Student using land surveying equipment.

Online B.S. in Surveying Engineering Technology

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125 Credits

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Fall & Spring Entry Terms

About the Program

UMaine is ranked #88 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report.

The online B.S. in Surveying Engineering Technology develops the skills and education required to enter a rewarding career in land surveying. Students learn about surveying, engineering, business, and communications to become well-rounded and successful professional land surveyors.

This degree leads to a Graduate Certificate in Surveying Engineering Technology, an M.S. in Engineering Technology, or a PSM in Engineering and Business.

This program is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET).

Contact Us

Have questions about earning your B.S. in Surveying Engineering Technology online with UMaine? Contact a UMaineOnline advisor.

UMaineOnline Advisor


207.581.5858
umaineonline@maine.edu

Student Experiences

Curriculum

Students are taught a variety of surveying topics through a highly technical and rigorous curriculum. Areas explored include plane surveying, construction surveying, photogrammetry, remote sensing, boundary law, civil engineering technology, cadastral surveying, global positioning systems, land development design, and geographic information systems.

All students must also complete the general education requirements. The complete degree requirements are in the undergraduate catalog.

The following courses are required (32 credits):

  • CMJ 103: Public Speaking (3 credits) Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • EET 484: Engineering Economics (3 credits) Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • ENG 101: College Composition (3 credits) Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • ENG 317: Business and Technical Writing (3 credits) Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • MAT 122: Pre-Calculus (4 credits) Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • MAT 126: Calculus I (4 credits) Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • MAT 127: Calculus II (4 credits) Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • PHY 107: Technical Physics I (4 credits) Fall
  • PHY 108: Technical Physics II (4 credits) Spring

The following courses are required (53 credits):

  • GIS 300: Geographic Information Systems (4 credits) Fall
  • SVT 100: Introduction to Surveying Technology (1 credit) Fall
  • SVT 101: Basic Surveying Field and Office Processes (3 credits) Fall and Spring
  • SVT 110: Instrumentation and Data Collectors (1 credit) Fall
  • SVT 121: AutoCAD and Cartography for Surveyors I (3 credits) Fall and Spring
  • SVT 122: AutoCAD for Surveyors II (3 credits) Fall and Spring
  • SVT 201: Adjustment Computations (3 credits) Spring
  • SVT 202: Route & Site Surveying (3 credits) Fall and Spring
  • SVT 221: Boundary Law (3 credits) Fall and Spring
  • SVT 322: Preparing Effective Property Descriptions (3 credits) Fall
  • SVT 331: Photogrammetry (3 credits) Spring
  • SVT 332: Engineering for Surveyors (3 credits) Spring
  • SVT 333: Team Workflows in Surveying Practice (1 credit) Spring
  • SVT 341: Advanced Surveying (3 credits) Fall 
  • SVT 352: Practical Field Operations (3 credits) Spring
  • SVT 418: Fundamentals of Surveying Exam Overview (1 credit) Fall
  • SVT 437: Practical GNSS (3 credits) Fall
  • SVT 475: Small Business Management (3 credits) Fall and Spring
  • SVT 451: Survey Business Law (3 credits) Fall
  • SVT 490: SL: Surveying Capstone (3 credits) Spring

The following courses are required (40 credits):

  • Accounting Elective (3 credits)
  • Artistic and Creative Expression Elective (3 credits)
  • Communication Elective (3 credits)
  • Computer Science Elective (1 credits)
  • Cultural Diversity Elective (3 credits)
  • Economics Elective (any ECO accepted) (3 credits)
  • English Elective (3 credits)
  • Population and the Environment Elective (3 credits)
  • Statistics Elective (3 credits)
  • Five additional technical electives (15 credits)
  • SVT 101: Basic Surveying Field and Office Processes (3 credits) Fall and Spring

This course contains four outdoor labs that require fieldwork. Students will find a local surveyor willing to be their mentor. The labs are sent to the surveyor, who provides the equipment and a little help to perform the fieldwork.

Admissions

Students are encouraged to send their transcripts to Dr. Ray Hintz, the Program Coordinator, to determine how many estimated credits can be transferred. A final decision on this will be made at the end of the student’s first semester.

The following courses should be taken in high school or at an institution for higher learning:

  • Algebra I & II
  • Geometry
  • Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, or Calculus
  • Physics
  • One additional science

UMaine makes it easy to apply — on your terms. Apply online at go.umaine.edu/apply.

Bear Paw with Apply in the center

Careers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of Surveyors is projected to grow 5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. As of May 2023, the median average wage for survey engineers is $68,540. About 3,500 surveyor openings are projected each year, on average, from 2022 to 2032.

Graduates are prepared to obtain a surveyor’s license. Graduates can become licensed as a Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) after gaining a state-defined requisite amount of experience and successfully passing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) fundamentals of surveying exam and professional surveying exam.

Notable Companies Employing Alumni

  • Bureau of Land Management
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • Maine State Department of Transportation
  • Plisga and Day
  • Sebago Technics
  • Survey Engineering Resources, LLC
  • Gartley and Dorsky Engineering and Surveying
  • Herrick and Salsbury, Inc.
  • Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
  • SGC Engineering, LLC
  • Northern Survey Engineering, LLC
  • SurvTech Solutions, Inc.

NC-SARA Statement

This program will prepare students to be eligible for licensure within the State of Maine. Visit the UMS State Authorization & Licensure page to learn more about the licensure requirements in other states and territories, in addition to the contact information needed to inquire further into the licensure requirements associated with this program.