Curriculum

Degree Programmes

Overview

The faculty offers BSc. in Surveying Sciences degree in five areas of specialization. All students entering the faculty must follow the core courses during the first five semesters. Selection for the specialization is done at the end of 3rd year 1st semester, based on personal preference and merit.

Specialization areas

The students can follow the BSc. in Surveying Sciences degree in five specialization areas specified below. The department of Surveying and Geodesy is offers courses in three specialization areas and the department of Remote sensing and GIS offers courses in two specialization areas as indicated below.

Specialization area	Department
Bachelor of Science Honours in Surveying Sciences in Surveying & Geodesy	Surveying and Geodesy
Bachelor of Science Honours in Surveying Sciences in Land Management
Bachelor of Science Honours in Surveying Sciences in Hydrographic Surveying
Bachelor of Science Honours in Surveying Sciences in Remote Sensing	Remote Sensing and GIS
Bachelor of Science Honours in Surveying Sciences in Geographic Information System	Remote Sensing and GIS

All students entering the faculty must follow the sore courses during the first five semesters. Selection for the specialization is done at the end of 3rd year 1st semester, based on personal preference and merit. According to the Sri Lanka Qualification Framework (SLQF) guidelines, a Bachelor of Science Honours degree needs to offer a minimum of 120 credits. However, as the BScHons (Surveying Sciences) degree is at exit level 7 (SLQF – Sep. 2015), a student needs to complete a minimum of 150 credits to be eligible for graduation. Of these 150 credits, 113 credits come from the common but compulsory core of the programme, with the rest from selected specialization courses.

Study Mode

This Bachelor of Science Honours in Surveying Sciences degree is offered as a full time course by the Faculty of Geomatics, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka at the main campus situated at Belihuloya. Further the medium of instructions of this course is English. Refer, Faculty Hand Book for the criteria of the selection for specialization.

Selection Criteria for Specialization

The students should apply for specialization, indicating the preferences at the end of the 5th semester. However, if there are more applicants for a course than viable, examination results of the core programme will be considered. Additionally, a student needs to pass all relevant pre-requisite courses from the core programme to be eligible for his/her choice of specialization. The pre-requisite subjects will be decided by each department.

The student has to apply for his/her choice of optional courses, from the courses offered by each department, before the commencement of the new semester. Then, he/she is allowed to add or drop courses until the end of the first week of the semester, if necessary.

At the same time, a student can apply for a greater number of courses than the number of courses required to earn the prescribed minimum number of credits. In this case, the student must choose and specify the courses that are to be counted for the Final Grade Point (FGP), and the grades of the rest of the optional courses will be recorded in the detailed transcript but not counted towards the calculation of the FGP. However, all decisions are subjected to discussion and approval by the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Geomatics.

Refer, Faculty Hand Book for the proposed courses for each semester, with the appropriate number of credits per course.

Duration of study and methods

The duration of the study is:

Minimum 8 semesters (4 years)
Maximum 12 semesters (6 years)

The methods of teaching and learning

Directed Learning

Lectures	Power point presentation/ Conventional delivery methods
Practical	Laboratory/ Field/ Demonstrations
Tutorial	Discussing and solving problems/questions with students
Student Centred Learning (SCL)	Students presenting certain topics in the curriculum, debates, homework, group/individual presentations
Seminar	Knowledge imparted by a resource person/expert to a ‘class’ with minimum or no practical component
Workshop	Knowledge imparted by a resource person/expert to a ‘class’ with the major portion comprising of hands-on experience

Independent Learning

SCL activities	Preparation for SCL activities in class
Assignments	Questions/ Quizzes/ Presentations/ Demonstrations/ Debates
Projects	Individual/ Group activities involving a certain topic/ activity
e-Learning	Use of electronic media, commonly the internet for education
Homework	Studies that a student has to do out of the class hours
Field visit	Report/ Presentations/ Viva
Revision/Preparation for Exams	Working through the entire curriculum by oneself (before the final examination)

Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

The basic learning outcomes that must be demonstrated by the students at the end of the programme are summarized as follows.

Description of the Learning Programme

(a) Knowledge

An adequate theoretical knowledge to plan and conduct Geomatics related projects
Ability to use techniques, skills & modern tools to solve Geomatics related problems effectively & creatively
To manage geo-spatial data effectively

(b) Skills

Ability to apply his knowledge and skills to enhance the management of the natural and anthropogenic resources for the sustainable development of the nation
Ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently
Ability to lead a team effectively to achieve a common goal
Ability to communicate effectively
Ability to apply skills in financial, operational and human resource management
Ability to apply entrepreneurial skills effectively

Ability to work independently & in collaboration with others
Care of instruments and other resources
Intellectual integrity, respect for truth & for the ethics of research & scholarly activities
An ability to lead the community and the willingness to accept social & civic responsibilities
Respect the values of the other individuals and groups, and an appreciation of human and cultural diversity
Continuous professional and personal development

Foundation Programme

Course Outline

Year I Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
FC 11216	Analytical Geometry and Linear Algebra	2
FC 11218	Basics in Land Surveying	2
FC 11319	Basics in Cartography	3
FC 11221	Calculus	2
FC 11322	Computer Applications	3
FC 11231	English I **	2
FC 11544	Land Surveying Practical I	5
FC 11249	Mechanics	2
FC 11150	Occupational Health and Safety	1
FC 11055	Sinhala I*	Non credited
FC 11057	Tamil I*	Non credited
	TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR I SEMESTER I	22

* Compulsory, non-GPA subjects
**Compulsory, credited and non-GPA subjects.

Year I Semester II

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
FC 12217	Basic CAD for surveyors	2
FC 12120	Basics in Environmental Sciences	1
FC 12323	Computer Programming	3
FC 12325	Descriptive Statistics and Probability Distribution	3
FC 12232	English II**	2
FC 12243	Land Surveying	2
FC 12545	Land Surveying Practical II	5
FC 12152	Personality Development and Conflict Resolution	1
FC 12056	Sinhala II*	Non credited
FC 12058	Tamil II*	Non credited
FC 12260	Vector Calculus and Spherical Trigonometry	2
FC 12361	Waves and Vibrations	3
	TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR I SEMESTER II	24

* Compulsory, non-GPA subjects
**Compulsory, credited and non-GPA subjects.

Year II Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
FC 21212	Adjustment Computations	2
FC 21114	Advanced Land Surveying	1
FC 21324	Database Management Systems	3
FC 21328	Electricity and Magnetism	3
FC 21129	Electronic Distance Measurement	1
FC 21241	Geometric Geodesy	2
FC 21342	Inferential Statistics and Numerical Methods	3
FC 21546	Land Surveying Practical III	5
FC 21248	Management	2
FC 21159	Technical Communication	1
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR II SEMESTER I		23

Year II Semester II

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
FC 22211	AC Theory and Circuits	2
FC 22213	Advanced CAD for Surveyors	2
FC 22226	Differential Equations and Mathematical Methods	2
FC 22130	Engineering Surveying	1
FC 22238	Fundamentals of Satellite Based Positioning and Navigation	2
FC 22239	Geodetic Astronomy	2
FC 22247	Land Surveying Practical IV	5
FC 22351	Optical Remote Sensing	3
FC 22153	Philosophy and Critical Thinking	1
FC 22362	Web Based Developing Techniques	3
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR II SEMESTER II		23

Year III Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
FC 31327	Digital Image Processing	3
FC 31133	Entrepreneurship Skills	1
FC 31234	Fundamentals of Cadastre & Land Management	2
FC 31335	Fundamentals of GIS	3
FC 31236	Fundamentals of Hydrographic Surveying	2
FC 31337	Fundamentals of Photogrammetry	3
FC 31140	Geodetic Computations	1
FC 31254	Professional Practice	2
FC 31465	Survey Camp	4
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR III SEMESTER I		21

Specializations at Department of Surveying and Geodesy

Course Outline

Year III Semester II

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
SG 32211	Advanced Concepts of GNSS	2
SG 32314	Construction Surveying	3
SG 32216	Fundamentals in Physical Geodesy	2
SG 32217	Map Projections	2
Elective Subject*		2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part 1(Proposal)	2
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR III SEMESTER II - Surveying and Geodesy		13

UP 41899 – Research Project*** – 2 credits (proposal)

***the subject will be continued into the following semester (Year IV semester I) and evaluated as a single subject at the end.

*should cover at least 2 credits from selected courses from other specializations. The selected courses will be given by the Faculty, based on the availability of resources etc. prevailing at any given time.

Year IV Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
SG 41212	Advanced Physical Geodesy	2
SG 41313	Applications of GNSS	3
SG 41215	Deformation Monitoring and Analysis	2
SG 41218	Quantity Surveying	2
Elective Subject*		2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part 2 (Final Project with Technical paper)	6
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR IV SEMESTER I - Surveying & Geodesy		17

UP 41899 - Research Project*** – 6 credits (4 – thesis and 2 – research paper)

***The subject is a continuation of the previous semester and will be evaluated as a single subject with a total of 8 credits.

Year IV – Semester II

IT 42798 - Industrial Training** – 700 hours – 7 credits.

**Compulsory, credited and non-GPA subjects.

Total credits for Surveying & Geodesy specialization is 150 (113+37).

Specialization in Land Management

Course Outlines

Year III – Semester II

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
LM 32221	Applied Project Management	2
LM 32223	Land Administration	3
LM 32226	Land Tenure and Property Rights	2
LM 32227	Land Valuation	2
Elective Subject*		2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part 1 (Proposal)	2
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR III SEMESTER II - Land Management		13

UP 41899– Research Project*** – 2 credits (proposal)

***the subject will be continued into the following semester (Year IV semester I) and evaluated as a single subject at the end.

Year IV – Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
LM 41122	Designing a Land Management Project	1
LM 41224	Land Law	2
LM 41225	Land Policy and Land Management	2
LM 41228	Spatial Data Infrastructure	2
LM 41229	Urban Planning	2
Elective Subject*		2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part 2 (Final Project with Technical paper)	6
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR IV SEMESTER I - Land Management		17

UP 41899 - Research Project*** – 6 credits(4 – thesis and 2 – research paper)

***The subject is a continuation of the previous semester and will be evaluated as a single subject with a total of 8 credits.

Year IV – Semester II

IT 42798- Industrial Training** – 700 hours – 7 credits.

**Compulsory, credited and non-GPA subjects.

Total credits for Land Management specialization is 150 (113+37).

Specialization in Hydrographic Surveying

Course Outlines

Year III – Semester II

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
HS 32331	Advanced Hydrographic Surveying	3
HS 32337	Tides	3
HS 32235	Oceanography & Marine Meteorology	2
HS 32236	Seamanship and Navigation	2
SG 32217	Map Projections*	2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part l (Proposal)	2
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR III SEMESTER II - Hydrographic Surveying		14

UP 41899 – Research Project*** – 2 credits (proposal)

*Compulsory course from the Specialization programme in Surveying and Geodesy.

***the subject will be continued into the following semester (Year IV semester I) and evaluated as a single subject at the end.

Year IV – Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
HS 41138	Underwater Acoustics	1
HS 41332	Hydrographic Data Management	3
HS 41134	Law of the Sea	1
HS 41537	Hydrographic Practical	3
UP 41899	Research Project - Part 2 (Final Project with Technical paper)	6
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR IV SEMESTER I - Hydrographic Surveying		16

UP 41899- Research Project*** – 6 credits (4 – thesis and 2 – research paper)

***The subject is a continuation of the previous semester and will be evaluated as a single subject with a total of 8 credits.

Year IV – Semester II

IT 42798- Industrial Training** – 700 hours – 7 credits

**Compulsory, credited and non-GPA subjects.

Total credits for Hydrographic Surveying specialization is 150 (113+37).

Specializations at Department of Remote Sensing and GIS

Course Outline

Year III Semester II

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
RS 32241	Advanced Photogrammetry	2
RS 32348	Artificial Neural Networks	3
RS 32243	Digital Elevation Modelling	2
RS 32347	Microwave Remote Sensing	3
Elective Subject*		2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part l (Proposal)	2
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR III SEMESTER II - Remote Sensing		14

UP 41899– Research Project*** – 2 credits (proposal)

*should cover at least 2 credits from selected courses from the other specializations. The selected courses will be given by the Faculty, based on the availability of resources etc. prevailing at any given time.

***the subject will be continued into the following semester (Year IV semester I) and evaluated as a single subject at the end.

Year IV – Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
RS 41342	Advanced Remote Sensing	3
RS 41244	Digital Photogrammetry	2
RS 41245	Fundamentals of Space Science	2
RS 41246	Industrial Photogrammetry	2
RS 41149	Satellite Technology	1
UP 41899	Research Project - Part 2 (Final Project with Technical paper)	6
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR IV SEMESTER I - Remote Sensing		16

UP 41899 - Research Project*** – 6 credits (4 – thesis and 2 – research paper)

***The subject is a continuation of the previous semester and will be evaluated as a single subject with a total of 8 credits.

Year IV – Semester II

IT 42798- Industrial Training** – 700 hours – 7 credits

**Compulsory, credited and non-GPA subjects.

Total credits for Remote Sensing specialization is 150 (113+37).

Specialization in GIS

Year III Semester II

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
GS 32351	Advanced GIS	3
GS 32253	Disaster Management	2
GS 32254	Environmental Sciences	2
GS 32258	GIS Modelling and Applications	2
Elective Subject*		2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part l (Proposal)	2
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR III SEMESTER II – GIS		13

UP 41899– Research Project*** – 2 credits (proposal)

***the subject will be continued into the following semester (Year IV semester I) and evaluated as a single subject at the end.

Year IV Semester I

Subject Code	Subject	Credit
GS 41152	Colours in Cartography	1
GS 41255	Generalization and Symbolization	2
GS 41256	Geo-statistics in GIS	2
GS 41257	GIS Customization and Programming	2
GS 41260	Open Source GIS and Web Mapping	2
Elective Subject*		2
UP 41899	Research Project - Part 2 (Final Project with Technical paper)	6
TOTAL CREDITS FOR YEAR IV SEMESTER I – GIS		17

UP 41899 - Research Project*** – 6 credits (4 – thesis and 2 – research paper)

***The subject is a continuation of the previous semester and will be evaluated as a single subject with a total of 8 credits.

* should cover at least 2 credits from selected courses from other specializations. The selected courses will be given by the Faculty, based on the availability of resources etc. prevailing at any given time.

Year IV – Semester II

IT 42798- Industrial Training** – 700 hours – 7 credits

**Compulsory, credited and non-GPA subjects.

Total credits for GIS specialization is 150 (113+37)

Evaluation Criteria

A student following the curriculum of the Faculty of Geomatics will obtain 50% of the total mark of a course through continuous assessments including practical components (if any), and 50% through the final written examination.
The final written exam shall be a one-hour paper for 15 lecture hours and a two-hour paper for 30 lecture hours.
The continuous assessments shall have a minimum of five (05) assignments for a two-credit course and a minimum of three (03) assignments for a one-credit course, at least one of which is a group task.
A student need to have 80% attendance for theory class and 80% attendance for practical classes (If there is a practical component in the subject , to be eligible to apply for the written semester examination.
A maximum of three (03) make-up CAs for a 2-credit subject and two (02) make-up CAs for a 1-credit subject, will be conducted at the end of the lecture series. Only excused (medical certificate (submitted within 14 days) or a formal letter from university confirming participation in university activities) students are eligible to sit for the make-up CAs. In the case of a funeral, only that of the student’s parents, siblings, spouse and/or children is excused. This is the same for both CAs and semester examinations. If a student submits more than 3 medicals/excuses in the case of a 2-credit subject, and 2 in the case of a 1-credit subject, such cases will be open for discussion at the Faculty Board.
If the absence to a semester examination is excused (medical certificate or formal letter from university confirming participation in university activities), the student will carry his/her CA marks of the respective theory subject to whenever they sit for the examination. In the case of a subject comprising a practical examination (i.e. Computer Programming etc.), the student carries his/her CA marks, practical marks and/or theory marks of that subject to whenever they face the examination.

For a repeat (2^nd or 3^rd attempt) examination, CA or practical marks will not be considered. Instead, in the case where there is no practical component, 100% of the evaluation will be done through the examination paper. In the case of a subject with a practical examination, the student must sit both the practical and theory components, and 70% of the evaluation will be through the theory paper and 30% through the practical paper. Maximum grade for a repeat examination is ‘C’, that is 50 marks.
All courses conducted as seminars/workshops are evaluated through attendance, SCL activities, and report.
The evaluation criteria will be presented to the class by the respective lecturer/instructor as a handout on the very first day of the lecture/practical series.
However, the final decision of the evaluation criteria of a course, if there is a requirement for any change to above, shall be taken by the Faculty Board.

Evaluation of the Land Surveying Practical Subject

Attendance - 10%

Proper attire - 10%

Field procedure - 30%

Practical examination/Viva - 10%

Plan work / Computation - 25%

Report - 15%

100%

It is mandatory to obtain a PASS mark in the practical examination to obtain the final results.
The course is evaluated using a Grade Point Average (GPA) system, and the final grade with the corresponding Grade Point (GP) is given in next Table.

The final grade and the corresponding GP

Final Grade	Mark Obtained (M)	Grade Point
A+	M ≥ 90	4.0
A	80 ≤ M <90	4.0
A-	75 ≤ M < 80	3.7
B+	70 ≤ M < 75	3.3
B	65 ≤ M < 70	3.0
B-	60 ≤ M < 65	2.7
C+	55 ≤ M < 60	2.3
C	50 ≤ M < 55	2.0
C-	45 ≤ M < 50	1.7
D+	40 ≤ M < 45	1.3
D	30 ≤ M < 40	1.0
E	M < 30	0.0

According to the GP obtained by the student, the GPA will be calculated as below;

where is the credit corresponding to the i^th subject, and GP the grade point of the final grade of that subject.

The final GPA will be calculated as follows;

where is the total number of credits for the j^th semester, and the corresponding GPA for that semester.

Any changes to the evaluation will be done by the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Geomatics, as there is a need.

Award requirements

A student who satisfies the following conditions is eligible for the award/pass of a degree in Bachelor of Science Honours in Surveying Sciences:

Be registered by the university as a candidate for the degree programme.

Have completed the programme of studies for each semester to the satisfaction of the Senate.
A candidate must obtain at least “D” passes for all courses in each semester, securing a minimum FGPA of 2.0.
Shall have obtained a minimum of 'C' grades for all four Land Surveying Practical subjects.
Must have at least a 'C' grade for all of the compulsory subjects in his/her area of specialization.
Must complete within the prescribed course duration (i.e. within six years period)

Award of degree and classes

Pass

A student securing a FGPA ≥ 2.00, at the end of the degree programme and satisfying all requirements in the Section 4.1 is eligible to award of a degree.

First Class

Pass in Degree and obtain a FGPA not less than 3.70(i.e. FGPA ≥ 3.70)

Second Class Upper Division

Pass in Degree and obtain a FGPA between 3.30(inclusive) and 3.70 (exclusive)
(i.e. 3.30 ≤ FGPA < 3.70)

Second Class Lower Division

Pass in Degree and obtain a FGPA between 3.00 (inclusive) and 3.30 (exclusive)
(i.e. 3.00 ≤ FGPA < 3.30)

NOTE: To be eligible for Category-B certificate, students who followed the BSc. Hons (Surveying Sciences) (Hydrographic Surveying) must pass all modules specified by IBSC-S5 (Category B).