Engineering: Surveying Technology and Geographical IT

Education

During the three years of the program, technical, legal and IT-related elements are combined to enable you to work professionally with the collection, analysis and visualization of geographic information – knowledge that is central to today's community development.

The studies begin with courses that give you a solid foundation in geomatics, mathematics and surveying technology. These courses provide you with a basic understanding of geographic information systems and the mathematical tools needed to work in engineering.

During the education, you will gradually delve into areas such as:

• Geographical information technology (GIT) and database management
• Programming, mainly in Python, to develop and adapt GIS applications
• Surveying technology and geodesy, including drone and GPS-based data collection and Coordinate and reference systems
• Cartography, remote sensing and aerial imagery
• Real estate law, land use and community planning processes

You will also meet the industry through guest lectures and have the opportunity to complete an internship during your studies. This will prepare you well for the working world and provide valuable experience of how technology is used in real projects.

Towards the end of the programme, you will work more independently and complete a thesis in which you delve deeper into a chosen area. The thesis ties together the different parts of the programme and gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your technical, analytical and problem-solving skills in a concrete project.

You can study on campus or remotely. If you choose to study remotely, there are 3 planned face-to-face meetings (semester 1, 2 and semester 6).

For those who need to supplement your eligibility

If you need to supplement your eligibility, you can begin your studies in the autumn semester one year before with a qualifying foundation year. Then you apply for the program. The eligibility requirements for the Technical Science Foundation Year are: Basic eligibility and Mathematics 2a/2b.

Alternatively, you can start in the spring semester, with a qualifying foundation semester (only given on Campus) and then apply for the following program. The eligibility requirements for the Science Foundation Semester are: Basic eligibility and Mathematics 3b/3c, Physics 1, Chemistry 1. If you have passed all the parts of the qualifying programs, you have the opportunity to apply for a guaranteed place.

Form of Instruction

Teaching methods may consist of lectures, group work, computer exercises, outdoor field exercises, seminars, math cabins, study visits and project work. The education mixes practice with theory.

Draft planned attendance (distance variant) during semesters 1-2 

During semester one, there is a mandatory face-to-face meeting in the course Introduction to Geomatics for one week (approximately 2 days), planned for week 41. During semester 2, there is a mandatory face-to-face meeting in the course Geodesy (approximately 3 days). Some courses may include classroom exams. You can then choose to do these at a nearby learning center.

Examination

The examination methods vary and are stated in the respective course syllabus. They may, for example, consist of classroom exams, project reports, oral presentations, assignments, seminars and take-home exams.

Study Abroad

You have the opportunity to study parts of your education abroad. International contacts can be arranged by program and study counselors and central functions for international studies at Karlstad University.

Professional Contact

During the education, contact with working life takes place in the form of study visits, guest lecturers, conferences and through internships.

Semester 1	ECTS credits
Introduction to Geomatics (Obligatory)	7.5
Mathematics for Engineers I (Obligatory)	7.5
Introduction to Estate Law (Obligatory)	7.5
Programming in Geomatics I (Obligatory)	7.5

Semester 2	ECTS credits
Geographic Information Technology (Obligatory)	7.5
Database Design in Geomatics (Obligatory)	7.5
Geodesy (Obligatory)	7.5
Cartography (Obligatory)	7.5

Semester 3	ECTS credits
Applied Geographic Information Technology (Obligatory)	7.5
Geometry, trigonometry, and statistics (Obligatory)	7.5
Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry (Obligatory)	7.5
Scientific Theory and Methods in Geomatics (Obligatory)	7.5

Semester 4	ECTS credits
Geodata Management with FME) (Obligatory)	7.5
Open Source Geographic Information Technology (Obligatory)	7.5
Internship in geographical information technology II (Optional)	7.5
UAV Photogrammetry and 3D-modeling (Optional)	7.5
Raster Analysis and Modeling (Obligatory)	7.5

Semester 5	ECTS credits
Map projections and transformations (Obligatory)	7.5
Project work in Geomatics (Obligatory)	7.5
Web Mapping Applications (Optional)	7.5
Internship in geographical information technology II (Optional)	7.5
Applied geodesy (Optional)	7.5

Semester 6	ECTS credits
Internship in geographical information technology III (Optional)	7.5
Degree Project in Surveying Technology and Geographical IT (Obligatory)	22.5
Programming in Geomatics II (Optional)	7.5

*Full-time study always equals 30 ECTS credits per semester (20 weeks).

Please note - not all programmes offer elective or optional courses.

Elective course: Students are free to choose among certain alternative courses, often depending on their choice of specialisation.

Optional course: Students are free to choose any course offered at Karlstad University or at other universities. Courses listed are examples of recommended or frequently chosen courses for a specific programme.