Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Geomatics provides students with excellent opportunities for career enhancement and professional growth. This degree will appeal primarily to graduate Geomatics Engineering Technologists who wish to gain professional accreditation as land surveyors or pursue other areas of geomatics such as mapping or hydrography.
Survey a career
The Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors have developed a number of videos which give an insight into the exciting career of a land surveyor – for further information on becoming a BC Land Surveyor visit The Association of British Columbia Land Surveyors.
Check out the ABCLS YouTube Channel
Testimonial
“As an industry leader, McElhanney has developed a close relationship with BCIT to better prepare their Geomatics students to enter the workforce upon graduation. We have found summer students to be keen, hard workers, and very engaged in the survey process. Many of these students have then returned to McElhanney as full-time employees. I couldn’t be happier with the relationship we have with BCIT and the process we have in place to help build the careers of these young and talented individuals.”
Jack Clarke, McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd
- Next up Entrance Requirements
Entrance Requirements
Application processing
Open to applications beginning October 1st (or next business day).
Entrance requirements
This program has a two-step admission process. Applicants must meet all entrance requirements and will be accepted on a first qualified basis as long as space remains.
Step 1: Meet the following entrance requirements
- Post-secondary: A recognized Diploma in Geomatics with a minimum GPA of 65%
- English language proficiency: Category 2 – English Studies 12 (67%) or equivalent
Applicants who have completed post-secondary studies outside of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand will require a comprehensive evaluation of their credentials by the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES). Credential evaluation reports from other Canadian services may be considered. These reports must include course-by-course evaluations and GPA calculations.
Read more about how to meet BCIT’s entrance requirements
Applicants currently enrolled in the last term of their degree/diploma must be on track to complete by May. To apply submit both of the following documents from your post-secondary institution:
- Transcript of completed courses
- Confirmation of enrolment letter verifying your current course enrolment and registration in the final term of your degree/diploma
Step 2: Department Assessment
Applicants will be reviewed when the entrance requirements are complete and those that require supplemental courses in order to fulfill the educational background for practice in the Geomatics industry will be contacted for a meeting with the program head.
Applicants with related post-secondary education may be eligible for advanced placement into the second year of BCIT's Geomatics Engineering Technology Diploma before continuing with the Bachelor of Science in Geomatics.
Continuation requirements
- Students must complete a minimum of six months of approved discipline-related work experience to graduate from this program.
International applicants
This program is available to international applicants. A valid study permit is required prior to starting the program.
Students enrolled in this program must complete the mandatory work component to qualify for graduation. A co-op work permit is required prior to starting the work component.
Apply to program
To submit your application:
- Include proof of meeting all entrance requirements.
- Convert all transcripts and supporting documents to PDF files.
- Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee.
Apply Now
Scheduled Intakes
September each year.
myCommunication
Within two business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal and myBCIT e-mail addresses. All correspondence regarding your application will be posted to your online myCommunication account at my.bcit.ca. We'll send you an e-mail when a new message is posted. It's important to watch for these e-mails or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within four weeks.
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- Next up Costs & Supplies
Costs & Supplies
Tuition fees
Use our tuition estimator to find tuition and fees for this program.
For more information on full-time tuition and fees, visit:
Books & supplies
Year 3: $800; Year 4: $750
These are estimated costs, subject to change.
Financial assistance
Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact Student Financial Aid and Awards.
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- Next up Courses
Courses
Program matrix
Level 5 (15 weeks) | Credits | ||
---|---|---|---|
BUSA 7250 | Management Skills and Applications | 3.0 | |
GEOM 5105 | Land Information Systems | 4.0 | |
GEOM 5110 | Spatial Database Systems 1 | 3.0 | |
GEOM 5115 | Land Use Planning | 3.0 | |
GEOM 5120 | Geodetic Positioning 1 | 4.0 | |
LIBS 7001 | Critical Reading and Writing | 3.0 | |
Level 6 (15 weeks) | Credits | ||
ECON 1150 | Economic Issues | 3.0 | |
GEOM 6110 | Spatial Database Systems 2 | 3.0 | |
GEOM 6120 | Geodetic Positioning 2 | 4.0 | |
GEOM 6130 | Geomatics Project Planning | 2.0 | |
GEOM 6140 | Special Topics in Adjustments | 5.0 | |
LIBS 7002 | Applied Ethics | 3.0 | |
Level 7 (15 weeks) | Credits | ||
BLAW 3100 | Business Law | 4.0 | |
GEOM 7130 | Geomatics Project 1 | 2.0 | |
GEOM 7145 | Adv Satellite Positioning | 3.0 | |
GEOM 7150 | Advanced Topics in Precision Survey | 5.0 | |
GEOM 7155 | Cadastral Surveys & Land Registration Systems | 3.0 | |
Plus one General Education Elective (minimum 3.0 credits) View the General Education Requirements [PDF] for a list of pre-approved academic disciplines or to access the General Education elective pre-approval form. |
|||
Level 8 (15 weeks) | Credits | ||
GEOM 8130 | Geomatics Project 2 | 4.0 | |
GEOM 8165 | Advanced Digital Mapping | 3.0 | |
GEOM 8175 | Survey Law | 3.0 | |
GEOM 8185 | GIS Remote Sensing | 3.0 | |
GEOM 8195 | Hydrographic Surveying | 4.0 | |
LIBS 7007 | Technology and Society* | 3.0 | |
*Liberal Studies Elective (3.0 credits): Students are automatically registered into LIBS 7007 to meet graduation requirements. Students can elect to take another LIBS elective course or apply for credits completed at other institutions. These credits must be achieved in accordance with the BCIT Policy on Liberal Studies Requirements. |
|||
Total Credits: | 80.0 |
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if they transfer to courses here at BCIT? Check out BCIT's Transfer Equivalency Database to find out.
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- Next up Program Details
Program Details
- On completion of the BCIT Diploma in Geomatics Engineering Technology (Academic Years 1 and 2) or the equivalent, students can continue into Years 3 and 4.
- Academic Year 3 consists of levels 5 and 6. Academic Year 4 consists of levels 7 and 8.
- Each year has two terms. Each term is fifteen weeks long. Levels 5 and 7 are from September to December for fifteen consecutive weeks. Levels 6 and 8 are from January to April with fifteen weeks of classes and a one week Spring Break in March.
- Lectures and labs are offered Monday to Friday, from 8:30 to 17:30, except on Wednesdays when classes end at 14:30.
- Six courses are offered each term and are a mixture of Geomatics technical courses, Business Management courses and Liberal Studies courses. A research project is a key component of the degree, planned in level 6 and completed in levels 7 and 8.
Work experience
- In addition to the academic years, students are required to provide proof of six months of approved discipline-related work experience prior to graduation.
- Work experience can be accumulated in the summer months between academic years or by working for one consecutive year, giving students several options to fulfill the minimum requirements.
Program length
Two years, full-time
The program runs from September to April each year.
Accreditation
Recognition of this degree as a qualification for advanced technical and management positions is anticipated from related professional groups and industry associations. Students who complete specific courses with an average mark of 60% or higher are exempted from 12 out of 13 professional examinations administered by the Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors (CBEPS). In 2016 the Association of BC Land Surveyors (ABCLS) incorporated a separate clause in their bylaws which enables graduates of the degree with an average GPA of 70%, with no course less than 60% for CBEPS designated courses, to qualify as a Land Surveyor in Training.
Program delivery
In person: This program is delivered on campus.
This two year program includes Geomatics technical courses, Business Management courses and Liberal Studies courses. Each term consists of six courses that are a mixture of these subjects. Full-time students are block registered into all of the required courses.
Geomatics degree courses may be taken individually for professional development purposes such as exemptions from the Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors (CBEPS) or applied towards completion of the degree. Students wanting to take individual flexible learning (part-time studies) courses do not need to apply for acceptance into the Bachelor of Science in Geomatics degree program but must have completed a Diploma in Geomatics and require approval from the department. Students should apply for acceptance into the full-time degree program if planning to complete more than 12.0 credits of Geomatics courses. Students may receive credit exemption for courses completed in flexible learning once accepted into the full-time program.
Part-time students are responsible for registration and payment for each course. Part-time students interested in registering for individual courses from our full-time program should contact Dee Morita, program assistant, at 604-451-7001 for details.
Program location
Burnaby Campus
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
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- Next up Graduating & Jobs
Graduating & Jobs
Graduate employment outcomes
The BCIT student outcomes report presents summary findings from the annual survey of former students administered by BC Stats one to two years after graduation. These reports combine the last three years of available results for the 2020-2022 BCIT Outcomes Surveys of 2019-2021 graduates and for Degree 2017-2019 graduates. The reports are organized into three-page summaries containing information on graduates’ labour market experiences and opinions regarding their education. More detailed information can be accessed at the BC Student Outcomes website.
To view these results, you may need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in your Web browser.
Apply for graduation
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, complete an Application for BCIT Credential [PDF] and submit it to Student Information and Enrolment Services.
Allow approximately six to eight weeks for processing.
All financial obligations to the Institute must be met prior to issuance of any credential.
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- Next up Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Faculty, Advisors & Staff
Faculty
Grant Shelest, MBA, BTech, AScT (Ret.)
Program Head
604-453-4051
Mark Dailey, BCLS
604-432-8627
Darryl Dube, DiplT, BA
Program Coordinator
604-456-8097
James Cowan, DiplT
Marketing & Media
604-432-8992
Sean Galway, BSc, MSc
604-432-8283
Ian Gatrell, DiplT
604-431-4960
Christopher Griffith, BSc
604-431-4943
Scott Netherton, BCLS, CLS, P.Surv
604-431-4993
John Ogundare, PhD
604-431-4944
Klint Poonoosamy, DiplT
604-451-7197
Mohammad Rajabi, PhD, EIT
604-432-8706
Eric Saczuk, PhD
604-451-7197
Alan Weston, MBA, MSc, PGeo
Coordinator – Part Time Studies
604-454-2240
Staff
TBA
Survey Stores Coordinator
604-451-6704
Dee Morita, BA
Program Assistant
604-451-7001
Advisory committee
- Harinder Badial (Chair) – City of Surrey
- Warren Barnard – Watson & Barnard
- Joe Coelho – Matson, Peck & Topliss
- Rob Glass – City of Vancouver
- Mark LeBlanc – Canadian Hydrographic Service
- Jeff Liedtke – DWB Consulting
- Trevor Key – BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure
- David Mostyn – Terra Remote Sensing
- Kevin Percy – Pro-Tech Surveys Ltd
- Steve Rombough – McElhanney Ltd
- Cristin Schlossberger – Land Title & Survey Authority of BC
- Leslie Sick – Association of BC Land Surveyors
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- Next up Related Links
Related Links
Education (Canada)
- British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
- Bachelor of Science Geomatics
- University of Calgary: Department of Geomatics Engineering
- University of New Brunswick:
Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering - Laval University: Faculty of Forestry and Geomatics
- York University:
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science - Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT):
Geomatics Engineering Technology - Nova Scotia Community College: Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS): Geomatics Department
- Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT):
Geomatics Engineering Technology
Professional Associations (Canada)
- National Land Surveyors Association
- Provincial Land Surveyors Associations
- British Columbia (BCLS)
- Alberta (ALSA)
- Manitoba (AMLS)
- Ontario (AOLS)
- Quebec (OAGQ)
- New Brunswick (ANBLS)
- Newfoundland (ANLS)
- Nova Scotia (ANSLS)
- Saskatchewan(SLSA)
Associations and Organizations
- Canada
- UK
- US
- Institute of Navigation (ION)
- International
Government Websites and Services
- Canada
- Canadian Coast Guard (CCG)
- Natural Resources Canada, Geodetic Reference System
- US
- National Geodetic Survey (NGS)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- US Coast Guard (USCG)
- US Geological Survey (USGS)
Publications
Other Useful Sites
- Land Surveyor Reference Page in US
- On-Line Resources for Land Surveying and Geomatics
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- Next up Flexible Learning
Flexible Learning
Delivery Mode: ONLINE AND ON-CAMPUS
- Your education is our priority and we will continue to deliver the applied instruction, collaborative experience, and industry connections that you expect from BCIT.
Our Flexible Learning (formerly Part-time Studies) courses are intended for those who need professional development to upgrade their knowledge or require job related academic qualifications, but are not working towards a diploma or degree in Geomatics. These courses may also provide the prospect students further credits to obtain CBEPS (The Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors) exemption or certification as Applied Science Technicians with ASTTBC.
The BCIT Geomatics department offers the following courses on campus:
GEOM 2110 Pre-Entry Field Surveying (Spring term only)
GEOM 2120 Pre-entry Survey Computations (Spring term only)
GEOM 2130 Pre-Entry CAD and Geospatial Software Applications (Spring term only)
SURV 1101 Survey Instrument Operations: Levels (Winter term only)
SURV 1104 Basic Surveying with Total Stations (Winter and Fall terms)
SURV 2205 Civil 3D: Introduction (Winter, Spring and Fall terms)
SURV 5108 Fundamentals of Surveying (Winter, Spring and Fall terms)
Please note – these course offerings are subject to change.
The list of online Flexible Learning courses below have been granted exemptions by CBEPS. Students may receive approval to register for these online courses with completion of 2-year Geomatics diploma, and meeting all other prerequisites. To receive approval, students must submit their official academic transcript(s) and BCIT Student ID to geomatics@bcit.ca. You can create your BCIT Student ID at https://secure.bcit.ca/sis/reg/.
GEOM 4080 Coordinate Systems and Mathematical Cartography (Fall term only)
GEOM 5120 Geodetic Positioning 1 (Fall term only)
GEOM 6120 Geodetic Positioning 2 (Winter term only)
GEOM 8195 Hydrographic Surveying (Winter term only)
GEOM 6140 Special Topics in Adjustments (Winter and Fall terms)
GEOM 7150 Advanced Topics in Precision Survey (Winter and Spring terms)
and
SURV 1125 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Applications for Geomatics (Spring and Fall terms) – not for CBEPS exemption
Please note – these course offerings are subject to change.
The courses that are not offered through Flexible Learning are available to full-time students in the full-time program only. In order to enroll in day school courses (on campus only), you need to apply and be accepted to the program. Once you are accepted you can decide which courses you want to be enrolled in and can drop all other courses. Please note that there is no exception to this as it is a BCIT policy.
Contact:
- Dee Morita, Program Assistant
- Alan Weston, Part-time Studies Coordinator
Industry Training
BCIT Geomatics Engineering Flexible Learning is available to consult with your company to develop specific courses to meet your needs in a variety of Geomatics and Land Information related topics. We also offer employee assessment in the Geomatics field. Please contact Alan Weston (604-454-2240) for details.
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- Next up CBEPS
CBEPS
The Canadian Board of Examiners for Professional Surveyors (CBEPS) establishes, assesses and certifies the academic qualifications of individuals who apply to become land surveyors and/or geomatics professionals in Canada.
Exemptions to writing some or all CBEPS examinations are granted to candidates who have graduated from an accredited University degree program or from a Technical Institute diploma program that has been granted equivalencies. A list of universities and technical institutes with relevant exemptions is available on the CBEPS website.
The BCIT Geomatics department offers the following online Flexible Learning (formerly Part-time Studies) courses which have been granted exemptions by CBEPS. Students may receive approval to register for these online courses with completion of 2-year Geomatics diploma, and meeting all other prerequisites. To receive approval, students must submit their official academic transcript(s) and BCIT Student ID to geomatics@bcit.ca. You can create your BCIT Student ID at https://secure.bcit.ca/sis/reg/.
GEOM 4080 Coordinate Systems and Mathematical Cartography (Fall term only)
GEOM 5120 Geodetic Positioning 1 (Fall term only)
GEOM 6120 Geodetic Positioning 2 (Winter term only)
GEOM 8195 Hydrographic Surveying (Winter term only)
GEOM 6140 Special Topics in Adjustments (Winter and Fall terms)
GEOM 7150 Advanced Topics in Precision Survey (Winter and Spring terms)
Please note – these course offerings are subject to change.
The courses that are not offered through Flexible Learning are available to full-time students in the full-time program only. In order to enroll in day school courses, online or on campus, you need to apply and be accepted to the program. Once you are accepted you can decide which courses you want to be enrolled in and can drop all other courses. Please note that there is no exception to this as it is a BCIT policy.
Contact:
- Dee Morita, Program Assistant
- Alan Weston, Part-time Studies Coordinator
In addition to these are three Business Practices and Profession courses required for the C11 exemption offered through the BCIT School of Business:
BLAW 3100 – Business Law
BUSA 7250 – Management Skills & Applications
ECON 1150 – Economic Issues
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- Next up Contact Us
Contact Us
Please contact Program Advising if you have questions about:
- Application process
- Entrance requirements
- Applying for transfer credit and advanced placement
- Program costs
- Job placement and graduate outcomes
program_advising@bcit.ca | 604-434-1610
Dee Morita
Program Assistant
Tel: 604-451-7001
Email: geomatics@bcit.ca
Questions or comments?
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Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.