St Cloud State University

Land Surveying and Mapping Science Major

Surveying and Mapping involves the collection and distribution of data for the development of resources as well as for the construction of rural and urban infrastructures such as highways, pipelines, developments in mining and forestry, subdivision development, and large industrial complexes. These developments will need trained individuals to survey and map out features on the earth’s surface requiring boundary delineations according to the Public Lands Surveys. Maps and plans showing the correct spatial relationships of features are the required tools of effective planning for development.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Land Surveying and Mapping Science at St Cloud State University has been revised. The major strengths in the new curriculum are that it includes most of the topics in surveying: Cadastral Surveying, Boundary Law, Urban Site Development, Geodesy and Survey Adjustments, Surveying, Control and Geodetic Surveys, GPS, Cartography and GIS, all of which are supplemented with the used of related software. To become a Professional Land Surveyor in Minnesota, the candidate must possess a Bachelor of Science degree in Surveying. Professional Surveyors of the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors are part of our Advisory Committee and has input in the curriculum change.

The degree program at St Cloud State University requires the candidate to take two academic years of studies at a Technical or Community College with an Associate Degree or Diploma in Surveying, Geomatics or Civil Technology followed by approximately another two and a half years [5 semesters] at the university. Currently articulated arrangements have been made with over ten colleges in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Transfer credits will vary slightly based on the college that students had attended. The degree program requires students to complete 58 credits in the Land Surveying major, and graduate with a total of 120 credits including transfer credits and General Education requirements. Annual scholarships to Land Surveying students have been in excess of $17000.

LAND SURVEYING CURRICULUM

GEOG 335 Land Surveying: Theory of survey methods, calculations and survey instrumentation. Field notes and survey mathematics. Measurement of distances, elevations and angles. Traverse calculations, coordinates, areas, forced closure, missing distances and angles. Horizontal and vertical curves. Astronomy.

Spiral curves. Related computations. *** Students may challenge the course by obtaining a passing grade of 70%.

Prereq: Graduation from College.

GEOG 336 Control and Geodetic Surveys: Control surveys and survey networks. Advanced traverse calculations with line and curves. Map Projections, the Universal Transverse Mercator UTM Projection [SLF, SF, CF, zone, grid, ground and geodetic distance], State Plane Coordinate Systems SPCS, and Minnesota County Coordinate System, coordinate conversion. Deformation surveys and measurement epochs. Spiral curves. Hydrographic surveys, the echo sounder, nautical chart, shore control, offshore surveys, and the Law of the Sea. Aerial photogrammetry and photogrammetric mapping. Related software and computations.

Prereq: GEOG 335

GEOG 433 Cadastral Surveying: Cadastral surveys and land ownership. Public Land Surveys, original surveys and the plat, standard corners, principal meridians, baseline, correction line, initial point, standard parallels and guide meridians. Township corners and subdivision surveys. Irregular subdivisions in rural and urban areas. Descriptions of land, the use of metes and bounds. Easements and right-of-ways. Retracement surveys and fractional sections. Meandering corners and riparian surveys. The hierarchy of survey evidence, methods of proportional measurement, monumentation, witness corners, fences and fence lines. Liability and authority of the surveyor. Minnesota regulations. ALTA surveys. Case studies.

Prereq: GEOG 335, GEOG 336

GEOG 435 Boundary Law: Practical understanding of real property boundary and conveyance law as it relates to surveying.

Prereq: GEOG 433

GEOG 436 Global Positioning System GPS: Geodesy basics, shape of the earth, reference systems, coordinate systems. Map projections. NAVSTAR and GPS: positioning from space systems, satellite configuration, elements of satellite motion, code and phase measurements, L1/L2, point positioning, DGPS, kinematic surveys, DOP, the error budget, receiver antenna, survey and mapping grade receivers, navigation with GPS, use of software, GIS applications, receiver selection. Data capture with receivers.

Prereq: GEOG 316, GEOG 335, GEOG 336

GEOG 438 Geodesy and Survey Measurements: Geometrical and physical geodesy. The shape of the earth and the North American Datum, ellipsoidal geometry, types of latitudes, radii of curvature. Coordinate systems in geodesy; plane, 3D Cartesian, ECEF, spherical and geodetic, similarity transformation. Gravity, precise leveling, the geoid and the ellipsoid, vertical datum, orthometric and ellipsoidal height. Horizontal control surveys, convergence of meridians, spherical excess, positioning by satellite and inertial systems.

Theory of errors, random errors and error propagation. The use of matrix algebra, calculus and statistics in least squares in the adjustment of survey measurements; distances, elevations and traverses. Survey standards and specifications. Related computations and the use of software.

Prereq: GEOG 336, MATH 221, STAT 229

GEOG 439 Surveying Seminar: Speakers from industry and government. Surveying office practice, surveying research. Preparing estimates for contracts. Applications of contracts, corporate and agency law related to surveying. Surveying professionalism and ethics, client and contractor relations. The State Board and licensing requirements for Land Surveyors. Preparation for the Fundamentals of Land Surveying FLS examination. Students are required to prepare a technical paper using surveying measurements of 4000 words on a surveying topic followed by a presentation. Related computations.

Prereq: GEOG 336

GEOG 455 Urban Site Development: Planning the arrangement of buildings and other structures. Land uses and land law, private ownership of land. Zoning and housing subdivision design. Governmental regulations. Subdivision requirements and constraints. Minnesota platting law and the role of the land surveyor in the subdivision process, public hearings, project management and the political process. Preparation of a Plat. Related computations and software.

Prereq: GEOG 433, GEOG 435

The curriculum and recommended schedule are listed below:

Year 3

Course ID	Course Name	Credits
GEOG 316	Introduction to GIS	3 CR.
GEOG 317	Arcview	1 CR.
*GEOG 335*	Land Surveying	3 CR.
*GEOG 336*	Control and Geodetic Surveying	3 CR.
GEOG 436	GPS/GIS Integration	3 CR.
*GEOG 444*	Practical Geography	3 CR. Summer**
*GEOG 455*	Urban Site Development	3 CR.
MATH 221	Calculus and Analytic Geometry I	5 CR.
MATH 222	Calculus and Analytic Geometry II	4 CR.
STAT 229	Statistics for the Physical Sciences	3 CR.
	Credits in Year 3:	31

Year 4

Course ID	Course Name	Credits
GEOG 350	Introduction to Remote Sensing	3 CR.
GEOG 394	Introduction to Urban Planning	3 CR.
GEOG 402	Techniques in GIS	3 CR.
GEOG 406	Thematic Cartography	3 CR.
*GEOG 433*	Cadastral Surveying	3 CR.
*GEOG 435*	Boundary Law	3 CR.
*GEOG 438*	Geodesy and Survey Adjustments	3 CR.
GEOG 439	Surveying Seminar	3 CR.
GEOG 462	Concepts of Spatial Analysis	3 CR.
	Credits in Year 4:	27
	Total Credits to Graduate:	58

Students must complete General Education requirements as well.

*Students may get a GIS Minor by completing GEOG 407 and GEOG 408.

For more information:

Professor Ken Wong Email: kwwong@stcloudstate.edu

Department of Geography

345 Stewart Hall

720 Fourth Avenue South

St Cloud, MN 56301-4498

Phone: 320-308-3014 Fax: 320-308-1660

(Correspondence by email is recommended.)

Page Last Modified: June 2, 2005