

  The selection process is based on the analysis of academic and professional curriculum. The members of the Admissions’ Jury Panel may decide to hold an interview with all or some applicants - face-to-face or videoconference.

  Application Fee

  The fee of the application is €51. The application can only be considered after the payment of the application fee, within the stipulated period, non-refundable in case of withdrawal or non-admission in the program.

• Tuition Fees, Pre-enrollment and Payment Dates

  Tuition Fee

  The tuition fee of this Postgraduate program is €4.900. The fee for each individual course unit is €750.

  Registration Fee

  After being admitted to the program and upon confirmation of enrollment, the applicant must make a payment of a pre-registration fee (around one week after the admission result announcement), deductible in this postgraduate program's tuition fee, non-refundable in case of withdrawal, with the following value:

  • €1.250 for applicants with a nationality from a European Union member country;
  • €2.500 for applicants of other nationalities, unless their registration fee is provided by an official entity.

  Upon registration, students should make the following payments:

  • €35 - for enrollment fee (the value is updated annually);
  • €3 - for annual school insurance (the value is updated annually).

  Tuition fee payment dates

  The tuition fee may be paid in full or in four installments.
  The pre-enrollment fee is deductible from the total tuition fee.

  Payment dates are as follows:

  • Full payment: September 25^th to 30^th, 2026;
    
    
  • Payment in four installments - each installment corresponds to 25% of the remaining tuition fee amount, after the pre-enrollment fee has been deducted:
    
    • 1^st.  installment September 25^th to 30^th, 2026;
    • 2^nd. installment November 25^th to 30^th, 2026;
    • 3^rd. installment February 22^nd to 28^th, 2027;
    • 4^th. installment April 25^th to 30^th, 2027.

• Discounts and special conditions

  • Financial discount: students who choose to pay the tuition fee in a single payment have a 2,5% discount on the payable amount.
  • NOVA IMS’ alumni who have completed a bachelor's, postgraduate, master's, or doctoral degree at NOVA IMS have a 20% discount on tuition fee, cumulative with the financial discount.
  • Companies that finance the program to 2 or more employees, in the same academic year, have a 10% discount on the tuition fee. This discount is not cumulative with other discounts.
  • Members of the Ordem dos Engenheiros – Região Sul, have 15% discount on tuition fees. This discount can be extended to members' spouses and descendants upon presentation of valid documentation. For more information, please contact admissions@novaims.unl.pt. This discount is not cumulative with other financial discounts.

FAQ

• Applications

  When can I apply?

  It is only possible to submit the application during its applications phase. The date of the call for applications is available in the Admissions and Fees page of each program. However, you can fill the application form at any time, submitting it when the applications phase starts.

  How can I apply?

  The applications are submitted online, in NOVA IMS’ Applications Portal. To submit their application, the applicants must register in the Portal, fill the form, upload your Curriculum Vitae, choose the program and pay the application fee in the Portal. The application process is the same for all the applicants, national or international.

  Which documents are required?

  The only mandatory document during the application process is the Curriculum Vitae (in .doc or .pdf format). The applicant can upload other documents such as diploma or other certificate of their qualifications.

  How do I convert a file to .PDF?

  Here is a list of websites where you can convert files to the pdf format, as a reference:

  • https://smallpdf.com/word-to-pdf
  • https://www.zamzar.com/
  • https://cloudconvert.com/
  • https://www.ilovepdf.com/
  • https://online2pdf.com/doc-to-pdf

  Is there an application fee?

  The application fee is €51 in the academic year 2026-27. The payment of the application fee will be made during the application process in the Applications’ Portal, through bank transfer/ATM reference, MBWay, PayPal or Visa. The application will only be considered successfully submitted after the payment of the application fee, within the stipulated time. It’s non-refundable in case of withdrawal or non-admission in the program.

  Can I apply to more than one program?

  You can apply to a maximum of 2 programs per application phase, by paying the application fee for each program, that is, the application to 1 program equals the payment of 1 application fee, the application to 2 programs equals the payment of 2 application fees.

  I'm a bachelor's degree senior student. Can I apply ?

  Yes. If you are a final year student and you graduate until September 2026, you can apply and you must deliver an authenticated copy of your degree certificate or diploma until the beginning of the academic year, until September 2026.

  In the application form, a Tax Identification Number is requested. What is Tax Identification Number? I don’t have one, what should I put in that blank field?

  In Portugal, the Tax Identification Number is required to identify a taxable entity or person, in tax declarations or financial transactions. If you don’t have a Tax ID Number or similar, please put “999999999” in that field of the application form.

  What should I write in the field: “Goals/motivation to apply to this program”?

  In this field, please mention:

  • In which way your background (academic and professional) fits the program;
  • What are your short-term professional goals;
  • What are your expectations with the attendance of this program.

• Admission

  How does the selection process work?

  The selection process is based on the analysis of the academic and professional curriculum. The members of the Admissions’ Jury Panel may decide to hold an interview with all or some candidates – face-to-face or videoconference).

  In case I am contacted for an interview, can it be held at distance?

  Yes, the interview can be held at distance, preferably by Zoom.

  When will I know the result of the application?

  The result of the application will be known, through email, in the date to be announced in the confirmation of submitted application email and/or by the Admissions’ Jury/Programs Manager.

  I was admitted in the program. What’s the next step?

  In case of admission, the applicant must make the payment of the pre-registration fee (around 1 week after the result announcement), until its deadline, in NOVA IMS’ Applications Portal and upload the diploma or other certificate of his latest qualification (example: Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or PhD).

  Can I attend more than one program by academic year?

  Yes, you may attend two programs per school year, although it’s not recommended. Please pay attention to the fact that there may be overlap of the Mandatory Course Units of each program, as well as the overlap of the exams.

  I was admitted in two programs, but I only intend to attend one. What should I do?

  In case of admission to two programs, the candidate will have to choose, in the Application Portal, the program in which they intend to attend. After choosing the desired program and paying the pre-registration fee, you must select the option "Withdrawal" in the 2^nd program in which you do not intend to attend. Thus, your vacancy is available to a candidate on the Waiting List.

  I'm on the Waiting List. Can I still be admitted?

  Since it is possible for candidates to apply for two programs per application phase, there will be cases where the same candidate has been admitted to both programs, but intends to join only one. In these cases and if the limit number of vacancies is not completed, the remaining vacancy will be assigned to a candidate on the Waiting List.

  I intend the invoice for the payment of the application / pre-registration fees.

  The Invoice-Receipt will be available in this Applications’ Portal up to 2 business days after the payment, in the tab "Billing/Treasury".

  I was admitted in the program, but I need visa. What should I do?

  NOVA IMS can issue a document that proves admission in the program, that will be sent to the student. The document will only be issued or provided after the payment of the pre-registration fee. Regardless of issuance the document, the student must contact the Portuguese Embassy or Consulate in their country to get more information.

• Other Informations

  Is this program taught in Portuguese or English?

  Considering the diversity of students’ nationalities, all the classes will be taught in English.

  Are there scholarships?

  NOVA IMS does not award scholarships. However, you can apply to Universidade Nova de Lisboa’ scholarships and financial support, provided by the university’s Social Welfare Services. You can learn more at https://sas.unl.pt/en/scholarships-2/scholarships_/ or contact them directly to bolsas@unl.pt. We don’t hold information about other scholarships.

  Is it possible to park on campus?

  The students can park their vehicles on campus, if they have the access card. There are several parking areas on campus and near to NOVA IMS. The request for access of vehicles to Campus de Campolide is made through registration or renewal of registration and subsequent payment. To do this, the interested parties should register in the system and select the type of access. Afterwards, they will receive all the data for the payment. It should be noted that the management of parking spaces is the exclusive responsibility of the NOVA’s Rectory. For more information, please visit the webpage http://www.unl.pt/en/nova/parking-campus.

  Is there accommodation on campus?

  The Social Welfare Services of Universidade Nova has ties with three student residences (one of them in Campus de Campolide) for Portuguese scholarship student and international students. The capacity of accommodation at school residences is limited. We can’t, in any way, guarantee you a room and we can only put your name on a waiting list, only after confirmation of admission. You will find more information about the residences at https://sas.unl.pt/en/accommodation/. 
  
  In case you are admitted to the program and want accommodation in one of the University’s residences, please contact adnovaims@novaims.unl.pt.

  Can you help me look for accommodation websites?

  Here’s a list of websites, just for reference:

  • Airbnb;
  • BQuarto;
  • Casa Alfacinha;
  • Collegiate;
  • Coolivin;
  • Easy Roomate;
  • Erasmusu;
  • Erasmus Life Lisboa;
  • Erasmus Lisboa;
  • Erasmus Student Network;
  • Fundação Cidade de Lisboa;
  • Housing Anywhere;
  • Houze Student;
  • Lemon Garden;
  • Lisbon Rooms;
  • Livensa Living;
  • Residência Avenidas;
  • Accommodation at Rua Fialho de Almeida 17 4E;
  • Spot A Home;
  • The Housing Concept;
  • Traveling To Lisbon;
  • UHub;
  • Uniplaces;
  • Wimdu.

  Does the University offer a Portuguese course for international students?

  Yes, there is a Course of Portuguese as Foreign Language. This course is available in 4 types of classes:

  1. Individual lessons (the student arranges the schedule with the teacher according to their availability);
  2. Semester Group lessons (56 study classes + 8 hours for other activities);
  3. 30 hours intensive course (2 weeks);
  4. Online summer course (month of July).

  If you have any questions about this course, please contact: cursoportugues@fcsh.unl.pt.