You will first have to wait until you will get a message from Utrecht University whether you have been admitted to GIMA or not.
When you are (conditionally) accepted you will have to follow the guidelines as shown on the web page Accepted – what next of Utrecht University. On that page you can find, for instance, how you should confirm your place in the GIMA programme. You may also have to arrange some practical matters, like visa.
Around 1 July you will receive a letter from the GIMA Programme Director informing you about the official start of the programme and the required preparations. You will receive information on, for instance, a possible place for you to stay during the first two contact weeks in September in Enschede. In December there will be 2 more contact weeks in Utrecht, in March in Wageningen and there will be 1 contact week in Delft around the beginning of July. Part-time students have 4 times one contact weeks in the first 2 years of their studies. If you have a Dutch or EU nationality you may decide yourself where you want to stay during your GIMA studies, as long as you can be present during the contact days.
Basic knowledge of geo-information is a pre-requisite for entrance into the GIMA programme. Once you have been admitted to GIMA, we strongly advise you to refresh your knowledge of geo-information. You may do that, for instance, by checking the contents of the book “Principles of GIS” and study the parts that you do not yet master completely. The book is available in digital format and available for students who are admitted to GIMA. It can be obtained by sending a request with the text “PoGIS for GIMA” to the GIMA secretary.
For those of you with little background in academic skills, or if you still like to have a good reference guide during your GIMA studies, we recommend the following book: Kumar, R. (2005), research methodology: a step-by-step guide for beginners. London etc.: Sage, 2nd edition, ISBN 1-4129-1194-X
Notebook requirements
From the first day of the programme in September participants are required to have their own notebook computer that meets GIMA’s requirements. Software that is required for all GIMA participants will be provided but you will have to buy Microsoft Office yourself.
Hardware and operating system requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
| Operating system | Windows 10 64 bit English (Home premium, Ultimate, Pro, Enterprise) | (Minimum) |
| Memory | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Disk storage | 80 GB free disk space | (Minimum) |
| Screen | 15 inch, 1366 x 768 | (Minimum) |
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i3 Processor or equivalent (e.g. AMD) | (Minimum) |
| Network | Wireless (Wi-Fi) and Ethernet LAN | (Minimum) |
| Mouse | Separate mouse with left/right click and centre wheel | (Minimum) |
| Software | Microsoft Office 2010 | (Minimum) |
Notes:
- If your computer has a different language installed then you can install the free English language pack from the Windows Update site. Supervised practicals rely on an English user interface.
- Make sure you have a genuine installation of your operating system. Non genuine windows versions cannot be updated with the latest security updates.