GeomaticsAttributes of the Plymouth surveying graduates
We currently offer three Geomatics courses, an undergraduate BSc Ocean Exploration (formerly BSc Hydrography) , a postgraduate MSc Hydrography and a postgraduate MReS Geomatics. The employer of our students can expect much from them in common with other UK graduates, and some elements that are special to our courses.
Undergraduates start our courses with a wide range of entry qualifications, from a mix of A Levels, which normally include a Science subject, to mature students prefacing their geomatics course with a foundation course (Extended Science). Some students without a standard academic background, but with survey experience may get direct entry onto the second year, whereas most take a three-year course.
Postgraduates normally have entry with a good first degree.
Through numerical, discursive, laboratory and practical work, students obtain a variety of experiences that give them a range of geomatic and transferable skills. We see both our courses as being numerically based (at about A Level Maths standard). Students are required to pick up research skills by investigating, reporting and presenting on various topics. They become keyboard literate and are used to a variety of software from word processing, to spreadsheets and specialist, commercial, surveying packages.
Students report on their work through portfolios of survey practicals and computer tutorials as well as essays, computations, oral presentations, charts, posters and time-constrained, unseen examinations. Feedback to the student from staff at all stages includes comments upon written English, methodolgy and presentational skills.
The course is well supported by industry who provide visiting speakers and state of the art instrumentation as well as summer placements and on-campus interviews.
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Geomatics Graduates
BSc Ocean Exploration students have much in common with graduates across the nation, as attested by:
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government inspections (formerly HEFCE, to be replaced by QAA);
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the academic External Examiner system which uses cognate academics from across the country to assess the quality of the course;
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accreditation by professional institutions (ICES);
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External Examiners from the profession (see Hydrographic Journal, issue 99, January 2001).
Thus the progression from a lower academic intake to a national standard reflects much "added-value" to the individual student.
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Geomatics Postgraduates
The postgraduate courses are part of the Environmental and Marine Science (EMS) inter-departmental graduate programme. The MSc Hydrography has RICS and IMarEST accreditation and a particular combination of modules is also accredited as an FIG/IHO Category A course.
The MSc Hydrography continues the high skills element of the undergraduate programme, but the delivery method depends much upon the mature student, conversant with the academic system, to learn on his or her own and to learn quickly. The core, survey content of the undergraduate programme is contained within the first teaching period of the MSc. Both the first and second periods of teaching also contain fieldweeks, which are often run in collaboration with industry (see 2002 MSc Fieldweek). Wider issues, either of a conventional survey nature or of topics leading to other areas of industry development, permit the postgraduate to expand his or her mind from a narrow survey focus onto other issues. This is enhanced through the dissertation, where a student can study a particular theme with time for broader research, experimentation and discursive thinking.
The MRes Geomatics also sets a surveying core, but allows more time to develop the dissertation under the student’s own investigative control. The change in degree title reflects the broader approach of the course, containing remote sensing and geographical information systems within the core studies. Opportunities for the dissertation are consequently broader and it takes place over 30 weeks instead of 18 in the MSc.
The MSc is comparable to other UK postgraduate programmes which are considered as fast-track conversion courses, designed to prepare graduates from a non-vocational first-degree to being employable. The new MRes is focussed more clearly on research.
The postgraduate cohort typically contains a mix of overseas students who have been sponsored by their companies in order to obtain a professional qualification and UK students seeking a route into the workplace.
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Student Statistics
MSc Hydrography 2006-7 - Employment data
No. Students |
Job Title |
Employer |
3 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
EMGS (Norway) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
Subsea 7 (Aberdeen) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd (UK) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
EMU Marine Survey Ltd (UK) |
1 |
Survey Party Chief |
Acergy (Aberdeen) – return to sponsor |
1 |
Survey Manager |
Swathe Services Ltd, Australia |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
EGS, Australia |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
Fugro, Abu Dhabi |
1 |
Hydrographer |
Ghana Port Authority – return to sponsor |
1 |
Unknown |
Destination unknown |
MSc Hydrography 2005-6 - Employment data
No. Students |
Job Title |
Employer |
3 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
Subsea 7 (Aberdeen) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
Subsea 7 (Aberdeen) - return to sponsor |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
NCS Survey (Aberdeen) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
Fugro (Aberdeen) |
2 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
Fugro TOPNAV (France) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
IxSea Survey (France) |
1 |
Seismic Navigator |
Veritas (UK) |
1 |
Seismic Processing Geophysicist |
Gardline Marine Sciences Ltd (UK) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
GEMS (Geotechnical Engineering & Marine Surveys) Ltd (UK) |
1 |
Hydrographic Surveyor |
YJP Surveyors (Singapore) – return to sponsor |
1 |
Survey related |
UK Hydrographic Office – return to sponsor |
1 |
Unknown |
Returned to France – destination unknown |
MSc Hydrography 2004-5 - Employment data
No. Students |
Job Title |
Employer |
1 |
Trainee Surveyor |
Fugro, Aberdeen |
1 |
Trainee Surveyor |
Fugro, Abu Dhabi |
3 |
Trainee Surveyor |
Subsea 7, Aberdeen |
1 |
Lecturer (Land Survey) |
Return to Sponsor - Nigeria |
1 |
Seaman |
RN Reserve before seeking employment |
2 |
Unknown |
Returned to France seeking employment |
1 |
Unknown |
Destination unknown |
MSc Hydrography 2003-4 - Employment data
No. Students |
Job Title |
Employer |
1 |
PhD student |
University of Exeter |
1 |
MSc Geodetic Charting |
University of NewBrunswick, |
4 |
Surveyor |
EGS, Hong Kong |
1 |
Surveyor |
Triton Environmental, Bridgend |
1 |
Surveyor |
Fugro Survey (UK) |
1 |
Surveyor |
Fugro Survey (Middle East) |
1 |
Surveyor |
Great Lakes Dredging, Chicago |
1 |
Surveyor |
Westminster Dredging (UK) |
1 |
Engineer (return to Employer) |
GeoConsult |
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Links to companies