Geomatics is a new term incorporating what used to be called "surveying" along with many other aspects of spatial data (information that has a location) management. The nature of the tasks required of the Professional Land Surveyor has evolved and the term "surveying" alone does not accurately describe the whole range of tasks that the profession deals with.

Therefore, the Geomatics Engineer can be involved in an extremely wide variety of information gathering activities and applications. Geomatics Engineers design, develop, and operate systems for collecting and analyzing spatial information about the land, the oceans, natural resources, and manmade features. The more traditional land surveying strand of Geomatics Engineering is concerned with the determination and recording of boundaries and areas of real property parcels, and the preparation and interpretation of legal land descriptions. The tasks more closely related to Civil Engineering include the design and layout of public infrastructure and urban subdivisions, and mapping and control surveys for construction projects.

Geomatics Engineers utilize a wide range of technologically advanced tools like digital total stations, Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment, digital aerial imagery (both satellite and air-borne), and computer-based geographic information systems (GIS). These tools enable the Geomatics Engineer to gather, analyze, and manage spatially related information to solve a wide range of technical and societal problems. Geomatics Engineering is an exciting and new grouping of subjects in the spatial and environmental information sciences with a broad range of employment opportunities - and offers challenging research problems in a vast range of interdisciplinary fields.

Is Geomatics Engineering for You?
MAP Your Career at FAU

• Are you interested in Math and Science?
• Are you at ease around computers?
• Can you visualize what objects might look like in a drawing?
• Do you like working outdoors?
• Would you like to own your own business someday?
• Do you like solving problems?
• Are you interested in making Spaceship Earth a better place to live?

If you answered "yes" to a majority of these questions, then you will be interested in the Geomatics Engineering degree program at Florida Atlantic University.

Broadly stated, Geomatics Engineering is the discipline that applies engineering principles to Surveying and Mapping in a Digital World.