Land surveyors manage one or more survey parties who measure distances, directions, and angles between points and elevations of points, lines, and contours on the earth's surface. They research legal records and look for evidence of previous boundaries. They record the results of the survey, verify the accuracy of data, and prepare plans, maps, and reports. Surveyors who establish official boundaries must be licensed by the state in which they work.

New technology and government regulations are changing the nature of work of surveyors and survey technicians. Surveyors will need to upgrade their knowledge and skills in these new regulations and technologies and become familiar with environmental regulations on the local, state, and federal levels.

The Certificate in Land Surveying can prepare students for licensure in Massachusetts, when combined with additional state requirements. Many of the courses may be applied to the A.S. Degree in Civil Engineering Technology: Surveying Option and/or the B.S. Degree in Civil Engineering Technology.

Required Courses: (6)
92.123 Precalculus Mathematics II - Available Spring 2010!
23.101 Engineering Graphics - Available Spring 2010!
15.123 Surveying I
15.124 Surveying II - Available Spring 2010!
15.262 Legal Aspects of Land Surveying
15.299 Surveying III

Certificate Requirements
Students enrolled in UMass Lowell certificate programs must complete all courses, generally consisting of both required courses and electives. Students may complete the certificate program at their own pace, enrolling in one or two courses each semester. Courses on-campus typically meet one night per week, three hours each night, for 14 weeks during the Fall and Spring semesters. UMass Lowell's online courses meet for either 10 or 14 weeks, however, students generally log on to their course site once per week to retrieve lectures and assignments or to participate in a chat session. For more information on online courses, click here to go to UMass Lowell's online courses website. In addition to the Fall and Spring semesters, students may also have the opportunity to accelerate their programs of study during two concentrated six-week Summer sessions. Online courses are also offered during the Summer semester, but unlike the on-campus courses, the online summer courses meet from May through August for a period of 14 weeks unless otherwise noted. All students should anticipate at least two hours of preparation for every hour of classroom instruction. Students are required to maintain a grade point average of 2.0 or better to receive the certificate.

Application into the Program
Those who wish to enroll in the certificate program should submit a completed application form and arrange to have their official high school transcript or GED sent to Continuing Studies. Applications, transcripts, and other correspondence should be sent to: University of Massachusetts Lowell, Admissions/Continuing Studies, Corporate & Distance Education, Dugan Hall, Room 110, 883 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA 01854-5104. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and there is no fee to apply. Upon acceptance, notification will be sent to students.

Registering for Courses
Continuing Studies offers courses during the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Information about current course offerings, schedules, and registration procedures is published regularly on our website. If you would like to receive a printed Course Bulletin, please contact our Faculty and Student Support Center at (978) 934-2474.

You may take courses without being officially enrolled in a certificate or degree program, but you must meet the particular course prerequisites. Registrations are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Class size is limited. We recommend that you register early to reserve your place in class.

Transfer Policy
With the program coordinator's approval, one course may be transferred from another accredited institution to satisfy undergraduate certificate program requirements. The course should be equivalent to UMass Lowell instruction, applicable to the intended program, and the student must have received a grade equivalent to a C- (1.70 on a 4.00 scale) or better.

Academic Advising
Program Coordinators and Faculty and Student Support Specialists are available by appointment to help students determine appropriate course loads, discuss admission requirements, and review the transferability of courses. For online advising, email us at Continuing_Education@uml.edu. To schedule an appointment with a Program Coordinator or Faculty and Student Support Specialist, please call Continuing Studies at (978) 934-2474. General academic advising is also available at the Faculty and Student Support Center on a drop-in basis, located in Southwick Hall, Room 202 on UMass Lowell North. Call (978) 934-2474 or stop by the office Monday through Thursday between 8:30am-8:00pm and on Friday between 8:30am-5:00pm.

Awarding of Certificates
Upon successful completion of the certificate program, students must submit a completed Certificate Petition Form to Continuing Studies. Upon verification, students will be mailed their certificates. Receipt of the certificate will be noted formally on the student's transcript with an award date of October, February, or June.

Tuition
Please refer to ourcurrent course listings published online each semester for up-to-date pricing information or refer to the Continuing Studies Course Bulletin each semester.

For More Information
For additional information on any of our programs, call Continuing Studies at (978) 934-2474 or email Continuing_Education@uml.edu.

For information on Financial Aid, call the Financial Aid Office at (978) 934-4220.

Course Descriptions

15.123 Surveying I
This course is devoted to the study of basic principles of geomatics through class instruction and hands-on field work. Students will develop and retain a basic understanding of computations made in topographic mapping, property surveys, construction layout, cross-section designs, etc. Practical, real-world examples will be used to model the topics of each lecture. The concepts presented in this course directly relate to numerous other civil engineering fields. 4 credits. Prerequisite: 92.123, 23.101.

15.124 Surveying II
This course is devoted to the study of geomatics through class instruction and hands-on field work. Students will develop and retain a more advanced understanding of computations made in topographic mapping, property surveys, roadway layout, construction layout, cross-section designs, subdivisions, etc. Practical, real-world examples will be used to model the topics of each lecture. The concepts presented in this course directly relate to numerous other civil engineering fields. 4 credits. Prerequisite: 15.123, 92.123, 23.101

15.262 Legal Aspects of Land Surveying
This course covers topics such as property law, property transfer, boundary law, property descriptions and titles, survey plats, water law, liability and litigation, professional ethics and standards, and land information systems. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 15.123

15.299 Surveying III
This course presents an introduction to geodesy, geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude), State Plane Coordinate System of 1983 (Lambert Conformal Conic Projections and Transverse Mercator Projection), field astronomy for celestial observations including the use of an ephemeris to determine astronomic north from observing the sun, Polaris (the North Star), and various other stars. In addition, the course covers error theory, precision and accuracy, probability curves, standard error and other statistics, propagation of errors in surveying and sources of error, field method of determining accuracy and precision of electronic distance measuring (EDM) devices. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 15.124.

23.101 Engineering Graphics
This course presents material in both class and laboratory format. Topics covered include: geometric constructions; multi-view sketching and projection; sectional views; isometric and oblique drawing; and dimensioning. 2 credits.

92.123 Precalculus Mathematics II
Reviews angles and their measure, the trigonometric functions, solving triangles, law of sines, law of cosines, circular functions and their graphs, vectors and trigonometric identities. 3 credits. Prerequisite: 92.120 Special Notes: MA. Students may not receive credit for both 92.123 and 92.124.

© 1995-2009 University of Massachusetts Lowell,
Continuing Studies, Corporate & Distance Education