Essential GIS concepts in surveying education

Recently, the Association of American Geographers (AAG) in collaboration with the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) published the Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIScience&T) body of knowledge which lists a wide range of skills and concepts that comprise the field of GIScience&T. In the following report, this range of skills and concepts is reviewed and analyzed with respect to the needs and requirements of surveying and geomatics programs. These needs were evaluated on the basis of a survey conducted by the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors and by reviewing surveying literature and program curricula. The analysis highlights seven GIScience&T concepts that are most essential for surveying and geomatics programs. Two class projects are presented to further explain and demonstrate how these essential concepts can be taught.