Mapping the Future: Geomatics as an Essential Element of the Next Generation of Civil Engineering Curriculum

As part of an initiative funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation to completely transform the Civil Engineering undergraduate program at Clemson University, a required course in geomatics is being revamped to better prepare students for a capstone-like course sequence that begins in the sophomore year. As part of this research, a survey of nearly every Civil Engineering undergraduate program in the country was done to determine the extent that a geomatics and/or surveying course are required or available to their students. The research found that while many schools have chosen to no longer require or even teach surveying as part of their Civil Engineering curriculum, Clemson expanded the coverage of the surveying course to include other spatial data topics more than twenty years ago. This paper describes how Clemson's required geomatics course is continuing to evolve to fit into Clemson's curriculum transformation. Of particular importance will be how this course is requisite to a sophomore-level project-based "Springer" course that includes a design charrette with stakeholder involvement. The thesis will also include an analysis of data collected through a SALG (Student Assessment of Learning Gains) survey. The paper constructs a robust geomatics course that maximizes both the usefulness of the material and the enjoyment of the students' experiences. The paper will help readers understand why geomatics should be an essential element of the next generation of Civil Engineering curriculum.