Freqently Asked Questions
- How do I find out which courses I should take, whether they are offered in a particular year and the timetable for my particular year?
- When do I choose the courses which will allow me to specialise in a particular career stream in geomatics engineering?
- I am interested in studying Geomatics Engineering. How do I find out if I qualify for entrance to the programme?
- I graduated from another education institution (e.g. SAIT, NAIT, BCIT, LethbridgeCommunity College) in the Geomatics program. I am interested in furthering my education in this field. I was wondering if I enrolled in the Geomatics program at your school, would I get any credits for the courses I took at this other institution?
- Which courses must I take to satisfy the Complementary Studies (COST) part of my programme? COST options are required for Accreditation of Engineering Education in Canada (www.ccpe.ca).
- I have transferred from another academic institution. I am unhappy that some of the courses that I took at this institution have not been credited. What course of action is open to me?
- Which Technical Electives should I take if I want to register as an Alberta Land Surveyor?
- What bursaries or Scholarships are on offer?
- I wish to take a course as an open (unclassified)student (e.g. to qualify for the Canadian Board of Examiners for Professionals Surveyors Exemption) .
- What are the implication if I withdraw from a course?
- What sort of work does a Geomatics Engineer do?
1) How do I find out which courses I shold take, whether they are offered in a particular year and the time table for my particular year?
There are a number of ways to get the required information. The official information can be obtained from the University Calendar. In this regard, the printed calendar is the most reliable source of information. If you wish to use the web, first look at the first year curriculum common to all engineering students at:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/en-4-1.html
Then select Geomatics Engineering on the above menu or at http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/en-4-6.html
You should also visit the Department’s web page at http://www.geomatics.ucalgary.ca/ and select student information. Then select either undergraduate or graduate student information, whichever is appropriate.
Look at the following items:
University Calendar Geomatics Course Descriptions:
- Look at the Undergraduate Programme and any programme changes that are listed
- Check the timetable. Note that this is continually updated.
2) When do I choose the courses which will allow me to specialise in a particular career stream in geomatics engineering?
In general, students follow a core curriculum with a few complimentary studies options until the end of their third year of study. However, students wishing to qualify as a land surveyor should take the course ENGO 443 Geodetic and Engineering Surveying in their third year. In their fourth year students choose six technical electives in addition to some core courses and complimentary studies courses. Students should also look at the Curriculum Checklist 2009/2010 Graduation Class document on the Department’s web page for changes to the program. Fourth year students should check their curriculum against the Check List on the Geomatics engineering web page and against the degree navigator.
3) I am interested in studying Geomatics Engineering. How do I find out if I qualify for entrance to the programme?
Please contact the Schulich School of Engineering Undergraduate Studies Office at Tel (403) 220-5732. Otherwise direct your query to engginfo [at] ucalgary [dot] ca. Also have a look at http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/undergraduate/prospective
4) I graduated from another education institution (e.g. SAIT, NAIT, BCIT, LethbridgeCommunity College) in the Geomatics program. I am interested in furthering my education in this field. I was wondering if I enrolled in the Geomatics program at your school, would I get any credits for the courses I took at this other institution?
Please contact the Schulich School of Engineering Undergraduate Studies Office Tel (403) 220 5732 and they will explain the process for having your transcripts evaluated for transfer credit. Otherwise direct your query to engginfo [at] ucalgary [dot] ca.
Also have a look at
http://www.ucalgary.ca/admissions/transfer_student where you’ll find information for ‘transfer students’
Also have a look at the Alberta Transfer Guides at www.acat.gov.ab.ca
5) Which courses must I take to satisfy the Complementary Studies (COST) part of my programme? COST options are required for Accreditation of Engineering Education in Canada (www.ccpe.ca).
Details can be found at http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/undergraduate/complementary. Every student is required to take a minimum of 6 half courses during their programme. Four of these are specified. Please check these against the above website Engineering Economics (ENGG 209), Technical Writing (COMS 363), Engineering and Society (ENGG 481 or equivalent as specified on faculty web page), and Engineering Profession (ENGG 513).
6) I have transferred from another academic institution. I am unhappy that some of the courses that I took at this institution have not been credited. What course of action is open to me?
In their first year, students are not assigned to a department. They follow the engineering common core programme. Transfer credits for the common core part of a programme are evaluated by the Schulich School of Engineering Undergraduate Studies office. Requests for re-evaluation of transfer credits for this part of the programme are dealt with by the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies.
Once a student has been accepted into the Geomatics Engineering programme in their 2nd year, and they feel that they have not been granted what they believe are their due credits, they should see the Associate Head, Undergraduate Studies, in the Geomatics Engineering Department. The Department will then make recommendations to the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies, who will make a final decision.
7) Which Technical Electives should I take if I want to register as an Alberta Land Surveyor?
Students wanting to become a land surveyor should take the course ENGO 443 Geodetic and Engineering Surveying in their third year as this is to become a prerequisite for some of the courses listed below.
To get exemption from a number of Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors courses, students should take all the core courses in the curriculum plus the following technical electives:
BSEN395 Business Law for Strategic Decision makers
ENGO579 Survey Law
ENGO581 Land Use Planning
ENGO545 Hydrography
You should also take ENGO 451 Design & Implementation of GIS
The above is subject to change and so, to get up to date information on the Canadian Board of Examiners for Professionals Surveyors (CBEPS), go to their website:
8) What bursaries or Scholarships are on offer?
There are a number of these on offers. The web sites listed below provide some information.
The Schulich School of Engg. offers scholarships. Information on these can be found at http://schulich.ucalgary.ca/undergraduate/current/scholarships
Scholarships specifically for Geomatics Engineering students can be found at: http://www.geomatics.ucalgary.ca/node/53
The University of Calgary also offers a broad range of bursaries and scholarships for new and continuing students. More information may be found at:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/awards-financial-assist-main.html
9) I wish to take a course as an open (unclassified)student (e.g. to qualify for the Canadian Board of Examiners for Professionals Surveyors Exemption).
Geomatics Engineering students have priority in courses. If there is room and students meet the prerequisites and language requirements (e.g. TOEFL) for a particular course then the School may admit them.
Please contact the Schulich School of Engineering Undergraduate Studies Office Tel (403) (403) 220 5732. Otherwise direct yourquery to engginfo [at] ucalgary [dot] ca.
Visting International Students
The links below will elaborate the details about student status, and will lead you to the application form.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/admissions/admission_requirements
http://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/forms_students
http://www.ucalgary.ca/admissions/elp (English Language Proficiency requirement)
International students pay a differential fee to the regular fee that Canadian citizens pay; it comes to about $1600-1800 for one undergraduate course (graduate courses have a slightly higher tuition fee). There is a minimum 3 course/semester requirement for being eligible for on-campus accommodation, the bus pass that is valid for the whole semester, etc.
The link below helps you to select courses offered by the U of Calgary:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/course-by-faculty.html
http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/course-desc-main.html
You find the schedule of the selected courses and setting the appropriate semester:
http://springsummer.ucalgary.ca/
Some more great links are:
Centre for International Students and Study Aboard (http://www.ucalgary.ca/cissa/)
Residence Services (http://www.ucalgary.ca/residence/)
Advice on Career Planning and Academic Success
For personal issues and general career planning and development, first check out the Counselling & Student Development Centre website http://www.ucalgary.ca/counselling/
Contact Address:
Room 375 MacEwan Student Centre
University of Calgary
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
Phone (403) 220-5893 / Fax (403) 284-0069
In the event that you have an emergency, or one of your friends is in a state of severe distress, and the Student Centre is closed, the following numbers may be relevant:
Campus Security 220-5333
UofC Health Clinic 220-5765 or 210-9355 (psychiatrists on staff)
Calgary Distress Centre 266-1605 Crisis Line (24-hour)
10) What are the implication if I withdraw from a course?
There are a number of implications. The following is a checklist, but be aware that it is incomplete. You should check the Student Standing section in the current University Calendar before you withdraw and take note of the following:
- Note that you may only take a course twice, and if a student withdraws from a course this is considered a first attempt at the course. If a student does not pass or get the required minimum required grade (see below) at the second attempt, they may be required to withdraw from the Faculty.
- Students who are on probation may place themselves at risk of being required to withdraw from the programme if they withdraw from a course which they are compelled to repeat.
- A full time student has to complete a minimum number of courses in a particular year. Ensure by confirming with the Engineering Undergraduate Office that by withdrawing from a number of courses you do not place yourself at risk of being required to withdraw from the programme.
- When a student takes the course again, they may be required to get a minimum grade; at the time of noting it was a C- (15 May 2008).
- If the course is a prerequisite for a higher level course, students will have to get a special concession to take the higher course. It is unlikely that this concession will be granted, as there will be no evidence of competence in the prerequisite material.
- If students receive government student loans or if they have received awards, the withdrawal may affect their student loans and/or awards. Students should contact the Student Awards and Financial Aid office to inquire about the impact on their student loans or awards before withdrawing from the course(s). Students may contact the office by phone at: (403) 210-7625, by e-mail at: ucawards [at] ucalgary [dot] ca or just drop by
Student Awards and Financial Aid
MacKimmie Library Block, Room 124
University of Calgary
Tel: 403-210-7625 Fax: 403-282-2999
Web site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/awards/
11) What sort of work does a Geomatics Engineer do?
Here are some Geomatics related links for scholars, teachers and prospective students. There are a host of sites (e.g. companies with Geomatics as part of their name) you can find using an internet search too.
Look at the career profiles at
http://www.geomatics.ucalgary.ca/node/100 and
Alberta Land Surveyors Association (http://www.alsa.ab.ca/careers.htm)
Some other interesting sites
Alberta Land Surveyors Association (http://www.alsa.ab.ca/)
Geomatics Canada – Educational resources (http://ess.nrcan.gc.ca/prodser_e.php#k)
Possible career paths for those who enter the Geomatics field (http://www.sli.unimelb.edu.au/about/careers.html#cp)
Mathematics and Geodesy Interesting Links (http://www.geo.tudelft.nl/mgp/links/links.html)
Geobase Canada (http://www.geobase.ca/)
Geomatics Industry Association of Canada (http://www.giac.ca/home.asp)
Professional Links
Canadian Institute of Geomatics (http://www.cig-acsg.ca/)
Alberta Geomatics Group (http://www.infoport.ca/agg/bins/index.asp)
Alberta Land Surveyors Association (http://www.alsa.ab.ca/)
Geomatics Industry Association of Canada (http://www.giac.ca/splash.html)
Canadian Cartographic Association (http://www.cca-acc.org/)
Canadian Council of Land Surveyors (CCLS) (http://www.ccls-ccag.ca/)
International Federation of Surveyors (http://www.fig.net/)
International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) (http://www.isprs.org/)
Other International Links
US Geological Survey (http://www.usgs.gov/)
Open Geospatial Consortium (http://www.opengeospatial.org/)
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (http://www.dwaf.gov.za/)
The GIS Primer. Section: Fundamental GIS Concepts (http://www.innovativegis.com/basis/primer/concepts.html)
Industry Links
Leica (http://www.leica.com/)
Zeiss (http://www.zeiss.com/)
Intergraph (http://www.intergraph.com/)
Autodesk (http://www.autodesk.com/)
ESRI (http://www.esri.com/)
Other Universities around the World
ITC, Enschede, Netherlands (http://www.itc.nl/)
Department of Geomatics, University of Melbourne (http://www.sli.unimelb.edu.au/)
Department of Photogrammetry , ETH Zurich (http://www.photogrammetry.ethz.ch/)
Institute for Photogrammetry and GIS, University of Stuttgart (http://www.ifp.uni-stuttgart.de/)
Department of Surveying, University of the Federal Armed Forces, Munich (http://www.unibw.de/startseite/index-en.html)
Asian Institute for Technology, Bangkok (http://www.ait.ac.th/)
Geomatics Programme, University of Cape Town (http://www.geomatics.uct.ac.za/)
City University UK (http://www.soi.city.ac.uk/)