At Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Canada, Diploma of Technology (Ocean Mapping) is offered as a diploma in Geographical Information Systems programme. The programme runs for 3 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 76,500 per total (CAD 22,950 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Diploma
Field:Geographical Information Systems
Duration: 3 years
Local tuition: CAD 22,950 / total
International tuition: CAD 76,500 / total
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This three-year Diploma of Technology in Ocean Mapping is delivered by the Marine Institute at its St. John's campus and focuses on the technical skills needed to collect, manage, analyze, and share ocean data. Students gain hands-on experience with marine and terrestrial surveying equipment, remote sensing technology, oceanographic instruments, and geographic information systems through courses such as multibeam sonar, sidescan sonar, oceanography, and GIS. The program combines classroom and laboratory instruction with three technical sessions and one work term spread across the three years, giving students applied fieldwork experience alongside academic coursework. Applicants must be able to provide proof of physical fitness through a signed Transport Canada Seafarer's medical certificate, reflecting the program's fieldwork and sea-going components. The program suits students interested in ocean and geospatial data collection who are aiming at careers such as hydrographic surveyor, GIS analyst, or geophysical technologist, and it can also serve as a pathway into further study, including a graduate diploma or master's degree in Applied Ocean Technology.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:60.00 / %
Admission Requirements: This diploma's own page states only that admission follows the Marine Institute's Application and Admission/Re-admission Requirements for diploma and technology programs. For Newfoundland and Labrador high-school applicants that means Mathematics 3200/3201/3204/3205 with a minimum of 60% in Mathematics 3201 or 3204, English 3201, and four credits of laboratory science including two of Biology 3201, Chemistry 3202, Physics 3204 or Earth Systems 3209, with a combined average of at least 60%; applicants from other provinces need Grade XII academic or advanced-level English, Mathematics (60% minimum) and laboratory science with an overall average of at least 60%, or admission by transfer from another post-secondary institution. Applicants whose first language is not English must present one of: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0 in Reading/Writing); TOEFL iBT 83 overall with at least 20 in Reading and Writing (for tests completed up to January 2026); CAEL 60 overall; PTE Academic 60 overall; Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 176; Duolingo English Test 115 overall; or Michigan English Test (MET) 59. Ocean Mapping also requires proof of physical fitness via a signed Transport Canada Seafarer's medical from an approved physician.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Memorial University's undergraduate application system opens one year ahead of each semester for the 2027 cycle: for Fall 2027 entry the portal opens 10 September 2026, the priority deadline (also the early-entrance-scholarship deadline) is 1 March 2027, the document deadline is 20 August 2027, and applications finally close 9 September 2027; Winter 2027 entry has a priority deadline of 1 October 2026 and closes 6 January 2027; Spring 2027 entry closes 11 May 2027 with a priority date of 1 February 2027. International applicants use the same direct application to Memorial and are only advised to apply at least 12 weeks before their intended semester starts; no fixed international closing date is published. Late domestic applications are still considered as time, resources and space permit, so admission is effectively rolling past the priority date up to the final close. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
