New Mexico State University

Program History

The surveying engineering program at New Mexico State University (NMSU) was established in 1990. The program started with input from the New Mexico Professional Surveyors (NMPS) to fulfill a legislative mandate. The program was originally accredited by ABET in 1994 under the Related Accreditation Commission. In 2000, the program changed its accreditation to EAC. In 2016 and with the support of the NMPS, New Mexico State University redesigned the program to meet current and future industry demands, thus creating the new geomatics program designed to be a 2+2 flexible program. The new program started in Fall 2017. Currently, there is significant interest in the new program as more than 40 students are now enrolled. The new program is currently accredited by the ABET-ANSAC commission.

Program Mission Statement

The Program Educational Objectives (PEOs) are aligned with the institution’s mission to serve the educational needs of New Mexico’s diverse population through comprehensive programs of education, research, extension education, and public service. As the state’s land grant university, it is the responsibility of educational programs, especially those in engineering technology, to prepare students to enter the local and regional workforce and engage them in community service along the way.

The program educational objectives of the geomatics program at NMSU are:

• NMSU Geomatics program graduates will acquire the ability to become a licensed professional surveyor or a recognized geospatial professional.
• NMSU Geomatics program graduates will demonstrate leadership potential by becoming actively involved with local, state, or national professional organizations and will demonstrate growth and advancement in the surveying or geospatial professions.

Program Uniqueness

• The program offers two distinct paths:
  • From a high school, a student can start at NMSU-DACC, an in-town, two-year college, and physically pursue the degree on campus.
  • Transfer students can enroll directly in the upper division courses after their classes have officially transferred. Many articulation agreements have been made with two-year schools to facilitate this transfer process.
• Students can enroll in classes through one of two modes: face-to-face or online.
• Many connections have been established between surveying professionals, as represented in our Industry Advisory Board, and the individuals that work within the surveying program.
• Two full-time faculty and four adjunct faculty (from the industry) work within the program to teach, perform outreach, and recruit for the university.

How will your program use the prize money to engage your students with other professionals, introduce them to both historical and new technology, and promote licensure? 

• Promoting the program through advertisements in professional magazines, traveling to regional and national conferences and events, and visiting community colleges and K-12 schools
• Incorporating surveying activities in summer camps hosted by the university through giving pre-college students presentations about the surveying profession, showing them our equipment, and increasing their awareness about the profession (also distributing goodies and door prizes for surveying specific recruiting activities)
• Offer courses on more regular levels of flexibility that allow students to select class times that work best for them
• Continue the process of transferring all geomatics courses to online delivery and the process of certifying them through Quality Matters
• Increase our educational resources such as software, equipment, and facilities to provide more opportunities for future students

The previous award helped the program to increase its visibility, which led to increase in enrollment, more support from NMPS and industry, regional and national recognition.

• New Mexico State University Geomatics Engineering
• Geomatics College of Engineering
• The Science of Geomatics
• Introducing Geomatics
• Geomatics Opportunities