Academic Program

Surveying Engineering. Graduates have strengths in the theoretical principles and the practical applications of advanced surveying techniques and related computational procedures, geodesy, map compilation, photogrammetry, geographic information systems (GIS), and the planning and conducting of surveys, as well as the business aspects of operating a surveying firm.

 

 

Article from The Michigan Professional Surveyor....

Travels to the Last Frontier
Here's an article written by Jan S. Folkens, P.S. who is a member of our Industry Advisory Committee.

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Article from P.O.B., Point of Beginning....

Women in Surveying Article from Professional Surveyor....

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Helpful Information for Students
This article appeared in Professional Surveyor Magazine March 1999, Volume 19, No 2, and is displayed with permission. Copyright 1999 Professional Surveyors Publishing Co., Inc.

Click on the logo to visit Professional Surveyor magazine.

 

Papers by Faculty

A Baccalaureate Degree Program for the Traditional Surveyor, by: Indrajith Wijayratne (pdf, 1372KB)

ABSTRACT: Many states now require a four-year college degree as the minimum educational requirement for the grant of a license to practice land surveying. This is a step in the right direction, but college degree curricula do not serve the profession well unless they are designed to offer the kind of education that the practitioner needs. If graduates of college surveying programs are not capable of carrying out traditional land surveying tasks, their employment opportunities may be limited. The B.S. degree program in surveying at Michigan Technological University--a result of the Michigan legislature mandating a baccalaureate degree for licensure--was designed from the outset as a program to educate traditional land surveyors. The program, accredited by ABET under RAC and now in its sixteenth year, enjoys a healthy enrollment. It has all the ingredients of a modern surveying curriculum but the practical nature of its course offerings is well suited to the traditional surveyor.

Distance Learning for Surveyors, by: Indrajith Wijayratne (pdf, 898KB)

ABSTRACT
Distance education is certainly not new. Many technical institutions, public and private, have been offering correspondence courses for a very long time. There is a new wave, however, sweeping across many colleges and universities to diversify their course offering by the use of modern communication techniques. The target audience is the student population outside their institutions who are unable or unwilling to adapt to the traditional college schedule.
The surveying department of Michigan Technological University, USA, embarked on a new program of course offering to students who are not in residence at the university. The program began as a result of a request made by the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors. Fifteen years after the state mandated requirement of a four year degree, there is still a backlog of individuals in Michigan who have been working in the profession of surveying but do not have necessary academic credentials to become licensed surveyors. There are also other individuals such as civil engineers, foresters who wish to become licensed but lack the necessary surveying courses to qualify.

Blending the Old With the New: The Surveying Program at Michigan Technological University, by Indrajith Wijayaratne (pdf, 337KB)
ABSTRACT
The Surveying Program at Michigan Technological University was instituted in 1978 in response to the state legislature's mandate that licensed surveyors posses a college degree. From the outset, the surveying curriculum was designed to provide an education to those who wish to become licensed surveyors. The curriculum was approved by the Michigan State Board of Licensing as fulfilling the requirements of professional surveyors. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology under the Related Accreditation Commission. It has all the ingredients of a modern surveying curriculum, and the practical nature of its course offerings is well suited for the practicing surveyor.

Taking a lunch break in the forest.

 

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