Bachelor of Spatial Science (BSPS) - BSpSc

QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 907222; Distance education: 907225

CRICOS code (International applicants): 053511E

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In this section:

• Geographic Information Systems
• Surveying major

Geographic Information Systems

The program provides students with the educational requirements to become a professional spatial scientist and equips them with a core of basic theoretical, scientific, analytical, managerial, professional, research and communication skills that will permit them to undertake an in-depth study of the fundamental science and practice of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Additionally, students obtain knowledge of the natural, legal, commercial, industrial and social environments in which they will function as professionals.

Career opportunities

Professional in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), cartography and mapping in Local, State and Commonwealth Government agencies, private practice and organisations supported by GIS management, land development, planning, mapping and data visualisation.

Surveying major

This program provides students with the knowledge to apply new technologies, such as the satellite-based Global Positioning System, Geographic Information Systems and Land Information Systems, to a broad range of surveying projects including land development, mapping, engineering and mining. Students will gain the skills required to find unique solutions to problems – solutions that are expected to be both socially and environmentally responsible. Students will use advanced skills and knowledge acquired in analysis, measurement science and computing to complete surveying and spatial information projects. The Bachelor of Spatial Science may be awarded with Honours to high achieving students.

Career opportunities

Professional Surveyor in property surveying, land development, land information, mapping, engineering projects or the mining industry with private organisations, and State, Commonwealth and Local Government agencies.

Professional accreditation

The Bachelor of Spatial Science (Surveying) is fully accredited by the Surveyors Board of Queensland and is recognised in every Australian state and in New Zealand through reciprocal arrangements. The degree, together with relevant industry experience, enables registration and/or licensing as a professional surveyor with the Boards of Surveyors in Australia and New Zealand.

The Spatial Science Institute has accredited both program majors and graduates are eligible for membership with the Spatial Sciences Institute Australia.

Program aims

The Bachelor of Spatial Science program provides students with the educational requirements to become a professional spatial scientist and the ability to undertake postgraduate studies. The program equips students with a core of basic theoretical, scientific, analytical, managerial, professional, research and communication skills that will permit them to undertake an in-depth study of the fundamental science and practice of spatial science in one of two fields: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or Surveying.

In addition, students obtain knowledge of the natural, legal, commercial, industrial and social environments in which they will function as professionals. The program instills in students the need for continuing professional development and gives them the ability to adapt to change.

The program is designed to identify, and award honours to, students who have the capacity to undertake study at an advanced level and to make an original contribution to the fundamental science and practice of spatial science. The award of honours will be determined by academic performance and is normally based on a student's grade point average (GPA).

Program objectives

A student who successfully completes the Bachelor of Spatial Science should be able to demonstrate:

• a broad knowledge of basic scientific and technical skills

• a high level of computer literacy skills appropriate to their field of study

• a high level of written and oral communication skills

• a capacity for analysis, evaluation and synthesis

• an understanding of, and ability to undertake, the processes required to collect, store, and manipulate a variety of spatial data

• a capacity to adapt to change and to apply innovation

• an understanding of the natural, social, professional, industrial and technical environments in which they will practice

• a knowledge of professional journals and other information sources related to the spatial science industry, the skills required to access information from those sources, and an aptitude to undertake further learning and study

• an ability to undertake applied research in a field of the spatial science discipline

• a knowledge of the financial and management principles and practices that are used to manage a professional office

• a knowledge of surveying or spatial information systems of sufficient depth to gain employment, certification and, where appropriate, registration as a Professional Surveyor or Spatial Scientist.

Admission requirements

Applicants shall normally:

• have studied four semester units and achieved an exit assessment of 'Sound Achievement' or better in each of the following Queensland Senior Secondary School subjects: English and Mathematics B. It is recommended that applicants should also have satisfactorily completed the subject: Physics

or

• be able to demonstrate that they have achieved an equivalent standard in these subjects at another institution

and

• Australian applicants: have achieved a Queensland Overall Position (OP) band, or an equivalent Rank based on qualifications and previous work experience, at or above the specified cut-off level

• International applicants: must have met the University's English language requirements or have completed the University's ELICOS/UNIPREP program. .

How to apply

Domestic students

Application for undergraduate programs may be made through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). The same procedure applies whether you plan to study on-campus or by distance education.

If you completed Year 12 at a Queensland secondary school you will be assessed for entry on the basis of your Overall Position (OP) or equivalent score. Year 12 students from other states or territories are considered for entry on the basis of their UAI, ENTER or TER. Other applicants will be based on their overall Rank. You should ensure you submit your application by the closing dates.

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Program fees

Student contribution amount

For domestic students who are offered Commonwealth supported places, the Government pays some money directly to the University, but students are also required to make a contribution. This contribution is called the ‘student contribution’. For more information about student contribution amounts, including the calculation of fees for a particular program of study, refer to USQ fees.

Tuition fee

Domestic fee-paying places are funded entirely through the tuition/direct fees paid by the student. Tuition/direct fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. For more information about Tuition Fees, including the calculation of fees for a particular program of study, refer to USQ Fees.

International fees

International students pay tuition fees. For details about international student fees, refer to the International Fee Schedule provided by USQ International.

Program structure

The Bachelor of Spatial Science is a 32-unit program consisting of Academic Courses and Practice Courses.

Academic Courses are normally one-unit courses and involve approximately 155 hours of student work per unit.

Practice Courses are zero unit courses and each involves approximately 50 hours of student work. The only grades available for a Practice Course are Pass (P) and Fail (F). A Practice Course is designed to enable students to acquire specific competencies associated with their major study. The competencies range from specific practical and communication skills through to generic competencies relating to ethical and social responsibility, awareness of the environment, teamwork, etc. For an external student a Practice Course generally involves attendance on-campus for a one-week residential school.

The components of the program are shown in the following table:

Program completion requirements

The Bachelor of Spatial Science Program normally involves four years of full-time study or eight years of part-time study.

Students must complete the program within a maximum period of six years of full-time study, or 12 years of part-time study, from the date of their initial enrolment. To graduate from a particular major students must successfully complete all of the core courses plus the specialist and practice courses in that major, including the required number of electives.

Required time limits

Full-time students have a maximum of 6 years to complete this program. Part-time students have a maximum of 12 years to complete this program.
A pro-rata adjustment of the maximum time period will apply for those students who transfer from one mode of study to another. A pro-rata reduction in the maximum time period will apply to students who are admitted to a program with advanced standing.

Core courses

The courses that comprise the core studies in the Bachelor of Spatial Science program are shown in the following table:

Major studies

The Bachelor of Spatial Science consists of a core studies component and two major studies. Students must complete the core courses and the course in one of the major studies. Each major study provides students with knowledge and skills in a specific specialisation within the spatial sciences profession. The two major studies are: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Surveying.

The Bachelor of Spatial Science (Geographic Information Systems) provides for the professional education of GIS scientists.

The Bachelor of Spatial Science (Surveying) is a replacement for the previous Bachelor of Surveying program.

The courses that comprise each of the majors are listed in the following tables:

Geographic Information Systems Major Study

Surveying Major Study

Practical experience

Practical experience is desirable and encouraged but is not required for the completion of the Bachelor of Spatial Science program. Students are encouraged to obtain practical experience during vacation periods.

IT requirements

Students should refer to the section entitled Access to Information Technology Facilities in the General Faculty and Program Information section of this Handbook.

Residential schools

External Students are required to attend a number of residential schools during their program. These are associated with Practice Courses and are normally conducted at the end of Semester 3 (February), or during the mid-semester recess in Semester 2 (September/October).

Articulation

The University of Southern Queensland offers a unique range of Surveying and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) majors within its suite of Spatial Science programs. The Spatial Science education model provides the basic educational requirement for each level of the surveying and geographic information workforce, and clearly defined articulation Pathways for those wishing to upgrade their existing qualifications. All of the programs are offered in both the on-campus and external mode. The duration of each of the programs is shown in the following table. The integration of these modes of study provides students with flexibility as well as articulation.

Within the three programs the Surveying majors and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) majors are highly articulated and encourage students to advance and upgrade their qualifications progressively.

Graduates of an Associate Degree in Spatial Science, would normally be eligible for up to 16 units of credit towards the Bachelor of Spatial Science Technology within the same field. Similarly, Bachelor of Spatial Science Technology graduates would normally be eligible for up to 24 units of credit towards the Bachelor of Spatial Science degree within the same field.

Students who have completed an associate degree or certificate program in surveying more than five years ago are eligible to claim a maximum of 14 units of advanced standing. The number of units of advanced standing granted will depend upon the nature and currency of the studies undertaken, and on the major study undertaken.

The programs in Surveying and Geographic Information Systems also articulate to and from each other and enable students to move between Surveying and Geographic Information Systems degrees, whilst still retaining a significant amount of credit.

Prospective students who wish to upgrade an existing qualification should contact the Faculty to obtain information about likely exemptions and recommended enrolment patterns for their upgrade program.

Exit points

Students who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete the Bachelor of Spatial Science and who satisfy all of the requirements of either the Bachelor of Spatial Science Technology, the Associate Degree in Spatial Science or the Diploma of Engineering Studies, may be permitted to exit with that award.

Honours

The Bachelor of Spatial Science may be awarded with Honours. The class of honours to be awarded to a student is dependent upon:

• the Grade Point Average calculated from the grades achieved in the courses studied in, or transferred to, the program

• the grade achieved by the student in the courses ENG4111 Research Project Part 1 and ENG4112 Research Project Part 2 (unless the student is exempted from these courses).

The minimum levels of achievement normally required for each class of honours are shown in the following table. To be assured of achieving a particular class of honours students must have achieved the specified grade in the research project courses and the minimum GPA requirements for all of the courses studied, for the last 16 courses studied, or for the last eight courses studied.

In this section:

• Geographic Information Systems recommended enrolment pattern
• Geographic Information Systems recommended enrolment pattern - Academic courses
• Geographic Information Systems recommended enrolment pattern - Practice courses
• Geographic Information Systems elective courses
• Surveying recommended enrolment pattern
• Surveying recommended enrolment pattern - Academic courses
• Surveying recommended enrolment pattern - Practice courses
• Surveying elective courses

Geographic Information Systems recommended enrolment pattern

To satisfy the requirements of the program students must complete all of the Academic Courses and Practice Courses in the following tables, which show the recommended enrolment patterns for on-campus and external students. Students following a non-standard enrolment pattern should consult the course synopses section of the Handbook to ascertain if a course is offered in another term. Elective courses are included in the list of Academic Courses. Students should select these courses from the Electives table.

Geographic Information Systems recommended enrolment pattern - Academic courses

Notes

For students transferring from one program to another a complete list of enrolment requirements are available in the course synopses section of this Handbook.

Geographic Information Systems recommended enrolment pattern - Practice courses

The majority of the practical and professional experience requirements of the program are contained within the Practice Courses in the following table. These are zero unit courses, which are a compulsory part of the program, however, they do not attract a student contribution charge for Australian Residents or a tuition fee for International students.

Residential Schools

Students enrolled in the external offer of a Practice Course must attend the residential school for that course. In some cases students enrolled in the on-campus mode may also be required to attend the residential school. Students should only enrol in a Practice Course when they are able to attend the residential school for that course. Practice Courses may not be taken earlier than shown except with the permission of the Associate Head responsible for the program. In some cases students may enrol in two Practice Courses in one term so they can complete the two residential schools in a two-week period.

The actual dates for each residential school are shown in the Residential School schedule in this Handbook.

Geographic Information Systems elective courses

Notes

Other courses may be admissible as an elective. However students must obtain approval from the relevant Head or Associate Head prior to enrolling in the course.

Surveying recommended enrolment pattern

To satisfy the requirements of the program students must complete all of the Academic Courses and Practice Courses in the following tables, which show the recommended enrolment patterns for on-campus and external students. Students following a non-standard enrolment pattern should consult the course synopses section of the Handbook to ascertain if a course is offered in another term.

Elective courses are included in the list of Academic Courses. Students should select these courses from the Electives table.

Surveying recommended enrolment pattern - Academic courses

Notes

For students transferring from one program to another a complete list of enrolment requirements are available in the course synopses section of this Handbook.

Surveying recommended enrolment pattern - Practice courses

The majority of the practical and professional experience requirements for the program are contained within the Practice Courses in the following table. These are zero unit courses, which are a compulsory part of the program, however, they do not attract a student contribution charge for Australian Residents or a tuition fee for International students.

Residential Schools

Students enrolled in the external offer of a Practice Course must attend the residential school for that course. In some cases students enrolled in the on-campus mode may also be required to attend the residential school. Students should only enrol in a Practice Course when they are able to attend the residential school for that course. Practice Courses may not be taken earlier than shown except with the permission of the Associate Head responsible for the program. In some cases students may enrol in two Practice Courses in one term so they can complete the two residential schools in a two-week period. The actual dates for each residential school are shown in the Residential School schedule in this Handbook.

Surveying elective courses