EDWARDSVILLE - In response to the increased demand and limited number of individuals entering the professional surveying workforce, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Engineering (SOE) is announcing the formation of a new four-year degree in land surveying and geomatics. This is the only four-year degree for land surveying that offers a direct pathway to professional licensure in several Midwestern states.
“This program is offered to a broad base of students as it has integrated focused coursework from our surveying specialization, geography and civil engineering programs,” said John Cabage, PhD, associate professor and chair of the Department of Construction. “We hope that through this program at SIUE, we can help increase the number of individuals entering the professional surveying field.”
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The gift of more than $214,000 in equipment from Seiler Instrument enabled SIUE to launch this degree program with leading edge technology. Together, the collaboration of SIUE’s School of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences and Seiler Instrument will contribute to a one-of-a-kind degree program that stands out in the Midwest region.
“The land surveying and geomatics skills are in high demand,” said Cem Karacal, PhD, professor and dean of the SOE. “The SOE is converting the land surveying specialization program to a four-year degree program by combining it with geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), remote sensing and photogrammetry to collect, process and analyze spatial data. We expect this new program to help our regional corporate partners by providing them a well-prepared talent pipeline.”
Land surveyors are uniquely qualified to provide fundamental professional services to the engineering, construction, GIS and real estate industries. Upon completion of the program, students can obtain careers as a cartographer, boundary surveyor, design engineering surveyor, federal surveyor, drone pilot and aerial mapper, and other various career paths.
“The program is forming an industry-supported advisory board made up of surveyors from primarily Missouri and Illinois to direct and guide our educational and recruiting efforts,” Cabage added. “A new equipment lease program has been developed with Seiler Instruments of St. Louis which will ensure that our program is using the most current technology while we train students to become surveying professionals.”
The program has received its professional licensure from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Land Surveying Board and will be offered starting fall 2023. For more information about the program visit siue.edu/academics/
The School of Engineering offers one of the most comprehensive and affordable engineering programs in the St. Louis region with eight undergraduate degrees, five master’s degrees and two cooperative doctoral programs, all housed in a state-of-the-art facility. Students learn from expert faculty, perform cutting-edge research and participate in intercollegiate design competitions. Companies in the metropolitan St. Louis area provide students challenging internships and co-op opportunities, which often turn into permanent employment. All undergraduate programs are accredited by their respective accreditation agencies.
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