Building Geomatics and Land Surveying Pathways: Addressing Workforce Needs through Program Development, Student Outreach, and Professional Development Opportunities

About This Grant

This project aims to serve the national interest by addressing the workforce shortage in geomatics and land surveying. Geomatics is a multidisciplinary field that integrates surveying, GIS, remote sensing, mapping, and emerging technologies to manage, measure, analyze, and visualize geospatial data. Land Surveying, a sub-discipline of geomatics, is the practice and science of measuring and mapping the Earth's surface and its features. Geomatics disciplines are essential for infrastructure development, environmental resource management, and accurate spatial data collection for industries such as construction, urban planning, environmental science, and others. This project will establish a comprehensive Associate of Science (AS) Degree in Geomatics and a Land Surveying Certificate Program at Southwestern College (SWC) in San Diego County. As the region experiences rapid growth, there is an increasing demand for skilled professionals in geomatics. By aligning curriculum with industry standards and providing hands-on training, the project will enhance workforce readiness and contribute to the local economy. The new programs will offer accessible, industry-aligned pathways for students, preparing them for high-demand careers and addressing workforce shortages. The goals of this project are to develop and implement geomatics and land surveying programs at SWC, establish a regional vision for geomatics education, and raise awareness by offering professional development opportunities for educators and engaging high school students through summer academies. The scope of the project will include the development of a curriculum that integrates advanced technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, photogrammetry, LiDAR, and drone technology. Additionally, the project will establish dual-enrollment pathways for high school students, pursue ABET accreditation for curriculum standards, and align courses with California's statewide Course Identification Numbering (C-ID) system to ensure seamless transferability between institutions. The project will continually study the effectiveness of the project including pedagogical reviews, assessment of student learning outcomes, and analysis of program impact. The evaluation will inform the continuous improvement of the curriculum and instructional methods. Results of the project and created materials such as learning modules will be disseminated through SWC's website, conferences, and through NSF ATE Center networks including the GeoTech Center and the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT). This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.