Geomatics Engineering at Florida Atlantic University

Broadly stated, Geomatics Engineering is the discipline that applies engineering principles to Surveying and Mapping in a Digital World.

What is Geomatics Engineering?

Geomatics is a new term incorporating what used to be called "surveying" along with many other aspects of spatial data (information that has a location) management. The nature of the tasks required of the Professional Land Surveyor has evolved and the term "surveying" alone does not accurately describe the whole range of tasks that the profession deals with.

Therefore, the Geomatics Engineer can be involved in an extremely wide variety of information gathering activities and applications. Geomatics Engineers design, develop, and operate systems for collecting and analyzing spatial information about the land, the oceans, natural resources, and manmade features. The more traditional land surveying strand of Geomatics Engineering is concerned with the determination and recording of boundaries and areas of real property parcels, and the preparation and interpretation of legal land descriptions. The tasks more closely related to Civil Engineering, include the design and layout of public infrastructure and urban subdivisions, and mapping and control surveys for construction projects.

Geomatics Engineers utilize a wide range of technologically advanced tools like digital total stations, Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment, digital aerial imagery (both satellite and air-borne), and computer-based geographic information systems (GIS). These tools enable the Geomatics Engineer to gather, analyze, and manage spatially related information to solve a wide range of technical and societal problems. Geomatics Engineering is an exciting and new grouping of subjects in the spatial and environmental information sciences with a broad range of employment opportunities - and offers challenging research problems in a vast range of interdisciplinary fields.

Geomatics Engineering at FAU

This new, unique program (Geomatics Engineering at FAU is the only Geomatics Engineering program currently being offered in the South East region), that started the Fall 2007 semester, was created, in part, in response to the 2005 change in Florida Statutes requiring that individuals seeking state licensure as professional land surveyors be trained at the baccalaureate level. Faculty and staff headquartered at the FAU Treasure Coast campus in Port St. Lucie have the ability to deliver the program throughout South Florida.

Many potential students, in addition to the full time undergraduate student, are working professionals with two-year degrees or degrees in other fields, seeking to upgrade their professional skills and are unable to attend classes during normal working hours. To meet this need, the College of Engineering & Computer Science offers upper-level courses in a blended system of delivery that best fits the requirements of each course, and the needs of students. Courses may be totally online, or broadcast live to one or more of the seven FAU campuses, or be a combination of both course delivery techniques.

For more information, visit the Geomatics Engineering at FAU Web site.