Visualizing geographic and thematic data in the MSc degree in Cartography at Eotvos University

MSc in Cartography, data visualization, geovisualization, maps, education Abstract: The Department of Cartography and Geoinformatics at Eotvos Lorand University (Budapest, Hungary) was founded in 1953 and the first graduates on Cartography finished their studies in 1957. With the introduction of the Bologna system for higher education in Hungary in 2006, a new curriculum was adopted, divided into a three-year long BSc level on Earth Sciences (including geographical subjects that are essential for cartography), and a two- year long MSc degree on Cartography. In our Master degree, Digital Cartography and Geoinformatics play a relevant role, together with more subjects as Mapmaking, Thematic cartography and others. One of our main aims is the learning and use of solutions for more appropriated data visualization with high cartographic quality, teaching our students to validate the principles developed through centuries by the traditional cartography when they use digital techniques. They have the opportunity to learn different graphic and cartographic software, emphasizing the difficulties that they may face during the process of visualization of geographic and cartographic data, and updating the content of the subjects according to the newest results reached in cartography (3D solutions, mobile cartography, etc). The present work is illustrated with maps made by the students.