Faculty History
History
The Faculty of Geomatics is one of the eight faculties of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka and was established in 2004. It is the successor of the Department of Surveying Sciences, which introduced the BSc (Surveying Sciences) Degree Programme in 1997. This was the first time in the history of the university system in Sri Lanka that such a degree programme was introduced by a university fulfilling a much felt need of the country. The Degree Programme is a four-year course leading to a special degree. The first batch of students admitted to the degree programme in 1997 and graduated in 2002.
The Faculty, with its predecessor, Department of Surveying Sciences, has a history of over 15 years with a total of about 900 students graduating since 2002.
Present situation
Currently, the faculty consists of two departments:
The two departments jointly conduct the first five semesters of the degree programme as a foundation course, and within the next three semesters, they offer five areas of specialization:
- Surveying and Geodesy
- Land Management
- Hydrographic Surveying
- Remote Sensing
- Geographic Information Systems
The degree programs
The four-year degree programme covers principles of Surveying Sciences, Geodesy, Adjustment Theory, Cartography, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, GIS, Cadastre, Hydrographic Surveying as well as Mathematics, Physics, Computer Applications, Economics, Management, Environmental Science etc. The course has been designed with a greater emphasis on the enhancement of the proficiency in English.
The Objectives
The objective of the programme of studies is to produce a graduate with academic qualifications and technical expertise to practice the sciences of Earth and Space measurements. The degree programme includes an industrial training component to enhance the practical skills to assemble and assess land and geographic related information, to use that information for the purpose of planning and implementation by ensuring the efficient management of the land, the sea and the structures thereon.
The courses are designed not only with a view to provide qualified professional surveyors to the public and private sector and foreign employment but also to provide personnel to handle all land related aspects: Land Development, Land Settlement, Land Reclamation, Irrigation, Hydrography, Town and Country Planning, Forestry, Environment and all phases connected to the establishment of the Cadastre. There is a greater emphasis on practical work using up-to-date equipments, computers and latest software. The course includes most of the modern technologies in the field of Surveying Sciences.
Job opportunities
There is a high demand for graduates of Surveying Sciences with job opportunities in the government sector, private sector as well as overseas. The faculty is proud to state that the employment rate among the past graduates is almost 100%.
The Faculty of Geomatics commenced the Master of Science in Surveying Sciences as of 2017. This qualification is at SQLF Exit Level 10.