Geomatics, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

Under the current Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) course worksheet, the 32 accepted semester hours must include at least:

Additional accepted topic areas may include photogrammetry, civil engineering, forestry, and physical sciences. TBPELS identifies geographic information systems as an example within the physical sciences category.

Steps Toward SIT Certification

1. Identify the applicable TBPELS education and experience route.
2. Complete the required education and qualifying boundary surveying experience.
3. Register for and pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying exam.
4. Submit the SIT application, transcripts, course descriptions, references, course worksheet, and other required materials to TBPELS.
5. Receive TBPELS review and approval before SIT certification is issued.

TBPELS reviews each applicant's coursework and experience. Completion of the TAMU-CC certificate does not automatically confer SIT certification, guarantee that every course will be accepted in a particular category, or constitute professional licensure.

Certificate Requirements

Students work with the Geospatial Science Program Coordinator to develop an approved Certificate Plan based on their previous education, professional experience, interests, and licensure goals.

The recommended certificate curriculum includes coursework in:

• Digital drafting and design
• Geospatial systems
• Plane surveying and measurement
• Geodetic science
• GNSS and satellite positioning
• Land law and legal aspects of surveying
• Cadastral systems
• Surveying computations and adjustment
• Boundary surveying and professional practice

The courses included in an individual Certificate Plan may vary based on previous coursework, prerequisites, course availability, university requirements, and the student’s professional objectives. All Certificate Plans must be approved by the Geospatial Science Program Coordinator or a designee. Students pursuing professional licensure should understand that the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors independently evaluates all coursework submitted as part of an application.

View the full degree plan

Surveyors work across architecture and engineering services, construction, government, mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, and land development. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports:

BLS notes that surveyors remain necessary to certify property boundaries, review construction sites, and interpret the results produced by increasingly advanced surveying technologies. Salary and employment outcomes vary by location, experience, licensure, employer, and job responsibilities.

• Focused certificate curriculum: Complete 33 credit hours of surveying and geomatics coursework without pursuing another full undergraduate degree.
• Online access: Complete the academic coursework remotely while remaining connected to your employer and community.
• Modern surveying and geomatics focus: Study terrestrial measurement, GNSS, geodesy, spatial reference systems, surveying computations and adjustments, drafting, cadastral systems, land law, and professional practice.
• Individual certificate planning: Work with the program coordinator to review your previous coursework and establish an approved Certificate Plan.
• Applied technical preparation: Learn to integrate measurement, positioning, computation, mapping, geospatial data, technical documentation, and professional judgment.
• Connection to the profession: Learn through a program housed at the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science and connected to surveying and geomatics professionals throughout Texas.

Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Geospatial Science Program Coordinator before applying. The coordinator can discuss the certificate, review previous coursework, explain the recommended course sequence, and help students understand how the curriculum may fit their professional goals.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in a field other than geomatics or geographic information science. Admission to the university, completion of the certificate plan, course prerequisites, and all applicable academic requirements are required.

We’re Here to Help

Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. If you have any questions or need help with your application, we've got you covered. Just fill out the information request form or contact the program coordinator directly for assistance.

Is this a degree program?

No. This is a 33-credit undergraduate academic certificate for students who already hold a bachelor's or master's degree. It does not award a second bachelor's degree or a graduate degree.

Is this a graduate certificate?

No. The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Geomatics is an undergraduate certificate completed after a bachelor's or master's degree.

Is the certificate available online?

Yes. The certificate coursework is offered completely online.

How long does the certificate take?

The recommended sequence spans four semesters. A student's starting term, prior coursework, prerequisites, and course load may affect the completion timeline.

Does the certificate make me a Surveyor-in-Training?

No. SIT certification is issued by TBPELS. Applicants must pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying exam and satisfy the Board's applicable education, experience, application, reference, and documentation requirements.

Can previous surveying coursework count?

The program coordinator or a designee may consider appropriate surveying coursework when developing the student's Certificate Plan. At least 20 certificate credit hours must be completed at TAMU-CC.

What grade-point average is required?

Students must earn at least a 2.5 overall GPA in their GISC courses.

Can I use the certificate for licensure outside Texas?

Licensure requirements vary by state. Students seeking licensure outside Texas should contact the licensing board in that state before enrolling to determine how the coursework may be evaluated.