Master of Science in Land Survey Engineering Technology
The Land Survey Engineering Technology curriculum contains civil engineering course units as well as land survey course units like geographical positioning, hydrography and GIS. You will learn how to collect and process data in order to make maps and plans using specific software.
What
A Land Survey Engineering Technology graduate (in Dutch: industrieel ingenieur gespecialiseerd in landmeten) combines a specialization in land surveying with a solid basis in civil engineering technology. You will learn how to collect, analyse and model data to make precise maps, plans and 3D models. The use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) you are able to combine spatial data into tools for policy support. Moreover, we introduce you to state-of-the-art topographical measuring equipment like total stations, GNSS and 3D laser scanning. We involve you in ongoing research and introduce you to everyday practice by means of company visits, the work placement, study trips abroad, seminars and study days. Your Master's dissertation can either take the form of a collaboration with the industry or be part of ongoing research.
For whom
The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.
Structure
Our Master's programme in Land Survey Engineering Technology is a continuation of the academic Bachelor’s programme in Civil Engineering. The curriculum offers a solid basis of civil engineering and legislation in addition to geographical positioning and mapping through traditional methods and satellite positioning, bathymetry, photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning. You learn to process the data collected during field work using specialized software. We also offer you a solid basis of modern informatics and CAD techniques, and you learn how to make policy-supporting analyses using GIS. You apply this knowledge to realize your projects.
You will invest a lot of time and energy in finishing your Master's dissertation: this is a written report of your own research (a review of the literature, field work, source analysis, empiric research, etc.) on a specific issue or situation. Your academic-scientific mindset is not the only important element. We also focus on preparing you for practice by means of a mandatory work placement. This introduces you to the various aspects of company life. Every year, a number of Land Survey Engineering Technology students embark on a work placement abroad (at the Panama Canal, in Argentina, Australia, China, ...).
Labour Market
Whether you are an outdoors person, or prefer to work from your computer, or a combination of both, there is a great variety of job opportunities for Civil Engineering Technology graduates, in the public as well as the private sector. You may find employment as a site supervisor or land surveyor at contractors of road infrastructure and large construction projects, at the Land Registry Office (either in internal or external services), at semi-public services (such as the Vlaamse Landmaatschappij/VLM), Agentschap voor Geografische Informatie Vlaanderen/AGIV, the National Geographic Institute/NGI,...) and government agencies, survey bureaus, utility companies, banks, ...
You are qualified to become a self-employed surveyor expert to perform boundary surveys and estimates of real estate, to draw up expropriation and allotment dossiers, to function as an expert commissioned by courts, banks, real estate offices, ... . If you are an adventurer, you might even consider taking a job at a dredging company or sign up for excavation works at an archaeological site abroad.
Be sure to check out these interesting testimonials at ikbenindustrieelingenieur.be (in Dutch).
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Integration of theory and practice: our curriculum contains many hours of tutorials and practicals, during which we use our well-equipped infrastructure to apply the theoretical knowledge covered in the lectures. We hone our students’ critical thought and problem-solving skills and bring them the newest technological developments in the discipline. The programme additionally offers a work placement of at least four weeks scheduled between the Bachelor’s and the Master’s cycle.
- Among other things, this four-week work placement stands for our strong embedding in the professional field, and is one of our most important assets. It gives our students the opportunity to immerse themselves in professional practice, where they will learn to work independently and in a team. In addition, various course units contain company and site visits. We also offer Master's dissertation topics in co-operation with the industry.
- Knowledge creation: we value gradual knowledge-building strongly. We never cease to encourage our students to think self-critically. We deliver versatile yet sufficiently specialised and highly employable alumni.
- An academic and professional focus: our students become academically trained professionals. We confront them with the most topical and state-of-the-art developments in the discipline, and teach them how to keep abreast of those developments and put them into practice. Our graduates know how to explain processes of civil engineering and land surveying in society, and they are able to convert these processes into more sustainable, and resilient developments.
- Multiperspectivism: we train our students to become critical professionals who are able to work in a team, and we teach them the necessary skills to work in a creative and problem-solving manner. In addition, we generate interaction between a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives. In so doing, we look beyond disciplinary boundaries and we tie in with related disciplines such as architecture, sustainable energy, and spatial planning.
Strengths
- Generally speaking, student satisfaction is high. Our students appreciate, among other things, the composition and the quality of the curriculum, and praise our innovative teaching practice, the discussion fora and the supervision of the Bachelor’s and Master's dissertation.
- Our graduates are sought after at home and abroad, and usually have excellent job opportunities.
- Our programme boasts a group of excellent, motivated and approachable lecturers with a strong commitment to the programme. We invest heavily in personal contact between our lecturers and our students. Our lecturers are available during and after class, and reachable by (online) appointment, and by email.
- The Programme Committee meets regularly, works efficiently and has student representatives among its members. It monitors programme content and quality assurance on a continuous basis. Identified weaknesses are handled and followed up in a constructive and efficient manner.
- The curriculum is relevant, topical and in alignment with the needs of the professional field. Generic competencies like collaboration, communication and interdisciplinarity are embedded in various course units.
Challenges
- Students indicate that there are course units and/or terms in which the workload is to high. This is a concern we continue to monitor together with the students. In addition, we invest in straightforward communication on mutual expectations by means of (among other things) an indicative calendar. We continue to commit to an optimal study success rate so that all students have the opportunity to graduate within the stipulated four years (Bachelor’s + Master’s).
- In terms of internationalisation, we continue to promote international student mobility and we set up new Internationalisation@Home initiatives. Spending a term abroad is currently only possible in the Master year.
- We strive for a higher student involvement in the management of our programme and set up initiatives to rouse the students’ interest in taking up more active roles.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.
This information was last updated on 23/03/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.